Places to live in the UK

[Sylvaniannightmare]

Currently living in a naice city in the SE and feel we don't fit with the crowd in our area at all. It's a predominantly wealthy mc class area and all the schools around here are really good. House prices are sky high, we were lucky to buy our house 12 year ago when the market wan't as developed and the area was more mixed.

Both dc at an outstanding local school. All sounds great in theory but we have found we don't really fit in with the people who live in this area.

It's all about house prices, competitive parenting competitive holidaying and activities.

30% of pupils in dc's are property millionaires. I am not at all a reverse snob but we simply don't fit in. We are not poor, dh and are both in professional jobs and probably 'mc' as well but our faces just don't fit around here.

We are a slightly artistic family, enjoying sports and outdoors life, camping, hiking etc. not exactly alternative but pretty down to earth and definitely not competitive or wanting to be part of the rat race.

So, after this slightly whinging bit, I wondered if IABU to ask which areas in the UK are nice, with good communities but where people don't live that mc competitive lifestyle?

I have friends in Brighton who like it there so that is one option but Brighton is also quite expensive. We both work from home a lot so commuting shouldn't be a problem at this point in time. I have heard that Exeter is nice and a bit alternative too.

Nice down to earth, diverse places with culture and access to the outdoors would be my dream. Any hope for that at all?

Someone mentioned Cheltenham - lovely place but absolutely crammed with competitive parenting types, and not very diverse. Gloucester is nearby and much more down to earth and diverse, plus easy access to Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds for outdoorsy stuff. Gloucester has a bad reputation which is partly due to its proximity to much posher places and to be fair the City centre is a bit depressing but the docks area is nice, some of the suburbs are lovely, and Cheltenham is close by for shopping and nights out.
I used to live in Worcester and loved it there, very down to earth and far less competitive parenting than Cheltenham. Beautiful City with reasonable house prices and easy access to the countryside.

Come to Pollokshields. We will love you here 👍🏻

I mean it's in the south side of Glasgow
(Sorry, got too excited there

We live at the coast about half an hour from Exeter and we absolutely love it here. It is quite far from pretty much everywhere but it's perfect for us, we adore Devon and can't imagine living anywhere else. I think that Exeter is very multicultural; one of my best friends down here is Dutch, there's a Spanish vet and a South African vet nurse in my practice, my pilates instructor is Lithuanian, acroyoga instructor is from Colombia, DP's best friend lives in Exeter and his gf is German and has lived here for years, she's a teacher and apparently there are lots of native speaker MFL teachers in and around Exeter, there are loads of French, Spanish, German, Italian people at the climbing wall that we go to several times a week etc. etc. etc. It's a university city and it's got that 'open' feel about it.

I second Warwickshire, specifically the Warwick, Leamington spa and surrounding areas. It is beautiful and steeped it history and culture and there is lots to do. Direct rail links to Birmingham international and London and brilliant schools.

I was brought up there are I'd move back in a heart beat.

I would suggest Bristol, it's easy enough to get into the country but not the cheapest city

I'm afraid I'd vote against Cambridge - I'm currently moving away from it (although I am a little biased as I'm so desperately bored of it after twenty years!) It's hideously expensive here - have been living in a shoebox studio outside the city centre for an extortionate sum. Unfortunately I wouldnt rate it as a terribly friendly place. The infrastructure is a disaster - everything is overbuilt and congested, filled with ghost towns of unaffordable new-build flats. If you're happy to walk and cycle, you might be fine, but if you rely on cars or public transport, you'll never get anywhere. Cambridge is very pretty, and very posh - but I'm glad to be leaving.

I used to live on Mill Road too - seems like everyone has at some point :')

I've seen two people mention cheltenham. From my experience this would tick your boxes nicely. Loads of culture (literature, jazz, music and science festivals annually, plus a load of others), a nice blend of classes, loads of parks and green areas, excellent state, grammar and private schools, a couple of hours away from London by train or car, centrally located in the Cotswolds (short drive to expansive countryside), on the M5 for access to Wales, SW and Devon/Cornwall. And it has an Aldi and a Lidl and is getting a John Lewis next year!

It's a pretty great place to live!

The thing is, you can't possibly know you'd end up in 'your' community anywhere. I'm in London and I would say my area and DD's school are right up your street. But that's one area and one school in a huge city. A mile away and it could be very different.

(As an aside we looked at a lot of primaries. Most were Ofsted 'good' and a couple were 'outstanding'. All the good ones seemed much of a muchness (DD is at one of these, non-uniform, very laid back, homework not a big deal etc) but the outstanding ones couldn't have been more different from each other - one laid back, no uniform, really great vibe. Other, maybe a mile away, strict uniform, felt very rigid and regimented. Maybe in a different, perhaps not outstanding school, you'd meet your tribe. Alternatively - if you're Labour/Libdem (you don't sound Tory!), join your local party?)

Whereabouts in the south east are you OP - that's a good few counties covered.

I am totally with hazelnutlatte.

Because the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire are all so close you can live in any and still have Cheltenham 'on tap'.

You need to come to Birmingham op.
Probably King's heath or mosley. It's very arty and diverse.