After months of covering Croydon’s retail decline, with all the empty units, the closing shutters, the “to let” signs plastered across once-bustling shops, it was refreshing to step off the train at Sutton and find a high street that still feels alive.
Before my visit here, I’d seen all the Facebook comments about the area being full of motorbikes and the town centre going downhill.
But I don’t think it’s fair to define a place by its worst moments.
On an ordinary weekday, Sutton’s High Street tells a story of small businesses, shoppers with arms full of bags, and a community that’s clearly invested in keeping its heart beating.
Walking downhill from the station, past the well-known LA Café, I could already feel a shift in pace.
The town centre isn’t chaotic nor eerily quiet and seems to have everything a high street needs.
Everything except Morrisons, of course, which has been closed for nearly 16 months now, and its closed doors still draw attention.
The Sutton Arms, which closed at the start of July, is also empty, as is Chopstix, which was closed after a fire in 2023.
Despite these closures, there are fewer than five empty units on the High Street, and even they barely draw attention.
In the centre sits the Moon on the Hill Wetherspoons, which makes it a typical UK town centre.
Exciting things are coming to Sutton in the next few months, with construction kicking off at the old Wilko site to make way for a new Lidl, set to open in early 2026.
And then there are the shopping centres: Times Square and St Nicholas.
The contrast with Croydon’s Whitgift Centre couldn’t be starker.
While Whitgift’s corridors echo with emptiness, St Nicholas is bustling.
I heard noise and chatter and the sound of kids tugging their parents toward certain shops with the kind of curious optimism that only appears when a town centre feels worth exploring.
It seems that Christmas has already arrived inside the St Nicholas Centre.
Home Living was bursting with festive displays, like twinkling lights, decorations, and gift ideas stacked high.
It’s the kind of place where I don’t necessarily need anything from, but I go in anyway, just for the joy of browsing.
One corner of the centre is home to Sutton Community Dance, with posters advertising their half-term shows and community workshops.
There’s even a small market section, where a local sells handmade items from wooden pegs decorated with names or cartoon characters to custom gifts that give the centre a real human touch.
Just a few steps away, a free kids’ creative workshop called Keeps was in full swing.
Sutton has always struck me as being a really community-oriented borough, and it’s these sall things that give the place a real warmth.
More fittingly, Halloween has already made its mark.
Partica, a party shop, brought the spooky scene to the town centre, with costumes of witches, zombies, and ghouls.
The best thing was the life-sized moving ghoul near the entrance that, had I not had my headphones on, would’ve made me jump.
And then there were the massage chairs.
You’ve probably seen them before, usually sitting unused, but at one point, all four chairs were occupied, so I had to do another sweep of the shopping centre to get a turn.
I dropped in a pound for a five-minute back massage and, honestly, I could have stayed there all day.
Upstairs, the food options are where Sutton really shines.
West Bakes Cookies sits proudly among them, serving enormous stuffed cookies and cookie pies that are as indulgent as they sound.
I tried the Oreo one, which was dense, rich, and absolutely worth it, though if ever you’re heading there, bring a bottle of water with you.
Next door, Burke Kitchen, a finalist in the Time & Leisure Food and Culture Awards, offered freshly made meals that drew in a steady crowd even on a Wednesday afternoon.
At the top of the centre, there’s a huge Earth installation hanging above.
Opposite the centre, I found myself at Oru Space, which is a co-working and wellbeing hub that’s already drawn plenty of attention.
On its rooftop sits a public garden, open to everyone.
Given that it’s October, it wasn’t the most vibrant space on an autumn afternoon, but it’s peaceful.
You can sit there with a coffee, look over the rooftops, and momentarily forget you’re in the middle of a busy high street.
Sutton is still growing, with signs for Noodle City coming soon, with refurbishments clearly underway.
At the bottom end of the high street, Asda provides Morrison-loving shoppers with an alternative, while the beloved Sound Lounge continues to champion local music, sustainability and community spirit.
I spent nearly seven hours in Sutton’s town centre, and I wasn’t bored once.
In a time where town centres are struggling to stay vibrant, Sutton stands out as one that is thriving amid all the country’s chaos.
Other towns may be in the middle of their comeback, but a short train ride away, Sutton shows that a town centre can stay strong.
