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?

Bath is lovely and has great bars and restaurants.

I can't imagine wanting to live in London, filthy dangerous place, I hardly can bear it for a day. But my sister loves it, so I know what she was looking for. Cambridge might be a good alternative?

Maybe try Metroland area? You can still get into London pretty quickly by train and it's under LU so still cheap. Proximity to the Movie Studios means it's full of arty types and lots of clubs and societies as well as other types of events.

Filthy, dangerous place 😅
You’d wonder why house prices are so high, with everybody desperate to escape this hellhole.

@ispecialiseinthis it's a bit rich calling London a shit hole and then describing Birmingham as vibrant- I don't live in either although have lived in both so have no skin in the game- but give me London anytime!!

@Judecb ah - I live here - love it- but then I'm not bothered about 'an edgeiness '. Quite happy these days with good shopping, nice bars and restaurants and lovely countryside 2 minutes from my house-

Cadbury World and the Black Country Living Museum are extremely vibrant actually.

I think you have mixed me up with another poster - I love London but wasn’t keen on other places mentioned, including Birmingham

Have you been to Hastings recently? I agree the town centre isn’t great but St Leonards is lovely as well as the Old Town and there is so much going on.

Where I am is 1 hour from London on the train. Some nice independent shops. Growing live music scene. I can walk from my house to 5 or 6 independent coffee shops, one which has the best coffee outside San Francisco. A vegan pub and a vegan cafe. 20 minutes from the sea or country side. Massive ‘world food’ shop that sells freshly made naan. Globally recognised award for the number of green spaces. Semi detached house in a nice area for £250,000.

Crawley or Horsham.

Frome is like a small London.

This (I live in TW too,another "blown in" from London! We were Camden when we lived there.) Hastings/St Leonards have the vibe you're looking for....if you have children though you may want to research the schools first... Personally I love my "dual life" - I still get to play at being a Londoner on the days I work there!

Isn’t it a bit annoying to call places ‘little London’ or ‘London-vibe’ etc.? These towns and cities all have their own identities and history that have existed long before Londoners discovered them.

Bristol

Going somewhere for a weekend is nothing like living there.

I don't think it's Londoners who are calling other places stupid things like this. We already know there isn't anywhere else like London as many PP have said already.

Black Country Museum is in the Black Country, not Birmingham - my Black Country relatives get very cross if you describe where they live as "Birmingham"!

whitstable although prices doubled in last 5 years. i moved out of london and still miss it 20 years later. high speed link to london from kent coast towns quick but expensive.
margate is very arty with the tate.
bromley/sevenoaks. although sevenoaks same type as tunbridge wells.
ti be honest you will have to comprise because herne hill brixton don’t exiist outside of london.
have friend who is big art director that moved to tunbridge wells and he loves it,
just spend lots of days out at these places in airbnb overnight to get a real feel.

Brighton / hove the easiest option and much cheaper and qucker to commute to than Bristol. But public transport not as good and traffic not great - ad it's very hilly so often no option to walk. Choose a place not far from the station (Hove or Brighton) and not on top a hlll.

I had lived in London for 20yrs and had to move out for space / costs, fancied a change of scene too, lived in Brostol for two yrs - nothing like as choice culturally but it's charming in many ways though I thought the the people tend to be cliquey - but it's changed since with so many Londoners moving.

You get to like the slower pace and get used to less entertainment as you get older, but I go for short and longer stays in London often as I've always liked it. It's getting too crowded on transport now so I don't always miss it - but it's still a fact that if you love London, you are not going to find other places similar enough. But you can just 'like' them enough.

Sorry it was a throwaway comment really. I live in Bristol and get these kinds of London comparisons comments in day to day life. Gets a bit tiresome.

Consider Worthing if Brighton is too expensive: https://www.mylondon.news/news/property/seaside-london-commuter-town-dubbed-29755184

Bruton, Somerset. It’s all Londoners…the biggest chefs, fashion designers, artists - Hauser & Worth.

@ispecialiseinthis ooh I apologise!! But I agree with you totally

Me too! waves at @AngeloMysterioso