Moving to Cambridge with two young kids

[marijkejans]

Hi mums,

We are an American family with two kids, ages 1 and 3. We are moving to Cambridge and are considering 3 rental properties at the moment. One is on Searle street, one on Gwydir street, and one on Hinton Avenue.
I would like some advice about which area would be most suitable for our kids. Looks like Hinton Avenue has a children's centre close-by, but I'm not sure about how kid-friendly the other neighborhoods are.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

All of those streets have children's centres nearby and there's loads to do with young kids in Cambridge, so I think any of them would be fine for your family. Cambridge is a very small city, so you're not going to be too far away from anything.

My totally unqualified opinion (based on 7 years living in Cambridge) as follows: I used to live near Hinton Avenue and liked the area although its further out of town than the other two streets, and quieter, depending on what you prefer.

Searle street is very close to the river and town centre. It's a lovely area, but there are several hostels for people with substance abuse problems nearby. Nothing alarming, but as we were viewing a house on this street a drunk guy keeled over in the front garden of the house.

Gwydir street is just off Mill Rd, which is a vibrant area, with a wide range of independent shops, pubs and restaurants. Loads of young families live in this area.

Hope this helps, although I'm sure the next person along will have a totally different opinion :)

Think CambridgeMinor has covered it admirably. Plenty going on for kids round Mill Road - Romsey Mill SureStart Centre, good parks on Vinery Road and Rustat Road.

Hinton Avenue area is very friendly. Homerton Children's Centre has lots going on. If you are staying for the long haul, the local school is good.