As for the facilities The Mansion Pub on Gipsy Road is amazing - one of the best pubs I have ever been to, friendly staff, excellent food and a relaxed atmosphere. Other nice pubs include the Gipsy Hill Tavern. There are also some really nice restaurants in the area - Mangosteen, Alchemy and Still Luigi's. There are some very useful shops nearby too - a chemist, cafe, vet's, dry cleaners, tailors, tile shop, green grocers and even a private nursery.

The green spaces of Norwood Park are nearby and Gipsy Hill Station takes you to London Bridge or Victoria in about 22 mins! The area is still affordable now (just) more and more people are starting to find out about the place so get in quick!
Darren Ingram

In terms of improvements, there are a huge number of developers applying for planning permission around us. A Tescos will be opening to make up for the lack of decent supermarkets, and a huge area is due to be turned into a shopping centre behind the current parade of shops and adjoining York Hill, not to mention the retail and residential development being finished opposite Tulse Hill station.

On the negative side, there is still a perception of the area as populated by yardies and hooded teenagers, but nowadays there is an increasing number of suits mixing with them.
TB

However, West Norwood/Gipsy Hill is lovely. The train routes are excellent; 20 mins to either Victoria or London bridge, 12 mins to Croydon from Gipsy Hill and a number of different buses to get you to and from Crystal Palace, Clapham, Baker Street, Elephant and Castle, etc. When the inevitable train gets cancelled in the morning it's easy to jump on a bus and get the tube from Brixton.

There is a great variety of shops, a diverse mix of people and a number of restaurants/pubs to choose from. The Mansion at Gipsy Hill roundabout is a particular favourite - the green Thai curry is a must! It's also helpful having a B&Q on the high street and the train/tram setup in Croydon makes life easy to get to the big super stores if you don't have a car.

If you're thinking of buying here I'd definitely advise that you get in quick - the paper said yesterday that house prices are going up by £300 a month. I couldn't afford to buy my property now three months on.
Helen

People are very friendly and really get to know their regular customers. There is also the Thursday film club in the library, a new playground in Norwood Park, the cheapest flower stall in South London and a great new pub (The Mansion) at nearby Gipsy Hill roundabout.

Another great thing about West Norwood is the transport links to London. Trains to both London Bridge and Victoria take 18 mins. There is also significant investment at the Tulse Hill end of the High Street, with two new build developments and retail outlets being added to the area. Now is a great time to live in West Norwood!

Brixton and Crystal Palace are ten minutes way by bus for those who want good bars/restaurants. Balham, the nearest tube station is also ten minutes away by train. We have moved here eight years ago and have loved it.

For several years, this area has been the focus of a re-generation scheme which has definitely helped improving its image and developing local shops.

If not already, this place is bound to become popular shortly with the arrival of Est London tube in Crystal Palace in 2007 and the increasing demands for affordable property.

All this and it's a short walk to Dulwich Village!

Those looking to live in west Norwood, should not hesitate, if you have not visited already, feel free as you will be greeted with friendly faces and smiles. Good luck to those who may have a bright future in WEST NORWOOD.

It's definitely improving at the moment with new businesses opening up and a feel of optimism about the area.

Although the current influx of commuters (Victoria and London Bridge 18 minutes by train) does mean that the station is becoming busier in the morning. You can still nearly always guarantee you'll get a seat though. Unlike those that get on at the next stop - Streatham Hill!

Rosebery's auction house on Knight's Hill is a sure sign that West Norwood is up and coming. The high street needs a bit of a facelift, but offers all you need without having to venture too far and Streatham Common and Dulwich Park are nearby. There is a great sense of community in the area and we have found our neighbours really welcoming and friendly, which is always nice when you are new to an area. In our opinion, West Norwood is a 'well kept secret' with huge potential.

There are 2 very good new restaurants on the parade. Alchemy has been mentioned in numerous publications (Evening Standard and Metro). Mangosteen (next door) is probably one of the finest South East Asian Food restaurants in South London. Add to these Still Luigi's Italian and A Passage To India Indian then you have a fantastic choice.

The Paxton Green Surgery has been totaly redeveloped and without sounding biased has to be the best surgery in terms of customer service that I have come across. Ideally located next to the surgery are two chemists. A vet, a cobbler and an estate agent add to the parade. It's no wonder that prices have close to doubled in the last four years.

Dulwich and Crystal Palace and now very expensive areas and it's obvious that they have begun to spill into the area around Gypsy Road and the Parade. (I'm told properties at the south end of Hamilton Road have doubled in price in the last 5 years). It was once the sort of place that buyers missed. I fear that those days are over. If you want to live here, get in quick.

West Norwood has a decent high street, with 2 supermarkets opposite each other (Somerfields and Iceland) and it has a Woolworths and a B&Q store. For entertainment and recreation there's an Apollo video store, West Norwood library and West Norwood Tennis & Squash club. Crystal Palace FC (Selhurst Stadium) is only 3 miles, or 15 to 20 minutes away on the bus from Norwood Garage.

West Norwood has plenty of affordable large houses and flats, it has excellent transport links to central London, Croydon and Crystal Palace. It has a decent high street, a diverse population. If you wish to keep your anonymity and mind your own business you can, if you want to interact with the greater community you can do that also.

I'm perfectly happy living here, and many people I've spoken to in the area are happy here as well.

There are a number of reasons for a gradual lift in the area. First, there's a growing local community spirit. One or two roads have their own associations, with awareness and concern about local issues.

Second, local facilities are improving. Two extremely good restaurants have opened on Gipsy Road at the bottom of the hill. Alchemy, which has already picked up favourable pieces in Metrolife and Metro, plus best newcomer award in Living South magazine, is a tremendous addition to the area. And next door, the Mangosteen coffee house has just been transformed into a rather splendid, modern-looking South East Asian restaurant. If that wasn't enough, two other restaurants on the parade are worthy of note - Still Luigi's is a quality Italian, while the much-underated Passage to India is, at times, utterly superb.

Restaurants aside, the parade has a good GP surgery (Paxton Green Health Centre), two chemists, two convenience stores, a vet, and, useful for those planning big alterations, its own loft shop. More shops, restaurants and facilities are up the hill at Crystal Palace and over in West Norwood.

Another reason the area is lifting is due to improved train links. At Gipsy Hill there are now four trains an hour to and from Victoria, even outside peak hours. Average journey time to Victoria: 25 minutes. Usefully the Victoria trains go via Balham where you can change to the Northern Line. Trains also run to and from London Bridge, although they are less frequent in the evening.

So, Gipsy Hill is definitely on the up, and is an interesting pocket of South
London worth investigating.

There are leafy green spaces nearby (Brockwell, Crystal Palace and Norwood Parks) and the beautiful Victorian Cemetery for added interest. If you really want to get away from it all then try navigating Dulwich/Sydenham Hill Woods.

Should you be in no hurry to escape, there's also a High Street with larger stores such as B&Q, Somerfield and Woolworth. We may have more than our fair share of greasy spoons but there's also Lancaster's for something a bit more classy (with Rhythm gifts & craft shop over the road) or the newly opened Mangosteen Cafe in Gypsy Hill!

Next door is the delicious new restaurant Alchemy which is well worth checking out. The area is still improving with new shops added all the time. We've even got a Ghost outlet store (designer dresses don't you know) cunningly called 'Phantom' and if anyone knows of a cheaper flower stall than the one outside Jack Stamps then I'd like to hear about it!

One thing is for sure - you'll never have an excuse to go hungry here! Improvements look set to continue as a consequence of the efforts of local groups.

Could do with a few more decent pubs/restaurants but wouldn't want it to become 'gentrified' like other places in South London as this would ruin the feel of the area.