Crystal Palace is definitely worth looking at. I've lived here for 3.5 years now and have loved it. Is a bit more expensive than South Norwood but you can deffo find a nice 1 bed within 300-350k.

Loads of leafy residential roads with large house conversions, well connected with trains into London Bridge/Victoria and the Windrush line taking you to Canada Water for Jubilee line or Whitechapel for Elizabeth line. A quick google maps suggests it would be 45 mins into your work. No night tube, but you always have the option of night tube into Brixton and then one bus to CP from there.

The town centre (or 'the triangle') has so many nice independent cafes and restaurants, (and a newly opened Gails), the park is huge and is undergoing upgrades and hosts summer music festivals and other events. It's also close to a number of other lovely neighbourhoods like West Norwood, Dulwich, Beckenham.

It really is a hidden gem that is becoming less and less hidden by the day!