Brockley area guide - tell us what it's like

Well it's the first and it may all end in tears but Brockley Market is fantastic.

Browns of Brockley, for brilliant coffee.
The Broca Food Shop for well priced, local produce, cakes, and good meat and bread.
The Orchard for a good steak in the evenings.
Starbucks Upholstry if you have any old chairs that need rescuing, well priced work.
Tea Dance for Little People - For a fun childrens outing.

Wow. The Nunhead area guide's looking busy.

Tea Dance for Little People - great for under 5's
The Community Vegetable patch
Thai Smiles
Meze Mangal (although not sure if that counts as Brockley)
Jam Circus
Broca Food Market - especially the honey stall and great coffee with lovely smiling people!

I've lived in Brockley for 6 years and these are my favourites. I've probably missed a few. Sorry will post again if I have missed you off!

Broca Food Market
Brockley Market on Saturdays
Off Licence on the corner of Harefield Road with Raj (I think) He's so friendly.
Jam Circus
Brockley Jack
The Orchard
Toads Mouth
Meze Mangal
Brockley Rocks
Brockley Max Festival
Budgens - Staff are really friendly.
Crofton Park Community Libary
Tea Dance for Little People
St Hilda's Church for activities

Brockley is fab..and getting better..
Good: Hilly fields, good transport links- overground , free parking, broca serves chai tea latte, I quite liked the brockley mess but haven't been there in a while

Bad: brockley cross during rush hour

MM is literally 10-15 mins (and only about 5 mins down the road from me on Manor Ave) walk from Brockley station and I think it's in Brockley Ward so not much of a stretch to include it in Brockley!

I second the above
Also great:
Peter James Butcher
Rivoli ballroom
Babur -takeaway is in SE4
Hilly Fields, partly in SE4
Leafy streets and a leafy cemetery to be laid to rest in

I will happily go with:

Jam Circus - always friendly and the new chef is brilliant
The Orchard - great for relaxed food, amazing Eggs Benedict
Brockley Mess - the breakfast burrito is a firm favourite
The Cemetery - under-appreciated, beautiful at all times of year - whenever we go my husband says it makes him want to be a photographer. It's stunning and lovely for walks with the kids.
Hilly fields - great views, great playground
Brockley's Rock - really delicious fish & chips
Turner's Hardware - they sell everything hardware-esque
Budgens - they sell everything else! If you can't find it locally - its probably because you haven't tried Budgens. They had fresh samphire the other day!
Peter James - lovely guy, lovely meat
The Polish Shop - opposite Peter James on Ewhurst, brilliant cold meats & sausage
Magi - really good selection of cards
Brockley Jack - non- smoking sunny pub garden, how cool is that?

I could go on. I love it here!

Pat-a-cakes on Brockley Road, opposite Crofton Park Station. At last, somewhere for coffee and cake in Crofton Park.

Absolutely agree about Pat-a-cakes - if they did savoury as well as sweet my new year would be complete!

... and we all forgot about Crofton Park Library, now run by the community.

Wot's happened to MY post? I diligently posted my 'good' and 'bad' here that had been asked for about Brockley...

I suspect there are perusers of my posts who don't like me and my verbose comments.
(I wonder how long this post will survive!)

On 2nd thoughts - I may have deleted original post myself as being too immature in its written style after I returned to re-read it.

Well I've grown up in Brockley my whole life, I live with my husband who is and artist and has finished an MA at Camberwell college of arts, I have two children, and I would say the best thing about Brockley is the cafes, they are great to go with the kids, ive only had one bad experience and that was at Jam circus during the day. my eldest daughter of two years old was given a still frozen fish finger sandwich, it was such a shame as I used to love going there in the evening with Richard my husband, but the experience has put me off now. Especially as the staff made it very apparent that they just didn't care . but I am loving the market really does help with the local vibe. And most of other cafes and bars are very good with kids...just whenever i go to jam circus now i just have drinks and the cakes they have are devine, I must say

I create hand mixed oils in the form of reed diffusers ...so um that counts!
I also sell some great rare colourful and unusual vases ....
The library is good for free Internet, they are always looking volunteers
Browns do great coffee indeed and don't forget they have a room downstairs for cosy meetings.
Jerk chicken hot and spicy next to laudery in Crofton Park
St Andrews church is warm and welcoming and the priest is from the US he took over from Barry Carter last year
Nurseries there are 5 on the Honor Oak estate that is just over the foot bridge and an excellent primary school Turnham school
Brockley is serviced by at least 6 zipcars and 1 van
It takes 25min to get to Bond street via the overground and Brick Lane is 20min
Fishy Business on Hartfield road is the best fish and chip shope (well that's my personal opinion) a small portion can eat for 2 people
The Broca food market has a live band playing from time to time singing Britney Spears and playing on a ukulele
Degustation - French deli on Coulgate road nice treats
Doorstep is a builders cafe, always good for an egg and bacon butty to go!
The overground is pretty packed most of the times .. But the good news is that they are extending the platforms whoopie ... Hence the fare hike!!!
Budget is cheaper than the co-op, so it is often better to take that walk
Bamboo Garden is one of the better Chinese take away.
And we have A BAFTA nominated actor who lives in the area!
Speedi cars is a well serviced cab company, but as a back up you can use Crofton cars
O and we have the UK's leading archaeologist company in Brockley
Enjoy

That's a pity about Jam Circus; I've had great experiences there, and found the bar staff very pleasant and patient with the mess my kids cause... Wonder if there has been staff turnover?

Who's the Bafta nominated actor??

Has anyone mentioned Ladywell Fields? - lovely area since they've done it up; great for feeding ducks and toddler rambling...

Sean dooley is local apparntley and a very fine actor he is too http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0233215/bio