Am I being unreasonable/lazy to not want to move to a very hilly town?

[Amandette]

We (myself, dh + one dc) are moving to a different part of the country.

Dh and I will both be working in a particular city, and have been looking at towns a commutable distance away.

We’ve narrowed it down to 3.

Town A is dh’s favourite by far - in all fairness, it is a lovely town, with a beautiful high street, great schools, low crime etc etc, seems to tick all the boxes. But the high street is at the bottom of a valley and all the houses are on the really steep valley sides above it. I’ve heard that you can’t really park on the high street, so any trip to town to go the shops or anything else would end in this massive climb home.

I would prefer Town B or Town C which aren’t quite as picturesque/upper middle class but are far flatter.

Dh thinks I’m being lazy. AIBU to discount a town for this reason?

Berkhampstead High Street?? Lovely??

I thought you would be talking about some fabulous rural market town- Frome, Hebden, Lincoln...

It is NOT worth it for Berko. Berko is not lovely.

I live in a hilly town. We walk a lot but bikes are out of the question. I have MS, before you jump on me. It took us ages to find a nice flat spot to teach dd to ride a bike - we had to drive there . I wish she and dh could just pop out for a cycle now and then but even a little pootle is hardcore. So we walk a lot instead.

Berkhampstead has frequently been named as the nicest palace to live in Hertfordshire if you set store by that kind of thing...I love the high st there!

If you're set on Hertfordshire OP, there are nicer areas than both of those. I would rule out Hemel entirely if it was me, I'm not keen on it personally.

What's public transport like? If there's a reasonable bus service the hill needn't be a massive problem.

I live on the "wrong" side of a hilly town - high street is up the other side of the river valley... parking is busy in town.

Some ages are fine, baby plus preschooler = car, just baby = walk. Just preschooler depends on time pressure - if none can walk and enjoys cliff railway trip.

Pushchair is a liability- most direct routes involve steps with long detours for non step alternatives.

I do like my town (Midlands) but I got very fit very quickly after my first baby!

I grew up in a really hilly town like you describe and it was never an issue but I guess I was used to it. Sounds odd but now I live in a flat place it makes me a bit uneasy like it’s soulless and you can see everything, I don’t like it at all!
My main issue was that I was a crap driver and parking/driving always freaked me out!

I do, helps keep us fit! Are there no buses?? Taxis??

I'd take Berko over Hemel any day of the week!

It does keep you fit. I live halfway up a hill. What is the public transport like? I have twins and can’t really push them up the hill now they’re toddlers, so I get the bus two stops up.

A friend is a scientist who studies aging. She told me that people who have stairs have a much increased life expectancy and health outcomes. I imagine the same might apply to those getting exercise from hills.

In all honesty though, I might feel like you.

I moved to somewhere similar, but smaller, a few years ago. It's a 10 minute walk into town (downhill) and it then takes at least 15 minutes to get back (uphill). I've noticed a welcome improvement in my fitness since I moved, and am now much happier belting in and out of town more than once a day. I'm in my 50s and am looking at it as improving my health for the long-term. It also reminds me of a walking holiday I went on to a hilly part of Spain. We stayed in a town which was basically on a very steep slope. As we (all in walking boots and walking gear) slogged slowly up the slope to our hostel, the elderly residents skipped past us carrying their shopping!!

YANBU pushchair and steep hills are very difficult and I find parking on steep hills worrying. I’d look at other towns.

I’m curious too now. I’m imaging Burford, somewhere in Stroud, Sheffield or near the Malverns.

Yabu, definitely. Berko is a far better place to grow up than Hemel. And as others have said, you'll get fit.

I agree with your dh.

YABVU. Hills warm the soul. Flat areas, on the other hand, are depressing and vaguely sinister. Hence I refuse to move to Norfolk!

Have you looked at Hitchin? It's got hills but there are flat bits too and good parking. Double check the train service if either of you commute though, as it was affected by last year's 'reorganisation'.

Why on earth not move to the actual city itself? Stop polluting the world with your stupid commutes, and LIVE NEAR WORK.

@Ribbonsonabox that's where I live and I thought exactly the same

Cities don't suit everyone. Particularly with few green spaces in affordable areas and bad air.

I live in a very hilly town and I'm a runner. I always say I'm going to move somewhere flat but I'd miss them there hills. It's so lovely when you get to the top of all the hills, the views! Then you get to come back down.

Otherwise I drive everywhere and it's not a problem.

Berko is lovely BUT the parking is often very tricky, AND traffic through the town is always slow.

I guess it depends where you find a house.....

Oh my God, I assumed that this post had to be about a northern city, and was wondering where on earth had such forbidding hills. You're talking about the forbidding massif... of Hertfordshire. Yeah, you're defintely going to need your crampons and your harness with you when you go to the local shops.

"Otherwise I drive everywhere and it's not a problem."

If you can run up the hills, surely you can walk to work?

You definitely can't park on the high street but you can usually park in the car park by Waitrose just behind the high street.

Are you working in London? So looking to find somewhere commutable? I'm not keen on Hemel.

Have you thought about further out on the Euston line?

It would be a complete and total no-brainer for me. Hilly town, with the hills as a total bonus for views and fitness. I love to walk.