'''Croydon''' is a town and borough in London. It is refered to as ''London's Third City'' and attracts well-known businesses with the amount of offices it offers.
Understand
Known to some as the "''Dallas of the South''" due to the density of shiny glass and steel high rise office blocks. Croydon has a cross-section of British history: Among its famous residents were author Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, journalist Emile Zola and punk rocker Captain Sensible of The Damned.
Croydon has a tram network, which runs from Beckenham through Croydon to Wimbledon. Despite this relatively new system however the area can often feel somewhat run down and lacking in investment. Although a new major re-generation plan has been announced, called ''Croydon Vision 2020'', which includes the new shopping centre and Croydon Gateway site (which includes a arena, park, offices and bars).
Get in
Croydon is not linked to the tube network at the moment, but by 2010 the East London Line will be extended to West Croydon station as part of the London Overground scheme by Transport for London. Croydon is relatively close in proximity to Central London even though the borough it's in (Croydon) is the southern most in Greater London.
By tram
Tramlink, opened in 2000, is the first modern tram system to operate in London. Trams at the moment have destinations at Beckenham, Wimbledon, Elmers End and New Addington with all lines traveling through Croydon, on the Croydon Loop. It can also be used to reach the Underground in Wimbledon. Tramlink also has planned extensions to the M25 motorway (Park & Ride system), Sutton, Bromley, Lewisham with a planned extension to Crystal Palace[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/Crystal-Palace-2006-10-19.pdf]
By train
East Croydon station, is the second busiest station in London, and the main station for Croydon. Most services that head to the South Coast stop here. Fast trains run into Victoria or London Bridge stations in about 15-20 minutes. Services are provided by Southern, Southeastern, First Capital Connect and CrossCountry. West Croydon station is a interchange station for train, tram and bus. Services generally terminate at Sutton but some continue to Guildford, Dorking and Epsom Downs.
By bus
Croydon is well served by the London bus network, with a major bus station at West Croydon and a new one opening on the eastern side of Croydon next to the Croydon clocktower and Park Place shopping centre soon. Bus services in the centre of Croydon include, but are not limited to:
London Buses route 50
London Buses route 60
London Buses route 75
London Buses route 109
London Buses route 119
London Buses route 157
London Buses route 197
London Buses route 250
London Buses route 264
London Buses route 289
London Buses route 312
London Buses route 407
London Buses route 410
London Buses route 450
London Buses route 455
London Buses route 466. But don't use this route - it is unreliable.
London Buses route 468
Get around
Croydon is mostly pedestrian friendly, North End the main shopping parade was closed for traffic over 10 years ago and most places can be easily reached on foot.
'''Taxi''' - There is a large taxi stand, served by black cabs outside the main entrance to East Croydon Station.
'''Buses''' - Buses leave at West Croydon station, with most buses leaving Croydon stopping at the bus station next to West Croydon station. The other bus station is opposite East Croydon station on George street, although not all buses going past it stop.
See
Because it was heavily bombed in WW2, Croydon features a patchwork of old and new architecture.
The Whitgift Almshouses form a fine Tudor courtyard
The Town Hall is very impressive with a huge clock tower.
Surrey Street Market is a bustling traditional market well worth visiting.
Plus you can also:
Find out about the gifted black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 - 1912) who lived most of his life in Croydon. His works include The Song of Hiawatha, a great favourite (before World War II) at the Royal Albert Hall conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. (exhibits in the Clock Tower Museum about him)
Visit Woodside Green for a "villagy" experience and go to the Joiner's Arms or Beehive pubs for a pleasant drink or meal.
Do
There are a large number of attractions across the borough of Croydon, these include:
Croydon Airport - London's former main airport, now disused and is now a tourist attraction
Museum of Croydon - A museum highlighting Croydon in the past and present includes the Riesco Gallery
Shirley Windmill - a restored and the only surviving windmill in Shirley
Addington Palace - an 18th century mansion in Addington
Croydon Clocktower - an arts venue in Croydon, opened by Queen Elizabeth II
North End - the shopping road in Croydon, host of Centrale and *Whitgift Centre
Warehouse Theatre - Large and well-known theatre for (mostly) young performers
Nestle Tower - the famous UK headquarters of Nestle, one of the tallest towers in England
Fairfield Halls - an arts centre in Croydon which opened in 1962, frequently used for BBC recordings
Croydon Palace - summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years
Croydon Cemetery - Most famous for the gravestone of Derek Bentley, wrongly hanged in 1953
Mitcham Common - Partly in the borough, shared with Sutton and Merton
David Lean Cinema - a cinema built in memory of David Lean
BRIT School - Performing Arts & Technology school owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the BRIT Awards)
Croydon Grants - entertainment venue, includes cinema and desirable nightclub Tiger Tiger
Taberner House - the main offices of Croydon Council
Central Croydon - the largest office space in South East England outside Central London
Surrey Street Market - Market which has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Beanos, a collectors record store that has been in Croydon for over three decades. It is Europe's largest second-hand record store.
Selhurst Park - Home of Crystal Palace Football Club
Buy
Croydon is one of the top 20 retail destinations in the United Kingdom, it has two large shopping centers, Centrale [http://www.centrale.co.uk/] and the Whitgift Centre [http://www.whitgiftshopping.co.uk/home.php], with a third one called Park Place [http://www.minervaplc.co.uk/developments/?id=409] planned. All the major chain stores can be found in Croydon, along with most department stores (including the only Allders left in the UK and a John Lewis planned).
'''Centrale Shopping Centre''', shopping centre opened in 2004, on North End close to West Croydon station, situated on 4 floors. Shops include House of Fraser, Debenhams, Next, Zara, H&M, French Connection and Aldo. The Food Gallery is on the top floor of centre and includes Papa John's Pizza, Spud U Like, The Real Pastry Company and Quiznos Subs. Open Monday - Sunday (Mon - Sat, 9:30 - 7:00 - Thurs, 9:30 - 9:00 - Sun, 11:00 - 5:00)
'''Whitgift Centre''', main shopping centre, on North End close to West Croydon bus station, situated on 3 floors and used to be biggest shopping centre in Europe. Shops include Marks & Spencer, Bhs, Allders, Boots, Woolworths, WHSmith, Sainsbury's Central, Mothercare and Books Etc. Various restaurants and cafes throughout the centre. Monday - Saturday 9am - 7pm, Thursday 9am - 9pm, Sunday 11am - 5pm, Bank holidays 10am - 6pm.
'''Park Place''', shopping centre due to open in 2011, will be one of the largest in the UK. Shops expected to be included are Habitat, Gap, John Lewis and Allders.
'''Supermarkets''' include, in Croydon, Sainsbury's, Tesco's (on Brighton Road 5 mins walk from town cntr), Somerfield, Lidl, M&S, Co-operative food and a Waitrose due to open on Croydon Gateway site in 2012
Music lovers may also find it worth seeking out "Beano's", a second-hand CD and LP store with kitsch, cool styling which claims to be the largest in Europe.
'''Purley Way''', is a large retail area to the south west of Central Croydon, but still in the borough. It includes large stores such as one of the four IKEA's in London, a B&Q warehouse, the frst Homebase, TK Maxx, Vue, Megabowl, Mothercare World, Argos Extra, Sainsbury's, City Limits and more. There are various retail parks there aswell, Valley Park, Purley Way retail park, Croydon Colonades, Waddon Goods Park, Croydon Fiveways.
Eat
Visitors are often surprised by the variety, quality and affordability of Croydon's restaurants. Whilst the pedestrianised centre is overflowing with bland chains and fried chicken, The High Street and South End Road (south of the flyover) has an excellent selection of independent places, which is (sadly) becoming a victim of its own success, and itself is beginning to be taken over by the chains.
High Street / South End
'''La Brasa''' Argentinian. 108a High Street, Telephone 020 8760 9610. Winner of numerous 'Best local restaurant 200x' awards, La Brasa is a real gem - small and unpretentious and serving flavoursome steaks, chicken and other delights. Unlike so many other places, La Brasa buys in good quality meat that actually has some taste, and it shows.
'''Paradise Island''' Seafood. 67 South End, Telephone 020 8688 9848.
'''Pizza Express''' Italian. 3 South End, Telephone 020 8680 0123.
City Centre / Elsewhere
'''Addington Village Inn''' Various. 36 Addington Village Road, Telephone 01689842057.
'''Aphrodite Greek Taverna''' Greek. 19 Westow Street, Telephone 020 8653 9895
'''Auberge''' French. Units 2153 - 2156 Whitgift Centre, Telephone 020 8680 8337.
'''Beefeater''' English family pub chain. 419 Streatham High Road, Telephone 020 8764 1671.
'''Cafe Giardino''' Italian. Centrale Shopping Centre. Telephone 020 8680 8852
'''Cafe Giardino''' Italian. Whitgift Centre, Telephone 020 8680 8852.
'''Cafe Santa Fe''' Cafe. 201 High Street, Telephone 020 8688 6717.
'''Chat House Tandoori'''14-16 Brighton Road, Telephone 020 8680 5719.
'''Chicken Cottage''' Fast-food chicken and ribs. 263 London Road, Telephone 0208 689 1666.
'''Chiquitos Restaurant & Bar''' Mexican. Unit 3 Valley Park, Telephone 020 8686 8341.
'''Croydon Steak House''' English. 31 South End, Telephone 020 8688 8422.
'''Fatty Arbuckles''' American Diner. Valley Park, Telephone 020 8680 4717
'''Frankie & Benny's''' Authentic Italian and American. Valley Leisure Park, Telephone 020 8760 5021.
'''Harvester''' English. 270 Coulsdon Road, Telephone 01737 553368. Been changed to a family un-friendly restuarant.
'''IKEA Restauarant''' Sweedish. Valley Park, Telephone 0845 355 1144.
'''Nandos''' Peri Peri Chicken. 26 High Street, Telephone 0208 681 3505.
'''Nandos''' Peri-Peri Chicken. Hesterman Way, Telephone 0208 688 9545.
'''Noodle Time''' Noodle Bar 56 - 58 George Street, Telephone 020 8681 6598.
'''Ocean Fish Restaurant''' Seafood. 56 Lower Addiscombe Road, Telephone 020 8406 3634.
'''Old Orleans''' American. City Limits Colonades Leisure Park, Telephone 020 8225 1900.
'''Papa John's Pizza''' Pizza Restaurant. 85 Lower Addiscombe Road, Telephone 020 8656 5995.
'''Papa John's Pizza''' Pizza Restaurant. Centrale Shopping Centre, Telephone 020 8681 5841.
'''Papa John's Pizza''' Pizza Restaurant. 323 - 325 Brighton Road, Telephone 020 8688 6886.
'''Pizza Express''' Italian. 960 Brighton Road, Telephone 020 8668 9547.
'''Pizza Hut''' Chain restaurant. 30 London Road, Telephone 020 8688 7771.
'''Pizza Hut''' Chain restaurant. 59/61 North End, Telephone 020 8680 1086.
'''Pizza Hut''' Chain restaurant. The Colonnades Leisure Park, Telephone 0871 332 0612.
'''Polka Bistro''' Polish. 20a Lower Addiscombe Road, Telephone 020 8686 2633.
'''Rockwell's Diner''' American. 48-50 South End, Telephone 020 8688 6132. Been shut for ages.
'''TGI Friday's''' American. 702/704 Purley Way, Telephone 020 8681 1313.
'''Tiger Tiger''' English. 16 High Street, Telephone 020 8662 4949.
'''Yo! Sushi''' Japanese Sushi bar. 21 North End, Telephone 020 8760 0479.
Drink
'''Bar Red Square''' Wine Bar. 63 - 67 High Street, Telephone 020 8688 1020.
'''TGI Friday's''' Also serves food, Bar. Specializes in cocktails. 702/704 Purley Way, Telephone 020 8681 1313
Sleep
There is a wide range of accommodation for visitors to the London Borough of Croydon. The Tourist Information Centre promotes establishments which are members of the National Quality Assurance Standards Scheme. Each establishment is inspected annually by trained assessors from the AA, RAC or English Tourism Council (ETC). Members of the Quality Assurance Scheme are graded according to quality, facilities and level of service. The grading is denoted by stars (H) or diamonds (_N). Any establishment which has no grading is not part of the Scheme, therefore quality cannot be assured.
Accommodation Gradings
The AA, RAC and English Tourism Council (ETC) have joint grading schemes for hotels, guest accommodation and self catering.
Hotels
Hotels are graded from one to five stars. These indicate the quality, facilities and level of service. The more stars the higher the quality, level of service and range of facilities offered.
Guest Accommodation
Guest accommodation includes guest houses, bed & breakfasts and some hotels. They are graded from one to five diamonds. All establishments must meet minimum standards for facilities and services. More diamonds are awarded for higher standards of quality and customer care.
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'''Aerodrome Hotel''' - Purley Way, Telephone 020 8680 1999. Luxury hotel, South, recently re-fited to become a luxury hotel, situated next to Croydon Airport
'''Express by Holiday Inn''' - 1 Priddys Yard, Telephone 44-208-2531200. Central Croydon, built in 2003, new and modern
'''Jury's Inn''' - Wellesley Road, Telephone (+44 20) 8448 6000. Central Croydon, a modern hotel on Wellseley Road, which is the split of Central Croydon.
'''Premier Inn''' - The Colonnades Leisure Park, Telephone 0870 990 6554. West Croydon, hotel which offer warm and cosy rooms for as low as __40
'''Premier Inn''' - 104 Coombe Road, Telephone 08701 977 069. South Croydon, hotel which offer warm and cosy rooms for as low as __40
'''Travelodge''' - Norfolk House, Wellesley Road, Telephone 0871 984 6318. Central Croydon, cheap and modest, basically the same price and structure as Premier Inn, located next to Jury's Inn.
Stay Safe
Croydon has the highest rate of knife crime in any London Borough, so places to avoid are areas Thornton Heath, West Croydon and Norwood.
The Purley way is a difficult place to get about by foot, some areas can be reached by tram but the park is designed for cars.
Avoid flashing valuable possessions in the town centre, it may attract unwanted attention.
Croydon town centre becomes very popular on thursdays with TigerTiger open to under 21s, and its weekends with a multitude of popular bars in the town centre. Always pre-book your taxi for safety on a night out because the local London Black cabs are very expensive.
Get Out
'''City Limits''' Entertainment Venue. Includes bowling, restaurants, nightclubs all in the same building. Inside the Colonades Leisure Park, Purley Way.
'''Croydon Grants''' Entertainment Venue. Includes a large 11-screen Vue Cinema, Reflex 80's Bar and Disco, Nandos and Tiger Tiger restaurant and nightclub.