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

35 min from brixton, man i get here in that time from archway??!!

I think Momentum means on the tube, I can pootle to IC in about 15 mins on the whip... Great LBS too!

Part of growing up is learning how to handle the rougher parts of London not that Brixton is particularly rough mind.

+1

I live in Se5, lived here for a year, going to stay for another. I'd recommend camberwell over brixton, better studenty vibe and more open late at night. Even peckham is good. Don't be scared of saaf london, it's no worse than any other part of london.

I live near brixton jam, which means non-bike people have brixton road to get central (easy links to west london via bus/central/east). If you live camberwell way you have camberwell (new) road, links to whole of london via elephant, and ditto with peckham you have peckham rd/old kent rd - easy transport links for the whole of london, because of the carbuncle of transport that is e and c.

I'll check the prices out in Camberwell/Peckham as well then. I'd like a more studenty vibe. I felt comfortable in Hammersmith but did find it a bit boring.

I think initially I was a bit put off the south because the tube map seems to just disappear. Bus links seem to compensate though. I think south will make sense for my flatmates too because Imperial is south west central, which means they won't have to commute across central.

I guess that you're at Imperial so my experience might be helpful. I was at Imperial a few years ago and moved to Brixton when I moved out of halls. Been living here since then (2001) and it's pretty good really. It takes about 35 minutes to get to South Ken at rush hour and the 345 goes all the way (although it takes ages). Like people have said, some bits are scummy, some are pretty middle class and some are in between. It is definitely sketchier than hammersmith/barons court/earls court but that's the same of most places (since that part of west london is fucking dull) *+millions*and there's a lot more interesting stuff going on.

I recommend coming down on a saturday to wander around the market, got to a couple of pubs or something, check out brockwell park or catch a gig at the windmill. That'll give you an idea of the nice sides to the place and then a walk from the tube to your prospective flat in the dark will give you an idea of whether you'll find it too sketchy!

Good to hear from someone who was in the same position not long ago :) 35 minutes is good. South Ken - Hammersmith can easily take 40 min on the bus on a bad evening.

I think I will do as you suggest, I was planning on coming up and exploring... missing London a lot :(

I think Momentum means on the tube, I can pootle to IC in about 15 mins on the whip... Great LBS too!

Yep :) Miles better than the LBSs in/near Hammersmith.

Part of growing up is learning how to handle the rougher parts of London not that Brixton is particularly rough mind.

Definitely. I went to a fairly rough state secondary school where I stuck out like a sore thumb so learnt to deal with tricky situations fast and to spot potential problems quickly.

I've never had any hassle at all in London, but a few friends who went to public/boarding school have. One seems to get started on constantly. I dunno what the fsck he does to aggravate people without even saying anything :s

The Imperial students who live in Beit Hall (next door to the Royal Albert Hall) are going to get such a shock when they move out. They think Hammersmith is some kind of ghetto :s

I think Momentum means on the tube, I can pootle to IC in about 15 mins on the whip... Great LBS too!

That's right - it's a 20 minute bike ride when you take it easy.

I'll check the prices out in Camberwell/Peckham as well then. I'd like a more studenty vibe. I felt comfortable in Hammersmith but did find it a bit boring.

I think initially I was a bit put off the south because the tube map seems to just disappear. Bus links seem to compensate though. I think south will make sense for my flatmates too because Imperial is south west central, which means they won't have to commute across central.

Camberwell/Peckham will be fine for you (with a bike) but will be a right shitter for your mates to get to South Ken on public transport at rush hour (IC still makes you work 9-5 right, unlike all the art school dossers with their fluoro fixed gears and asymmetric haircuts?)

If you want good tube connections in South London then you need to look up and down the Northern and Victoria lines. If you want to go further East then look at the overland trains that go into into Victoria where your mates could get on the tube or bus, but be aware that it will be a total nightmare if they have any 9am lectures and will take a while at the best of times. Brixton outperforms the rest of South London in terms of transport (lots of buses, fast tube line and overland to Victoria)

Been living there since '98 and although I don't really go out in Brixton town centre - preferring the Herne Hill/Dulwich/Brockwell Park end it's still a great place to live.
OK, it's got a slightly higher intake of cunts n scumbags but so's everywhere in London
Plus I've only had a knife pulled out on me once in 10yrs so can't be too bad....

That was at South drinks.
:)

Hipster heaven/hell.
Take your pick...

IC still makes you work 9-5 right, unlike all the art school dossers with their fluoro fixed gears and asymmetric haircuts?

Haha I have at one point or another ticked all those boxes. You're just jealous 'cos we picked the better degree : )

Those who really do doss at art school pay the price ...at some point.

Haha I have at one point or another ticked all those boxes. You're just jealous 'cos we picked the better degree : )

I'm jealous cos there are a lot more beautiful people at art school and the nightlife would be better, although I'm about to get married to someone I met at imperial so it wasn't too bad.

Been living there since '98 and although I don't really go out in Brixton town centre - preferring the Herne Hill/Dulwich/Brockwell Park end it's still a great place to live.

True. I don't really "drink" in brixton anymore, but Plan B still puts on some good nights, the albert is always funny, you can still drink until 5am, Eco's / Franco's in Granville Arcade does some of the best pizza I've ever eaten, the market's still cheap, Morley's is still an Are You Being Served throwback, BC is round the corner, the ritzy is still cheap-ish, Rosie's deli makes me laugh, blacker dread records could wipe out my bank balance in minutes, 198 gallery puts on some good exhibitions.

Normally I don't encourage people to move down here; I had to endure some posh nob end in the pub last night explaining to his mate why he'd moved to 'edgy' herne hill and raving on about how the fact that his new house is on "the actual site of the actual brixton riots! ra ra" His parents were outraged that he'd moved south of the river and were worried he would die in a week*. He placated them by saying that he lived 'near east dulwich'. WAC.

• and I secretly hope he will.
  

True. I don't really "drink" in brixton anymore, but Plan B still puts on some good nights, the albert is always funny, you can still drink until 5am, Eco's / Franco's in Granville Arcade does some of the best pizza I've ever eaten, the market's still cheap, Morley's is still an Are You Being Served throwback, BC is round the corner, the ritzy is still cheap-ish, Rosie's deli makes me laugh, blacker dread records could wipe out my bank balance in minutes, 198 gallery puts on some good exhibitions.

Solid recommendations there dude. I'd add the second hand bookshop on coldharbour lane as another place that I could sepend lots of money, fujiyama as a good place for a big, cheap meal, the BYO jerk chicken place on brixton hill, the BYO curry place next to the Hobgoblin and everything about Brockwell Park, bu especially the Country Fair. Went for a nice swim in the sunshine at the lido yesterday after work - quality.

Normally I don't encourage people to move down here; I had to endure some posh nob end in the pub last night explaining to his mate why he'd moved to 'edgy' herne hill and raving on about how the fact that his new house is on "the actual site of the actual brixton riots! ra ra" His parents were outraged that he'd moved south of the river and were worried he would die in a week*. He placated them by saying that he lived 'near east dulwich'. WAC.

• and I secretly hope he will.
  
  

W. A. C.

Herne Hill is about as edgy as a spoon. I have noticed more and more people like that over the years - I guess Clapham got too expensive so they're moving over. When I moved to Brixton Plan B was a Wimpy! I spent my first two years in Brixton living on the Loughborough Junction estate so have no illusions about edgy being fun.

Ah I was at the lido too, some very pretty people there yesterday and the flying ant plague seems to have passed. You weren't in SPDs arriving about seven were you? That sounds way too much like a gumtree 'I saw you passing' advert.

Incidentally there seems to be a new booker at Hootanannygoblin - they've got Manu Chau on Saturday night, followed next week by Jah Wobble, the Congas, the Heptones etc. etc.

... followed next week by Jah Wobble, the Congas, the Heptones etc. etc.

not the Congos???? There's gotta be a band called the Congas. Calm down skully.

snowyagain- Can you hook me up with those Labrynth people mate?

Ah I was at the lido too, some very pretty people there yesterday and the flying ant plague seems to have passed. You weren't in SPDs arriving about seven were you? That sounds way too much like a gumtree 'I saw you passing' advert.

Arrived about 7.15 in spds so it might have been - I'm 6'4" with ginger hair so I'm easy to spot. Now this sounds exactly like one of those "our eyes met on the northern line" things in one of the free "newspapers".

Incidentally there seems to be a new booker at Hootanannygoblin - they've got Manu Chau on Saturday night, followed next week by Jah Wobble, the Congas, the Heptones etc. etc.

The hobgoblin > hootenanny transofromation certainly seems to have changed the place but if they've got manu chao then that's amazing. Might swing by on Saturday unless it's tickets only - guess there'll be a lot of euro hippies around for the master of them all.

Haha, damn my fingers! Yeah, I've messaged a couple of people from Hekate, still waiting to hear back.

Edit - Momentum, its tickets on the door only, so it'll be heaving - what with the Country Fair on in the park too. Talking of which:

**Main Arena
**Gun dog display 11.30am Noon
Counties Hawking 12.15pm 1.15pm
The Knights of the Damned jousters 1.30pm 2.00pm
Essex Dog Display Team 2.15pm 2.45pm
Counties Hawking 3.00pm 4.00pm
Gundog Display 4.15pm 4.45pm
Essex Dog Display 5.00pm 5.30pm
The Knights of the Damned jousters 5.45pm 6.15pm

**Small Arena **
Capoeira display 11.30am 11.50am
Sheep shearing Noon 12.30pm
Ferret racing 12.45pm 1.15pm
African Acrobat Company 1.30pm 1.50pm
Capoeira display 2.00pm 2.20pm
Sheep shearing 2.30pm 3.00pm
Ferret racing 3.00pm 3.20pm
African Acrobat Company 3.30pm 3.50pm
Capoeira display 4.00pm 4.20pm
African Acrobat Company 4.30pm 4.50pm
Sheep shearing 5.00pm 5.30pm
Capoeira display 5.45pm 6.15pm

**Other Events going on **
throughout the day
Mike's Donkeys
Kickpoint * shoot the goal
Face painting with Josie Berriffe

Music Saturday
Magda Sinit 12.45
The Thirst 2.15
Thabani 4.30
Omar 5.45

Music Sunday
Etchoo 12.10
Soul Intention 1.25
David Mensah 2.40
Dubcats ft. U Brown 3.55
Natty 5.00
Alton Ellis 6.00 - no more - its Aswad now.

@ Momentum: You on a black Dolan? Think I spotted you on the High Street this week...

It's a good weekend to be in Brixton, although I probably won't get to spend too much time at the fair as my wedding is in three weeks and I need to sort shit out!

@ Momentum: You on a black Dolan? Think I spotted you on the High Street this week...

Not me dude - I'm either on a grey cross check with mudguards and a disc brake (my main ride at the moment) or a black, brakeless Eddy Merckx.

Wedding stuff when there's chucklehead cider and Knights of the Damned jousters?!

I know. The Lambeth Country Fair is one of my favourite things about Brixton - jerk chicken, dub, sheap shearing and bumpkin cider all in the same place and about five minutes from my flat. Missed it last year cos I was at a festival so really want to go this year. Will persuade the lady which should be easy given her like of cider and the fact that it's meant to be sunnyish.

Not forgetting Curry Paradise on Brixton Hill. Best curry house in South London. FACT!

ah..the country fair. Very soon innit? Usually first weekend school's out...

yeah i used to live on Rymer Street 97 - 98. Good times.

You should all move here, it rocks...

Haha, damn my fingers! Yeah, I've messaged a couple of people from Hekate, still waiting to hear back.

Edit - Momentum, its tickets on the door only, so it'll be heaving - what with the Country Fair on in the park too. Talking of which:

**Main Arena
**Gun dog display 11.30am Noon
Counties Hawking 12.15pm 1.15pm
The Knights of the Damned jousters 1.30pm 2.00pm
Essex Dog Display Team 2.15pm 2.45pm
Counties Hawking 3.00pm 4.00pm
Gundog Display 4.15pm 4.45pm
Essex Dog Display 5.00pm 5.30pm
The Knights of the Damned jousters 5.45pm 6.15pm

**Small Arena **
Capoeira display 11.30am 11.50am
Sheep shearing Noon 12.30pm
Ferret racing 12.45pm 1.15pm
African Acrobat Company 1.30pm 1.50pm
Capoeira display 2.00pm 2.20pm
Sheep shearing 2.30pm 3.00pm
Ferret racing 3.00pm 3.20pm
African Acrobat Company 3.30pm 3.50pm
Capoeira display 4.00pm 4.20pm
African Acrobat Company 4.30pm 4.50pm
Sheep shearing 5.00pm 5.30pm
Capoeira display 5.45pm 6.15pm

**Other Events going on **
throughout the day
Mike's Donkeys
Kickpoint * shoot the goal
Face painting with Josie Berriffe

Music Saturday
Magda Sinit 12.45
The Thirst 2.15
Thabani 4.30
Omar 5.45

Music Sunday
Etchoo 12.10
Soul Intention 1.25
David Mensah 2.40
Dubcats ft. U Brown 3.55
Natty 5.00
Alton Ellis 6.00 - no more - its Aswad now.

Wheres the Crusty Demons of Dirt this year?
Always a winner.