Where to live: Kaleidoscope developement?

[olik2000]

Dear Mums,
We will be moving to Cambridge within two weeks with our 2 years old son and we are currently looking for a house or flat to let. I would like to ask you , dear mums, for some advice. I have jus read threads with similar questions, about Chesterton and Cherry Hinton, however I wanted to ask you about one particular place, that is the Kaleidoscope developement just off the Brooklands Avenue. It looks nice, and new, however what about the local amenities and parks for the kids there. Is the Cambridge Unversity Press a problem there (in terems of bad odours or something like that)? Undergoing constructions may be annoying? and the train? We are considering different places (Chesterton, or Grafton area and also Kaleidosope as it quite close to the city centre). I would be very grateful for any feedback on that.
Many thanks in advance!

It's about 5 minutes away from the Cambridge Botanical Gardens, which is pretty hard to beat! Annual memberships to the gardens are pretty affordable. My 19-month old boy loves running around in there. Friends who live at Kaleidoscope are pretty happy there. It's a great location.

Thanks, emmaw8! I'll take it into account.

Hallo. I speak as someone who works there. CUP doesn't do any printing on site any more so we are not smelly!

There is children's play equipment on the Accordia estate not far from Kaleidoscope; the nearest large recreation grounds are Coleridge 'Rec on Radegund Road and Lammas Land in Newnham. You're pretty close to some open meadowland with cattle grazing, as well as to the Botanical Gardens, which are lovely, as emmaw8 says.

There is a small convenience store on the Accordia site and a Co-op on Hills Rd opposite the entrance to Brooklands Avenue; a small Tesco's and Sainsbury's on the Cambridge Leisure Park, all within walking distance, plus a larger convenience store round the corner on Hills Road near bike shop, hair & beauty salon.

Only one bus, the Uni4 goes down Brooklands Avenue but plenty on Hills Road.

You should be aware that there are plans for one of the CUP buildings to be knocked down to be replaced, so there will be construction taking place on Shaftesbury Road in the next few years. Traffic and parking are likely to be problematical.

MuddledUpMum, thanks very much for your feedback!