I can’t help but notice that most of the comments on this site display a certain amount of cynicism and discontent. And that’s fine. The internet exists for people to let off steam and have a good old rant.
But since these comments are going out on the World Wide Web I thought it may be nice to show folk in Sydney or Seattle the positive side to life in our town.
So here’s a challenge. See if you can come up with 5 things you actually LIKE about living in Surbiton.
Let me start you off with my own list (in no particular order):
1. Strolling along Queens Promenade by the Thames on a sunny Autumn day. It feels like I’m on holiday.
2. Taking my 6 year-old into Puccino’s for his tea. The waitresses are lovely and always have time to chat and joke with him.
3. Gordon Bennett’s on Maple Road. Brilliant food. The best.
4. I can enjoy the peace, calm and relative safety of the Queen of the Suburbs, yet be in the heart of London in under 45 minutes.
5. Unlike many other places which are nothing more than ribbon developments following main roads, Surbiton is a ‘proper’ town in a definable space with a central hub, making it distinct from nearby Kingston. And it has a real sense of neighbourliness and community too… if you’re willing to get involved.
The benefits of a Surbiton.com account:
Comments
some of these anon posts should be deleted
Agreed. Or prevent anonymous posting generally across the site. Perhaps if people could only leave their opinions once registered they'd be more likely to moderate any pejorative comment. I mean, if you're going to bowdlerise your own words with weaselly asterisks you probably should choose a different phrase altogether.
Sorry.....are we talking about the same Gordon Bennett "pub" (note, not wine bar), i.e.:-
1. Owner!!
2. Tables too small
3. The worst wine I have ever paid for in a pub (simple benchmark to All Bar One - would fail).
4. The owner
5. They refuse to make scrambled eggs with breakfast as it is "too difficult to get right"....
Enough said.
You can always push two tables together if you take up a lot of space. And what about the owner? As long as you don't start banging your fists because they won't give you soldiers with your eggies, he's a perfectly reasonable sweet guy.
I am new to Surbiton. Is there parking facilities at the train station to park bicycles and is it safe?
Just before I moved away they brought in a new cycle lock-up...
http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/new%20secure%20cycle%20compound%20for%2...
...but there has always been plenty of bike parking on both sides of the line. As to how safe it is, I've no idea. But Surbiton's a pretty safe place. Having said that, I think that Kingston is a bicycle crime hotspot. Or at least it was.
Kingston always shows as a bike crime hotspot, but I don't think that the stats are particularly scientific. The towns that always come top of this survey are Oxford and Cambridge - there are more bikes stolen there than anywhere else, but there are also many more bikes than in most places!
Say Kingston gets 3 bikes stolen every month from an average of 200 parked in the town, it will come higher than somewhere than gets 1 bike stolen from an average of 5 parked there.
Unfortunately bicycle theft is rife in the Royal Borough of Kingston. Last year (2009) 541 bikes were reported to the police as stolen (451 reported to the Met police and 90 to British Transport Police; i.e. 90 reported stolen from stations). Transport for London's Draft Bike Security Plan shows that Suribiton Station had the worst bike theft record of any station in London. Table 4, page 15 of that report shows 29 bikes reported stolen from Surbiton Station in 2008/09 and 44 in 2009/10 - worse than Euston, Waterloo, Paddington; worse than any rail station in London.
Already in 2010 405 bikes have been reported stolen just to the Met Police, up 23% compared to the same period last year (Jan to Sept).
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/15704.aspx
If you're thinking of leaving your bike at Surbiton station, make usre you use good locks - at least 2 - to deter theft. Do not leave and expensive bike there. Do get your bike marked by the police in case it's stolen and found and recovered, in which case it can be returned to you - but really that's a weak hope. Use good locks and lock your bike frame and the wheels to something solid in a public place.
See also NEWS at www.kingstoncycling.org.uk
1 LOCATION
2 LOCATION
3 LOCATION
4 HOUSE PRICES
5 STATION
(1) Selection of "good" nearby state schools, with good quality of teachers, where kids have an enviroment to succeed IF they choose not to be distracted and put their mind to it.
(2) Residents "educated" enough to be neighbourly, polite and well-mannered (though students can get a bit boisterous ,,, as they do)
(3) Great commuting into London ,,, or overseas
(4) Safe, quiet and lovely just to walk around - riverside, parks and even grand period homes
(5) Even though it's nowhere or nothing "significant", other people have heard of Surbiton, and has a good image and brand (thanks to The Good Life ...) rivalling "Richmond", "Wimbledon", "Brixton" etc. (though not saying that in REALITY Surbiton is of the same level)
Richmond, Wimbledon & Brixton seems a strange set of benchmarks! I could quite see how someone attracted to Richmond might be happy in Surbiton as a cheaper alternative, but Brixton is vey differnet, I would have thought?
I actually find Surbiton's noteriety a bit of a pain. I work in the City and when you tell people you live in Surbiton, they invariably seem to think that is just rows of 30s semis stuck an hour out of London. When they visit and see the predominantly Victorian central area and the river, they are usually very surprised.
I am not sure quite where Surbiton gets it's reputation from. The Good Life portrayed it very much as the 'Southborough' area of town rather than the Victorian centre or the 1930s suburbia of Berrylands. I suppose people just assume it is all like that from the name.
We must perpetuate the "jokey" view outsiders have of Surbiton,it is suburban and thats fine,if we big it up all the yummy mummys from postal London will invade with their revolting offspring and 4X4 vehicles.
I think that is happening already. I live in one of the roads off Maple Road in the town centre. I moved there for the location, but the fact that it is almost 100% flats reassured me that I would not be surrounded by screaming kids.
Five years later, and there seems to be kids living in loads of the flats. Not sure if this is more due to rising house prices or 'incomers', but there has definitely been a change.
I too moved to one of the river roads off Maple Road for the location and peace and quite. One year later...still not a screaming baby in sight, It just goes to show, money can buy you happiness!!!
I wouldn't worry to much about the kids near you, their parents will soon be wanting to move to the outer Surrey sticks to get more for their money and that family home to house their little aliens.
It will be fair well to those North Face jacket wearing, Golf/BMW/Audi driving, Gordon Bennett drinking type......but.... only to be replaced by the new batch straight after. It's not as if i'm complaining, id much rather them then some other riff raff.
God I love Surbiton :)
You might be right, but I think a lot of these new parents like to stay in the area so they can continue their 'Gordon Bennett drinking' lifestyle even though it means putting off that family home for a while longer.
It's rather ironic that The Good Life was filmed in anonymous Northwood!
(1) Village atmosphere full of extremly friendly people
(2) Chez Julien Delicatessen with awsome savory pancakes just as I enjoy when going to France in a traditionnal creperie
(3) Health shop opposite Waitrose
(4) Pices fish and chips
(5) the farmers market, let's hope this will continue for a long time
Having started this thread long ago I'd like to make a revision. Strike Puccino's, nowhere near as friendly as it once was after a culling of staff. Instead add foodie. Lovely coffee and homemade cakes run by a charming couple who are working hard in a recession to make a real go of it.
In no particular order
1. The Lamb. The land Lord has been doing a great job in breathing new life into it.
2. Hotel Bosco’s, A great hotel in the centre of town.
3. Equidistant between Gatwick and Heathrow airports, but without the continuous aircraft noise as in Richmond and Kew
4. The new Farmers Market
5. A really nice, safe place to live
6. Pisces Fish and Chip shop. I thought Super Fish was the best until Pisces opened.
7. Wagon and horses, nice relaxing pub
8. Fantastic walks along the Thames, and over to Hampton Court
9. Generally nice people that look after the area
10. Excellent public transport.
You can be in the heart of London in less than 25 minutes!!
> there is no reason for ever wanting to wear one with the hood up
> unless the weather is really bad or to hide the face
Hmm. Some people look cute in hoodies. That's a great reason for wearing one.
1. Chez Julien Delicatessen
2. Pisces Fish and Chip Shop
3. St. James Cafe
4. Hogsmill River
5. Long Ditton skatepark
Surbiton is the coolest area I have ever lived in. Its is peaceful and full of fun places to go to.
I truly miss the place.
Does the cafe delight at tolworth count?I liked it so much i added it to my blog.
Even though you have to pay for parking.
www.alloageorge.com/blog/2008/05/19/cafe-delight-tolworth-junction-a3/
if the cafe delight at tolworth counts as surbiton, then u might as well count kingston, wimbledon and hampton court as being surbiton!!
Short answer
NO!
Tolworth ain't Surbiton (no matter what the estate agents tell ya ;-)
Best things about Surbiton?
1. Generally safe and quiet backstreets, provided you're at least one block back from the railway station and Victoria Road area.
2. Lots of good community social groups and churches, and Surbiton also has a reasonably good branch library of its own.
3. Close to Kingston which has a pleasant market square during the day, and excellent Borders bookshop, plus a handful of other new and second hand bookshops in Kingston and Hampton Wick.
4. Good road links out of London, via the A3 to the widened M25 western section.
5. Good rail links to London Waterloo for the South Bank, which itself is good for London's West End. Also good rail links to Southampton Airport, and via Clapham Junction to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. Kingston is good for buses to Heathrow.
6. Not in prominent Heathrow flight paths, unlike Putney, Richmond, Staines, Egham and Windsor - yet still not that far from the airport.
7. Countryside! There's a green corridor running all the way from the Hogsmill river between Surbiton and New Malden to the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, via the Bonesgate stream, Horton Country Park, Epsom Common, Ashtead Common and Ashtead Park. This green corridor is open to the public along its whole length, and is connected by off-road cycle trails and bridleways from Tolworth Court Bridge onwards.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere that combines such good countryside access with such good road and rail access, but which doesn't have a noise problem. Some people think that Esher and Cobham are more upmarket than Surbiton, but the reality is that Esher Common and Cobham's surrounding countryside are plagued by noise from the A3 and M25. The birds sing much more clearly in Horton Country Park, Epsom Common and along the Hogsmill.
I have just moved from the North East of England to Surbiton (one of the "Oakhill" streets behind the station) and think its great. Five things that I approve of.....
1. 15 minutes to Waterloo,it takes me much less time to get to work than my zone 2 collegues!
2. The diversity of resident, everyone fits in. (Even parrots!!!Has anyone else seen them?)
3. Not risking your life when eating at a Wetherspoons, I am a little shocked to say its not bad at all, hurrah for the cheesecake!mmm! Plus great for the last week till payday : )
4. Trees, near London, well I never! and the River Thames walk is lovely, bring on the Summer.
5. Being able to go for a night-time stroll without being scared.
However being a new resident I have a few questions.....
1. Is there a night bus back to Surbiton from London central or Clapham area?
2. Is there a pay as you go boxercise class anywhere on an evening?
3. Why won't the local council take card or paper to recycle? Its always left, I thought this was the most common recycling attribute.
4. Why does my trolly roll away while i'm trying to pay for my shopping in Sainsburys? (haha)
5. Are we any closer to being Zone 5 instead of Zone 6?
Thankyou please...
About the boxercise class - not sure if you have seen this in Surbiton - I go and it's AMAZING. Hard work but you really see the results:
www.damianfisher.co.uk
Welcome to Surbiton! I'm not surprised you've moved down here as the North East of England is a sh*thole.
I am glad that you are enjoying the area. I have been here for years, and love it. Seeing positive comments may illustrate tp other how lucky they are.
In answer to a few of your questions:
1. There is no direct night bus to Surbiton, but you can get several to Kingston, and then walk or get the 24hour 281 back to Surbiton.
2. Maybe at the dreaded YMCA. I cannot think of anywhere else.
3. I think they will when they move to 2 weekly bin collections. Kingston Council get there in the end, just a few years after everyone else.
5. I don't think it will ever happen (although it should)
What was Hooleys,I cannot remember ever seeing it.
Another place to eat must be the last thing Surbiton needs,now an Ann Summers might be interesting.
Hooley's was a deli. I think the thing that Surbiton needs is more quality eateries, and less of the kebab shops and fast food places.
The only new shop I would like to see in Surbiton is a WHSmith to replace the awful Martin's store. This, combined with Waitrose, Woolworths, Boots and the few independent retailers left would provide all of the 'every day' type shopping that is necessary. I am happy to drag myself the whole mile to Kingston if I need anything more.
I see a new café, curiously called Three Peas in a Pod, has opened in Brighton Road where Hooleys used to be. Has anyone eaten there yet? Just wondered what it's like.
We've just started promoting nominations for the Best / Worst cafés in Surbiton. Let everyone know what you think.
Surbiton.com webmaster
I saw this today as well. I have not eaten there yet, but it looks nicer than most of the Brighton Road collection of greasy spoons, kebab shops etc. Hopefully, it will last a bit longer than Hooleys.
Having moved to Surbiton last July, I must say that I love it. A great mix of younger and older couples and Maple Road is just amazing. I live on Lovelace Road in one of the remaining older homes and I have a 96 year old neighbour who has lived here all of her life. I am 36 and I am so lucky to have moved next to such a character. We often meet for a few G&Ts and she tells me how things have changed.
My five Favourite things
Walking along the Thames - Amazing
Our train station - always reminds me of being in a Hercule Poirot movie
The Florist by the station - she is amazing and the flowers really last
The New French coffee shop/deli - scrummy
The People - everyone always has a nice word to say - it means a great deal. I was in Guildford for 6 years and the lived around the world - but I like Surby people - we have a nice life!
Adam
I'm in the process of buying a flat in Surbiton - my first step on the property ladder (I'm 28!). I've been renting in Kennington for 3 years now, and it took me less than an afternoon to realise that I wanted to buy in Surbiton. Kennington has some lovely areas, but an equal number of nasty local authority places with lots of rubbish on the streets, dodgy looking loiterers and frequent news reports of stabbings, shootings, muggings etc.
I stark contrast everyone in Surbiton seemed so friendly (so many cars stopping to let you cross the street!) there is very little litter, people clearly take much more pride in their properties/ gardens. I'm originally from a (nice leafy) suburb in Birmingham and Surbiton reminded me of that for very good reasons. I hope my impression of that is correct.
I think your impression is exactly right. as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, one of the purposes of forums such as these is to allow people to vent their anger at issues.
In objective terms, Surbiton is a superb place to live - leafy, friendly and with a fantastic set of amenities compared to most of the rest of London.
This is not to say that it is perfect, as there are plenty of things that could be improved, just that it is better than most places.
I am 29 years old, was born in Kingston hospital, grew up in Thames Ditton, have lived in Berrylands and Tolworth in recent years and last week moved back to Thames Ditton into a flat with my girlfriend.
In my opinion, the whole area (Kingston, Surbiton and Thames Ditton) is brilliant.
1 - You can get into town real easy. My ex used to live in Greenwich (Zone 2) yet it took her longer to get to where we used to work (Southbank) than me! Trains from Surbiton seem to come every 5 minutes - and a fast train will get you into Waterloo in about 18 minutes.
2 - Shopping. You don't really need to leave the area. Kingston has just about everything you'll ever need.
3 - Going out...Surbiton for civilised cafes and restaurants, Kingston for nights out on the town and the cinema. Thames Ditton for a drink by the river on a summer's day. The area has everything you need.
4 - Whilst it doesn't take long to get into town, you're still far enough out to enjoy some greenery and not have to worry about things like gun crime.
5 - I'm not yet ready to buy...but the rent is far more affordable than that of a lot of my colleagues who live closer to London - yet I think the Surbiton area is far superior!!
I am forever extolling the virtues of our area to people...I think Kingston council should pay me a yearly fee.
I love the walk by the river to Kingston and beyond.
I like the fact that there are so many trains to London as it makes it easier for me to get to work
I enjoy the festival that is held every year in September
There are lots of buses as well
I have met some nice people at the congregation at St Marks
I think that point 5 is very valid, but has not yet been mentioned.
Surbiton seems expensive compared to similar places further out of London, but is very cheap compared to those further in. This seems to be purely based on the fact that Surbiton (and Kingston) are off the tube network.
I know people who live in places like Balham and Tooting, who are constantly surprised that my commute into London takes less time than theirs. People who do not know the area assume that it is miles out of London, with trains that take an hour to get back!
The fact that you can rent a good two bedroom flat for under £1k per month in Surbiton represents quite a bargain in my opinion. Similar flats would be at least £1,500 per month in the nicer areas closer in. For Surbiton money, you would have to live in the poorer areas to get closer in (i.e. Acton, Streatham or Tooting rather than Chiswick, Clapham or Balham). I know where I would rather be!
Oh good,perhaps i will saunter down for a butchers an urban village fate(sic)sounds too good to miss.
I got out and went back to urban living proper in Pimlico.
No white gloves but pleasing lack of "street furniture" and a surprisingly village feel to the area now all the chavs have colonised Surbiton
Moan, moan, moan.
We seem to have strayed. This thread is entitled '5 Things I Love about Surbiton' by way of an attempt to be positive about the place we live. Come on gang, rise to the challenge...
OK, what about the Surbiton festival? Anyone love it?
I did not notice it,when was it?
It has been on all of this week, but not much seems to happen until the finale which is on Victoria Road this coming Saturday.
I go each year for a short time, but it always feels like an urban version of a village green fete.
Why is Surbiton high street such a ghastly clutter of street furniture,a useless epoint console and horrendous pavement greasy spoons occupied by some pretty unsavoury looking characters?
Is this what we are coming too "binge life style with mobile phone cackling" thrown in?
Where are the ladies in white gloves quietly shopping the gentlemen who used to wear a tie with a suit?
Sadly it has all gone as has the bus queue by Waitrose,replaced by a third world style random circulating mob ready to dive onto the arriving bus.
'third world style random mob'
YOU dear fellow, are a bigot of the highest order.
Suburbiton needs less racists not more, hang up your judgement cap for a while and try to enjoy the 21st century...
[quote=Anonymous]'third world style random mob'
YOU dear fellow, are a bigot of the highest order.
Suburbiton needs less racists not more, hang up your judgement cap for a while and try to enjoy the 21st century... [/quote]
Doh… what’s bigotry and racism got to do with that post?
Just another chance to wave the lefty flag!