Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Local

Find conversations happening in your area in our local chat rooms.

Relocating to Norwich for a young family (from London)

30 replies

JollyTeaScroller · 20/06/2025 20:43

After looking at Cambridgeshire and finding the house prices quite expensive, we stumbled upon some very beautiful houses in Norwich which we could afford! In Cambridgeshire, we seemed to have settled for Ely, as a more affordable place. (Budget around 450k for a 3 bed house, which did not take us very far for Cambridge.)
I have been reading threads on mumsnet and reddit and a few people seem to compare Cambridge and Norwich, with Norwich coming up as more friendly and Cambridge a bit more 'snobbish'. Of course I am sure these are generalisations and exceptions will exist.
The most appealing facts I have read about Norwich was that it was walkable, doable without a car (I am currently learning to drive but do not love it) and that people are friendly and there is a sense of community.
Others said it was more 'sleepy', 'backward' and more like a retirement place. Again, I take these with a grain of salt. The other thing I read, is that it can feel quite isolating as everything is far away, with Cambridge being the closest, but if we have everything we need close to us, I am sure we will be okay.
We looked at some properties in NR2 and NR4 and the Golden Triangle, and we also saw some great sounding primary schools.
We are Danish and Greek, and we are used to the diversity of London but want something calmer for our young family. Do you know anything about any Danish or Greek community in Norwich? In Cambridge there is a Greek church and I believe they teach Greek on Saturdays.
Ideally we would like to be close to a nursery and a good primary and a good secondary, so we don't have to consider moving again down the line.
We both cycle and like it.
We like pubs, coffee shops and love food, so it would be great to be near some nice restaurants.
Any recommendations for a nice area, walking distance from a good primary, and in the catchment for a good secondary?
We will be going to stay in an AirBnb soon, so we can explore it.
Many thanks!

OP posts:
karoba · 21/06/2025 14:35

There's a thriving Greek community in Norwich with a church and Sunday school. Have you considered Colchester and the surrounding area as there's a large Greek community and churches there? Plus the train journey to London is far less painful than it is from Norwich.

HopscotchBanana · 21/06/2025 18:39

JollyTeaScroller · 21/06/2025 13:44

thanks for this, made me laugh. cambridge does not seem very diverse to me, mainly white. But it is interesting what you say about the energy, I think I would prefer approachable than sophisticated. whereabouts have you chosen to live?

My father lives in Cambridge, my brother lives in Cambridge. My mother lives in a village just outside Norwich. I have lived in Norwich and now live just outside Bury St Edmunds, which is lovely, extremely pretty, but quite twatty people too. The type that say "I live in Bury St Edmunds..." then wait for you look impressed. Image, very important. Kind of people who can't say "I'm nipping to the shops" but "I'm nipping to Waitrose " if ever an audience is present. Only impresses other Bury people to be fair. Not in the levels of Cambridge twattery, but not dissimilar to a mini version. I'll be moving back towards Norwich imminently.

ClawsandEffect · 21/06/2025 20:19

U53rn8m3ch8ng3 · 21/06/2025 14:19

Wow, I have NEVER experienced that. I live 5 miles from city centre and until recently worked in the city daily.

Exactly. Me neither. Possibly on the Larkman or Bowthorpe, the dodgier areas.

SkibidiSigma · 22/06/2025 08:49

U53rn8m3ch8ng3 · 21/06/2025 14:19

Wow, I have NEVER experienced that. I live 5 miles from city centre and until recently worked in the city daily.

Me neither and I've spent a lot of time in Norwich, daytime and evenings out. One of my DC lived there for a few years - just off Unthank Road. It's a great city!

MrsLeonFarrell · 22/06/2025 09:08

Any comments on schools could be out of date when your children are the right ages. School culture and values and achievements, pretty much everything about them changed with the staff and the pupils. I love living in Norfolk and have found it very welcoming. Not massively diverse but it's improving year on year.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page