Tom Dyckhoff guardian.co.uk, Friday 23 September 2011
What's going for it? I Heart Peckham, said the well-wishing Post-it notes on Rye Lane after the riots. Yes, people love Peckham. And why not? True, it still has its tricky patches, fried chicken joints, and the high street ain't all that. But it's got another side: adorable streets and a sturdy, hard-to-faze community. The close proximity of art schools in Camberwell and New Cross has brought in a new breed: the arties, and not far behind, the aspirant middle classes, not seen around these parts for some time. Followed, in turn, by pop-up bars and, now, dinky delis serving grilled artichokes. You can see why. This suburb has good bone structure: great housing, good schools, brilliant train connections (central London's only 10 minutes away), even lovely green space at the common. Plus its reputation ensures it's still pretty cheap
The case against Give it five years and it'll be like Clapham. Crime and gangs a serious problem. It's all right, but it's still just Peckham. Read Guardian