It’s the question that we never ask, simply because we try to love all of London, and would never divide you by declaring one area top of the pile. The Sunday Times has no such qualms, however, as they’ve just compiled their annual list of the best place to live in London. And this year we’re heading to the suburbs of the south, as Crystal Palace has taken the crown for 2022.
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Hands up if you saw that one coming? There’s been a fair amount of jumping around town on this list for the past few years, with Peckham (2017), Bermondsey (2018), the Isle of Dogs (2019), Victoria Park (2020), and Teddington (2021) some of the more recent winners. Crystal Palace was praised for its “Village-like location with its parks, period mansions, cool cafés, indie shops, strong schools and panoramic city views”.
The Sunday Times list has, in the past, seemed a little detached from reality – at least, if you don’t pull in a six/seven-figure salary – with places like Chelsea and Belgravia known to crack the top three. (I’m still cackling at their infamous assessment of Bermondsey residents as “typically young, affluent and often [residing] in photogenic lofts in converted warehouses”, to be honest.) Do I suspect that there are large swathes of Sunday Times readers in some of this years list entries? Of course, but with Hanwell, King’s Cross, New Malden, Teddington and Victoria Park making up the rest of the rankings, this year’s list is a pretty decent roundup.
Given that the list changes almost entirely from one year to the next, I wouldn’t worry too much about upping and moving to Crystal Palace too soon (lovely as it is!), because there will no doubt be a new champion in 2023. Any suggestions on where that might be?
Also published on Medium.