London Area Guide: Peckham

Is Shoreditch over? Those seeking the next best thing might say so. So where should discerning technophiles, artists, house sharers and vagabonds make their new homes? One possible answer to that is Peckham. Famous as the home of Del Boy and Rodney, Peckham has undergone plenty of changes in the past few years. And there are so many reasons why you should live there.

Background

Back in the 18^th century, Peckham was known as a bit of a small market town, producing figs, melons and grapes. Who’d have thought it? Fast-forward to 20 years ago and Peckham was in a bit of trouble, until it received £290 million in regeneration money, which brought the area to life. With pretty Victorian architecture, great transport routes to Central London thanks to the Overground and on-the-minute buses, and loads of stuff to do, Peckham has it all for potential house sharers.

Shhh, can you hear that? That’s the sound of young, trendy people flocking into the area. Recent years have seen Peckham become one of the go-to areas for young, fashionable artists thanks to the area’s close proximity to Goldsmiths: University of London, and Camberwell College of Arts. As a result, the area has become a bit of a bohemian community, and that’s set to continue.

Food and Drink

You won’t be hard pressed to find a fantastic bite to eat and something to sip in Peckham. Bellenden Road’s Begging Bowl has earned itself a decent reputation as one of London’s best Thai eats. For something a little bit unusual, Peckham Bazaar offers a sumptuous pan Balkan menu, and Pedler, on Peckham Rye where a small sum of your British Pounds will get you an impossibly large breakfast. Don’t forget the brown sauce.

When it comes to drinks, Peckham’s got it all. Looking for a few straight-up beers? Check out Bar Story, located behind Peckham Rye Station or the Montpelier, which – as well as being a pretty great pub – has a tiny 30-seat cinema in the back.

Time for something a bit special? Head to The Four Quarters down the street from the station for a great selection of craft beers, live DJs and an unbelievable selection of old arcade games in their original cabinets. Exchange cash at the bar for quarters and kick seven bells out of your friends on Street Fighter II.

Nightlife

Walking around Peckham at night is quite the experience. The sights, sounds and smells of Peckham after sundown are enough to drive anybody into an excited frenzy. The central pillar of all-things-fun in Peckham town is the Bussey Building. Standing practically opposite the station as a monument to hedonism, this 120 multilevel warehouse space offers incredible club nights, late night, rooftop cinema clubs and exhibitions. The club’s best night is Bump and Hustle, so have a sip of something fun and get down.

Round the back of Bussey is Ali Baba Bar, a tiny little bar propped up in a dodgy looking car park. With fantastic food during the day, and leftfield DJs by night, Ali Baba Bar has you covered for all eventualities. Don’t tell too many people about this little secret though, it’s a gem and we’d like to keep it that way.

Two minutes down the road you’ll come across Canavan’s Peckham Pool Club. Extremely rough around the edges, this is a club for the music heads amongst us. Face the front and move your feet to the beat, Canavan’s attracts a serious music crowd that really knows how to party. While the sound isn’t as good as you might want it to be, this venue’s rustic charm means only real music aficionados and the newest DJs and producers frequent it, meaning everything is up-and-coming and cutting edge. Enter at your own peril.

For something with less of a pressure cooker atmosphere, you could do a lot worse than Frank’s Café, Peckham’s Harry’s Bar equivalent. Located on the top of a multi-story car park, Frank’s offers incredible views of the whole of London, as well as great music, art exhibitions, cinema nights and drinks.

Where to live in Peckham

Peckham is a pretty diverse area. If you’re the sort of person that thrives off of busy, bustling streets, anywhere around Peckham Rye or on Peckham High Street. If you’re more at home on a quiet, leafy street, somewhere off Bellenden Road would be better suited. If price is a real concern, live closer to New Cross, you’ll also be in closer proximity to Goldsmiths, which means an artier crowd.