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Original poster

Where are the nice places to live within 30 mins train from london?

98 replies

QPootle · 10/04/2007 20:09

Okay, so we're part of the can't afford a house in London for the family brigade. Went to see St Albans at the weekend, which seemed very nice. Woulnd't know which are the nice/nasty bits etc... also any other suggestions would be gratefully recieved.

OP posts:
granarybeck · 10/04/2007 20:23

We have just been through this process moving from the north and needing to commute into London. I got tons of advice on mn and we finally settled on Harpenden.

Looked at St Albans too but found it hard to match up schools and houses and areas when we didn't know the town. Harpenden was easier to fathom. Is expensive but there are affordable bits and no bad areas. Schools are very good, commute is very easy. We've been here six months and people have been so friendly and welcoming it's been impossible not to settle.

We also looked at Hitchin, Welwyn but added a bit to our commuste as went into Kings Cross rather than farringdon.

We looked at the Commuter land book which was quite useful, but you might not need it if already in London - we were a bit clueless moving from Manchster!

TeeCee · 10/04/2007 20:26

Pinner is lovely

Pennies · 10/04/2007 20:26

We've just moved to Welwyn - love it here. Nearest train station is Welwyn North - it's amazingly rural for somewhere that's only 30 mins to Kings X.

roseylea · 10/04/2007 20:27

I did my driving test there TC!

Lio · 10/04/2007 20:30

I thin Letchworth is very nice and cheaper than a lot of the nearby places e.g. Welwyn, St Alban's, Hitchin.

nulnulcat · 10/04/2007 20:36

im watford and it has some nice areas, am with the others on st albans hitchin letchworth harpenden and welwyn. would quite happily live in any of them

lived near luton for a bit and hated it!! didnt like bedfordshire at all and couldnt wait to get back to herts!! im a snob!

granarybeck · 10/04/2007 20:43

Bedfordshire school system was quite different to Herts so didn't suit us with the ages of our two.

Original poster
QPootle · 11/04/2007 13:10

Thanks all. Finding it all quite daunting and feeling very sad at leaving London, until I remember that if we stay we'll be living in a shoebox!

Any suggestions for nice areas in St Albans or primary schools?

OP posts:
Original poster
QPootle · 11/04/2007 13:10

And should have said any suggestions for the other towns mentions, Hitchin etc?

OP posts:
Boco · 11/04/2007 13:13

How about Colchester or Chelmsford - they're on the trainline that comes into Liverpool St Station.

WanderingWanderer · 11/04/2007 13:17

Sevenoaks in Kent?

Whoooosh · 11/04/2007 13:19

Hitchin is nice and continues to improve with better shops/restaurants etc.

Welwyn is lovely-would second Pennies opinion.There is Old Welwyn ifyou want a village feel or Welwyn Garden City if you prefer a bit more life.

kama · 11/04/2007 13:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

goingfor3 · 11/04/2007 13:27

Another vote for Welwyn Garden city. I don't think any of it is bad but the westside is considered to be the best part.

southeastastra · 11/04/2007 13:28

don't live here it's right ropey

harpsichordcarrier · 11/04/2007 13:29

If I hd the money (which I don't) I would live in Epsom, Oxted or Guildford.

Issymum · 11/04/2007 13:41

I live in Guildford, although I would say it's outside your 30 minute limit (more like 40 minutes).

Upsides: Very pretty High Street, good access to some beautiful countryside, good ameneties (huge leisure centre, cinema, theatre), excellent shopping, very good primary schools, one excellent state secondary and many excellent private secondary schools, good links to London and pretty villages nearby.

Downsides: Very expensive housing, parts of central Guildford horribly destroyed by 1960s town planners, rather crowded and a bit, well, Surrey.

4 bed house in the catchment area for the best primary and secondary state schools here:

Hell that's expensive

There are much cheaper 4 bed houses (closer to £400K) but I think the price of this house is driven by catchment area.

MerryMarigold · 11/04/2007 13:42

I live in east london. it is 10 mins on train to liverpool st and it is cheaper than tring or st albans!

Issymum · 11/04/2007 13:43

Try that link again:

Expensive House

scootermum · 11/04/2007 13:49

Ware, in Herts, think its 45 mins on the train into town though-dunno coz I drive in to work..We have just bought a 3 bed house for 235 k, (but the decor is very 70's, so about 250 for something more up to date I think)
Lovley 16 c high st, lots of nice bars and restauraunts and handy for Cambridge and London as well..

JanH · 11/04/2007 13:50

Tell you what though, Issymum, if you compare it to this the price doesn't look nearly so bad, given the location

JanH · 11/04/2007 13:51

(I nearly fell off my chair the first time I saw it )

harpsichordcarrier · 11/04/2007 13:55

425k!
for 3 bedroom house
in Clitheroe?
the world's gone bonkers

Pollyanna · 11/04/2007 13:58

We moved out of London last August. Where do you need to commute into? I would start your search based on the station you need to get to - you don't want another 20mins on the tube as well as the train line.

Other than that, I have heard that St Albans is just as expensive as London. What about Wimbledon and that kind of area?

Issymum · 11/04/2007 13:58

Ahem! I had to multimap Clitheroe as I had no idea where it was, but that is a hell of a commute to London. Or Leeds or Bradford for that matter.

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