This residential neighbourhood of Tulse Hill is situated in the southern London Borough of Lambeth. Streatham High Road boarders this area and follows a ridge, creating valleys on either side. The area, especially around the High Road, has truly developed in recent years after a £3 million investment from the Mayor’s Outer London Fund and Lambeth council, making it a great place for first-time buyers, interested in interwar blocks of flats, late Victorian Arts and Crafts, and some Edwardian homes as well. Along the High Road, there is a wide variety of cuisines and restaurants, representative of the diverse population that lives in the area, but there are also historic and traditional pubs, like the Crown and Sceptre. Residents have access to Balham, Brixton and Dulwich within minutes, plus the beautiful green spaces of Tooting Bec Common and Brockwell Park nearby, which hosts an annual festival in October, making this a great place for young families and young professionals.

Streatham was first recorded in the Domesday Book – as Estreham, however it is assumed that this was a transcription error as the name simply means ‘street ham’, a reference to a small settlement beside the Roman road. The estate of Streatham was part of the manor of Tooting Bec in the Middle Ages, when more hamlets grew at separate points along the road. It was not until the 1830s, that the first suburban dwellings began to appear at the northern edge of the district in Streatham Hill. The spiritual needs of the new residents were met by Christ Church, which was built in the 1840s and was so well designed and built it is now a grade I-listed church and can still be visited on the South Circular Road today.

Streatham High Road is home to over 400 businesses and is London’s longest high street. Mick Jones, guitarist in The Clash, also lived in Christchurch House on Christchurch Road with his aunt during his childhood.

One of the downsides of living in this area is that property prices have gone up by 30% in the last year. This has priced some people out of their locality. However, the average rental price in this neighbourhood is still below the average weekly London rate.

Despite much of the neighbourhood being situated in a conservation area, residents can still expect to see development and refurbishment, in particular along the High Road. Southern Rail has also invested in improvements at Streatham Hill station, including upgrading footways, lighting, cycle parking and bus stops. Similarly, Transport for London in 2021 announced that it would be moving forward with permanent measures to make roads in Streatham much safer and less intimidating for people walking and cycling. Developers have also taken an interest in the area, with prominent companies like London Square building in the area. The local council has also been paying more attention to the area. The Hillside Gardens development, completed in 2020, features four new and high quality homes that will be rented to people on the council’s housing waiting list.