[nirav.dave]

Hi Guys!

My name is Nirav, I am from India and still in India. I am coming down to Uk on 2nd of september. I have been offered Accomodation by my Univ, but its was far from Camberwell University of Arts. I am Looking out for something which is near and i don' end up spending much on travelling.

I was going thru another discussion where other members were suggesting not to stay at camberwell or peckham road.

If not there than can you please give me the details of the safe places in and around the Camberwell University of Arts? or email addresses of the people who provide accomodation near the Univ at a safer place? and at cheaper rates.

I am open to all and any kind of accomodation provided.

Since I have never been there. All the help from you guys would be highly appreciated.

Would also appreciate if you contact me on my email if you have any useful information.

Thanks
Nirav Dave

[kermy]

Hi there. It is very easy to read and believe others opinions about particular areas of London. I would suggest to you however to er on the side of caution about coming to the conclusion that Camberwell is a crime ridden, dirty place to live in. I am a white Australian girl and I lived and worked in Camberwell for just over 2 years. Yes Camberwell has its issues - street drinkers, petty crime etc but this trend is seen in almost every area of London and in every city across the world. I loved living in Camberwell - especially the blending of cultures, the colour, the vibrancy of this area and I was not once hassled and that is simply because I minded my own business and went about doing my own thing in the most respectful and polite way possible. I also got to know my neighbours and by virtue of this experienced a sense of community I hadn't ever experienced before.

One of the great things about this area is that you are also very close to the centre of London (aka Zone 1), there are buses that will take you almost anywhere and they all come every 5 mins. You also have wonderful restaurants and bars and the benefit also that the cost of living is so much less than in other parts of London.

The only suggestion I can make to you is if you wish to live in a `safer' area of Camberwell that is still close to the College - try the side streets that are on the opposite side of Peckham Road to the College but in the direction of Camberwell rather than Peckham. Try to live in a flat that is only one night bus away from your doorstep and that involves a maximum of a 5 minute walk as well. The reason i say this is that it is not safe for anyone to be hanging around bus stops in the middle of the night waiting to change buses and this is generally the time when you may have a greater chance of being hassled. The other thing I would suggest is shy away from the streets where there are Council housing estates. I am not suggesting that these streets are truely unsafe but the fact is that varying types of people require council housing and it is an unfortunate fact that they tend to have their own problems such as crime. The other suggestion I have is choose a flat that doesnt require you walk through a park to get to. Parks in London are fenced and are closed once the suns sets so you will need to walk right round them to get home which is a hassle if anything. If you do live on the right hand side of Peckham Rd ((Peckham Rd between Camberwell Church Street and Peckham High Street - Peckham Rye) you will not have any of these problems and you will also have the benefit of public transport, shops and the College at your footstep. When you arrive stop in at the Town Hall on Peckham Rd as they can ofer you lots of information about the area and also bus timetables etc. Check out -http://www.mapsz.co.uk/AZLondonStreetMap/ to get a feel for the area.

I do hope that this has been helpful and I wish you all the best. Enjoy the vibrancy of Camberwell and embrace it for everything that it is - it is worth your while.

[nirav.dave]

hey!

Thts really sweet of you to write me such a long message with the smallest detail in it. I thought i would not receive any response.

I am sorry i do not know your name. But I am sure you would know that a person like me coming for the first time to a new country would have lot of Q's and need a lil more help in terms of information.



Thank you once again for the valuable information you have given me. I appreciate.

Hope to talk to you soon.
Thanks
Nirav.