Today, Sydenham is a diverse area, with a population of 28,378 (2011 census)[1] and borders Forest Hill, Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Penge, Beckenham, Catford and Bellingham.

In the 1640s, springs of water in what is now Wells Park were discovered to have medicinal properties, attracting crowds of people to the area.

In 1851 the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park was housed in an immense glass building, called the Crystal Palace.

In 1854 the building was bought by a private company, dismantled and re-erected at Penge Peak on Sydenham Hill (now Crystal Palace Park).

Exhibitions, concerts, conferences and sporting events were held at the Crystal Palace (until it burned down in 1936), and Sydenham became a fashionable area with many new houses being built.

It is diverse both racially and in terms of income; the central section of Kirkdale was Sydenham's original High Street.

Renamed "Kirkdale" in 1936, the area now has a small range of shops including Tesco Express, local pubs and off-licences.

Designed in revival architectural styles, fashionable at the time, most of the properties were three or four stories high and large enough to attract more affluent residents.

One of the more unusual residential streets, due to its circular arrangement is Charleville Circus,[7] subject of an in-depth One-place study.

Bell Green retail park houses the Sydenham Gas Works and a large Sainsbury's superstore, formally part of the Savacentre brand.

The section of Kangley Bridge Road that runs south of Lower Sydenham Station is in the London Borough of Bromley and provides land for local employment.

Sydenham Town is the local website for the area, where residents can also voice their opinions in an on-line form.

It holds local events, works with organisations and authorities as well as campaigning for improvements to the area.

[18] Annually every summer since 2009, the Sydenham Arts Festival is held, where there are workshops, music, family activities etc.

Other open spaces in Sydenham include Alexandra Recreation Ground,[24] Baxters Field,[25] Home Park[26] and Kirkdale Green.

The area is served by routes 75, 122, 176, 181, 194, 197, 202, 227, 352, 356, 363, 450 and N63 linking Sydenham to Central London, Lewisham, Catford, Croydon, Thornton Heath, Bromley, Shirley, Peckham, Camberwell, Elephant & Castle, Blackheath, Forest Hill, Penge, South Norwood and Grove Park.

High Street improvements being funded by Transport for London from September 2012 are making the increasingly busy Sydenham Road (A212) more user friendly.

The Beast of Sydenham of 2005, was a large, panther-like black animal, which had been spotted around the area, and attacked a man.

[80][81] In March 2022, a crested caracara, named Jester, which escaped London Zoo, was spotted in Mayow Park, Sydenham.