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Set back from Peckham Rye station, the Bellenden area has recently been designated a regeneration zone. This renewal programme has transformed the neighbourhood into a haven of restaurants, artist's studios, shops and attractive open spaces. Everything from the lampposts to the bollards has been created specially for the area and all have been designed by local artists, not traffic engineers. Walking through the area you are immediately struck by interesting new developments: shapely bollards designed by Antony Gormley; street lights and mosaics designed by artist Tom Philips; pavements and bus stops designed by Zandra Rhodes.
Walking down Bellenden road from our flat your first view will be of the Peckham Experiment, a well established bar/restaurant which is just as handy for breakfast and a leisurely lunch as it is for cocktails or a 3 course evening meal. It has a partly covered outside space at the front if the sun's shining but also a bright restaurant area if the weather is not quite so favourable.
If this doesn't quite fit the bill there are many other places to eat on offer. Lucius & Richards is a deli/café which works perfectly for sitting reading the Sunday papers and enjoying a cooked English breakfast, whilst eyeing up the various deserts that are on offer (to take away for later?) Or alternatively just round the corner is Petitou, an organic restaurant which is always bustling with young mums, friends meeting for coffee, and local residents of all ages. It's eclectically decorated with leather sofas, mismatched tables and even a reclaimed church pew. It also has a variety of locally made crafts and produce for sale, and a contact board advertising local services and events.
If a night out is on the cards then Bar Story is just the ticket. It's a recent addition to the Peckham night scene and is situated under the arches of Peckham Rye station. Not only does it offer free broadband internet access, it also provides food all day and an extensive cocktail menu which will carry you into the evening. Bar Story regularly runs bar-b-que's in the summer, specialist film nights, local DJ sets and weekly live music events. It will be packed to the rafters on new years eve and has the advantage of not requiring a taxi home!!
Need we go on.....and we haven't even mentioned Il Giardino, a local restauant selling authentic Italian home cooking at reasonable prices, or the recent addition of Ganapati, a modern Southern Indian restaurant which has quickly become a popular haunt. It prides itself on providing a relaxed environment - not a scrap of flocked wallpaper in sight!
However Bellenden road isn't just about the food. Casa is an antique/reclamation shop which has a regular turn-over of stock and lends itself perfectly to a leisurely browse, even of you're not in the market for a belfast sink or a set of newly stripped victorian doors. On the other side of the road Curios2Retro sells second-hand kitch furniture and in the summer months transforms into a mini organic garden centre selling a variety of pots and plants with advice thrown in free of charge. Bellenden flowers is our local florist which as well as the most gorgeous cut flowers and bouquets also stocks gifts produced by local artists based in the arches under Peckham Rye station.
There is a real community spirit surrounding Bellenden road which you notice as soon as you become part of the weekend bustle. Development just hasn't stopped, with new shops opening on a regular basis. The last month alone has seen the addition of a new classy book and gift shop, along with a designer clothes boutique. There is even talk of a Sunday street market for Bellenden Road.
Peckham itself is a bustling town framed by the acclaimed Peckham library and brand new leisure centre, the Peckham Pulse. It offers a combination of high street shops including a large supermarket, banks and building societies and South London's cheapest and most successful independant cinema, as well as a variety of local businesses. It is also home to a popular farmers market selling organic produce every sunday morning. The large Peckham Rye Park is nearby but you only need to explore the nearby streets to find a multitude of smaller hidden green spaces, suitable for walking dogs, kids playing or just relaxing in the sun.
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