property, homes and houses for sale in Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace is closer to the capital than you think.

Living in Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace, in south-east London, takes its name from a 19th century landmark - The Crystal Palace, a huge glass and iron structure built in 1851 for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park.

Straddling the boroughs of Croydon and Bromley, Crystal Palace has one of London's highest points (367ft), with panoramic views of Central London and the North Downs.

Quality of life is pretty good in Crystal Palace. There are plenty of green spaces; Crystal Palace Park is just under 200 acres and is home to a diverse range of activities for visitors and locals alike. The many sporting groups that use it include athletics, football, rugby and cricket teams. Whether it's enjoying sport in the National Sports Centre (NSC), live music in the concert bowl or simply taking in the park's landscape whilst walking.

The centre of Crystal Palace, or the Triangle as it is better known, has a village feel with independent shops and outside cafés full to bursting at weekends. In the summer the park is a hub of activity.

The smartest streets can be found south of Crystal Palace in Fox Hill, a conservation area with fantastic views that is highly sought-after. Small cottages rub shoulders with old detached villas and Victorian conversions.

Flat conversions form nearly three quarters of the property supply in the area, and young professionals priced out of North and West London have moved into the area in recent years.

For families, there is the appeal of the top private schools in nearby Dulwich, but local state schools also perform well. Be aware of catchment areas, as two boroughs make up Crystal Palace.

Transport

The Underground doesn't venture into this corner of London, but work has begun on the extension of the East London line, which will come as far as Crystal Palace and is due for completion in 2010.

The railway station has trains to Victoria and London Bridge, as well as Croydon.

There are plenty of bus routes into Central and South London.

For further information on travelling around London visit www.tfl.gov.uk.

History and culture

Following the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851 The Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham in 1852, but most of it was destroyed by fire in 1936.

The remains of the Victorian building include stone lions and part of the terraces. The models of prehistoric animals in the 1854 dinosaur park were the first ever made, and remain popular attractions to this day.

The London Development Agency (LDA) is proposing to bring the Park back to its former glory, by interpreting its past to turn it into a functional and sustainable Park for the future.

For further information visit: www.crystalpalacepark.org, www.bromley.gov.uk, www.croydon.gov.uk.