Areas for Black Flight

[GoldRaven]

I have been trying to find an area with a large percentage of affluent black families in a semi rural setting. I’ve lived in London all my life and my children have all grown. Last one is about to go to uni. I’ve always heard about “white flight” out of London for mortgage free, large properties and I want to join on the band wagon of this financial savvy trend but I suppose I’m looking for “Black flight “ areas if such a thing exists. I’m sure it does! I want to be in an area my children may decide to move to in the future, but I know they won’t come anywhere too remote or where it’s “count the ethnic person”. I also am reticent about leaving my diverse North London for a place where I stick out or feel those under currents. I’m on the wrong side of 40 so quite comfortable in my ways. I’m looking for specific areas where other ethnic families from London move to. Please don’t just list counties you have heard of. Areas are so wide and when I visit counties that have been suggested, it’s not quite what I’m looking for which is somewhere in the South with easy transport links to London (an hour or so) that has lots to do within the area and is very pretty with diverse businesses and cost effective houses so I can trade my London property for that dream home.
Anyone know of a Black British Wakanda in the South of England? 😆Joking but not joking!

@jennymac31 Bristol is a bit too far out from London. I have lived in London all my adult life so my friends live in and around here. I’d still like to be able to jump on a train and do brunch. I’m probably asking for too much.

@GoldRaven - fair enough.

Just out of interest, what's your budget for the new property? I'm worried that anywhere that's rural and an hours commute to London might cost more than the property you're selling in North London.

Cambridge city is very international/ cosmopolitan and affluent (but the surrounding rural areas are less so). It’s very ethnically diverse with Indian, Chinese supermarkets across the city.

Wherever you go you hear lots of languages. ARU has a high percentage of African students. The city has lots of green spaces so feels rural even in the centre- it’s beautiful.

Also Cambridge is only 50 minutes on the train from Kings Cross

Cambridgeshire is getting more and more mixed. Cambridge itself is very diverse, but very expensive. I live in a market town in Cambridgeshire and the demographic seems to be changing, I see a lot more black faces now than 10 years ago, which pleases me. Feel free to DM for more specific info.

I've lived in quite a few of the places mentioned. Norwich is a great city but it is in no way diverse. Norfolk has great beaches and countryside but is very very white.
Reading and surround is a a really good call, close to London and diverse population. I currently live in a village in Bedfordshire. It's close to Luton which has a majority ethnic population but also has a lot of problems with poverty and isn't a town I'd recommend. However surrounding villages are still quite diverse, local school has lots of children commuting from Luton so a great mix.

I was in Cambridge for the weekend last weekend. Lovely Nigerian lady selling jollof rice etc. I asked her about living in Cambridge. She's very happy and opening her restaurant next month she said.
I also spoke another Nigerian at a church we visited; PHD student, also doing well. However, these ladies didn't live in London and seems to have settled in Cambridge from studying there.
We have lots of friends in Cambridge are we're also looking to leave London zone 1. Most of my friends live in North London and Hertfordshire. We're looking in Bucks and Herts. Hertfordshire has loads of middle class Nigerians and a few in Bucks.
I have a handful of single friends in their late 40s who recently bought their 2 or 3bed house in Hertfordshire having moved from NW London as many other Nigerians live there.

From St Albans, Harpenden to the less expensive Hatfield, Stevenage, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Hemel Hempstead and Stevenage.

The Nigerian who recently got funding on Dragons Den lives in Hertfordshire as well. A little further out from Cheshunt.

There're also a few groups for Nigerian women in those areas.

Buckinghamshire has a smaller number but some live in Amersham, Chalfont and in the last couple of years others have moved even further to Aylesbury and MK.

Black in Cambridgeshire

My husband & I are of African-Caribbean descent & born and raised in East London. We’ve been living in Greater London since 97.

We’re seriously considering Huntingdon, Bury or Ramsey does anyone live or know anyone of our ethnicity living with families like mine in this area? We have a 6 & 12 yrs old.

Thanks

Deffo not Maidenhead. It's all white and Asian (Indian/Pakistani). I also grew up in North London and I fucking hate Berkshire. This part of it anyway. I think a lot of Bucks/Berks is a similar demographic.

I'm white, so don't suffer the consequences I guess, but the lack of diversity and cohesion is very apparent to me. I don't like.

I have 3 friends in Maidenhead. One I'm very close to and still visited them last week. All West African families except one W.A with an English DH. Only the English DH comments on the lack of diverse cuisine on Deliveroo. Only Domino Pizza and Indian he says.

I wouldn't consider Bury or Ramsey personally unless you are familiar with them and with the Fens landscape and culture, and know that you like them. Especially if you are used to the culture and cosmopolitan offerings of London.

Huntingdon is an odd town, it's a town without a heart, but there are nice pockets around it and it is increasingly diverse. Not sure about African-Caribbean population there, but there are a lot more Africans than there used to be, I don't know from which countries in Africa, but I think more East Africa. You might want to look more to Godmanchester and Brampton for schooling though.

I live in Winchester (dh is white) which is still very white but I am starting to see some black families about. I have noticed there are a few mixed couples often where the husband is white.The presence of the hospital/university does sometimes make it look like there are more black people here than actually living here but people want to settle here because of the excellent schooling. It is quite expensive which I suspect puts people off. It is also very close to Southampton which is where I go for ethnic shopping.

I do not find Maidenhead, Bracknell and Windsor to be very diverse at all - irrespective of what the stats say. I was West London and I visit regularly.

Hi! I’m not sure if you’re still looking but I would suggest Watford. It’s a pretty diverse area as it’s just outside of NW London. Only a 20 minutes train away from Euston. It’s more of a mix class wise but areas like Nascot Wood, Bricket Wood, and Abbots Langley and overally on the North side of the town tend to be quite affluent whilst maintaining a diverse spirit!

Only thing I would say is that house prices tend to be north of £800k-£1m but if that’s within your budget I would totally suggest looking!

Have you thought about Leyland near to Preston? There is a black community there and it's quite rural in parts or atleast suburban. It's definitely different to life in the Capital.

Or there is also Solihull which has a black community that have "flown" from the established black & Caribbean communities in Birmingham. It can be very rural and picturesque out in the Knowle area.

Is it a Caribbean or African descent community that you'd like to live around?