Reinventive is probably the most accurate word to describe Croydon, the town in the southern part of London. This area saw a booming period in the 1960s when many office blocks and venues such as Fairfield Halls and Whitgift Centre were opened.

From the 1990s, Croydon has experienced another period of changes when local authorities want to build a more attractive image for the town. More regeneration projects have been approved, and more businesses have moved in, making it a rising area with plenty of opportunities in South London.

1. What makes Croydon unique?
2. Things to see in Croydon
3. Nightlife in Croydon
4. Sport in Croydon
5. Food in Croydon
6. Shopping in Croydon
7. Culture and Entertainment in Croydon
8. Cost of Living in Croydon
9. Transportation in Croydon
10. Explore the UK from Croydon

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1. What makes Croydon unique?

A big music scene

Croydon is where the BRIT school is located. This place has produced numerous talented artists like Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Katie Melua. Stormzy, a native, is the face of this town's hip hop scene.

A well-connected transport system

Even though it languishes in Zone 5, Croydon is still packed with enviable transport links. Within 15 minutes you can get to London Bridge from East Croydon station, a major hub of the national railway system. Croydon is also the central hub of TramLink, the only tramway system in southern England.

Arrivals of retailers and technology companies

Thanks to its reinvention developments, Croydon has been gradually building up a reputation as a hub for retail and technology businesses. Many startups have chosen Croydon as their birthplaces while countless other businesses have moved in to create a supporting ecosystem.

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2. Things to see in Croydon

Croydon Clocktower: a museum and arts complex on Katharine Street that is often dubbed as the jewel in the crown of Croydon. It houses a cinema, a museum, a bar, and a cafe.

Museum of Croydon: located inside the Croydon Clocktower, this museum is run by Croydon Council and showcases cultural and historical artefacts relating to the borough.

Coombe Wood: a small woodland area where you can stroll through and see manicured lawns and picturesque gardens.

South Norwood Country Park: the 125-acre park that is home to plenty of lakes, beautiful flower meadows, a cycle path, and a playground. It's a great choice for parents or schools who want to help their kids learn to enjoy outdoor activities.

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3. Nightlife in Croydon

This part of South London doesn't have the buzz of the capital's mainstays like Shoreditch, but there are still plenty of places you should never rule out. Enjoying a night right in Croydon is also much cheaper for the residents of this town than boarding a Tube train to Central London.

Green Dragon in the High Street is where you can play pool and board games while enjoying its burgers, sourdough pizzas, and craft beer. It has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere during the day before transforming into a lively and eccentric vibe at night with local DJs, dragon motifs, and high ceilings.

Dog & Bull is a Grade II Listed, 18th-century building in Surrey Street where you can find a varied selection of beers from ales and draught beers on top of barbecues and pizzas. Along with the Surrey Street Market, this pub has appeared many times on the police drama show The Bill.

If you prefer a classic back street pub, head to the Royal Standard, which is located just a few steps away from the town centre. This venerable venue sits under a flyover, hidden next to a large hold car park. Don't turn away just because of these surroundings. Inside it is a charming venue with an elegant interior and all kinds of drinks. The bear garden is on the opposite side of the road, which looks lovely in the summer even though you might find it a bit strange looking.

Other niche places that deserve a shout-out include The Ship - a heavy metal-themed pub, Oval Tavern - a cosy, family-friendly place with live jazz on Sundays, and Soulful Cellar - a lively place with funk, jazz, and soul music.

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4. Sport in Croydon

Croydon is home to many sports with a rich history. The most well-known is Crystal Palace Football Club, which is currently competing in the Premier League. While their official founding date is 1905, many historians have found out a link between them and an amateur football club with the same name that was established in 1861. This is the primary reason Crystal Palace claim to be the oldest football club in the world.

Croydon also has a Non-League club, Croydon F.C. Their home ground is the Croydon sports Area, where Purely Saint Germain also play their Sunday League matches.

Founded in 1891, Streatham-Croydon RFC is one of the oldest rugby union clubs in Greater London and currently play in Surrey 4. Their heyday was in the 1960s and 1970s when they constantly competed against top clubs in the country like London Welsh and Saracens.

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5. Food in Croydon

South Croydon is the restaurant quarter of this town and the whole borough. Matthews Yard is one of the most popular places among the foodies community of Croydon. Located near the Surrey Street Market, this venue is a combination of cafes, bars, food stalls, workspace, art galleries, and a performance space, including Brgr & Beer, where you can find some of the finest burgers in Croydon. Many locals never get tired of enjoying a craft beer and their beef burgers.

Indian food has a strong presence in Croydon as well. Chennai Dosa in London Road provides an immense selection of traditional South Indian dishes. The focal point of this restaurant is the dosa, a type of thin pancake from this region. Jalalis has plenty of takeaway options too, especially the salmon tikka and its tasty flavours.

Fans of European cuisine should take note of Brasserie Vacherin. This traditional brasserie is owned by award-winning chef Malcolm John and provides a varied menu in a relaxed atmosphere. Through this restaurant, you will see pictures from all France's regions with a classic bistro-style decoration.

High Street's Galicia is the go-to place for expats across the capital to savour traditional Galician food like tapas. Opened in 1996, it's known for the lively vibe and reasonable price.

Next to East Croydon Station, Boxpark is a real highlight of Croydon's street food. This venue contains numerous shipping containers where you can try new dishes from all over the world, such as Greek kebabs, Thai food, Chinese bao buns, and Argentinian steak. Surrey Street Market also has some street food stalls recently added too if you have a chance to visit it.

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6. Shopping in Croydon

The most famous shopping centre in Croydon is Whitgift Centre, which has become synonymous with this town since its opening in the 1960s. With more than 1,300,000 square feet of retail space, it was the biggest covered shopping centre in Greater London until 2008, when Westfield London was opened.

Owned by Hammerson, Centrale is another major shopping centre in Croydon, facing the Whitgift Centre. It includes many high stores from the likes of Zara, H&M, Next, and House of Fraser.

In 2013, Hammerson and the Westfield Group created a joint venture to redevelop Centrale and Whitgift Centre into a single shopping centre in a redevelopment plan that has been approved by the local council. Leading to these two centres is North End, a pedestrianised road that houses many high street stores such as Pret a Manger, French Connection, or Zara.

In order to explore a traditional marketplace, the historic Surrey Street Market is the obvious choice. It mainly sells vegetables and fruits and is closed on Sundays after the takeover of Croydon Corporation in 1922.

This street market is located right behind the Grants of Croydon complex and stretches the entire length of the Surrey Street, having scored a high number of appearances in advertising, film, and television. There are over 75 stalls in the Surrey Street Market in addition to shops like KFC and Iceland.

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7. Culture and Entertainment in Croydon

Fairfield Halls is a major arts and entertainment centre in Park Lane. Its concert hall has been used for BBC orchestral, radio, and television recordings many times since its opening in 1962. It's where many huge acts like the Beatles, Elton John, or David Bowie have performed.

In addition to regular music, stand-up comedy, and musical performances, community events also make up a significant part of this venue's programme. Local schools have frequently used it for their choral concerts while many local opera, music, and amateur dramatic organisations have hosted their programme here.

Located in High Street, next to the Surrey Street Market, Grants of Croydon is a historic Grade II listed building and has been transformed into an entertainment complex in 2000. Now it's home to a gym, a cinema, and many great restaurants and bars.

The glorious Croydon Clocktower on Katharine Street is an arts complex owned and run by the Croydon Council. It houses the Croydon Central Library, Clocktower Cafe, and the Museum of Croydon. In this clocktower, you can also see some of the best independent and art house films in the David Lean Cinema.

The Croydon Food and Music Festival is held annually to celebrate local talent in music and street food. It's organised by the South Croydon Business Association in the South End's restaurant quarter, which is closed to traffic during the festival. Local chefs demonstrate their cookery skills on mobile kitchen stages while drinks stalls serve gin, prosecco, and cocktails and two live music stages feature incredible local bands.

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8. Cost of Living in Croydon

As a part of Greater London, the living costs of Croydon are much higher than most towns and cities in other parts of the country.

• Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course: £45
• Domestic Beer (0.5-litre draught): £4
• Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment: £149.33
• Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult: £38.14
• Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat: £9.65

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9. Transportation in Croydon

Tramlink

Tramlink, the only light tram system in Greater London, is the most special thing about the public transportation system of Croydon. The network, in which Croydon is the main hub, began its operation in 2000 and has served Croydon and surrounding areas in South London ever since. Tramlink consists of 17 miles of tracks in two main lines and 39 stops, creating a loop around central Croydon.

Rail

There are three train stations in Croydon: South Croydon, West Croydon, and East Croydon. Trains going through these stations can take you to Victoria Station in central London in under 15 minutes. The route to London Bridge takes a similar time.

Air Travel

There is a fun fact about Croydon: this was the location of the country's only international airport during the interwar period. The Croydon Airport was closed in 1959, and nowadays Croydon's residents can go to the Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport for domestic and international flights.

10. Explore the UK from Croydon

Whitstable

As a much-loved seaside town on the north coast of Kent, Whistable is a great place to escape the teeming street of the capital and find some fresh air. The town hasn't been commercialised much, so it still retains a traditional seaside feel with many small lanes and independent shops to explore.

Arundel

This market town in South Downs is an ideal choice when you prefer a quiet place with a rich history. Arundel is really small (you can see pretty much everything in a day), but this is its charm too. The medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral in this whimsical town will make history buffs fall in love with them while its charity shops and bric-a-brac stalls are a paradise for shopaholics.

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Windsor

Known for the official castle of the Royal Family, this historic town in Berkshire benefits from a great transportation and facilities that you can usually find in much larger towns. There are more to do here than just royal stuff: the only Legoland park in the UK is nearby while you can take a boat trip on the River Thames.

Brockenhurst

Often dubbed as one of the most beautiful places to live in the country, Brockenhurst is situated between Lyndhurst and Lymington and the largest village within the New Forest in Hampshire. Most people come here to spend a day inside the New Forest National Park, but Brockenhurst has plenty of other places to check out too.