Having spent a number of days in the area please find below RipeRooms Sydenham Area Guide. I look into the crime, demographics and provide my overall verdict on the area.
About Sydenham
So, welcome to Sydenham, a charming and laid-back neighbourhood nestled in the vibrant heart of South East London.
Known for its leafy streets, rich history, and a strong sense of community, Sydenham offers a unique blend of urban convenience and suburban tranquility.
Whether you’re a local resident or a visitor exploring this part of the city, Sydenham has a lot to offer.
So, let’s take a leisurely stroll through its streets and discover what makes this corner of London appealing to a number of families.
Sydenham Area Guide – Transport Links
Starting off with perhaps the area’s weakest point, Sydenham has decent transport links but nothing special.
The glaring absence of any London Underground line is the most prominent factor.
While that is a hole in what the area has to offer, it does redeem itself with access to national rail services and London Overground.
Sydenham Station is served by the London Overground East London line, which provides regular services to Shoreditch High Street, Liverpool Street, and Clapham Junction.
The journey to Victoria Station takes around 15 minutes.
Sydenham Station is also served by National Rail services to London Bridge and Cannon Street.
So with those relatively quick options in place, travellers can get to transport hubs like London Bridge quickly.
Sydenham Area Guide – Crime
Going off the most recent Met Police crime data, the average crimes per 1,000 residents in Sydenham is 116.5.
This is noticeably higher than the London average of 95 but way less than such areas like Stratford (242).
Interestingly the crime rate is identical to that in a very different area, Islington.
Like many areas of the city in Sydenham the most common crime type is violence which is bundled in with sexual offences.
Crimes per month hovers at just under 200 in Sydenham and seems to be at a consistent level.
Sydenham Area Guide – Demographics
As of 2022, Sydenham has an estimated population of 17,377 residents.
The largest ethnic group in Sydenham is White British (41.5%).
Other significant ethnic groups include Black Caribbean (10.9%), Black African (9.6%), and White Other (9.4%).
Sydenham is a relatively diverse district, with a wide range of ethnicities and cultures represented.
However with that said it wasn’t somewhere that you walk around and really feel that influence, like Southall.
Interestingly Sydenham according to the most recent census is also home to a large number of young families.
This is highlighted by the fact the most common household type in Sydenham is single-family with dependent children (36%).
The unemployment rate in Sydenham is 5.4%, which is slightly higher than the London average (4.6%).
Sydenham Area Guide – House Prices
In my experience of London I would place Sydenham probably at the more affordable end of the scale.
By straight facts according to Rightmove properties in Sydenham had an overall average price of £528,147 over the last year.
This adds weight to the more ‘affordable’ angle with nearby Beckenham averaging over £50k more per property.
The majority of sales in Sydenham during the last year were flats, selling for an average price of £388,054.
In terms of a trend, sold prices in Sydenham over the last year were 3% up on the previous year and 4% up on the 2020 peak of £508,069.
Summary – Is Sydenham a nice area
As ever ‘nice’ is a subjective term.
Having spent a fair amount of time in the area I would describe it as ok but a touch forgettable.
There isn’t very much by the way of entertainment or leisure when compared to similar areas.
The transport links are satisfactory without being anything impressive.
Sydenham’s high street is a mix of bland essentials type shops (chemists, local supermarkets) with the odd cafe and estate agents.
I’ll put it this way, it’s not somewhere which you would likely go out of your way to visit.
It sounds like have a downer on Sydenham and that’s not actually the case. For families looking to settle it is a solid choice which won’t break the bank and isn’t poverty stricken.
There were no obvious signs of crime or antisocial behaviour and the streets have a leafy feel.
All in all, Sydenham for me is middle of the road and in fact middle of the road can appeal to a lot of people out there.
