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?

Doncaster. You won’t regret it.

There is nowhere else like London so don't look for it elsewhere. Think about what you want that is not London. And go for that. Don't look back, you can never look back.

Visited a few weeks ago. It's a shithole

Doncaster 😂😂😂🙈

Bristol.
But it's expensive.

Henley-on-Thames. Commutable to London and full of ex Londoners, independent restaurants and coffee shops etc. It's like Chelsea only a bit further out. Very expensive property though.

Leighton Buzzard is a 30 min train form Euston

Fair enough! I'm just intrigued as I don't get what's different about it in summer than winter. Certainly the aspects of it that make it a bit like the Brixton/Herne Hill vibe OP is after are the cafes/bars/general wandering round the streets and nice shops bits that aren't affected by the seasons. And I know Brixton/Herne Hill/East Dulwich/Crystal Palace very well too.

Or stay in London and be economical with space. Once you've gone it's very hard indeed to come back.

You can get out of Herne Hill or Brixton and into the heart of the west end, or the city, or anywhere in London, to do literally anything you want pretty much whenever you want. You have variety in London, you have every single interest catered for, there are a myriad of people to connect with, galleries, museums, restaurants, any shop you might want (that doesn’t close at 5pm) as well as beautiful parks. That’s my point. There’s nothing wrong with what the coast or countryside offers and I love to visit but I wouldn’t want to live in Folkestone.

Margate.

All true. Such a shame, lovely location, but a dump.

I don’t how old you are @Cheezywotsitforbrekkie but after a certain age (and perhaps even before that, because shit happens), I would live close to a major hospital or two.
There is also a major issue with poor healthcare access for the elderly and high rates of mental health disorders in the young in coastal areas. Not sure about towns/countryside away from the coast but not near cities.

I don't disagree with any of that. Folkestone isn't any of those places andno you cant pop to another bit of London spontaneously. But it does have some of that Brixton vibe. Some, not a copy.

But it isn't different particularly in summer to winter that I've found and it was specifically in winter when you said it was dull. I can totally get someone who wants all London has to offer finding anywhere that's not London dull, no arguments there, I just don't get why that's seasonal.

Firstly massive LOLS to all the posters suggesting places that are in London. If any of the places suggested really cut the mustard, they’ll be rammed full of Londoners already. I reckon Brighton is the most London like (it’s absolutely brimming with Londoners). My seaside town research in Hastings and Folkstone has shown many of the shops and restaurants are closed Monday/Tuesday, which I find bizarre as a city person and would piss me off. That’s before you address that many seaside towns have a culture scene per se, but not one similar to London’s. OP, London suburbs aren’t known for being particularly trendy, would you settle for commuting to the trendy parts?

And I'm 63 loving it more each year!

St Albans? Whitstable?

St Albans is pretty expensive.

Have you tried less expensive areas of London? Walthamstow is very buzzy, arty and diverse. It also has fantastic public transport links. I have lived here for 37 years and have seen it improve enormously, with so many choirs, book groups, music groups, etc, etc. I am 74.

Would Bristol be too far away for you? I believe it would be the nearest thing to give you the London vibe you are seeking.

I’m putting this in caps as I really really mean it. THERE ISN’T ANYWHERE LIKE LONDON OUTSIDE LONDON

We moved out of London, hated it, came back, thought maybe we picked the wrong place, moved out once more to a different place, ended up coming back again

10 years on, here are your choices:

Country - Bigger/proper house, expensive trains, need 2 cars, better schools, nice walks, 15 minutes drive to get as much as a coffee, restaurants need booking a fortnight in advance and dull food. No Deliveroo. No uber. No-one goes out October to April.

London, shit expensive house, shit schools, much better fun, nicer friends, one car, much lower bills, Uber, Deliveroo, year round socials

@ClassyJen that's not really the case though is it-. I'm in Bath , have Deliveroo, Uber, 3 minutes walk to a coffee, bus every 6 minutes into town until midnight, zillions of restaurants, quite a few theatres and people go out plenty here all year round.

I'm sure you could say the same in somewhere like Guildford - it's not just us- I do think though moving to very rural country areas or small towns takes a different mindset -

As an afterthought, I know Eastbourne is seen as primarily a place for retired people but I don't believe that's a true representation. Apparently there is an influx of younger people and families from Brighton and London, and there are several language schools attracting foreign students.

It is known to be a very sunny location. It has a lovely beach and promenade, and is very clean and well kept. It is about 30 mins away from Hastings in one direction and Brighton in the other. It is an hour and thirty minutes from London. It is also surrounded by beautiful countryside. Housing is considerably cheaper than London.

Bristol is 90 mins from London on the train and it fits your list but housing is pretty expensive. You're unlikely to find anywhere cheap with a London vibe, south of Birmingham.

I think you might be thinking of Disneyland.

Last time I went to Eastbourne ( summer 23, not school hols) there were more homeless drug users along the Prom than I have ever seen in Brixton.

I second Hastings, but I think it's 1hr 30 mins by train into London.