Shop til you drop! (Or grab a bite to eat, that is) (Croydon)

Member Name: kevin121

Product:	Croydon
Date:	03/01/09 (221 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Big variety of shops, easy to get to on public transport

Disadvantages: Grubby pavements stuck with chewing gum, can get very busy, expensive parking

I can't help thinking that if I'd reviewed Croydon's shopping twelve months ago, it would have been a very different review. I last went into Croydon town centre on Christmas Eve and even in the few days since, the credit crisis has hit the town hard.

The shops in Croydon town centre are concentrated around three shopping centres: the Whitgift shopping centre, the Drummond Centre and Centrale. These are divided by North End road, which has been pedestrianised for as long as I can remember.

For those of you interested, large amounts of land in the centre of Croydon are owned by a charitable trust which was set up by John Whitgift, an Archbishop of Canterbury in the 16th Century. The Whitgift shopping centre still has the Trust as it's freeholder today. It is one of the oldest shopping centres in the UK, with construction first taking place after a school which previously occupied the site moved to south Croydon in 1965. Having said that, it's had major refurbishment work carried out over the years, so it doesn't look particularly old fashioned.

Sadly, a large Woolworth's in the Whitgift centre, and a nearby Zavvi on the high street will both be closing imminently. Also in the Whitgift is the last remaining Allders department store, kept open by financial backers a few years ago, although I believe the others around the country folded. A Debenhams, Marks and Spencers and relatively new House of Fraser are the biggest department stores in town. The House of Fraser has a wonderful Food Hall in it's basement, with a Café Zest which always seems to be very busy, a Caffe Nero and a Yo Sushi bar.

If like me, your shopping is usually interrupted by a need for refreshments, you'll find there are plenty of little café bars scattered around the vicinity, although some like the Café Giardino in the Whitgift Centre might seem a bit pricey, even though the food is delicious.

Traditionally, every year towards Christmas, all of the shopping centres, together with North End and the High Street are decorated with lights organised by the shops themselves. The best displays are usually in the Whitgift centre, which also has a large Christmas Tree and a Santa's Grotto. The best 'Christmassy' shop window display though has to be Allders, which really seems to put itself out every year, although it's not on the same scale as, say, Hamleys in Regents Street.

Another treat just further along from here is Surrey Street market, which has a large selection of stalls selling some of the cheapest fruit and vegetables you'll find in the area. Occasionally, I've watched an episode of The Bill on television, and recognised the market, usually during a chase scene for some reason. Further along, in Middle Street, is where Beano's is situated. This is a second hand record store, where I have very fond memories of flipping through old LP's, and the first of a new product called cd's! This sadly, is also due to close later this month due to a downturn in sales.

If you travel further west out of the centre of town, you'll find the shops here reflect the ethnic diversity of the local population more. A glance along the London Road (the A23) shows an assortment of food shops catering mainly for Asian and West Indian cuisines. A few polish mini-marts have also opened along here in the last few years. One of my favourite Indian restaurants, the Chenai Dosai, is along this stretch of road.

There are some large multi story car parks in the centre of Croydon for those travelling here by car, although for most of December you will find that they are especially busy, as many out-of-towners seem to come here for their Christmas shopping. They can also work out to be very expensive depending on how long you stay. There are two train stations nearby, East Croydon which is about a ten minute walk away, and West Croydon which is only around the corner. You can also reach here via the Tramlink, which links areas of Croydon to Wimbledon. This is a nice smooth ride, and should you ever get the opportunity to use it, I would recommend it!

Summary: Bigger and better choice of shops than neighbouring Sutton or Bromley