Croydon really reminds me of my hometown, Glasgow, in a good way, no posers, no pretence, and SO much potential. The previous 14 years of government mismanagement, of everything, made a HUGE mess of so many places, Croydon included, but things could be on the up soon.
South Croydon hasn't really been as badly influenced by the changes, it's the posh part of Croydon and it's actually a pretty nice place for families, that's where I'm raising mine.
Best of luck with it all dude!