Bromley High Street
Bromley is close enough to central London to make for an easy commute yet it retains a distinct identity of its own, with historic landmarks, plethora of wide open spaces, and one of the biggest shopping centres in the South East.
The town has several literary claims to fame: author of War of the Worlds, HG Wells, was born here, and there's a painted wall in his honour in Market Square.
Just William writer, Richmal Crompton, was a Classics teacher at Bromley High School for Girls and lived in Cherry Orchard Road where there's a blue plaque in her name.
And Hanif Kureshi's novel, The Buddha of Suburbia, is set in and around Bromley.
Bromley was also closely associated with the punk rock movement. Billy Idol and Siouxsie Sioux were part of what became known as the Bromley Contingent – a group of devoted Sex Pistols fans – before they went on to find fame in their own right.
And, sticking with the music connections, a young David Bowie, born in nearby Beckenham, received his secondary school education at Bromley Technical High School.
Today, a vibrant Arts scene, lots of parks and open spaces, fabulous shopping centre plus great transport connections make Bromley a consistently popular residential choice.
Property in Bromley
Lakeside Drive semis, Bromley
Bromley is a young town, with an average age of 39. Not surprisingly, family houses are the most sought-after, and semi-detached properties make up almost a third of Bromley's homes.
In recent years, the family market has been joined by more and more young professionals who tend to gravitate towards the new-build flats in the heart of the town centre.
There are also many Victorian houses in Bromley. Although most of the larger versions have been converted into flats, there are still entire period properties to be found in the more exclusive addresses such as Forest Drive and Regent Drive.
Living Here
The Glades shopping centre
Transport:
Bromley is just ten miles from the City of London, and a comprehensive transport network gives easy access to the Capital.
Train: Direct rail services between London Victoria and Bromley South take only 16 minutes, and there are connections to over 20 other destinations.
For Channel Tunnel users, Bromley South has a regular rail service to Dover through other Kent stations, including Ashford for Eurostar passenger access.
Bromley North station offers connections to London Cannon Street, Charing Cross and London Bridge, with an average journey time of 34 minutes.
Widmore Road, Bromley
Road: The M25 is easily reached at junctions 3 or 4. The Channel Tunnel and South East ports are just over an hour's drive via the A20/M20 link.
Bus: There is a comprehensive network of local bus services throughout Bromley, with Tramlink services between Beckenham Junction/Elmers End and Croydon.
Air: Bromley's Biggin Hill airport operates executive and commercial services within the UK and to Europe.
Gatwick and Heathrow are accessible via the motorways, while Central London's City Airport in the Docklands is also within easy reach.
Market Square, Bromley
Shopping, Food & Drink:
Bromley is considered to be one of the prime retail centres in the South East.
It has found itself in competition with Croydon to attract shoppers from across the region, and has made a great play of its excellent transport links and car parking spaces – 6,000 of them at the last count.
The jewel in the crown of the town centre is The Glades shopping centre, which is home to more than 130 stores. Popular names in the mall include Debenhams, New Look and Warehouse.
Away from The Glades, there are an additional 300 stores in the pedestrianised town centre, where you'll also find dozens of restaurants, cafes and bars with something to suit every taste.
Bromley’s weekly market (which has been running for more than 800 years) is held in the Station Road car park every Thursday. It offers a variety of traditional stalls ranging from fruit and veg through to clothing.
Churchill Theatre, Bromley
Arts & Entertainment:
The popular Churchill Theatre in Bromley High Street attracts touring productions post and prior to West End runs, along with big-name comedians and musicians.
Bromley Little Theatre, in North Street, features high quality drama, and showcases new directing and acting talent in its studio. The Pavilion, a sports and performance hall in Kentish Way, stages music and other events.
Film enthusiasts can see the latest releases at the Odeon Cinema in Bromley High Street, while book lovers will enjoy The Central Library, also in the High Street.
Every summer the annual Bromley Arts and Entertainment Festival offers free entertainment and cultural events in the town centre.
Church House Gardens, Bromley
Sports & Leisure:
Athletics and track events are available at Norman Park Athletics Track while golf players can tee off at the nine-hole Bromley Golf Course, a five-minute drive from Bromley town centre.
The brand new Bromley Tennis Centre at Newstead has indoor and outdoor courts.
If walking and exploring is more your scene, Bromley has 35 square miles of protected countryside and lots of parks and open spaces.
Among them is Church House Gardens in the town centre which has beautiful ornamental areas, a lake and children's boating pond.
The borough of Bromley is also home to the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace Park. The original home of Crystal Palace FC, it is now used for top-class athletics events and the occasional open-air concert from the likes of Coldplay.
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