Deptford certainly had a reputation as a rundown dock neighbourhood at the end of the 20th century. Today, though, the neighbourhood is drawing in young artists, and families looking for semi-affordable alternatives to east London. While the area is home to mostly post-war council flats and houses, there are still some larger Edwardian and Victorian style houses to be found alongside the growing number of contemporary developments. In addition to this mix of housing options, families in the area are also pleased with the many highly rated schools and convenient Deptford Bridge station. On a typical weekend day, kids in the area love taking arts classes at the Albany Theatre and exploring nature at the Creekside Discovery Centre. Beyond families, the area’s younger residents have also been enjoying the neighbourhood’s recent additions. Whether they’re grabbing cocktails at Little Nan’s Bar or shopping at the many artsy stalls at Deptford Market Yard, the area really does have something for everyone!

This part of Deptford is home to the iconic Albany Theatre. The theatre originally opened as The Deptford Fund in 1894. Created to improve the conditions of local residents, it quickly morphed into a community arts centre. Later on, in 1978, the building was badly damaged in a fire. In 1982, its new building opened - being honoured in a ceremony by Princess Diana. Over the years, some of the venue’s famous acts have included Elvis Costello and Courtney Pine. Today, the theatre gets quite a lot of use from the community. Aside from the performance space, it’s home to a cafe, community garden, and rehearsal rooms.

The celebrated Elizabethan playwright, Christopher Marlowe (1563-1593), was killed during a drunken brawl in a local Deptford tavern. Some modern theories posit, however, that Marlowe was in fact assassinated. His most famous play is the 1589 work, Dr Faustus which has since been adapted as a novel, a movie and a TV show.

With new developments popping up in Deptford, and hip eateries moving in, locals are understandably worried about the rising housing prices and potential displacement of well-established residents. Still, for now it’s still easy to find affordable post-war flats in the area, and even some larger Victorian houses.

While multiple private housing developers have recently invested in the area, local organisation The Deptford Project has partnered closely with Lewisham council in order to have a say in regeneration projects throughout the neighbourhood. Deptford Market Yard is one scheme that was heavily influenced by The Deptford Project group, and is now hugely popular, providing over 100 new homes and spaces for local businesses. Looking forward, the Frankham Walk scheme will create 209 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, 117 of which will be affordable. 1 Creekside is a similar scheme which will create 56 new homes and 1541m2 of commercial space in two new buildings. Both projects are representative of the influx of new development the area has seen in recent years.