This area is made up of the neighbourhoods of Penge and Anerley, and is located in the southeastern London Borough of Bromley. The locality is surrounded by Betts Park, Crystal Palace Park, and South Norwood Country Park, giving residents plenty of green space to relax and play in. On the high street, there are numerous restaurants and shops, including Murray Bros Butchers, a well- reviewed and favourite local butcher. Getting into London is a breeze from this area, as there is a Southeastern railway station directly in the neighbourhood, and an overground station close by. There is a good supply of Victorian terraced housing for families, and some spacious flats converted from larger houses, making this a great area for families and professionals alike.

The neighbourhood name of ‘Penge’ is a Celtic word meaning “the hill in the forest”, as the Great North Wood used to cover much of the area to the north of Croydon. Up until 1809, the area was not well-frequented except by farmers grazing sheep or collecting firewood. In that year, the Croydon Canal and wharf opened, establishing it so that Londoners could come and enjoy the countryside. Building in the area was further encouraged with the arrival of the railway in 1839; however, a century later, many of these buildings were destroyed during the flying bomb phase of WWII: it was supposedly one of the most bombed towns in the country.

One of London’s most infamous murder mysteries occurred in Penge in 1877. Known as the Penge Mystery, Louis Staunton was accused - along with his lover Alice Rhodes, brother Patrick, and sister-in-law Elizabeth - of starving his wife, Harriet, to death. The three were never sentenced as there were doubts on the exact cause of death. This murder was so high profile that Forbes Road, where the grim events unfolded, was renamed Mosslea Road, to erase the memory. The road in question can in fact be found in this neighbourhood.

A number of the houses and apartment buildings in the neighbourhood do not have great curb appeal and could be described as a little drab. This is also true of the area’s High Street. Whilst this is a problem for some, it is what helps contribute to lower home prices in the area.

The neighbourhood has been designated as a renewal area by the Bromley Council’s Local Plan. They are accepting proposals for development ideas that will provide economic, social, and environmental benefits. A large part of this will be the Blenheim Square development which aims to replace the dilapidated Blenheim shopping centre with multiple new tower blocks up to 18 storeys high. However, some are worried about these plans sanitising the neighbourhood, with one resident stating “It’s out of proportion and out of character. It’s too much for Penge.” In contrast to these proposals, active development remains small-scale with two low density residential projects planned slightly west of this postcode.