I first lived in New Cross while studying at Central Saint Martins, then stayed with an art teacher and his three cats. It was a pretty old school setup but I loved it. I moved from rural Cumbria and it has become a home from home.
I moved back last year to help my boyfriend organize his apartment and found that I still had a homely, nostalgic connection to the area.
It’s a little rough and be prepared, but once you scratch beneath the surface and get off the main strip it’s pretty laid back and green. There’s an understated sense of cool. Lack of valence.
Best eating and drinking
La Placita Mall is a hidden gem just off the main road. A Latin American food hall with many different cuisines from that part of the world. Music blares from each of these mini restaurants and you sit in the middle of it all. It sounds stressful, but it’s actually really fun; especially the more drunk you get.
We also have two fantastic Chinese restaurants in New Cross, which is a bit controversial. Hong Kong City has a great atmosphere, it’s really fun, but Uncle Wrinkle is truly outstanding. I wrap the pork belly with lettuce.
I spend a lot of time at the Earl of Derby pub and towards Skehan’s Nunhead which does really good Thai food. I wouldn’t go to Telegraph Hill without going to Skehan.
Where do I work
I’ve recently started running again, so I’ll be running down to Peckham Rye Park, through all the lovely back streets between New Cross and Nunhead. I’m usually exhausted when I get there.
To integrate with nature
Peckham Rye Park is both my “midweek early morning run” and “Sunday hangover leisurely stroll” spot.
I also love Telegraph Hill Park, which has great views over London, and Nunhead Cemetery, which is quite wild and atmospheric. Even Dulwich parks feel walkable from where I live. It’s very residential so I don’t have to deal with tons of people or traffic to access the green space.
For culture correction
I can definitely vouch for two exhibitions currently open at Goldsmiths CCA: Matt Connors and Mark Corfield-Moore. It’s a very nice gallery and I think they’re getting better at promoting it.
Towards Surrey Quays, Avalon Cafe is a really lovely venue for music and events, completely unpretentious or non-commercial. It’s a little underground. And I always have a good time at the Venue MOT in a nearby warehouse. It feels like I’m going back 20 years; There are about two toilets in each location.
Ormside Projects is another great project. Last year, on fireworks night, we watched a one-man light show with robots.
grocery shopping
Of course we always go to the big Sainsbury’s but I’d rather go to Nunhead for the butcher and fishmonger.
On Saturdays, Telegraph Hill Park hosts a small farmers’ market selling meat, cheese and other farm produce. It’s the opposite of something like Borough Market, which can be an absolute hell; You sit down, have a coffee, buy your cheese and go home.
To wander
It’s so well connected with buses and trains that you don’t miss the fact that you’re not on the metro. My nearest station is New Cross Gate, but I go to Queen’s Road Peckham because it’s quieter and nicer to walk to. I still go to my studio in east London every day.
172 is the hero of all buses. As a student I used to take the 172 bus to Charing Cross Road and even now when I see him he seems like a comforting presence.
dream street
Pepys Road overlooking Telegraph Hill Park. I would love it.
Something you can only see in New Cross
There’s a real balance of beauty and functionality here. I like to walk past the Victoria fire station on Queen’s Road, which is still in use.
What’s the purpose?
We get some bad traffic, but that’s because it’s a useful street. This doesn’t bother me at all.
In three words…
Breathing room.
John Booth designed a tapestry for the 10th anniversary of Floor Story and will present Up in Smoke with Mat Barnes for Now Gallery’s 2024 Design Commission from 21 June (john-booth.com)
Schools
Both rated “Good” by Ofsted, Childeric Primary School and St James’s Hatcham Church of England Primary School are a pair of primary schools located in the heart of New Cross. Deptford Green School, Addey and Stanhope School and Haberdashers’ Hatcham College are the main secondary schools.
What does it cost
Buying in New Cross
Average flat price: £369,060
Average house price: £659,630
Renting in New Cross
Average flat rent, pcm: £1,760
Average house rent, pcm: £2,970