Hi there,
We are in the middle of purchasing a property in FH, which we are very excited about. We are moving from Sw London and we don’t really know FH very well but we have noticed the high st is very quiet and a few places haven’t opened and DA is up for sale. Is this linked to the coronavirus or has it always been this quiet here?
Thank you!
I do try and support local shops on Dartmouth Road as much as possible, as well as the Dartmouth Arms(!): Lordship Lane is maybe more what you’re looking for over in East Dulwich - a bit more bustle.
It’s a nice Saturday walk - up over Horniman, Camberwell Old Cemetery, Peckham Rye, Goose Green and then back up Lordship Lane / North Cross Rd market.
It’s definitely much quieter at the moment due to the pandemic. Dartmouth Road/London Road are never very busy, which is actually quite nice. But in “normal” times, there’s certainly a bit of a buzz around. I have always found that the streets never seem that busy on a Saturday afternoon, say, but there’s always a healthy amount of people in the shops/pubs/cafes etc.
Oh and welcome to Forest Hill @Flyaway. We moved here 4.5 years ago and we love it.
Definitely due to COVID. There’s usually a nice liveliness to the area particularly at weekends and latter-weekday evenings, and while this is cautiously starting up again it’s definitely all still a bit weird, with local favourites like the Dartmouth up for sale (a lease expiry rather than a business collapse) and Sian selling on St David’s for a multitude of reasons. But this is reopened now and will probably be widening its offer when it’s safe to do so, and a lot of other little local businesses seem to be pivoting and adapting impressively.
I think anywhere will be hit by this sh*tty time we’re in, but it’s up to the residents to keep encouraging their local businesses to thrive by supporting them in any way they can and feel comfortable. And as a new resident you’ll find no shortage of opportunities to immerse yourself and enjoy what FH has to offer 
Welcome to the neighbourhood!
Welcome to FH - an amazing part of the world I recently moved to from Edinburgh.
While London Road and Dartmouth Road are all well and good, don’t forget to take advantage of Honor Oak Park which may be smaller and quieter but also has something to offer and has recently started re-awakening. Nice to see al fresco dining and drinking with a couple of cocktail/cafe bars and restaruants. Personally last weekend I enjoyed a couple of cocktails at Grounds and Grapes followed by a mediterranian meal at Hattush - and it was nice to see other people returning too.
Kirkdale is also worth exploring.
For the main shops, you may find Sydenham busier where there are still banks open, but in FH it’s all concentrated on Sainsbury’s on London Road with some going to Superdrug and WHSmith.
Boots on Dartmouth Road is mainly used for prescriptions.
Really? Before lockdown, I often bought toiletries there.
The one person keeping Boots alive!
It’s on my way home from the station.