Croydon is one of London's largest boroughs, a major commercial center in South London that has long been the butt of jokes from snobbier parts of the city. That reputation is increasingly unfair. While Croydon's skyline of 1960s office towers and concrete shopping centers will never win beauty prizes, the borough has developed a genuinely interesting cultural scene, driven in part by the artists and musicians priced out of inner London.
The street art scene is one of Croydon's genuine surprises. Large-scale murals by internationally known artists have transformed some of the more brutalist corners of the town center, and the annual RISEgallery-led art walks draw visitors from across London. Boxpark Croydon, a pop-up food and events venue built from shipping containers, has become a popular gathering spot with a rotating roster of street food vendors and live music.
Croydon has deeper roots than its postwar architecture suggests. Croydon Minster dates back to Saxon times, and the Old Palace, a medieval manor that served as a summer residence for the Archbishops of Canterbury for over five hundred years, is a hidden gem that few Londoners even know about. The Croydon Clocktower complex houses a museum, library, and the small but excellent Museum of Croydon, which tells the borough's story from prehistoric times.
For visitors, Croydon is not a destination you would cross the Atlantic for, but if you are in London and want to see a part of the city that feels genuinely local rather than tourist-oriented, it rewards a half-day visit. The tram network, the only one in London, connects the borough efficiently and is a novelty in itself.