Colchester

[Mum233]

Please be honest!
A job has come up in Colchester and I’m massively tempted to apply. We currently live in Surrey and rent. Our parents live nearby. Moving to Colchester would mean leaving parents and moving DC from their school.
We have settled in an area where our parents live at the moment and are crippled by the rent.
Am I insane to even apply?! We have visitors Colchester a lot but never lived there!
Parents don’t ever look after children or see them that much so wouldn’t really change that!

What’s Colchester like to live?

I've not lived in Colchester but nearby. I used to live in Chelmsford too. Colchester is nice. Bit of a PITA to drive across when it's busy but it's got access to lovely parts of rural Essex that chelmsford doesn't. I live in Suffolk now, over the west side. I'd prefer to live in Colchester than I would Ipswich as it's better connected for jobs in my view. Lots of nice places around Colchester, more villagey if that's what you're after.

Colchester is fine, just avoid Greensted/around the uni! The west side is best, I lived there for 4 years.

Traffic can be a nightmare too, maybe look at surrounding villages, Wivenhoe is gorgeous but a pain to get through the traffic into town.

@Mum233

Please be honest! A job has come up in Colchester and I’m massively tempted to apply. We currently live in Surrey and rent. Our parents live nearby. Moving to Colchester would mean leaving parents and moving DC from their school. We have settled in an area where our parents live at the moment and are crippled by the rent. Am I insane to even apply?! We have visitors Colchester a lot but never lived there! Parents don’t ever look after children or see them that much so wouldn’t really change that!

What’s Colchester like to live?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3587841-colchester

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3744684-Where-to-live-in-Colchester-and-how-is-it

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/local/2112152-Moving-to-areas-around-Colchester

....

YABU

🤣
Sorry to ask for up to date advice. Really appreciate your ‘help’

DH and I considered Colchester when we were looking to move. Ultimately decided against it because we don’t know anyone there and it was just a little too close to my Mum who lives near Chelmsford

I’ve not been there in a little while now but know it reasonably well- the town centre is nice, the area around the castle and the Dutch quarter is very pretty. I’d avoid Greenstead and Old Heath.

The grammar schools in Colchester are excellent and usually close to the top of the league tables. Not sure what the state schools are like.

The surrounding countryside and villages are lovely and you’ve got Mersea Island just up the road if you like the beach and amazing seafood.

We live just outside Colchester. There are some lovely parts to the town ( and like any one, some grim ones). The town is expanding fast, in terms of housing abs amenities. There are nice green spaces and the coast nearby is lovely. There’s a small but thriving arts scene and loads for kids to do. Some lovely villages just outside if you prefer. I’ve lived in Surrey and in some ways it’s quite similar, but there’s less housing pressure, you get much more for your money it’s far enough from London to have its own centre of gravity culture-wise, and I like the fact that there are still some wilder green spaces. All in all, if you find a nice area, I think it’s a great place to raise a family.

I too have never lived in the town centre, but spent time nearby.

Being close to the uni, the area around Greenstead and the Hythe can had alot of uni students and student lets. As others have said, there are lovely villages around too. I'd look at which part of the town your job would be in, because the roads can get blocked and very slow at peak hour. Ideally somewhere direct for you to get in and out of Colchester without having to cross the town.

There is a 1hr fast train to Liverpool st for days out in London, if thats something you'd want to do? There are some lovely coastal towns in Suffolk/Norfolk which make a great weekend away too.

It’s got good bits and not so good bits. Avoid Greenstead and Monkwick estates.

I lived there for a few years, moved due to jobs and that fact that I could get more for my money a bit further out.

There is a theatre, good bars and a direct train line to London.

I used to live there and loved it. Would happily have stayed but work took me elsewhere