Moving to Cambridge - advice on areas/commuting/prices?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I have a thread in Chat, but someone sensibly pointed out I should come here too.

I know Cambridge a little bit, but only really the centre - I lived there for a few years when I was younger, and now I'm moving back. I'm stupidly excited because I think it's a lovely city. So can I pick your brains about it?

I'd need to get in to West Road during rush hour at least some of the time. My memory is that traffic was absolutely horrible - is the public transport decent? And how far out can you live and still find it manageable?

I am thinking if I can't live in the centre itself (which looks very expensive), it'd be nice to be a bit further out and somewhere countrysidey. Where's nice?

I'm going to be looking to rent a one/two bed flat (or I guess house if I'm far enough out). I am looking on rightmove, but have a month or so to look, so wouldn't want to catch it at a bad time and draw the wrong conclusions about the general market. Does something for 800pcm sound impossible?

Anything I should plan to do/see/look forward to when I get there?

Welcome to Mumsnet Cambridge - it will be very lovely to have you here. I'm sure more people will be a long soon to recommend some places to live & go out.

In meantime have you looked at Trumpington - you could get to West Road through Grantchester & down Grange Road - will you cycle? I don't know enough about rent prices to say what's reasonable.

Thanks!

I'm looking forward to it.

I'll have a look. I don't think I will cycle, unfortunately.

For all the flack it gets my colleagues who use it tell me the guided busway is pretty good.

Why does it get flack?

I think I took part of that into town when I went for my interview.

It just took so long to build and was hugely over budget - I think it'll take a long time for people to forget. I have colleagues who commute in from nearer London and use it to get to the Science Park and they think it's Fab. It has the benefit of a fairly direct route and minimal stops.

Also if you're coming from places like Oakington in rush hour the buses are almost always full and just don't stop.

The backs / grange road are a nightmare in rush hour for driving. You would be much better off cycling if you can. (Outspoken do cycle training courses if you are just rusty).

I can't think of any buses that go over that way (comberton or Barton buses possibly??). You would have to bus to centre and then walk to West road through the colleges. Stagecoach must have a Cambridge bus map.

www.stagecoachbus.com/uploads/cambridge_mar14a4[0].pdf

Park and ride from madingley road goes down west road....

Does the Uni 4 bus still go down West Road? I thought it used to...

Ah yes, looking at that map it does. I don't think it's the P&R bus itself, I think it's the Uni 4 starting from the P&R site..

Aaah - my mistake!

Sorry, I seem to have killed your thread.....

Will you be working for the University? If so you can use the park and cycle site on Madingley Rd/Clark Maxwell Rd to park for free. It would be a 15-20 min walk to West Road from there, at a brisk pace, or 5 minute easy (flat and v quiet) cycle. I use this and it is a joy to avoid all traffic and know exactly how long my commute will take no matter what weather or traffic as I am in charge of my speed on the bike!

If living west of the city you need to factor in Madingley hill from A428 to the park and ride. I do it at 7am with no delays. Friends who go at half past seven get a half hour queue. The uni is building 3000ish homes just beind the park and ride there too which when complete will add traffic to Madingley Rd between the M11 and town, and down Huntingdon Rd( the other main road near the development. )

Working on West road I would consider any village due west as far as Cambourne (where I live) or South West to be the most logical place to live, and come in via Barton Rd or Madingley Rd. The only bus that actually goes down West Rd is the Uni 4. The Citi 4 from Cambourne stops nearish (Madingley Rd/Grange Rd junction) but from Cambourne we pay county fare, not city, so it is £6 per day and a slow journey. At the moment you can park for free on Barton Rd (near the bottom of Grange Rd) if you get there before 7.30am, then walk to West Rd in 20 mins or so.