To ask where you’d move?

[LusaBatoosa]

Young family, Black, infant DC, looking to leave London. Where would you go?

Following criteria:

• In England.
• Budget of circa £1.1m gets you something nice.
• Culturally and ethnically diverse.
• We want all the usual - green spaces, good schools, decent transport links.
• We like nice stuff. Farmers markets, museums, nice shops and cafes.

Does this magical place exist?! I’d love to hear your recommendations! If you could be as specific as possible, that would be lovely - so, as opposed to ‘Brighton’ (for example), I’m hoping for areas in places.

Especially interested in responses from Black or mixed race mums with lived experiences of the areas recommended. How have your DC found it growing up there?

Might be helpful to say why you want to leave London - your budget gets you a decent London home. You could live in a nice house in Wanstead for example which has good schools, green spaces, farmers markets etc....

What is driving the move and then it might help people identify areas that provide that?

Clifton Bristol

Oh, yes! That would probably be helpful, wouldn’t it? 😊

Lots of reasons, really. We’re not ‘big city people’. We’ve lived in London for several years and absolutely love it, but it was never meant to be forever. And now that we have DC, I really can’t imagine them growing up here. We’d like somewhere calmer, safer and a bit slower paced.

We’ve always lived pretty centrally, and I’m aware that things get greener/calmer/more family oriented, the further out you go. However, you seem to get a lot more for your money when you just leave. I’ve been looking on Rightmove and there are some gorgeous properties to be had for our budget, but a lot of them are in places about which we know very little.

Neither of us is British, we both moved here for uni. DH was at Oxford and then moved to London, and I went to a London uni. So, while we’ve travelled around the country a bit, London is the only place we really know.

I’m sorry about how long that is!

Thank you!

Yes, Clifton, Bristol.

Watford, but on the edges might fit the bill.

St Albans also has a mix of people but not a huge black community. We seem to have lots more Asian families and lots of Europeans, so you hear loads of languages, and feels diverse, but still a bit white if I’m honest. My friend (Jamaican heritage) likes it though.

Solihull, in the West Mids.

If you are only really familiar with London, it is probably quite important to understand that the rest of England is quite different.

I'm sure someone will come in and say I am accusing them all of being racist country bumpkins but if you look at demography, voting patterns, wealth, surveys on social views etc, you will see that London is significantly different from the rest of England.
London is much wealthier, younger and better educated on average than the rest of England and residents spend more income on rent but also on culture, eating out etc. Londoners do more stuff basically despite huge rental/mortgage costs.

So you aren't going to get all the good stuff about London (great museums, great restaurants, cafes, culture, shops) easily outside London.

I would suggest you focus on small university cities - Oxford, Cambridge, Norwich, maybe Canterbury - which are smaller and more contained than London but will skew richer, more diverse and with more cultural offerings.

NOT Clifton, Bristol. Mixed race friends of mine live there, neighbours say hello to the white mum but not the black dad unless he's with their child. Still don't recognise him after all these years.
Horfield, Montpellier, St Andrews, Stoke Bishop, St Werburghs, Bemmie, Upper Fishponds, I would recommend.
I could live in Birmingham too.

What about Moseley (part of Birmingham). Definitely multi cultural and there are quite a few culture/foodie events.

Buckinghamshire/Berkshire look lovely but I don't know them well enough to know what they are like to live in.

I agree with the suggestion of looking at smaller university cities first. Good luck!

Goodness, with that kind of budget I'd move up North:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/142004948#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140344592#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140712926#/?channel=RES_BUY

St Albans is actually on our list! I’ve never been to Watford. Thank you.

That is extremely helpful. Thank you, very much.

That’s precisely the sort of place we want to avoid.

Thank you for the suggestions.

I just looked up Moseley and it looks lovely. Thank you.

Nether Edge in Sheffield. Diverse neighbourhood in a big city with loads of green spaces and on the edge of the Peak District

Do you know what those areas are like?

If you still love London, could you investigate some of the London 'villages' and suburban communities there? Good schools, safer streets, but still diverse and close to all the great stuff London has to offer?

Word of warning, St Albans is DULL.

Seconding Moseley, Birmingham which I visit. It is a lovely, vibrant, diverse and friendly area with lots of green spaces. Easy access to Birmingham University and the City Centre.

😂 why what are you looking for? It’s true, Batchwood has closed.

Another vote for this side of Sheffield (South West), but maybe a bit further out with your budget - Dore, maybe. But yes, Nether Edge is fabulously diverse and tons of cafes and interesting quirky corners.

Alternatively, S11 or 10 detached houses would be affordable. It's an absolutely fabulous place to live, and ticks your boxes I think.

A friend moved to Hathersage (commuter village from Sheffield) from London about six years ago with her Black husband and mixed race children. They're extremely happy with the move.

Ranmoor S10 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/141007745#/?channel=RES_BUY

Ecclesall - 15 minutes into the city one way, and 10 minutes into the Peak District the other way https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135268094#/?channel=RES_BUY

I moved to Sheffield from the South about 15 years ago - I cannot recommend it enough.

Dore - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136378091#/?channel=RES_BUY

What absolutely shocking photos!

Brighton/Hove?