Streatham is a Saxon name meaning “The dwellings by the street”, and the original settlement was along the Roman road from London to the Sussex coast. After the Norman conquest, Streatham was given to the Abbey of St Mary of Bec in Normandy. The village grew in the Middle Ages as a result of trade on the road. Rich city merchants built country houses there. A spring was discovered near Streatham Common and the waters were meant to be particularly good for worms and the eyes, and this led to more visitors to the area. The Horse and Groom Inn at the top of Brixton Hill was a convenient stop for stagecoaches and the Prince Regent, George IV, often used to stop there on his way to Brighton. There were so many highwayman in the area that a special gallows was set up on Brixton Hill to deal with them. In the late 18th century, the Thrale family, who were brewers in Southwark, bought 89 acres of common land from the Duke of Bedford, the main local land owner, on which they built a large house known as Streatham Park where Doctor Johnson spent a lot of his time in the 1770s. Many other large villas and mansions were built in Streatham during the Georgian and Regency periods. The various houses and estates were knocked down and developed during the late 19th century when the advent of railways brought new population into the area and the urgent need for terraced housing. Telford Park was constructed in the 1870s and Coventry Park and Leigham Park were constructed in the 1890s. Streatham Common still remains, but much reduced in size to 36 acres.

Streatham Hill is in the SW2 postal district and benefits from its association with now trendy Brixton. There are attractive Victorian terraced properties in the streets between Thornton Avenue and Streatham Hill. These include Criffel Avenue and Achilles Avenue. There are large Victorian and Edwardian houses to be found in the Telford Park Estate north of Sternhold Avenue. Another popular group of streets is Tierney Road and the roads off it between Streatham Place and Streatham Hill. The Artisans and General Dwellings Company built the red brick cottages in the “ABCD” streets west of Streatham Hill up to Wavertree Road. There are mansion blocks along Streatham Hill such as Cornerfielde.

Central Streatham, between Tooting Common and Streatham High Road contains mainly 20th-century housing from the 1920s through to the 1970s. The houses are generally sought-after. The streets off Garrad’s Road, such as Woodbourne Avenue and Becmead Avenue are early 20th century. There are period houses to the north of this area. On the other side of the High Street, Pendennis Road and Pinfold Road are the centre of the Uttings Estate with houses from Victorian through to 1930s designs. Sunnyhill Road and Wellfield Road are part of a conservation area with smaller period cottages, and some larger Victorian houses.

The roads down to Streatham Common North have an assortment of different styles including large red brick houses in Gleneldon Road and modern houses in Valley Road. Leigham Court is a council-built estate off Valley Road and Leigham Court Road, but the houses are mainly in private ownership and now quite sought-after. There are also some blocks of flats and new developments here. Streatham Common itself has an enclave of Victorian and Edwardian streets below it, such as Heybridge Avenue off Copley Park, and surrounding streets. Ryecroft Road to the east has detached houses with gardens. The Victorian and Edwardian properties along Streatham Common North are now mainly flats. Lewin and Barrow Road on the other side of the High Road have smaller houses.

Streatham Park is the area on the west side of Streatham between Mitcham Lane and Tooting Common. There are streets of 1930s terraces, as well as some council blocks. The small area to the east of the railway lines contains some larger Victorian houses in Riggindale Road and surrounding roads, as well as flats.

Furzedown is the area further south west. It runs from Thrale Road. It contains mainly Edwardian terraces, but some Victorian and 1930s terraces. The most sought-after houses are in Clairview Road. Streatham Vale is the southern-most part of Streatham with more densely packed streets and mainly 1920s and 1930s houses.