To want to escape London and move to Cambridge?

[georgiegirl]

I live in London. Really like it. Kids seem OK at school Have a great part-time job which I love, and can cycle to. So are we being mad to consider moving back to Cambridge, where we both lived before kids? The reasons for moving are: to free up some cash and get a bigger house. Less pollution. Cambridge seems like a better place for teenagers (they can get around independently on bikes, and it's a less edgy place than London). Husband (who is very stressed and overworked - he works for himself at home) can (hopefully) have an easier time if we have less financial pressure and are in a place that is less of a rat race. Good transport links to London. Have nice friends in Cambridge (but also have nice friends in London too)

Two of my kids are pretty academic, but one (aged 10) is severely dyslexic - not sure what schools would be best for her, but that's going to be an issue whether we live in London and Cambridge I think.

Any thoughts, especially from people who are bringing up teenagers in Cambridge?

You need to figure out what 'really like it' means as it's a devil to move back.

If by really like it you mean culture, opportunities, ease of getting around, myriad of things to do then take that into consideration.

Would you really get that much more for your money? Cambridge is pretty £££ for a decent house in a nice area.

If you're looking to free up cash and find a bigger house, Cambridge isn't the place for you. It's on a par with London for house price rises and certainly highest priced houses outside of London.

It's a lovely city though and if I had the money I'd move there. Great night life, lovely atmosphere, especially in the summer, best of both worlds if you still want to live in a city but want it to be less frantic than a large city.

I’d move there if I liked sitting in traffic.

That's why many people in Cambridge cycle MakeMisogyny - it's far quick. Public transport is generally more relied upon too than in other cities. A bit like London I suppose in that respect!

I agree with MakeMisogynyAHateCrime. The traffic is horrendous in Cambridge. Certainly on par with where we lived in London. House prices too are not going to be significantly cheaper.

OK aside from the money issue and traffic, what's it like to bring up teenagers in Cambridge? Are their loads of pushy parents? Is is more chilled than London or just as much of a rat race?

Ooops...spelling fail in above comment (which doesn't bode for someone perhaps moving to Cambridge!): Are THERE loads of pushy parents

There are more pushy parents per capita in Cambridge than anywhere else in the country. Trufax.*

*Okay, my opinion based on observation, but still. It is NOT a chilled place for teenagers. Even the state schools are full of people aiming for Oxbridge, and the independent schools are hothouses, for the most part.

Cambridge is about the last place on earth i would look for reasonably priced housing and a chilled education vibe, I have to say.

I don't live in the city, but my teenage son went to 6th form there and had the associated social life.

All fine! He's got some lovely friends.
He did go to a private 6th form where he was pushed, but certainly not hothoused.

If your teenagers cycle around rather than you drive them then the traffic won't be a problem for them and I would imagine they'll have a far shorter commute to school than being in London.

I love Cambridge, but prefer Norwich, but maybe that would be one step too far from London life for you.

You'd have to live in the city centre for your teenagers to be able to cycle around for their social lives. And that is mega expensive. If you moved to one of the surrounding villages, bear in mind that there's v little public transport and you'd be a permanent taxi service. One of the advantages of London is free for kids frequent buses covering a huge transport network.

Also, more tourists per square mile even than London, I'd guess.

A lot of it depends if you’re actually looking to live in the city itself or outside. The city itself is tiny.

free up some cash and get a bigger house unlikely unfortunately. If you wanted to do that you’d need to move a fair distance from the city proper. We’ve not long moved out of one of the villages 5 miles from the City Centre where a 2 bed terrace house was sold for over 500k.

Less pollution
That’s agreeable.

Cambridge seems like a better place for teenagers (they can get around independently on bikes, and it's a less edgy place than London).
I was a teenager in Cambridge and hated it. Moved to London as soon as I could. I grant you, that could be different now. Yes, you can be fairly independent if you cycle however, as I said up post, Cambridge itself is tiny and it really does depend on where your kids will want to go. Public transport is poor. Traffic most of the day is spectacularly bad and you do need a car if you live in Cambridge because you will need to leave the city itself at times!

Good transport links to London
Unless you’re going to Liverpool Street on Abellio Anglia - that’s a shitter of a line.

Two of my kids are pretty academic, but one (aged 10) is severely dyslexic - not sure what schools would be best for her
Not sure what being academic has to do with living in Cambridge. We don’t all go to the university. There’s a big choice of private schools and a huge amount of state schools but they’re over subscribed and you won’t get much choice. There’s some very very good state schools but equally there’s some pretty poor ones. However, the worst 2 secondaries I can think of have started to turn themselves around and are a lot better. 3 big state 6th Form colleges with different pros and cons and specialities.

I’m raising young children here and we like it although we live just outside the city. Not sure if I will ever prefer it to London. I don’t think it’s really comparable. Don’t fool yourself into thinking there’s no bad areas, there is and there’s some areas that can be very isolating as the county itself is huge. When I moved back from London, I initially lived 20 minutes from the city centre and it was difficult at best.

There’s certainly a huge amount to consider.

Hmm. Not sure your necessarily going to be able to afford a cheaper or bigger house in Cambridge than London. Everyone I know who has moved up from London has been horrified by how little they can afford.

If you're in the actual city, as opposed to the villages, pretty much everyone gets around by bike so your teens would be independent..

Independent schools are expensive and some, but not all, are very competitive. Some state secondaries are very good, others are improving.

There is an awful lot going on in Cambridge and I think it's a great place to live.

The reasons for moving are: to free up some cash and get a bigger house.

I know someone who sold an ex-local authority house in the city for over £700,000.

Cambridge seems like a better place for teenagers

How do your kids feel about moving? How settled are they into their life and friends in London?

Thanks everyone for your input. Much appreciated. No decision yet, but very valuable to hear what you think

I moved to Cambridge and bloody love it!
Yes its expensive and congested, but I live in a little village just outside and its beautiful. Green fields and the river one side, but a short cycle/bus journey into the town, where there is always something to do.
If you can afford to live in London then you can afford to live in Cambridge.
There is obviously the big university, but there is also Anglia Ruskin University or even the College of West Anglia so a variety of different courses/careers to go into.
Having watched the news, I would also say it is safer than London for teenagers.

I moved to a lovely village outside Cambridge as a teenager. Bullied mercilessly for being an outsider and was ecstatic to move again two years later.

I cannot see any advantages for teenage children in leaving London for Cambridge. I wouldn't do it for any price.

Cambridge seems like a better place for teenagers (they can get around independently on bikes, and it's a less edgy place than London)

Cambridge is lovely but I cannot imagine how it could be better for teenagers.......... There is everything a teenager could possible want In London. Everything.......

I adore Cambridge and would move there in a heartbeat. Absolutely loads to do for teenagers, unless they have zero imagination!

I would happily live in Cambridge, I think it's pretty good for teens in terms of clubs and facilities.
State education in the city is very good, imo.

I'd be very surprised if you got more for your money in terms of housing, but I guess it depends where you are living in London!

State education is amazing in Cambridge. Hills Road is so good the privately educated local kids go there for sixth form!

I live in Cambridge and would much rather live in London! I bloody love Cambridge but it is choked by congestion and there are times when I have to drive. House prices are insane. I was here as a teenager too and found it very boring so we spent most of our time getting drunk on Parker's Piece! You don't need to move out of London for that!