To ask if you'd choose Oxford, Cambridge or Reading to live in?

[Luffer]

It's more likely we will live in a village outside one of the three. Choosing between the three and finding it tricky.

Live halfway between Cambridge and Peterborough. Prefer Cambridge to Oxford.
Yes traffic is awful but hoping the A14 upgrade will sort that. Like being able to get to lovely bits of the coast in an hour and a half.

Lived in Oxford villages for past few years. Hate it. Would be fine if super rich but we aren't although have a well above average household income. Housing costs are eye-watering, and so costs for everything else too (e.g. discovered recently swimming lessons for DC1 cost about 4-5x the cost of friends living in Devon -DC1 won't be getting lessons). You can get housing benefit in Oxford if you earn 30k (the salary of many key workers like teachers), which I think tells you a lot. Also know a key worker family who've recently moved north as they can't afford it here any more and their salaries go so much further where they've moved. Also, the council keeps making cuts all the time - libraries, children's centres, breastfeeding support.

Previously lived in a Cambridgeshire village and loved it, the rents were much lower although was a few years earlier, so maybe they've gone up too. Public services then were good.

Honestly I think it depends how rich you are.

I've lived in all three and wouldn't live in any of them again but Cambridge was the nicest apart from the lack of hills.

I’d live somewhere between Oxford and Reading.

Traffic in Oxford itself is hideous. Reading isn’t fabulous but I’d not paint it as the shit hole some have. Saying that, I’ve lived in Swindon before and that kind of colours your view on shit hole.

There are lots of beautiful villages between Oxford and Reading. If I had to choose I’d probably go closer to Reading for the commuter links.

Cambridge for the bookshops, music and Fitzbillies chelsea buns.

@clippedcasuals I lived in Wisbech for almost 20 years- lovely and unlike Wisbech as Cambridge is, I could not abide being that close to that shitty little town again.

I moved to Reading in March. I love it. It's vibrant and cosmopolitan. I live just off the Oxford Road, which has had a terrible reputation in the past, but think of a nationality and there is a cafe, supermarket or restaurant to suit. The buses run all night and the train links are fabulous. Several of my neighbours have been here for over 30 years so it can't be that bad.

Reading isn't a city. It's a town.

Depends on commute. Reading has a very fast line into London. The train from Oxford goes through or changes at Reading to get into London. Reading is a bit soulless. It has a lot of facilities, shops, cinemas, bars, restaurants etc. As others have said their are some very nicce smaller towns and villages in easy reach so you can get the best of both worlds. Also schools, lots of options in Reading (grammar/independent) comps are good if you afre in the right catchments.

Oxford is lovely and has really nice villages and small towns around it. South side and Bucks is more expensive than heading north. Or west side of Oxfordshire is the Cotwolds, Chipping etc.

I don't know Cambridge.

What's your budget? Children's ages/school needs/ commute?

*Cotswolds

I work in Oxford (but live 20 miles away as it's SO expensive). It is breathtakingly beautiful in parts.

i know Cambridge quite well, and adore it. Prefer to Oxford. It's slightly cheaper but not much. Beautiful, but feels less precious and priviledged than Oxford.

Wouldn't live in Reading if there were alternatives.

I'd go for Oxford in a heartbeat

It depends what your needs are. I loved living in Cambridge in many ways, but I used to get real cravings to see the sea and proper hills every now and then. Castle Hill and the Gog Magogs don't cut it - but that wouldn't even be a consideration for many people.

I currently work in Reading, and have lived here (currently living in Basingstoke, because it's cheaper.) I work at the edge of Reading, and it would take at least another half hour of travel if I worked in the centre (except that if I did that, I'd take the train.)

I visit Oxford fairly often. I don't think I would want to live there. I think none of them are great in terms of traffic, but they all have fairly good public transport. They all have good and bad areas to live in.

A lot will depend on factors personal to you - if you have children, what age are they, what type of schools do you want? Do you drive or are you completely reliant on public transport? Do you have a job, or are you deciding between offers? Do you have extended family you like to visit, and if so, where do they live relative to each of these places? Are there sports you like doing, and will there be facilities nearby? A lot of it depends on what is important to you.

Traffic in all three is terrible. Small towns along the train routes would be on my list.

I live in a village outside Cambridge. Schools in and around cambridge are really good. For a relatively small town, Cambridge has a lot to offer culturally, plus it's an hour from London. I love it here but do have to admit the countryside to the north of Cambridge isn't the prettiest! There are some lovely villages though.

We have relatives in Reading and it's horrible. I don't really know Oxford but I do know it's more expensive than Cambridge.

Oxford is lovely and some lovely villages nearby but alot busier than it used to be and alot more expensive. However you can escape the tourists if you go into the back streets. My fav time to visit oxford is sunday...you cant beat christ church meadows etc. I lived there for 10 years on and off. Cambridge is more compact. You cant escape the tourists who just stop in front of you. I have family living in a nearby village and they vvv happy there. Reading....the train stations nice...good toilets...thinks...did i tell you about the train station. Its not in same league as oxford and cambridge.

It depends where to the north of Cambridge. We have hills! Small ones but hills all the same!

Cambridge has the best vibe. Oxford always makes me feel slightly uneasy.

I find Oxford lovely to live in but I'm on a pretty good wage, we don't send DS to a fee paying school and we don't run a car - definitely be very careful about where you look at houses, all areas of Oxford are not equal. Some have higher levels of antisocial behaviour, pollution or flood risk. And be careful about car insurance as well. Even living a few miles outside Oxford in one of the smaller towns or villages makes several hundred pounds a month difference to rent or mortgages and a big difference to insurance costs.

Traffic is horrible but tbh it seems to be going that way pretty much everywhere. At least Oxford is a small enough city that it's fairly easy to travel around without needing your car (barring mobility issues). Actually that is a point - Oxford is a pain in the bum for wheelchair users, don't know if that would affect your family...

Oxford

Oxford. It's a wonderful city. I've lived in the city and in two villages not far away. I've moved to the other end of the country now, to a more rural area which I love, but I do miss Oxford.

I grew up in Sonning, before the Clooneys and Theresa May, but during Uri Geller. There are some beautiful villages between Reading and Oxford - why not look at those? Reading is an unremarkable place, Oxford polluted and touristy, and I don’t know Cambridge at all.

Summary of Cambridge pros and cons on this thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/local/3100031-Moving-to-Cambridge-some-points-to-ponder

We are leaving london primarily for schools. DC1 will be taking the 7+ next year. We would like somewhere with good prep and state options at primary. Oxfordshire came up as it seems to have heaps of prep schools and they aren't as insane to get into as the ones in London. Some of the village primary schools seem very good as well although that's just looking at websites/results/ofsted. I would expect to pay for private for secondary school.

DH works for himself and travels all over to see clients. Currently he is in London 1/2 a week at most. When I go back to work I will be part time and need to be in London 1 day a week as well.

We do have a healthy housing budget of 1.3-1.5. Reading came up as it seemed cheap enough that maybe we could swing a house and keep a small flat in london which is very appealing. Without kids we would never consider leaving London. Crossrail also tempted us in that direction. But almost everyone has the same sour expression when I bring up Reading! We have no family in the U.K. so that leaves us able to move without the concern of leaving anybody behind.

Come and join me in Goring then. Lovely village, lovely community, lovely country side, lovely primary school, lots of choice for secondary, good train service to London. And you can pay tribute to George Michael!

Easier to travel about the country/Europe from this side of London than from Cambridgeshire.