1) Croydonites

because this annual festival brings the best of experimental theatre from around the UK to Croydon’s doorstep

2) BOXPARK Croydon

because this pioneering shipping container concept is now a UK wide institution, serving up tasty street food and delivering sell out events – including those infamous football screenings

3) Ludoquist Café

because South London’s biggest and best board games café is never empty

4) Matthews Yard

because Croydon’s original co-working space continues to hold a special place in the hearts of local creatives

5) South Facing Festival

because the Borough’s music credentials have helped it pull in some big headliners over the years including Rudimental, London Grammar and Becky Hill

6) The Original Dining Scene

because classics likes Bagattis, Little Bay and Galicia never go out of fashion

7) The New Dining Scene

because dishes from The Store, Fern and Mr Fox Croydon taste just as good as they look on social feeds

8) The Croydon Film Office

because shutting down streets for a growing list of Hollywood blockbusters and TV shows is no mean feat

9) The Bar Scene

because all tastes are catered for – including beers at Art & Craft CR0, cocktails at Memory Box and wine at Basil & Grape

10) The Cronx Brewery and Signal Brewery

because they’ve given Croydoners their own locally brewed craft beer – and indoor and outdoor Taprooms

11) MYPT

because Croydon’s original Personal Training gym continues to keep the locals buff with group sessions and transformation challenges

12) Fairfield Halls

because South London’s largest Arts Centre covers an eclectic range of tastes

13) Stormzy and Raye

because home-grown, history-making, music talent is inspiring a new generation

14) David Lean Cinema

because independent and world cinema just isn’t the same in a multiplex

15) Croydon Food & Music Festival

because each summer it brings together over 12,000 people for an afternoon of alfresco dining in the Restaurant Quarter

16) The South Wing

because this beautiful location house brings Central London creatives into Croydon

17) Croydon’s Yogis

because the likes of More Yoga, Croydon Yoga Hub, and Ark bring some much needed zen into local lives

18) Turf Projects

because they continually champion and support local artists

19) Croywall and Oxygen Freejumping

because they’re keeping locals fit without a treadmill in sight

20) East Croydon Train Station

because it gets locals into Zone One in about 15 minutes…most of the time

21) Ikea

because it ensures residents can get Scandi-chic on a budget…and meatballs all year round

22) New Developments like Enclave, The Fold and No. 26

because they’re creating a stylish way of renting that is more SATC than Peep Show

23) Croydon Airport Visitor Centre

because their monthly tours will teach you everything you need to know about Britain’s first international airport

24) Independent Coffee Shops

because Crushed Bean, Filtr and Bobs Your Uncle are just a few of the independent coffee shops keeping residents fully caffeinated all day long

25) The Switch Off

because silent digital detoxes for burnt out women are so needed right now

26) Croydon FM

because Croydon’s official music station streams entertainment to the community day and night

27) London Mozart Players

because the UK’s longest established chamber orchestra is not where you might expect it to be

28) The BRIT School

because they continually churn out globally recognised talent from Adele to Tom Holland

29) The Barber Club

because they provide Croydon’s menfolk with the finest of barbering experiences

30) Theatre Groups

because multi-award winners like ZooCo, Talawa and Savvy ensure diverse and inclusive programming across the Borough

31) Pirate Studios

because they provide 24/7 self-service music studios for DJs, musicians and producers

32) The “Westfield”

because this long-awaited project is back on the table and URW are heavily invested

33) Cro Cro Land Festival

because this multi-stage festival brings a mash-up of queer, non-binary, and straight bands to the centre of Croydon

34) Forbidden Planet

because the world’s largest science fiction, fantasy and cult entertainment retailer is waving the flag for geek chic

35) Croydon Mela

because this celebration of Croydon’s diverse Asian communities, gets bigger and better each year

36) Culture Croydon

because after a year of working closer together as part of London Borough of Culture, Croydon’s arts and cultural organisations are in a great place to move the legacy forward

37) LSBU Croydon

because their state-of-the-art nursing facilities help train up a quarter of London’s nurses

38) Museum of Croydon

because not all neighbourhoods have their very own museum

39) Crystal Palace Football Club

because regardless of when the new stadium opens, Eagles fans are always South London and Proud

40) Parks

because with more than 120 parks and green spaces, Croydon is one of the greenest Boroughs in London

41) Croydon’s Mushroom Farm

because collecting waste coffee grounds from local cafes and using them to grow gourmet oyster mushrooms, is just as brilliant as branding them Cr’Oysters

42) Stanley Arts

because as one of South London’s key arts and performances venues, this radically inclusive space gives under-represented voices a much bigger platform

43) Surrey Street Market

because getting your 5 a day is much cheaper at one of London’s oldest markets

44) The Architecture

because iconic Brutalist gems like No.1 Croydon sit comfortably alongside residential towers and Victorian buildings

45) Croydon Pride

because as London’s second largest Pride Festival it has firmly marked itself in the city’s LGBTQ+ calendar of events

46) Delis

because treats from La Spezia, Deli by Dirty Crunch and Little Mouse Cheese bring a moment of joy our inner child can appreciate

47) Proper Pubs

because a Sunday Roast needs a decent pub and the Dog & Bull, The Green Dragon, The Spread Eagle and The Oval Tavern can all oblige

48) The Creative Digital Lab

because this state-of-the-art facility enables South Londoners to affordably up-skill in the creative-digital arena

49) Wing Yip

because having the UK’s leading oriental grocer on your doorstep is quite the foodie coup

50) East Croydon Cool

because this community marketing platform helps connect local residents and build neighbourhood pride with a regular dose of positivity