This residential suburb incorporates the areas of Streatham Vale, Furzedown, and Streatham Park and straddles the line between the boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth. Residents of this neighbourhood enjoy an eclectic mix of entertainment options, like Hideaway, a live entertainment venue that hosts everything from jazz to soul and comedy 7 days a week. There is also a number of local and intimate cafes, including Cut the Mustard and Café Barcelona, as well as favourite local pubs, such as Manor Arms, which possesses a courtyard garden and the Earl Ferrers, a family-friendly inn with a variety of board games. Near by Tooting Bec Common, Streatham Common, and Mitcham Common provide residents with plenty of open green spaces to relax in and explore. This neighbourhood is a great choice for professionals who want a little peace and quiet and families who want access to the area’s well-rated schools.

The neighbourhood name of Furzedown is of relatively recent origin. It supposedly dates from the 17th century and refers to the gorse (another name for furze), a yellow-flowered shrub of the pea family, that grew here. Furzedown House was built right next to the neighbourhood in 1794 and was enlarged and endowed with a conservatory and a single-storey entrance lodge in the early 1860s. In the late 19th century, Furzedown House was owned by the Seely family, whose main residence was in the Isle of Wight. The house was saved from demolition in the early 1900s by the London County Council, which converted it into a teacher training college in 1915. The lodge is now part of Graveney School, which remains today.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan lives in Furzedown. Also, Hideaway made it onto Londonist’s list of the best places to watch live jazz in London and its list of London’s best underground bars.

One of the downsides of this neighbourhood area is that the transportation into central London can be a bit challenging. The Southern railway line is the only rail line that services this neighbourhood, meaning your commute could take some time or involve lots of change overs depending on where you need to go. However, depending on where you are located, there is a nearby Northern line tube station, Tooting Bec, that could potentially make the commute a bit easier.

The area’s local councils, have plans to continue its already successful development and regeneration. The Wandsworth council has designated nearby Tooting as a priority neighbourhood and will receive specific and targeted action to reduce inequalities, as well as retain and enhance its significant family-sized housing stock. Wandsworth Council recently refurbished and upgraded the Furzedown Rec pavilion at the cost of just over £100,000. It was reopened in 2019 and offers schools, clubs, amenity groups and families living in Tooting a new-look community space. The Lambeth council has laid out plans for new bus interchanges, improvements to shop fronts, and improvements to High Road cultural and civic facilities to further assist the local economy. Residents of this neighbourhood area should expect to see aesthetic improvements as well as structural economic improvements in the coming years.