To wonder what makes an area “posh”?

[NotCure172]

Just came back from a friend’s house in a very leafy suburb of West Midlands city. She loves talking about how posh it is where lives but I asked her what does it mean to live in a posh area? How do you know it’s posh? She couldn’t really answer my question and the area was very average.

How do you define a “posh” area?

www.experianmarketingservices.digital/mosaicprofile

This one ^

Apparently my postcode is "Empty-nest adventure: Mature couples in comfortable detached houses who have the means to enjoy their empty-nest status"

Which seems about right really. This village has a lot of young families (enough to sustain a primary school), but also plenty of retirees and spacious bungalows. It's not wealthy, but it's certainly comfortable/prosperous. People retire here because it's in a national park, so lots of active types (hence the 'adventure' part).

Long, sweeping gravel drives leading up to large Georgian / Edwardian / Jacobean / Tudor detached properties (absolutely no new build McMansions)

Chocolate box beautifully kept cottages interspersed between aforementioned properties

Walled gardens

Huge hedges trimmed and clipped within an inch of their lives. No overgrown, unkempt privets

Horse stables in gardens / paddocks

The constant clip clop of horses being ridden on the lanes

Large topiaries framing either side of the front door

Couple of filthy Landy’s on the drive. Absolutely no ranges, especially white ones. And definitely no Evoques

People walking their (insert obligatory working breed here) dogs wearing battered leather lined Le Chameau’s

Café culture in the village, along with the usual artisan bakery, organic butcher, independent florist offerings (all eye wateringly overpriced, naturellement)

Lots of National Trust places to walk nearby

Commutable to London

When passing through, you can almost ‘smell’ the old money that lingers

London doesn’t fit into any of this of course, it’s an entirely different animal. I’m talking about villages, and the above is a fair description of my area.

I got Legacy Elders - Financially Secure Elders on good pensions, now mostly living alone in comfortable suburban homes. It’s only partially correct, we don’t live in a four bedroom detached for example and we are not as tech phobic as suggested! Never bought new cars either always used.

My area is nice enough, but it’s not posh. Housing wise it’s mixed, tree lined avenues of traditional semis built in the 1930s-50s (where we are) plus a few terraces and a couple of former council estates. Couple of nice independent coffee shops, but no artisan bakers. Nearest supermarkets are Tesco and Morrisons.

Oh and I forgot. Farm shops.

@NotCure172
The fours oaks side?!

It's lovely, but drive 5 mins further and it's not 'posh'

I live in North London, slap bang in the middle of a triangle that includes Wood Green, Muswell Hill and Crouch End. Wood Green has Spoons, Pound Shops, gambling shops, takeaways galore, Primark, Iceland, Greggs, Morrison, Lidl but also has a Pret, Nandos and Sainsbury but definitely not posh! One end of the high street Turnpike Lane is notorious for drug dealing. I considered going there a few months ago after breaking my shoulder.

Muswell hill has Waitrose, M&S food, Sainsbury, Whistles, White Stuff, JojoMamanBebe, independent coffee shops and restaurants. Despite a bookies, a Spoons and a Poundland, definitely posh. Crouch End is similar, but has a Greggs and no pound shop.

Where I live falls into that category. Expensive housing, fancy cars, boutique fitness places, high end spas, quality arts venues, upscale restaurants, lots of charitable events on the calendar, schools so good people rarely do private, no litter anywhere.

I got “Premium Fortunes. Asset-rich families with substantial income, established in distinctive, expansive homes in wealthy
enclaves”.

Many years ago I rented a flat in The Park in Nottingham. Street lamps are still powered by gas, there were no shops on the estate, and there was a very nice tennis club.

I would say... no flat roof pubs.

@lightisnotwhite

I live in a posh small town. It features in the Sunday papers Best Places to Live. Has a Waitrose and M&S. Definitely no Nando’s and the MacDonalds was built as far out of town as possible.

I’m on an estate with housing association properties (mine included). One of my HA neighbours has a couple of horses she shows. Most of the others are teachers or employed by the NHS. No one is unemployed.

We do have a couple of historically “rough” bit but aside from their children causing problems you wouldn’t know. I’m old friends with a few women from the rough estate. One I used to play rugby with and one I met as a mature student at Uni.

That mosaic site is pretty accurate.

I put my estate in and we were Cafe and Catchments. The surrounding area was Alpha Families.

The “rough” estate was Stable Economy which is as bad as it gets - stable families renting high value properties from social landlords.

@StCharlotte

I understood the definition of posh is not having a McDonald's within walking distance.

I think it's not having your front gate within easy walking distance! Needing something like a golf buggy for putting the bins out.

Posh isn't always loaded. And loaded is often not posh.

Expensive houses, posher shops (Joules, Waitrose or an independent posh supermarket/delicatessan, artisan bakeries or independent slightly overpriced gift shops), very green. Most have posh restaurants with expensive menus and don't have a lot of takeaways.

It would also be a low crime area and in terms of shops wouldn't have a Poundland, Betfred, Superdrug or a Lidl.

It seems London posh has different markers.

Nice cars and well Behaved kids of course!

No tattoos

I knew it would be Sutton Coldfield. Well either there or Streetly.

Some parts of Sutton are nice - Roman Road and Four Oaks with big houses set back from main road, long drives.

However it is an ordinary town centre & schools are pretty average.

People in Sutton are convinced they are more posh than they are. They refuse to accept they are near some rough areas & that they are part of Birmingham.

Posh is in my opinion
Waitrose & M&S for supermarket
Independent cafes
Boutique clothes shops
Private schools
Big expensive cars
Ladies who lunch & not chasing about stressed out

Not sure whether being university educated counts. I don't think Sutton Coldfield necessarily has a high proportion of university educated professionals.

When the pavement isn’t covered in dog shit and fag ends and the air doesn’t smell of weed. That was my old street. My new street is posh AF compared.

I think it's not having your front gate within easy walking distance! Needing something like a golf buggy for putting the bins out.

And a ride on lawn mower.

The Experian thing our post code as alpha families which sounds terrible pompous. And my parents’ one as bank of mum and dad which made me laugh.

@notanothertakeaway

No tattoos

My tattoos and I will have to find somewhere more suitable to live!

On a serious note, I think I our area is considered posh. We just chose it based on liking the house and it being an ideal setting for us! Rural (but not too far from workplaces/nearest towns), no immediate neighbours, all detached houses and either farmers' fields or adjoining land attached to the houses all around. Most people own horses and keep them in the surrounding fields, we just treat ours as a big garden/space for growing food as I've no interest in owning a horse, seeing the amount of time and effort my parents have to put in with theirs (although they are very much horse people and wouldn't have it any other way!).
I wouldn't say we're posh by any stretch, though.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Lots of: waitrose, wagamama, 5 guys, sainsbury Costa, Nero etc

No Costa near me. We have 3 independent coffee shops.

Sainsbury's isn't really posh, just middle of the road. Wagamama might be expensive but not posh and 5 guys is still a take-away so not really found in the poshest towns.

Costa and Nero, again are usually replaced with posh independent cafes and delicatessen in posher places.

Yes, that’s what l think. Costa is a bit downmarket these days.