This neighbourhood, anchored around the convenient Norwood Junction Overground station, is made up of parts of Woodside and Selhurst. An extremely diverse locality with plenty to offer, more and more young professionals have begun to move here. While much of the area is occupied by industrial land and railway lines, there are also great outdoor spaces like Woodside Green and Brickfields Meadow, as well as some surprisingly rural canalside walks. The neighbourhood is also full of popular eateries and pubs. Beyond this, the streets are lined with not just affordable post-war flats but also many quaint Edwardian terraced houses. Seeing everything that the neighbourhood has to offer, it’s clear that locals aren’t itching to leave. This tight knit community loves going for a Chinese at Dong Hai, a round of pints at The Cherry Tree, or delicious Polish food at Yeha Noha Cafe. For anyone looking to escape the overdeveloped, hipster pockets of central London - South Norwood is a great alternative.

Norwood was originally covered by The Great North Wood of Surrey. Up until the 17th century, this wood served as a home for nomadic travellers and highwaymen, while also providing timber for house and ship building. Much of the wood was cleared by the 18th century when enclosure commissioners sold plots of land in the area. These plots resulted in different working-class settlements. Once the railway arrived in the mid-19th century, more middle-class homes began to be constructed. This slew of housing was especially extravagant. However, by the time the First World War rolled around, many of the buildings began to be subdivided and new council flats were constructed where space allowed. Today, some of the Victorian homes still exist, but there are also many inter- and post-war buildings.

Famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), used to live in the neighbourhood. He’s certainly most famous for creating the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Unfortunately, some of the housing can be a bit underwhelming. Many of them are drab post-war terraced houses. Still, residents don’t mind the aesthetics of the homes, and think that the affordable prices make it all worth it.

Croydon Council is taking submissions for a new £50,000 art installation on the bridge that’s just next to the main railway station. Currently, the bridge is just brick and iron - and dates back to 1845. There’s a fading mural on it from the 1980s, but the council would like to work with a local artist to incorporate the existing artwork into something brighter and representative of the neighbourhood. Construction is also underway on the Belgrave and Grosvenor development on Belgrave Road. The proposed 17 storey tower, along with two more smaller buildings, will host 102 new homes.