To think I can find somewhere like London outside London?

[Cheezywotsitforbrekkie]

We are considering a move outside London for the bigger house. Would have to be commutable, and not TOO far. As a result, a city like Birmingham is out of the question.

But I love London. I know I won’t get the big city feel if we aren’t in a city, but I’d at least like to feel like I’m living in a vibrant suburb that’s just a bit further from London.

currently thinking somewhere with a Brixton/ Herne Hill vibe.

its also the people, so want to move somewhere that attracts a fair number of quite arty types. ( we also aren’t loaded so don’t think we’d be able to go anywhere that attracts the banker crowd)

we aren’t particularly edgy ourselves ( like to think we are 😁) but friends who moved to Tonbridge wells came back with their tail between their legs…it was too dull for them and they aren’t wild!

so looking for places that are cheaper than London, a bit arty, community feel and with the obligatory nice coffee shop. Any ideas?

And also a few decent independent restaurants.

not a high street full of pizza express etc!

Edinburgh or Dublin

Inverness.

🤣🤣🤣

Hastings?

OP said Birmingham was too far! Edinburgh, Dublin and Inverness are much further.

There's no where 'like london' but within commuting distance of London. you have to properly up sticks to a completely different city to get anything even nearly like london.

Brighton? Not sure how much cheaper it is but if you want commutable to London you’re going to be quite limited. Commutable to London and really nice, doesn’t usually equal much cheaper than London!

Brixton?
Herne Hill?

Brighton

Lewes

Maybe stay there. We’re full up 😂
Not being funny but there are literally hundreds of threads like this to research.
Before you ask Harrogate, Ilkley, York and Hebden Bridge are really expensive so no converted barn for £100k.

Bristol

The 2010 hipsters relocated to Margate when Dalston got too expensive. I can't see it myself, but I add it to the list.

Bristol
Might as well be West London now as so many Londoners there. Clifton Redland Bishopston.

Well I live in Tunbridge Wells (not Tonbridge, which is a completely different town) and I love it. We have a fringe festival every year, a great variety of independent restaurants and and places to eat and drink, fantastic schools, beautiful surrounding countryside, the retail side of things is getting a bit of a kick up the arse atm… I feel very lucky to live here.

Bristol ticks a lot of your boxes

If the OP gets nose bleeds at the thought of some as far away as Birmingham, she's really going to get an attack of the vapours about Edinburgh or Dublin. That's a whole different country

But for the OP, it sounds like it's a matter of 'arty etc, not expensive, near London, pick two'.

Folkestone?

But the closest city that I think of as being most like London is Bristol. Which probably isn’t close enough for you.

It's less than an hour and half on the fast train from Birmingham to London.

Do you mean you still need to be able to commute into London for work? What’s the furthest away you would travel?

Oxford?

Newbury. We came here from SE London (Upper Norwood/Crystal Palace) and love it.
Got all the things you list and London's easily commutable.

For info, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge are two entirely different places! The good people of ‘Tonbridge Wells’ don’t have to worry that your friends found them dull, as they don’t exist…

Lewes or Brighton might be what you want.

Walthamstow