Croydon

[Aliceband]

Hi, am due to visit a friend in Croydon soon. Whats it like there? (just curious before my arrival!)

[hugnie21]

Very built up, polluted and busy. Great for shopping and going to bars in the evening though.

[Aliceband]

Thanks hugnie

[whiffey]

Hi Alice,

Not sure what you want to know, but here are some disconnected points.

Very good shopping centre. The home of Allders, and its last remaining store. A centre of business, UK HQ of Nestle, a large Philips building around which are constant eddies and mini-tornados.

Tramlink. You can get to Wimbledon within 20 minutes, but why ?

IKEA. You walk in and are logically met with an escalator. The car park is like a go-kart track.

To the north it merges insensibly and insensitively into the suburbs. Avoid West Croydon and environs at night although most bullets miss.

To the south, South Croydon, Purley, Coulsdon, and on up to the North Downs. the environment and house prices rise. Good night life in South Croydon, loads of good restaurants of all types.

It's not a bad place. Mitcham Common is close by and has loads of quiet secrets.

Have a good time when you come here.

[Aliceband]

ahhh, thanks whiffey for that. I live in Norfolk, so guess its a bit different to here. But will hopefully have a good time. thanks x

[RogK]

Put it this way, Alice - you'll be glad to be home.

[DeNiro]

Hi Aliceband,

They don't call it "The Concrete Jungle", for nothing !!

Have a nice trip!!

[Aliceband]

Too late to change my plans now Rog and DeNiro :(

[sense4all]

Croydon produced Kate Moss and Matthew Wright. We have friends in ( posh ) Coulsden.There is a lot of high density 1930s houses in some of the burbs. It is the most disjointed place I have ever had the good fortune to visit ... it has always amazed me that our Globe trotting, sophisticated friends love to live here - each to their own!

[whiffey]

Hi again Alice,

I was in Croydon for most of Saturday, I remembered a couple more things for you. It depends how long you will be there.

Try to visit Beanos near the market. It is the largest second hand record shop in Europe, but tragically looks as though it is closing down. The market is good too. You can close your eyes, listen to the traders shouting their wares, and imagine yourself back in Dickens time.

Also plenty of excellent butchers and fishmongers in that area.

The ugliest building ever built - cake-shaped - by East Croydon station.

House of Fraser food hall !

A good old-fashioned ironmongers called Turtles.

55 branches of McDonalds (well loads anyway !)