Focus On: Peckham – A creative hub full of bars and restaurants
A hotbed for creative professionals and an innovative cultural hub, South London’s Peckham offers stylish modern living with exceptional transport links and some of London’s hippest bars and restaurants.
During the 1960s, Peckham underwent significant redevelopment, followed by additional regeneration programmes over subsequent decades, which have allowed the area to maintain its sense of community while welcoming a new generation of young professionals and families.
“Peckham’s always been a popular part of London for home seekers,” says James Munson, Head of Marketing at Notting Hill Genesis. “It offers a balance of relative affordability, lots to do, plenty of local character and good connections. Although it’s very much part of London, its identity hasn’t been subsumed, so whilst there’s been a lot of physical regeneration in the last ten years, the improvement to the built environment has complemented Peckham’s unique qualities – it’s culture, buzz and sense of community are as strong as ever.”
Variety is also part of Peckham’s appeal, making it attractive to people of all ages. “As well as modern apartment buildings, there’s a mix of styles, from quaint Victorian terraces to post-war social housing and Georgian townhouses,” says Munson.
Hometrack reports that prices are lower than comparable locations such as Hackney by almost £70 per sqft, giving buyers more bang for their buck than other relatively central parts of London. And with Queens Road Peckham Station and Peckham Rye both close by, commuting is hardly arduous.
Notting Hill Genesis offers one of Peckham’s standout new residential options in Peckham Place, an award-winning development running alongside Queen’s Road. The final release of homes features just 16 one- and two-bedroom apartments available from £450,000, plus Shared Ownership 3 bedroom homes with parking from £172,500 for a 25 per cent share; perfect for growing families looking for more space or those wishing to have an extra bedroom to work from home.
All homes are ready to move in now and about 90 per cent of the homes have already been sold.
“In terms of specification, the kitchens and bathrooms are fully fitted and have a sleek, modern appeal,” says Munson. “Homes have been built for households of different sizes and are in a great location in terms of local amenities. There’s definitely a ‘something for everyone’ aspect to the development and this is reflected in the diversity of the people who have bought a home at Peckham Place so far.”
In addition to storage for over 100 bikes, there is also a combination of private and communal outdoor space available to residents. It is surrounded by cycle routes and landscaped gardens kitted out with picnic tables and sun loungers.
AREA HIGHLIGHTS
- Market Peckham on Rye Lane is a seven-floor building with co-working space, a rooftop restaurant and Tonkotsu ramen bar. marketpeckham.com.
- Copeland Park and the Bussey Building make up Peckham’s main cultural quarter, with the Kiln Rooms ceramic studio, Reprezent FM radio studios, the Bussey rooftop bar and deskspace for creatives. copelandpark.com.
- Non-profit organisation Bold Tendencies has turned a multi-storey car park into a buzzing cultural hub with rooftop Frank’s Cafe serving food and drink throughout the summer. It also hosts contemporary art and theatre, while on the ground floor is the PeckhamPlex cinema. boldtendencies.com.
- Below Frank’s is Peckham Levels, which hosts exhibitions, markets, workshops and festivals, as well as providing hubs for start-ups and street food vendors. peckhamlevels.org.
- Brick Brewery is located in a railway arch behind Peckham Rye railway station, its beers include Peckham Pils, Pale and Session. There is also the Taproom with outdoor seating. brickbrewery.co.uk