Moving to Cambridge (A good idea?)

[bellamysbride]

Sorry I know 'moving to cambridge threads' have been done to death but I need some honest opinions.

We are trying to decide whether to move to Cambridge or stay in SW london. Our place is sold (due to complete in Sept). My DP will be commuting to London. We have family in east anglia and are keen to be close to countryside. We have a pretty good amount to spend and would like to be in a central location with four beds.

Will the commute be a killer? Is Cambridge a good place to live with a young family? Where should we be looking? Sorry questions, questions, questions!!

I have friends that live on Belvoir Road (just off DeFreville)and do a brompton commute to the station. And they're adding new cycle parking very soon at the station if the route at the other end isn't cyclable.

DeFreville isn't close to the station though is it?

I'd recommend looking around mill road area to save some time for your DH.

You will all need bikes.

I don't know if this is within your budget but this house www.cheffins.co.uk/cheffins-property/tenison-avenue-cambridge-12839 is very near the station. I walked past it on my way home today

"So if my DP was getting a 5:45/6:15am train into work and a 6:30 ish train home, would he be likely to get a seat?"

Yes. I get the 7:15 and now it's a 12 carriage train there's plenty of room. 6:15 (gets you in at 7 am -- does your DH really need to get in that early?) and there's even more room. The commute is easy most of the time, and pretty quick.

It's a brilliant place to bring up children -- almost all the state schools are good schools, and there seems to be a mini baby boom at the moment; can't believe how many pregnant women and prams there are!

Other than housing and taxis, it's not that expensive. And 750K will get you something nice, no problem. If you want to be near the station I would recommend the area between Mill Road and Hills Road on the town side of the railway line -- numerous beautiful Victorian villas and slightly less lush but lovely terraces. Mind you, 3 beds in the cheapest road go for about 450K, so I expect the villas would be creeping up towards 1M.

De Freville Avenue area is overrated IMO

Mill Road has lots of roads off it with the same lovely Victorian houses.

Other thing -- there's been no property crash in Cambridge; actual sale prices are marginally above the peak and properties are still selling within a week and going to sealed bids. You should aim for houses in the 650-700 bracket and be prepared to negotiate up.

Downsides of Cambridge are that outside the centre it's not that attractive, and most of the restaurants are mediocre and very poor value for money, though there are one or two gems. Close enough to London though to dine there instead!

Varsity restaurant :)

Japanese restaurant near the river v. nice .

I lived in Newmarket for 4 years and always said Cambridge was Newmarket's redeeming feature.

Love Cambridge and still visit whenever poss. Just walking around the city when you've nothing else to do is a treat. Shopping/eating out/cultural life all excellent and I miss having it on my doorstep.

That's the one LeninGrad.

the villas between hills road and mill road are creeping towards the 1M... but they are very nice.

My list: Chop House at no. 1 King's Parade, Rice Boat, Peking, Don Pasquale for lunch, Kingston Arms for decent pub food and well-kept beer.

If you have university connections though, most college high tables in the evening beat anything else on offer hands down.

college high tables.... I personally think not. Ii get soo fed up with being DH's wife and appendage, and as for the food think institutional with pretentions of grandeur on an average night. Then work up from there. It's allright if you like a roast dinner and cream with everything but everything tastes very similar regardless of college, or what the particualr dish is supposed to be.

The posh knees up are good though as are the wines and the cheeses. Speaking of which cambridge cheese shop is always worth checking out. As is Simon on the Sunday market

And the yummiest home-made cakes and good coffee -- Black Cat on Mill Road (though not cheap). Breastfeeding friendly too.

good straightforward italien food at La Mageritas on bridgestreet

Depends on the college -- mine had a pastry chef whose puddings were to die for; on the other hand, the college claret was dire. And the company usually dubious.

(and I'm not really saying that college food is that great FWIW; merely that Cambridge restaurants mostly leave a GREAT deal to be deisred.)

Agree that the company can be a bit of a gamble at high table, to say the least!

I do like Thanh Binh, the tiny Vietnamese place on Bridge St. Amazing food and BYO wine (£1.20 a head corkage).

at all the giant houses

Just lurking for the restaurant recs.

Peppercorns is a great takeaway sandwich shop.

Don Pasquale's - I went there on my first dat age 12 :)

Yes to Thanh Binh and La Margaritas too. I also have my eye on the new Thai restaurant next door to the Peking -- apparently the chef was head chef at the Bangkok Hyatt.

Yes yes yes to the Peking - down on Hills Rd so a bit out of town but very very very nice - you need a few people because it is impossible to order for 2.

Thanks Hilda we got sent that property by an agent, so may see it this weekend.

We all cycle and DP is keen to cycle to the station (brompton) as he commutes by bike at the moment, so would miss it.

Goodness, this is better than a 'Rough Guide'. We are going to eat so well this weekend. I am fancying Vietnamese and Japanese.

Praying that he has an easy commute on the train this friday so he gives it all the green light!