To ask if you'd choose Oxford, Cambridge or Reading to live in?

[Luffer]

It's more likely we will live in a village outside one of the three. Choosing between the three and finding it tricky.

[irregularegular]

Well I can't imagine that anyone would choose Reading as a city over Oxford/Cambridge given free rein, but it is a lot cheaper!

Oxford/Reading are obviously quite close together, so if you are talking about villages anyway then you are partly talking about the same places.

I live in a village on the trainline/Thames between Oxford and Reading. Work in Oxford but children go to school in Reading which is closer.

I don't know Cambridge well, only visited briefly, seems prettier and easier as a tourist, but not sure as a resident? I prefer the countryside around Oxford/Reading and you are more central for the rest of the country.

[Liverbird77]

I have lived in Cambridge and Reading. I hated Reading city centre but there were some lovely villages nearby. Cambridge was OK. Quieter I think. I would go for a nice village outside Reading, with the option to go into town for shopping.

[Clawdy]

Oxford is such an amazing and beautiful city, I would love to live there.

[Pickleshickles]

I personally chose Cambridge over a decade ago and love it but it's stupidly expensive. Oxford is more reasonable I think. And bigger.

[gettingbacktoresearch]

I live in Oxford, it is a beautiful city but air pollution is awful and it's so expensive. Depends on where you plan to work though as traffic can be a nightmare. I chose to live inside Oxford so I could walk to work and the shops which costs me more but is offset by the time savings and travel costs.... Oxford also has very distinct areas within and so you need to visit and ask advice re which parts would suit you best.....

[irregularegular]

The thing about Oxford is I think you only really get the benefits of living there if you live very near the centre. There are also only a few good state schools with small catchment areas. Once you narrow it down to those areas it is eye-wateringly expensive. Once we wanted a good sized family home we decided we would rather move to a village outside Oxford with a real community feel, rather than live in slightly non-descript city fringes some way from centre (and/or with no good state schools)

[sinceyouask]

Oxford is so expensive for housing- it topped the list of the UKs least affordable places to live in February 2017, but of the three cities you have mentioned, it's probably the one I'd prefer if I could afford it. I do like Cambridge itself but would never want to live in East Anglia again, ever, and Reading isn't my cup of tea (nothing actually wrong with it, just not for me).

[maddiemookins16mum]

Reading is a dump. Oxford (where I was born) is lovely but has many, many different areas -Blackbird Leys and Summertown are polar opposites.
Witney is great (10 miles west of Oxford and my home town for 30 years). - although the Witney/Oxford commute is awful due to the awful stretch of A40.

[MrsBadger]

I find Oxford is better connected for getting round the rest of the country, and I like its surrounding small towns / villages better than Cambridge's.

[Rebeccaslicker]

It depends where you need to get to really - villages near Cambridge probably the nicest for quality of life, but a bit of a pain if you need to get anywhere other than Cambridge or London regularly. Whereas Oxford is very central. Both are lovely places with good schools.

Reading - not so much!! But some nice places near enough to it.

[newmumwithquestions]

See what you can afford in each area. I love Cambridge but traffic is terrible if you’ll have to drive commute.
Oxford is far nicer than Reading but house prices reflect that so you may proportionally be able to get a nicer area outside Reading than Oxford.

Having said all that I’d take Oxford and live in the Chilterns (disclaimer: I have no idea what a commute into Oxford would be like!)

[clippedcasuals]

What's wrong wrong East Anglia sinceyouask?

[irregularegular]

I'm wondering why the three options are Reading/Oxford/Cambridge or villages outside. Three different job options?

[dingdongdigeridoo]

I live near Cambridge and there are lots of nice villages round here. It’s also very easy to get to the centre, as there are several park and rides as well as good train services.

I love both Oxford and Cambridge as cities, but they are both very expensive.

[Delatron]

I don't think Reading is in the saw league as Oxford. It's an awful place!

[Delatron]

Same league!

[NeversayNever2]

Another one crying no to the reading!

Villages outside yes, some gorgeous villages outside it but I wouldn't touch it as my main reliance shopping destination...

[Delatron]

Yes, some lovely villages near Reading but you wouldn't want to have to drive there for your main shopping. The one way system and traffic is so bad I refuse to go near it anymore.

[Mia1415]

I lived in Reading for 2 years and hated it!

I'd probably choose Oxford. Its a beautiful city and quite central.
Cambridge is nice too though

[thetwinkletoescollective]

Well, you could live in Wallingford, Upper/lower basildon, Streatly, Goring, Bradfield, Bucklebury, Chapel Row, Pangbourne, Maple Durham. They are all nice villages outside of Reading where you can get to Reading easily.

I am from Reading and I wouldn't choose to live there. Newbury is quite good because its got everything you need from a town plus the fast train into London if that's what you are looking for.

Newbury puts you in an excellent location for Winchester, Oxford, Bath and Bournemouth if you want to see the sea for the day. Plus Southampton airport is close by.

[irregularegular]

I always take the train into Reading if I am heading for the centre.

[PhilODox]

What's you precise budget?
Cambridge or Oxford are wonderful, providing you can afford the centre.

Reading.... surprised to see it in a list with those two!

[thetwinkletoescollective]

Should say nice villages that you can get to Reading and Oxford easily.

[GlitterUnicornsAndAllThatJazz]

Reading is an absolute shit hole but there are some very posh villages around it if thats your scene.

Move to Yorkshire.

[SantaBaby1]

Wow lots of hate for Reading on here!