Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there is nowhere within commutable distance to London that I want to live?

181 replies

Teacherprebaby · 26/07/2024 10:31

Any advice greatly appreciated; if you commute to London, where do you live and what is it like? I have seen some less than desirable areas and don't want to make a mistake. I'm sure there are fabulous places, I just don't know them.

Must be within commuting distance to London Bridge/Victoria.

OP posts:
Squirrelsnut · 26/07/2024 13:09

Cambridge.

cheezncrackers · 26/07/2024 13:06

Well what are your non-negotiables OP? You make a sweeping statement that there is nowhere that you'd want to live, but then don't list the things that you want and ask others to recommend nice places!

Citrusandginger · 26/07/2024 13:04

France? The Eurostar issues today aren't an everyday occurrence.

It really depends what an acceptable commute is to you as an individual.

SingingSands · 26/07/2024 12:50

SeeSeeRider · 26/07/2024 11:03

The Estuary accent would be enough to put me off living in the South East, but having said that, if your salary is high enough you could commute from somewhere near a stop on the GWR main line like Didcot, Chippenham, or even Bath or Bristol.

You're only meant to think this inside your head, not type it out for people to see.

I love that accent. Find it a real turn on BlushBlush

GiveMyHeadPeaceffs · 26/07/2024 12:30

@Teacherprebaby I have a friend that works in London one week in four and she lives in a beautiful town outside Belfast. You'll need more details...

socks1107 · 26/07/2024 12:16

I commute from Kent, takes 40 minutes in a morning

HappiestSleeping · 26/07/2024 12:16

Many nice places on the Portsmouth line that goes to Victoria. Haslemere, Petersfield, and on the other branch, Winchester.

Thepeopleversuswork · 26/07/2024 12:12

AnotherBod · 26/07/2024 11:57

My friend is at Sydenham and it’s quite leafy and lovely

Seconding this. There are some lovely bits of SE London/Kent borders which most people don’t know about. Very green, good amenities and community feel, nice shops and cafes but without being grotesquely over-gentrified. Very good commute into London and (by London standards) relatively affordable. Schools are OK. Not the best in London but OK.

Sydenham
Forest Hill
Beckenham

And then a bit further out there’s lovely countryside in places on the way to Sevenoaks which are commutable. Shoreham and around those places.

MulberryBushRoundabout · 26/07/2024 12:09

You’re going to have to put some more info on this OP, you can commute from a huge range of places. Do you want to be in London or outside it, what budget, what accommodation type, what’s your maximum travel time?

CurlewKate · 26/07/2024 12:07

Canterbury? Faversham? The Kent coast?

Thepeopleversuswork · 26/07/2024 12:07

SeeSeeRider · 26/07/2024 11:03

The Estuary accent would be enough to put me off living in the South East, but having said that, if your salary is high enough you could commute from somewhere near a stop on the GWR main line like Didcot, Chippenham, or even Bath or Bristol.

Good grief… Are people really this snobbish and tone deaf?

LadyWiddiothethird · 26/07/2024 12:00

Lots of people commute to London from Lichfield,73 minutes.

Mrbay · 26/07/2024 11:59

I'm pretty sure westbury, wiltshire is an hour into London via train.

AnotherBod · 26/07/2024 11:57

My friend is at Sydenham and it’s quite leafy and lovely

NotAlexa · 26/07/2024 11:57

Teacherprebaby · 26/07/2024 10:31

Any advice greatly appreciated; if you commute to London, where do you live and what is it like? I have seen some less than desirable areas and don't want to make a mistake. I'm sure there are fabulous places, I just don't know them.

Must be within commuting distance to London Bridge/Victoria.

Cheltenham, Stroud and Gloucestershire in General are becoming a new boom for commuters to London. And it's near Cotswolds! All have direct trains to London, very frequent too. And also have direct trains to SW and NW of England, and even Glasgow and Edinburgh!

MidnightPatrol · 26/07/2024 11:56

What’s your budget and for what kind of house?

What other attributes are you looking for?

squashyhat · 26/07/2024 11:54

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SheilaWilde · 26/07/2024 11:47

SeeSeeRider · 26/07/2024 11:03

The Estuary accent would be enough to put me off living in the South East, but having said that, if your salary is high enough you could commute from somewhere near a stop on the GWR main line like Didcot, Chippenham, or even Bath or Bristol.

How incredibly rude!

OP you can commute from anywhere so you'd need to define your max acceptable commune time, property budget, amenities needed nearby (schools etc).

froggro · 26/07/2024 11:37

We are in Sevenoaks which is 24 min into London Bridge. I have colleagues who live in Totteridge and Edgware.

LIZS · 26/07/2024 11:31

You are probably looking best in South Lindon, Kent, Surrey, Sussex areas all with regular rail links to LB and Victoria. Is there really nowhere to suit? Hmm Budget, type of housing, schools, environment?

TheBizzies · 26/07/2024 11:30

Why don't you tell us where you consider undesirable

LindorDoubleChoc · 26/07/2024 11:29

YABU.

Not everything on Mumsnet is an AIBU!

BlondeFool · 26/07/2024 11:26

How long do you want to the commute to be?

parietal · 26/07/2024 11:25

what budget? what things are you looking for in a place to live? how long are you prepared to sit on a train? there are lots of options.

zingally · 26/07/2024 11:14

My sisters partner commutes from Coventry every day. He's a bit of a train nerd, so loves it.

Swipe left for the next trending thread