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!!

Cambridge city mostly. Things have changed in the past months, although there was a window of opportunity in late 2008 (which we missed).

I only trust houseprices.co.uk and property bee, not estate agents' banter. Lots of houses coming back (unfortunately they are mostly dogs).

We lost a house in the last month on open bids and it went under the asking price. Only three bidders (including us). It wasn't a highly price house but close to centre. Another example: house in Oxford Road on sale for 325K, went for 250. Days before exchangethe agent tried to sell to us for 320.

We are not going to buy anything just for the heck of it. We are not sentimental and don't mind wrecks.

One last thing I hate about the market here: house in a street goes on sale for a high price and gets the Sold STC sign. Next house in the street goes for higher asking price. And so on, generating a chain of rises. Then some houses come back and stay unsold. Hence the sale that never went through has created fake optimism.

As many investors have disappeared, the last thing we want is to buy an overpriced house we cannot sell in a few years' time.

It's hard to stomach as I'm fed up of renting but can anyone believe the bubble won't explode again?

my husband does the commute 4 days a week and finds its no worse than being on the tube/bus in london for an hour.

I would say moving to cambridge has been the right decision for my child but for me, it is difficult as all family and friends are still in london. It doesnt help that i dont work in cambridge either but I'm slowly adjusting....

We made a similar move, from NW London to Cam when DS1 was 6 months. So much easier and pleasanter living here. Lots and lots of toddler groups, pre-schools, libraries, groups, children's activities, free museums, etc etc.

Cambridge can feel quite crowded, but it's nothing like London. The baby rhyme group we used to go to there at the local library was so overcrowded that you sometimes physically couldn't get in.

Also the hospital here is good, which was a big plus for me - our London one was the diabolical Royal Free.

We're in Cherry Hinton, a 5/10min cycle ride from station (depending on down/uphill). DH has a Brompton. Brompton and yellow jacket a bit of a daddy uniform round here. The commute is more tiring than the cushy 20mins he had before, but he doesn't seem to mind and it builds exercise into his day. Takes the 0745 and returns on the 1715, gets seat, works on the train.

Definitely check school catchment areas if you're planning to use state schools.

Cambridge is a great place for young families, but I commuted for 1 year to London and wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy! stressful and expensive, plus it was 8 pm by the time I got home, so had no quality time at all Mon to Friday. Good luck!

Oh god yes, Addenbrookes could be a reason in itself to move here. Myself and dd2 both have conditions which necessitate regular hospital trips and to be seen by the top consultants in their field is something you wouldn't get everywhere.

Interesting thread.

I would add to the early comments about De Freville - we used to rent there (Humberstone Rd) and we had a bit of a problem with drunk people heading home in the evening (crossing the bridge and walking through the streets probably heading back to Chesterton according to what the police said).

We had our car vandalised (wing mirror kicked off) as they walked up the street doing everyone's car. It's rare to have a garage or even off-road parking there so it would put me off that area if I ever had enough money to live there.

Now live near Addenbrookes, houses not pretty but we have off-road parking for up to 3 cars (4 at a push) and I now think this is one of my favourite areas in Cambridge as more affordable, good amenities, good bus links, parking, quick to get in/out of the city, great parks and stuff for kids.

Oh and I could walk to the Rosie (v slowly) when in labour

Moving to Cambridge, is it a good idea?
It depends, I've been living here for the last 12 years with my husband and 6 year old son, so I know a lot about this place. Cambridge is like Marmite, you love it or hate it.
It used to be very safe place, but not any more. We had several sex attacks around the whole area including city centre recently. It's a very conservative place without a soul. So many people move in and out, so it's hard to make a real friends. Not much to do with kids, just a few museums, soft plays and parks. The town is so flat, too crawded. The house prices are ridicules, the new 2 bed apartments which are just being finishing off now cost £450,000 - Orchard Park. I was lucky to get my flat when the prices were much lower. My friend rents a double room for £675 / months !!! Traffic is awful, Cambridge is not prepare for so many people. Primary schools are good and Cambridge University one of the best in the world.
Having said all the negatives it's a great place for studying, you can get everywhere on foot or bike. It's very quiet with many libraries, restaurants and cafes. Lots of job for scientists, biologist, IT or people working in catering. Great Addenbrooks Hospital, a few good surgeries and Science Park.
I know many people who use to love Cambridge but hate it now.
I am hoping to move nearer the seaside, South East, where is always something interesting to do with family and people are more openminded.

HELP !! I'M NEW IN MILTON, CAMBRIDGE :)
I have 2 children, one of 1,5 y.o and 4,5 y.o , and we are Romanian.
We are both working, and we are new in Milton, Cambridge.
Can you please, give an advise for a nursery or kindergarten, where to go during daytime?
I don't know the area, and what to do with my children while we are at work.There are some estate nurserys or kindergartens? I don't evan know the procedures ... Can you please be so kind in giving to me any kind of information, websites, everything you think will be useful for me. We need to start in January 2015. Thank you very much for your help.

Cambridge is a fantastic place to live for families, with good schools, good healthcare, great parks and museums and loads of activities (many free) for both young and older children.

However the housing situation is insane. To give an example, in May we expressed an interest in a 3 bed house in the Mill Road area that had been put on the market for £450,000. We were told that viewings would start on the following Saturday, and we arranged to view the property then. However, the Thursday before we were then told that the house had already sold, and it subsequently transpired that it had gone for £500,000, that is £50,000 over the asking price! The experience of others suggests that this kind of situation is by no means uncommon.

!

Great thread, and useful!!
We are thinking of moving to Cambridge from Northants, as dh will be - possibly - starting to work at Add hosp. We will know in a month circa, but in the meantime I have started obsessing about finding a house and a school for our daughters. Most likely scenario will be to move in the summer, so that dh and dd will start at the beginning of september.
DD1 will be going in Y3 and dd2 in y1. Given that we have two houses to sell here, we are most likely to rent for the first six months or so and buy whenever we'll be able to (things move much more slowly around here) - so it is crucial we find a house to rent that is both convenient for the hospital and has a good primary, with spaces... We are quite keen on state but if desperate would consider private... any tips?! Thanks

Consider one of the villages to the south/west of Cambridge as well as Cambridge City. Cambridge commuting isn't great fun, so living on the wrong side of town for Addenbrookes is probably not a good idea.

We are trying to decide whether to move to Cambridge or stay in Yorkshire? recently we had a baby girl ! The only things worry us to start again such as making friends and meet people ect...! We like to meet people ! What your advise? Thank you

I'd say stay in Yorkshire

Funnily enough, we've just this summer moved from Cambridge to Yorkshire! :-) My vote goes to Yorkshire, but it all depends of course on what you're hoping to achieve with such a move...

Wow! Will the main reason, we would like our kids in long runs to receive a better education and lives in multicultural society! But again as you know yorkshire lovely and quite as other part of UK! Where about in Yorkshire you moved?

You must be ready to move from Cambridge? Any advantage and disadvantages of Cambridge? If we are decid to move , will be a villages around Cambridge!

Where would you work? Traffic in and around Cambridge is awful.
Surrounding villages aren't very multicultural. Property is expensive even in the villages.

We moved to Harrogate. We like living in town.. we're 1.5miles from the town centre, as we were in Cambridge. I can't speak with authority about diversity in Harrogate, but my experience so far is that it isn't as multicultural as Cambridge. We chose the school on the basis that it appears to be the most diverse/multicultural of all the local schools we visited.

A definite advantage of Cambridge if you live centrally, is that it's possible to easily and comfortably cycle everywhere around Cambridge.

Not so in Harrogate?