Living and renting in Streatham: travel links, parking, schools, best streets — and the average cost of monthly rent

Renters can swap a flat for a house in good-value Streatham, with 23-minute trains to London Bridge.
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Ruth Bloomfield7 May 2019

Streatham’s star has been slowly rising as Londoners priced out of Brixton and Dulwich head south to find more bang for their buck.

Its excellent commuter links have inevitably attracted young professional couples and sharers, and as the demographic of the once run-down neighbourhood changes so new cafes and restaurants are upping the ante on the High Road.

The lowdown

Dancing on Ice fans will be interested in the Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre, a newly developed sports facility with London’s largest ice rink plus a gym, exercise studios, two pools, a multi-sports hall.

There is a tennis club by Tooting Bec Common, and chain gyms including Virgin Active and Fitness First.

There is a controlled parking zone west of Streatham Hill. Lambeth Council is now consulting on extending that zone east of Streatham Hill too. Where parking permits are required the annual charge ranges from £35.84 to £306.17.

Crime rates are five per 1,000 population in the Streatham Wells ward – lower than the London average of eight per 1,000.

Average cost of renting in Streatham

Property size Average monthly cost
One-bedroom flat £1,239
Two-bedroom flat £1,503
Two-bedroom house £1,668
Three-bedroom house £2,093
Four-bedroom house £2,588

Best streets in Streatham to live on

Depending on which station you want to be close to, Nicci Stanway, Townends Estate Agents lettings manager, recommends Gleneldon Road near Streatham station, or Drewstead Road near Streatham Hill.

Both have “beautiful, imposing Victorian houses”, many split into flats. Expect to pay about £1,400 a month for a two-bedroom flat. You get slightly better value further south on the borders of Norbury, where a two-bedroom purpose-built flat would cost about £1,250 to £1,300 a month.

Streatham travel links and accessibility

Trains from Streatham station to London Bridge take 23 minutes, or you could opt for Streatham Hill or Streatham Common to Victoria in 18 minutes.

An annual season ticket is priced from £1,040. Local buses go to Tooting, Brixton and Clapham, and on to the West End and City.

Best schools in Streatham

A big attraction, with no sink schools to avoid. St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School, Immanuel and St Andrew CofE Primary School, and Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School all have “outstanding” Ofsted reports.

Supermarkets and food markets in Streatham

Streatham High Road has a Sainsbury’s Local, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, Tesco Express, and Marks & Spencer so most tastes are catered to.

For something a bit more exotic, Le Tour de France specialises in Gallic treats, and Thompson’s Deli has some incredible cakes.

Downsides?

The High Road needs a spruce-up — a recent £3 million grant from the Mayor’s Outer London Fund and Lambeth council was a drop in the ocean.

The traffic on the A23 is dreadful, and though crime rates are lower than the London average, some residents complain of a slightly threatening atmosphere at night.

Local knowledge

'We got a house and garden for less money'

A slower commute was worth it for a much larger house for Kara Dickinson
Adrian Lourie

Value for money was what drove Kara Dickinson, her boyfriend and their housemates to Streatham. They left a “tiny” three-bedroom flat in Tulse Hill that cost them £1,900 a month two years ago and now live in a spacious three-bedroom house with a garden for £1,700 a month.

The price for their two-mile move south in search of space and cheaper rent is that Kara, an architect with Metaphor, a firm specialising in cultural buildings, now has a slow commute of just over an hour to get to her office in Old Street.

“But it is worth it for the pay-off, which is that we have a much larger house with a garden — which makes a huge difference, particularly in the summer — for less money,” she says.

“We also have a spare room, which is great as I sometimes work from home and it means I have somewhere to work other than my bedroom.”

Kara didn’t know Streatham before she moved there but she has been impressed by its range of cafés and restaurants, if less so by its shops. However, Brixton, Dulwich, Tulse Hill and Crystal Palace are only a short bus or Uber ride away.

Shopping in Streatham

Streatham High Road is a dull strip of high street names including Argos and Superdrug, but there is the odd gem. Xanadu Architectural Salvage has a fascinating collection of vintage lighting, furniture and art. The Indigo Tree is good for homeware and gifts.

Culture in Streatham

There is the Odeon cinema on the High Road. The excellent Hideaway Jazz and Live Music Club is self-explanatory, and the White Lion has everything from comedy and quizzes to film screenings and exhibitions.

The annual Streatham Festival, in October, brings music, theatre, film, dance, and art to a series of venues across the area, while Streatham Space (part of a sold-out development on the High Road by London Square) is a new community arts centre featuring comedy, theatre, music, events and exhibitions.

Eating and drinking in Streatham

Streatham’s pound shops, chicken shops and nail bars are being replaced with good cafés and restaurants. Kara recommends Rice Republic, Streatham Wine House and the Blackbird Bakery.

You could also try the sourdough pizza at Bravi Ragazzi or the Spanish breakfast of chorizo omelette, ciabatta toast and crispy bacon at Café Barcelona.

Hood, a classy restaurant with a modern British menu, is another standout — Kara goes for the vegan options on a Wednesday. The Manor Arms is ideal for a gastropub supper.

Streatham's green space

Some good, big open spaces to enjoy: Streatham Common (and in particular The Rookery, a tranquil garden and lovely cafe within the common’s bounds), Norwood Grove, and Tooting Bec, with its lido and lake.