This neighbourhood focusses on Purley town centre, where Brighton Road and Purley Way intersect. Godstone Road also originates in this area, and it is also the location of Purley railway station, cementing the area as the geographical and transportation centre of Purley. This centre acts as a bottleneck which separates the postcode sector from its northern and southern sections. Both the north and south have similar attributes, with suburban housing sprawling from the centre, and large expanses of green areas towards the extremities. To the north, the border ends at around Roundshaw Open Space, whereas the southern border ends near Foxley Wood and Higher Drive Recreation Ground – though the area is more built-up than the north. The western side of Purley does not have a well- defined border, but instead blend into Woodcote and Reedham towns. The eastern portion is slightly easier to ascertain, and corresponds fairly well to the railway line and Godstone Road, just before Purley Downs and Riddlesdown. There are several Catholic schools in the area, including Margaret Roper Catholic Primary School, Thomas More Catholic School and Oakwood School.

The name Purley originates from ‘Pirlee’, meaning Pear Tree Wood, first mentioned in 1200. The area was more many centuries largely farmland, but would come to take on its current form when the railways arrived.

The famous Webb Estate right next to Purley has attracted money to the area; indeed, the CR8 postcode has an average household income of £53,900 per year, as compared to Hampstead (£51,700) and Kensington (£49,200). This stands in contrast to pop culture (particularly Monty Python) portrayals of people from Purley, from being the ‘most boring man on earth’ to being laughed at for having a wife from Purley (or perhaps in sync with it?).

Sir Bernard Ingham, a journalist and Margaret Thatcher’s longest-serving chief press secretary (having travelled half a million miles together with the late Prime Minister), currently lives in Purley. Sir Ingham accompanied Mrs. Thatcher on dealings with Reagan, Bush, Gorbachev, Kohl, Mitterrand and many other world leaders – experiences that he carefully documented in his memoir ‘Kill the Messenger’, right after her resignation as Prime Minister.

Purley Festival is an annual fringe festival that aims to bring the community together to enjoy games and music, held at Rotary Field, a four-and-a-half-acre recreation ground just due north of the town centre. Rotary Field also hosts other events on occasion, such as classic car shows.

Purley Way was the first road in the United Kingdom to be lit with sodium lights.

Croydon has seen a large amout of development coinciding with its crowning as London Borough of Culture 2023. As recently as 2020, planning consent was granted for a total 11,354 sq.m redevelopment of Purley town centre. The Proctor and Matthews-led masterplan will consist of a host of new community, civic and religious space, as well as cafes, retail and education facilities. There will also be a 500 seater auditorium and 220 new homes built, hoping to house 600 new residents.