Carrying a knife goes unpunished and won’t be checked for, but do t you dare eat any burgers or chips on London transport.

COYP

Yup I get it first time.
When I lived in Croydon it was nowhere near as bad as now.
Shrublands as a kid then west croydon as a family.
Couple of scraps but then walk away.
No steel in your guts.
I do think it's a culture thing and a lack of proper parenting.
Someone will go with poverty but we know that's bollox.

It not surprising if you change a community to one from a third world that it will go down hill, not rocket science.

Do any of you posting about this actually live in Croydon? I mean now, right now. Not ‘it was better in my day before I moved out to Kent.’

Why does everyone move to Kent? Apart from the art gallery in Margate it’s a complete cultural vacuum.

Or do you all live out in the shires relying on media and anecdotes to form your opinions.

Did you know? 98.0000001% of people are morons.

I moved away from Selhurst to Bromley in around 1995, we moved not from a dislike of Croydon but simply as the right flat came up. Moved further out when we had kids as when we did you got a lot of house for your money in the leafy Shires of Orpington.

But I moved back to work in Croydon a couple of years ago and it makes me sad. It is much worse. Shops closed down, pubs, clubs and music venues gone and the constant smell of food everywhere. On the trams first thing in the morning and on the streets.

Oh and the kiddies now ain't like it was in my day. Don't know how to have a decent scrap. All carry knives and wave them about outside McDonalds.

Sad really as I have fond memories of growing up in Croydon.but the Croydon of the 80's and 90's has gone.

It depends what you need to stimulate yourself.
And you wont reach 90 living in Croydon so set your sights a bit lower I reckon.