Crystal Palace was named after the renowned Crystal Palace Exhibition building, which was constructed from plate glass and cast iron to house the 1851 Great Exhibition. After the Great Exhibition, the structure was dismantled, moved and reconstructed at Sydenham Hill where it stood until 1936 when it was sadly destroyed by fire.
Crystal Palace doesn't have any official boundaries and is known for straddling five different boroughs. However, to give you some idea of its position, it is often referred to as a district in the south-western corner of the borough of Lewisham in South East London. Notable areas near Crystal Palace include Sydenham, Bellingham, Penge, and Forest Hill.
Sold prices in Crystal Palace fetched an average price of £489,174 in 2021, which is below the £534,706 average across the whole of the borough of Lewisham. Crystal Palace is significantly more affordable than the Blackheath area, where average property prices stand at £681,519. Conversely, Crystal Palace is more expensive than Downham which can be found in the south-western part of the borough of Lewisham, where average property prices are £355,545.
Most of the properties sold in Crystal Palace during 2021 were flats, which reached £381,089 on average. The average terraced property in Crystal Palace sold for £606,023, with semi-detached properties in the area reaching £721,929 on average. Overall, property prices in Crystal Palace were similar to those fetched in 2020, however since 2019 they have increased by 5% from the previous £464,760 average.
What is living in Crystal Palace like?
Crystal Palace is located seven miles from Charing Cross and is home to one of London's highest points which means that it offers some spectacular views across the Capital. You may already be familiar with one of the area's local landmarks: two television transmitter masts which can be seen from a range of places across Greater London. The Crystal Palace Transmitter stands at an impressive 219 metres, making it one of London's tallest structures behind Heron Tower, One Canada Square, and The Shard.
The Crystal Palace Triangle is another notable local landmark, which is a three-street shopping district that is now home to a variety of cafés, restaurants and shops, including clothing stores, furniture stores, and independent retailers. The area is also home to an indoor second hand and farmers' market as well as a number of craft stores and galleries.
Crystal Palace has retained a large percentage of its original Victorian architecture, particularly in the form of terraces. However, the area also offers a wide selection of mid-war terraced properties alongside contemporary apartment blocks and impressive Victorian villas. The variety of property available in the area means that it is an attractive prospect for many potential buyers, including young professionals and growing families.
Living in Crystal Palace pros and cons
Pro: Home to Crystal Palace Park
Following the unfortunate destruction of the Crystal Palace Exhibition building, the area was cleared and used to house the Crystal Palace Park. The park is now home to the National Sports Centre, which contains a variety of sporting facilities including a 15,500-seat athletics stadium, beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, swimming pools, and gyms. Fun fact: you may recognise the athletics track from the film the Italian Job. It has also hosted several open-air concerts, including the Sex Pistols, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay.
In addition to Crystal Palace Park, the area benefits from other open spaces including Westow Park, which occupies just over 6.5 acres, and the Stambourne Woodland Walk, which stretches across some 4.5 miles between Fox Hill and Stambourne Way.
Con: Levels of crime
Levels of violent crime in Crystal Palace and the surrounding areas are high which, in some areas, can account for up to a third of all reported offences.
Pro: Good transport connections
Crystal Palace railway station occupies a central location alongside the Crystal Palace Park and National Sports Centre. It is served by both Network Rail and London Overground services connecting the area to London Bridge, London Victoria, Highbury & Islington, Sutton, and Beckenham Junction. The station also benefits from excellent bus connectivity, including several night services running between 11pm and 6am.
The whole of Crystal Palace benefits from good bus connectivity, largely thanks to the Crystal Palace Bus Station. Road connectivity is also excellent as the area is served by several A roads, including the A234 to Beckenham, the A214 to Wandsworth and West Wickham, and the A212 to Croydon.
Pro: Home to excellent schools
There are numerous excellent schools in Crystal Palace, including Paxton Primary School, Harris City Academy, Kingsdale Foundation School, and St Joseph's RC Junior School, all of which have been rated as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. Many other schools in the area have secured 'Good' ratings from Ofsted, including Cypress Primary School, All Saints CofE Primary School, and Kingswood Primary School.
Some of the area's independent schooling options include The New School at St Mary's Lodge, The Cedars School on Central Hill, and Sydenham High School on Westwood Hill.
Is Crystal Palace a safe place to live?
Between January 2020 and December 2021, there were 2,598 crimes reported in the Sydenham area, 2,383 offences recorded in the Forest Hill area, and 2,301 offences reported in the Perry Vale area. Violet crimes were the most commonly reported offences in all three areas, followed by theft, vehicle offences, and burglary.
In December 2021 with 100 reported offences, crime in the Forest Hill area was notably higher than the same period the previous year, when just 60 offences were recorded. Conversely, crime in the areas of Sydenham and Perry Vale started to decrease in the latter months of 2021.
Which celebrities live in Crystal Palace?
Marie Stopes, who was an early promoter of contraception and sex education grew up in a property on Cintra Park in the late 1800s. Belvedere Road was home to Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins between the 1850s and 1870s who is arguably best known for creating the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs that can be seen in Crystal Palace Park.
When novelist Émile Zola fled France in the late 1890s, he set up home in Church Road, in the building that is now the Queen's Hotel. Camille Pissaro, an artist known for his Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist works resided in the Crystal Palace area for a year in the early 1870s before settling in the Upper Norwood following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War.
Things to consider when moving to Crystal Palace
With leafy residential streets and a plethora of local businesses, it's possible for residents to attend a morning exercise class, grab a coffee on the way out, do a full grocery shop and meet up with friends for an evening drink, all within walking distance.
Whether you're looking for an Edwardian semi-detached property, a modern apartment or a charming Victorian townhouse, Crystal Palace has something for you. Do keep in mind that this is a very popular area, which means that the property landscape can be competitive, particularly during peak periods.
Many of the largest Victorian properties have been sympathetically converted into flats, which are ideal for young professionals. Commuters can be in the City in under an hour by public transport, Westminster in around 45 minutes, and Southwark in as little as 35 minutes. Crystal Palace also has the added benefit of sitting outside the ULEZ zone, however drivers will be required to pay the charge if they want to drive vehicles that don't meet emissions standards into the zone.