Help me find a place to live

[BBBear]

I thought I'd use the collective wisdom of Mumsnet to find my ideal place to live....

My criteria:

lots of outdoorsy things to do (walks, cycling, etc.)

lots of city things to do (galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.)

and if I live in the city I want to be able to bike to the country, and vice versa, which leads to...

I would like to be able to use a bike as my main form of transport

Somewhere quite creative - I write and feel like I'm out of creative things living in the suburbs

4 bed house for £600k

OR 2 bed flat for £400k (this would be the retirement option)

Kids will be flying the nest sometime in the next 10 years so we could wait until then to go for the retirement option.

DH works in London (I can work anywhere) so if we can keep it commutable, that would be great, if not we'll look at the retirement option or he could stay in London a couple of nights a week.

I'm also willing to look at moving abroad!

We currently live in the South East. Easy commute to London, but that's the only thing it's got going for it!

Pontcanna in Cardiff (naice inner suburb) would fit the bill perfectly, apart from being commutable on a daily basis to London.

Could your DH use the spare money (you'd get somewhere well under budget) to take a room Monday to Friday in London?

Add good internet connection to my list of must haves - it's been down since last night so I have to work in a cafe today

I'll take a look through all the suggestions - thank you.

The only place I can think of is bath but not really that much by way of city thing or country things, more a bit of both. Ultimately you are going to have to pick one or the other quite frankly. If you are willing to move abroad you could consider living in a town in the blue mountains with a train connection to Sydeney but not chance of cycling between outdoorsy and city stuff. The reality is that all proper cities have loads of suburbia around them before you get to idyllic country pursuits.

nooddsocksforme those houses are stunning!

Bath is a beautiful compact city, lots to do all on your doorstep, commutable to London, easy access to the more alternative vibe of Glastonbury, Frome and Bristol. Delightful surrounding countryside. A good choice for retirement if you fancy being busy and getting involved in things. Not cheap but you have a decent budget.

Holland? Or Yellowknife Canada?

Exeter? its a university city so lots of stuff going on ....near amazing countryside and not far from the sea ....and trains to london
Swansea - again amazing countryside/gower/sea /city felt it was on teh up with expanding Uni...

Although recently back from Bournemouth and def more buzzy than I expected lots going on but also quite 'built up' near the sea and the roads M27 etc nightmare in the holidays.......and not teh feel of being close to the countryside whereas the other 2 you can see it from the City!

Cambridge - great but so expensive but flat so good for cycling! massive developments all round though..so not sure about the traffic situation..
Ely not far by train and has a real character although a lot smaller but quick train to Cambridge may get more for your money

Having lived near both I much prefer Norwich to Cambridge.

Exeter ticks a lot of your boxes. Train to London (Paddington in 2.5 hrs, Waterloo in 3.5), loads of countryside within easy reach, decent bike paths (especially if you can access the river), good (smallish) city centre with a decent cultural scene.

This 4 bed house for example. You can pick up the bike path from right outside and then cycle in all along the river Exe via the quayside, almost to the centre of town. www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/47756992

Oxfordshire

Came to say Sheffield, ticks most of the boxes except commute to London. I wouldn't suggest Chester though like pp there's a bit of countryside but the city doesn't have a lot of galleries or museums there's coffee shops galore and historical buildings to look at though.

I'm amazed people are saying Cambridge, it's where I grew up and I couldn't wait to get away! I know I am probably in a minority and a bit odd but I really never felt settled in Cambridge.

Too flat, too far from the sea, awful traffic.

Cambridge is a lovely city but that bitter wind! I can still feel it forty years later!
Fascinating place though.

Thanks for all the replies. My internet speeds are slow at the moment and I have awful mobile signal at home, so I think I’m leaning more towards town/city living.

In all honesty I would love to live in London but really can’t afford it.

Is there anywhere that’s like London, but without the price tag?

The Netherlands. Was so impressed with the cycle routes.

Canterbury in Kent, but just outside the city, so close enough to get in for excitement of things to do but far enough out the tourists don't do you head in.. plus easy enough to hit the coast when you need a break. If I could go back I would live there, I loved it..

We live in a village just outside Warwick, and a few miles from Stratford upon Avon, the area is gorgeous, lots of countryside and that, but close enough to Birmingham/Coventry for big city stuff. Plus being Shakespeare Country there is a number of arts projects going on...