... Good for families, decent state schools, good shopping centre, lovely countryside, 15 mins to London by train.
Mary

... There isn't a grand park, beautiful architecture or even a 'village' feel (it's too big for that). But it is so convenient for everything it is difficult to find a reason why you'd want to leave.

I live in Bickley, which is a smart area about a mile to the east of the town centre. To buy houses In Bickley Park you won't get much change for 1.5m but you can find better value nearby. It is commuter heaven, with Chislehurst and Bickley stations giving you direct links to every major station across the south of the City and West End. (Chislehurst station is closer to Bickley than to Chislehurst itself). The fastest trains are Bromley South to VictoriaWe're looking at primary schools for our son, and we are well served (although the best state schools seem to be to the west of Bromley centre, there is an excellent prep school at Bickley Park).

Shopping is easy with the Glades and a Waitrose nearby, and under half an hour to Bluewater (by car) or London (by train). Bickley is well served for hairdressers but that's about it.

For green spaces, it takes about half an hour to get to properly rural Kent, although London starts to peter out quite quickly after Bromley. Greenwich Park and Blackheath are only 15 minutes away by car.

Unless you are a fan of the vertical drinking emporium, Bromley centre does not offer much for the discerning drinker and can be a bit daunting at night. But you can find good pubs in the Bromley North area (i.e. north east of the station towards Sundrige Park) or in Chislehurst. And real ale fans will love the Bitter End off licence.

Eating is a bit more limited - mainly chains in Bromley centre. But there is Abbaye, a moules-frites place in the Glades, and Tamasha, an upmarket colonial feel curry house just out of town. Chislehurst offers a bit more variety, but for the big night out you need to get the train to London (or to Brixton, I'm told by friends who have teenagers).

Night time does bring out the hoodies, but they tend to concentrate around the High Street. However, this does mean buses home of an evening can be eventful.

Quieter surrounding areas are particularly good places to look: Hayes, Shortlands, Bickley and Bromley Common all have their merits. Council Tax can be a bit steep in areas though. The country is just behind you with nice common land to the south.

Transport links are excellent for south of the river. Bromley South is 20 minutes to Victoria, Hayes takes you into Lewisham (for DLR) Charing Cross and Cannon Street, and there's a shuttle from Bromley North to Grove Park that is a fast link to London Bridge and Charing Cross. Through the heart of Bromley runs the A21 that sweeps you swiftly to the M25.

Overall, it's a lively fun town with things for young children to do.

However the town is itself fairly lively and the area benefits from its proximity to the Kent countryside. House prices are generally quite high but then Bromley is perhaps nearer to London than is commonly known (15 minutes in to Victoria station).

The town centre is lively and offers tapas bars and clubs. The outlying areas skirt the greenbelt and Petts Wood East is an area where property is particularly sought after due to its excellent schools.

In fact, the whole Borough has a good reputation for its schools.