That’s right. You read that title correctly. I lived next to a dinosaur park. It was the Victorian answer to Jurassic Park. And you know what? It was amazing. Crystal Palace was this incredible venue in London built for the Great Exhibition in 1851. Unfortunately the incredible building burned down 1936. But the foundation of the building, the steps, the sculptures and most importantly, the dinosaurs are still there.
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| Just chillin’ with my friends, the dinosaurs |
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| Studiously studying the Victorian dinosaurs |
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| Me doing my best Sphinx impression |
But not a lot of people go that far South in London to look for housing for one very good reason. There’s no tube stop. However, there are bus stops and there’s an Overground train so it doesn’t add that much more time to your journey if you want to get into Central London.
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| Because when I see a dinosaur I ride it? |
The neighborhood is a really weird combination of hipsters looking for cheap housing, young families looking for the same thing, and elderly people who’ve lived there their entire lives. Long story short, I loved it there. The Crystal Palace park is stunning, but there are loads of other massive green spaces in the neighborhood. It’s one of the highest points in London so you can see the entire city from a hill in the local park. (Sam and I watched the NYE fireworks from the hill.)
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| Fireworks in Crystal Palace on Bonfire Night |
There are some really cute kitschy shops. My favorite being one called South of the River. And most importantly, there is an incredibly tasty, incredibly cheap curry place called Gurkha Cottage. I’d eat there every day if I could. Also there’s a Papa John’s close by, so its a sign this area and I were meant to be together.
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| One of the main roads in “The Triangle” in the Fall. |
Of course there are some drawbacks to the area besides transit. There aren’t a whole lot of places to get groceries or pharmacies, etc. There’s not even a Tesco…. Wah-wah! There is a Sainsbury’s in the busiest part of the neighborhood- the bit with all the pubs and restaurants, known as “The Triangle”. (Property ads always call it “the trendy triangle”. Personally, I’m not sure how trendy it is.)
After Sam’s RSC contract is over and we move back to London, fingers crossed we’ll be headed back here! It’s a part of London that I wouldn’t mind calling home again!
