Tell me about St Albans pls? Everything

[RandomCatGenerator]

I know there are location / property parts of the forum but I’d like to know everything please! Including, for example, what childcare and childcare costs are like, what the general vibe is / what people are like, how different parts of St Albans feel, what are the trains REALLY like…etc

Im considering a move from West London to St Albans with DH and DS (18 months). Basically we need more space.

I’ve been to St A a few times and on paper and from brief visits it seems fine - but I’m worried it might be a soulless yet expensive suburban hell.

V grateful for all input :)

It’s dull,white middle class with a palpable fug of jo malone and smugness
sure you get a lot for your cash regard property but you need all that space to hide
has a private school that has many parents who’ve fled London send their kids to
Good transport into London though

I think they iron the pavements...

This is basically all my fears…

It’s a lovely city with loads going on. Lots of independent shops, a great market, some excellent restaurants, a theatre with good acts sometimes and it’s getting more multicultural. Both the state and private schools are excellent, there are good walks and a lovely huge park and the train is 15 mins to kings cross for a London night out. What’s not to like?

I agree with this. I lived in and around StA for many years. If you're coming out if London you may not be shocked by the house prices but they are v expensive. It is awful for traffic though..as many medieval towns are, so think about which side of town you want to be on for schools, station etc. I loved it as a young, carefree, affluent adult and as a far less affluent parent needing playgroups etc.

There's a very good choir you can join.

Sounds great.

30 minutes ?

Good points

Excellent schools but catchment areas are tight
Loads of clubs activities
Restaurants
Market is decent
Good history
Lovely park
Cathedral is Beautiful
Good links to london

Bad stuff
A bit mama Jojo Boden vibe fine if that's your thing
Some Very competitive parenting look at me types
Traffic is diabolical And I REALLY mean that.
Choose catchment extremely carefully if you want a certain school.
House prices are mental.

I forgot one. Shops are pretty shit. Used to be loads better.

Theatre is good.

Very helpful balanced views, thank you! Exactly what I’m after

Nice but frankly horrifically expensive housing. Some secondary schools sound posh but are absolutely shit.

Im coming from London because we’re priced out. The prices in St A look positively reasonable in comparison, esp given travel connections…

I'm from there and lived there until I was 34 when I moved up North. My mum and sister are still there and would never leave because they love it so much. It's beautiful and historical, but I didn't like the fact that everyone you meet knows someone you know. Also it is hideously expensive.

How flexible are your commute times because getting a seat in the morning can be a trial.
City centre traffic abysmal. Parking ditto.
Bus service east to west pretty good but I was a bit shocked at how much driving we ended up doing.
Bit of an earnest feel.
No pretending it's not suburban. Easy to be a bit precious about that but actually it works well for families.
I'm sure you wouldn't but dont gossip - there is about 2 degrees of separation.
There is plenty on for kids under 12. Much less for teenagers but they head in to London.

It's certainly not the answer to every property search but it's a good place to live.

I've lived here for ten years, and it's the kindest place I've ever lived. Real sense of community.

I don't find dull, at all, it's got several theatres, a music and comedy venue, a couple of museums, lots of events at the stunning cathedral. Lovely cinema. Easy access to both London and the countryside. A twice-weekly market, and a monthly farmer's and a vintage market.

I would disagree that you get "loads" for your money as property is very expensive. Can't comment on the private schools, as my DC attend one of the many excellent state schools.

I feel extraordinarily lucky to live here.

@MadameSzyszkoBohusz which of the schools would you say are best? There seem to be few marked Ofsted outstanding but that isn’t everything and is to be taken with a pinch of salt. Hard to see on paper which of the schools are best.

Primary? Maple Primary, Aboyne Lodge and the Abbey school are all city centre and very good. Wheatfields in Jersey Farm is apparently excellent. To be honest you'd struggle to find a bad school.

Lived there for years it’s ‘nice’ but boring.
also lived in Chipping Barnet ( same sort of prices and on the tube) and much, much preferred it as it’s a bit more vibrant and retains a bit more of that ‘London’ feel but it’s quiet and leafy all the same .

Very good list from @HeBeaverandSheBeaver, but I can't emphasise enough how bad the traffic is. It is the single worst thing about living in SA and I don't know anyone who would disagree.

Terrible traffic and just too suburban for me. Depends what floats your boat though.

Honestly the traffic is so bad I couldn't live there.Shame as lovely big park and near london.I live in Herts and once took 45 minutes trying to get out of St Albans town centre to go to Chiswell green which is a 5 min drive away.

The traffic is terrible, yes. It's partly why we've stayed in our small city centre house, rather than moving out for something bigger - neither of us can face having to drive everywhere!

Hitchin would also be worth a look, not as naice as SA but in my view better for it.

My family and I have lived in St Albans for over 10 years. There is lots to do when your children are little. The primary sch are all good but difficult to get into. However when it comes to secondary sch people usually move. Harpenden house prices aren't as high. There are good primary and secondary sch near Harpenden station with larger catchment areas.