What's it like to live in Brixton / Brixton Borders

I'm moving to Herne Hill soon... is there a park in the area with a quiet inner ring road (in the vein of Regent's park) or similar super-quiet set of roads with minimal traffic lights?

It would be nice to have somewhere nearby where you can smash out laps for an hour or so first thing in the morning in the peace and quiet. I do that in Regent's Park at the moment before work (currently living in Hackney) and although it's a bit mind-numbing, I'll miss it.

College Road. Up and down.