Borough of Bromley

Bromley is the largest of the 32 London boroughs, stretching from Crystal Palace and Mottingham in the north right down to Biggin Hill in the south. It’s also a borough that transitions dramatically from suburban to rural, with farmland making up around 30% of its total area. The principal town of Bromley offers residents a 20-minute commute into central London and attracts families and young professionals seeking affordable housing and top quality schools.

4.69
Average Location Score

Excellent

73%

Very Good

21%

Average

6%

Disappointing

0%

Very Poor

0%

Best places to live in Borough of Bromley

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

Bromley town centre

The borough of Bromley’s principal town has benefitted from a recent facelift that saw architects Studio Egret West redesign much of the area around market Square and the High Street. The town boasts plenty of historic buildings, including the Royal Bell Hotel and Star & Garter pub.

The Art Deco Picturehouse cinema provides entertainment in elegant surroundings, while the Grade I listed Bromley and Sheppard’s Colleges is the town’s most significant historic building. Property in the town is a diverse mix of Victorian, Edwardian, pre-War and post-war housing.

Bromley has also seen a number of stylish new build homes appearing as the council focuses on developing the town’s centre. St Mark’s Square by the U+I Group is a striking development next to Bromley South station offering one and two bedroom flats for sale from £380,000.

Flats are very modern and are built to a high spec with nice views. It is cleanly kept and the concierge is really good but the recycling is poor. The security is always available. It is easy to access by public transport but the trains are noisy.
– James, Verified Resident, St Mark’s Square

I love how beautiful my apartment looks, especially when it’s sunny. It has beautiful huge windows and the view from my balcony is just stunning. The facilities include: concrete, lift, bike storage and car park. I can also just pop downstairs to the cinema and watch the latest hit.
– MB, Verified Resident, St Mark’s Square

The larger Trinity Village development by Barratt Homes is a scheme comprising over 500 apartments ranging from one to five bedrooms in size. Residents praise the build quality of the development and the transport links from nearby Bromley South station.

The area overall is very good due to the great transport links present within the area as well as a park over the road which is great for kids. The development is also very clean and extremely safe.
– Alan Clarke, Verified Resident, Trinity Village

I love this area! The community around the development is great and the accessibility to transport and local amenities is very useful. The shops around the area are nice and close which makes shopping trips very convenient. Having lived in the area for several years, I have found no downsides to this lovely development.
– Sarah Beacom, Verified Resident, Trinity Village

Living in Bromley

Roughly half of Crystal Palace sits within the borough of Bromley, including the park and area to the south of the Triangle. The historic park offers beautiful open green spaces as well as the National Sports Centre, a maze and the ruins of the famous glass house complex from which the park gained its name. Historic terraced properties sit alongside more modern options, such as Venue by Fairview New Homes slightly to the south in Anerley.

Great value for money in a superb location and vibrant neighbourhood. It’s in a very quiet residential area which is great. The flat is spacious and the fitted kitchen and appliances are great quality. There is a playground and communal courtyard for residents to enjoy some green space.
– Christina, Verified Resident, Venue SE20

Other major residential areas in Bromley include Penge, Hayes, Orpington and Beckenham. While most of the borough’s residents live in the most populated areas to the north, Biggin Hill is the most populated settlement in the south of the borough.

Green spaces

Being semi-rural, the borough of Bromley offers plenty of green space for walking, dog-walking and general exploring. When it comes to parks, Crystal Palace is the largest in the borough. However, High Elm Country Park and Scadbury Park nature reserves are even larger, offering wilder open spaces, while Hoblingwell Wood in St Paul’s Cray offers 201 acres of woodland for locals to enjoy.

Priory Gardens and Riverside Gardens in Orpington provide smaller park areas, while nearby Goddington Park offers areas of woodland with sports areas. Hayes Common is one of London’s largest areas of common land, offering heath and parkland crisscrossed by trails.

Transport

Bromley is one of the few London boroughs not to be served directly by the Underground system. However, Overground services extend down to Crystal Palace and Penge East/West. Thameslink, Southeastern and Southern Rail services serve the rest of the borough, along with five Tramlink stops connecting through into Croydon.

Bromley celebrities

Author H.G. Wells was born in Bromley in 1886. His father was the founder of Bromley Cricket Club and ran a sports good store in the town. Other notable residents of Bromley include David Bowie, Charles Darwin, Fatboy Slim, Billy Idol and novelst Hanif Kureishi.

Reviews in Borough of Bromley

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Very good communal facilities

Review Date Nov 2023

There are many good aspects as we have use of local amenities and shopping centres in the heart of Leeds, there are many restaurants and transport links which is always helpful. We also have a local Sainsbury’s on site

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Very good communal facilities, areas like the gym, cinema room and co working spaces. I enjoy the development and enjoy the use of the amenities and have gained many friends living in this complex. I often have good discussions with the night team Dashelle & Nathan and they’ve been very helpful throughout my time at Moda

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I feel there is a good community spirit but the development is close to a college so you have kids congregating on steps close to the playhouse

What is the best feature of your home:

Kitchen and appliances and bedroom, very good sized beds and also spacious apartments

4
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
5
Value
4
Management
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Great for shops but you probably can get better

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Dec 2022

Really close to local shops and train station with easy access to local amenities. Bin collection is good, you just put it in bin storage room whenever but sometimes people dump stuff in there which results in a hike in service charge price.

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Apartments are large and spacious with a nice layout. Would be nice to have more of a separate living room space than kitchen. Our flat didn’t really have a cosy space to relax, it was part of the open-plan kitchen so we spend down time in our bedroom mostly. It’s nice to have a good size balcony too

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The noise of Weatherspoons downstairs is something to keep in mind. It’s not so much the noise of people, but the emptying of glass bottles every morning becomes very jarring when it’s loud broken glass being dumped into a container.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

They were quite slow with certain enquiries and quick with other. When our balcony door was broke, someone came round within 1 day to fix it.

2
Facilities
3
Design
5
Location
2
Value
2
Management
User submitted image of  St Mark’s Square, BR2
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Great place to live in central bromley

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Dec 2022

Very close to high street and station. Everything you need on your doorstep. Parking under the building which is very convenient and safe – especially good in very cold weather!

Please review your development:

well designed flats with good insulation. It’s been great in the cold weather! Building manager is great and always tries to help. Other tenants in the building are also friendly and helpful – there is a Facebook group for neighbours where people discuss any issues.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

How quiet the development is, despite the fact that you are right in the centre of Bromley. Feels safe and secluded

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Yes – always respond quickly and helpfully to solve any issues

5
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
5
Value
5
Management
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Design of the development is absolutely fine

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Sep 2022

Love the local area. Lots of parks, pubs coffee shops etc. close to 2 stations providing quick access to central London. The area has a real community feel to it.

Please review your development:

Design of the development is absolutely fine. The courtyard in the middle looks very pretty and there is a lot of greenery around the development which adds a sense of calm.
Facilities are good; bike shed, bins, lift etc are always clean and tidy. When there are issues with the bin room it’s usually residents being lazy and dumping stuff in there that should go to the tip.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Bike shed has had break-ins so lock your bike even though the shed is secured.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Building mgmt has been responsive. We have had some water issues but it’s usually always resolved promptly.

4
Facilities
4
Design
5
Location
5
Value
2
Management
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