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Original poster

Where to live commutable to North London and Cambridge?

79 replies

sophiebecky · 08/01/2022 22:28

Looking for somewhere that is commutable to both North London and Cambridge.
Budget of 500k. Need a house rather than a flat.
Looking for an area with a good selection of restaurants nearby and greenery/nice walks.

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 09/01/2022 00:11

Hmm. Tbh if you're only commuting to London 2 days a week, I think you should aim to be closer to Cambridge.

DH and I had this dilemma years ago and we concluded that we'd rather be in/near Cambridge or London that stuck somewhere in the middle that neither of us wanted to be!

If one person has a longer commute the other can do the cooking, etc... whereas if you both have a long commute it seems lose-lose in a way.

HalleLouja · 09/01/2022 06:26

If you are going to Enfield I am assuming you will need to drive. As depending where it is, you may not be able to get the train (I am from Enfield).

I work in Hatfield and a lot of it is nice. You just need to make sure you stay away from the not so nice bits. But its near lots of nice places too.

Depending on how often you need to commute to Cambridge / Enfield you could look at some of the villages like Wheathampstead, where there are some more affordable housing and you could definitely commute a few times a week to both places. Its a drive to the train station but the trains are fast.

HalleLouja · 09/01/2022 06:27

Sorry I missed the bit where you said you don’t drive. What train station do you need to get to?

HalleLouja · 09/01/2022 06:29

If its Enfield, then Letchworth is a good bet and not too far from Cambridge.

Snog · 09/01/2022 07:17

If you don't drive then I'd opt for living in Cambridge itself.

Shamoo · 09/01/2022 07:19

We live in St Albans as half
Way between Cambridge and West London. I know that’s not what you asked! Depends a bit where you need to be in each. The drive to Cambridge is just over an hour. Hitchin would be closer of course, but I prefer St Albans.

Joxster · 09/01/2022 07:21

Which mainline station is better in London, Liverpool st or Kings Cross? That could influence the answers.

Saffron Walden is lovely but the station is too far. I’d second Bishops Stortford.

WiganDiva · 09/01/2022 07:29

If you’re going to Enfield, you don’t really want the Liverpool St line, you want the Kings Cross one. Which kind of brings you back to Hitchin again.

I’d suggest Cambridge itself but it’s expensive.

Tworingstorulethemall · 09/01/2022 08:09

Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City are both really nice. I wouldn't want to be on the Liverpool Street line as I think it's longer? You could just go for Cambridge, the direct train to Kings Cross is really quick.

MunsteadWood · 09/01/2022 08:10

We moved from London to Hitchin a couple of years ago and no regrets. It's a lovely friendly town with lots of character and plenty of nice independent cafes and restaurants. You wouldn't have masses of choice for £500k as house prices have gone up quite a bit in recent years but as a PP said you should be able to find a decent 2-3 bed terrace or similar for that amount. Letchworth is nice too.

lljkk · 09/01/2022 08:15

There are lots terraced 2-3 bed houses in OP's budget in Cambridge (to my surprise).

RedHot22 · 09/01/2022 08:19

Hitchin to Cambridge is only 35mins or so.

RedHot22 · 09/01/2022 08:19

Train

Snog · 09/01/2022 08:21

Plenty of 2 bed terraces close to Cambridge station within your budget. 50 mins to Kings Cross.

AnotherEmma · 09/01/2022 08:22

@lljkk

There are lots terraced 2-3 bed houses in OP's budget in Cambridge (to my surprise).
Close to Cambridge train station? Really?
lljkk · 09/01/2022 08:28

yeah, I was surprised too.

I'd consider within 1.5 miles to be walkable by those with good legs.

Here (or is that one to rent?) &
Here &
Here (etc)
Further away with a bike also very possible

Corilee2806 · 09/01/2022 08:41

Hertford is a good option and you could probably get a smallish 3 bed for your budget! Hertford north is on the line into Moorgate/kings cross so easy to get to Enfield. Lots of nice restaurants, pubs and cafes, loads of beautiful walks and countryside nearby! Not so many shops but there’s a new development so hopefully that will improve in the next few years. I would have liked to live in St Albans but it was too expensive; Hertford isn’t cheap but you get a little more for your money!

AnotherEmma · 09/01/2022 08:42

The thing is, OP will have to get from Kings Cross to Enfield, so I'd want a quick, easy journey to Cambridge. Having to get a bike out and then lock it up at the station (or fold up and take on the train) adds time to the journey. Plus getting cycling gear and lights on and off, etc.

Have said that, there are a few houses within half a mile that are within budget, although I'm suspicious that they'd go for much higher than asking price, or need lots of work doing or have something else wrong with them!

AnotherEmma · 09/01/2022 08:45

@Corilee2806

Hertford is a good option and you could probably get a smallish 3 bed for your budget! Hertford north is on the line into Moorgate/kings cross so easy to get to Enfield. Lots of nice restaurants, pubs and cafes, loads of beautiful walks and countryside nearby! Not so many shops but there’s a new development so hopefully that will improve in the next few years. I would have liked to live in St Albans but it was too expensive; Hertford isn’t cheap but you get a little more for your money!
How would the DP commute to Cambridge though? At least 3 days a week? It's not on a train line and it would be a very long drive with traffic.
Corilee2806 · 09/01/2022 09:04

Well not directly but there’s good connections via Stevenage. I know plenty of people commute from the Hertford/Ware area to Cambridge by train or car and it’s no more difficult than commuting to London! Would be great if there were more fast connections from Hertford though, that was always annoying when I used to commute regularly. But it’s a beautiful place to live with loads going for it, just depends what’s important to you I guess!

RedHot22 · 09/01/2022 09:21

The OP doesn’t drive.

myrtleberry · 09/01/2022 09:21

Where in Enfield are you travelling to cos that'll affect which train line/station is more suitable.

RedHot22 · 09/01/2022 09:24

Saffron Walden is lovely.

Audley End is outside of the town but there’s an excellent bus service. Unless you live near to the train station elsewhere it’s still a feasible option

Original poster
sophiebecky · 09/01/2022 09:27

My family live in the Borough of Enfield but near a tube station so as long as I can get to Kings Cross that is fine.

As background DP and I don't have children yet, but planning to in a couple of years. I was thinking that being closer to my family is important for help with childcare, emergencies etc.

DP needs to get to Cambridge for work. He isn't that keen on Hertford as he says it is too far from Cambridge when you consider the time to get to Hertford Station the commute will probably be 1.5 hours in total.

OP posts:
Original poster
sophiebecky · 09/01/2022 09:27

I loved Hertford though! So I'm gutted.

OP posts: