Any Pompeyites about? Alverstoke or Cosham?

[Amphitrite]

Which would you choose to live in and why? And don't complicate things by saying Fareham or Eastleigh or Chandler's Ford please, it's taken me weeks to narrow it down to these two!

Ummm, have you looked at Denmead

Denmead? Where's that?

Near Waterlooville, not far from Fareham, Havant, Cosham, Wickham.

Just looked it up. Too far, I'm afraid. Now, back to the point. A or C? No Ds allowed.

Oh I'm not sure. Let me check with my friend who lives that way

Alverstoke.

Alverstoke without hesitation. No question.

Cosham has access to Springfield School, which is the only decent best secondary school in Portsmouth. However, the primaries are quite dodgy.

Why Alverstoke rather than Cosham? Is Cosham not nice? Am trying to organise a house move to a city I have only visited once (and that was for the job interview) so anxiety is setting in big time!

Notnow, primaries are not a worry any more thankfully, but secondaries are vital hence looking at being in Springfield or Bay House catchments. Does this make sense as a strategy?

Alverstoke, definitely.

Cosham is not especially nice, Alverstoke is quite pleasant and by the sea.

Where will you be working? Alverstoke and Cosham are miles apart!

Sidge, I will be working in Gosport, but I need to make sure we can access decent train/bus network for other members of the family to get about. I figure commuting to Gosport via train to Portsmouth Harbour/Gosport Ferry is doable. The problem is I don't know exactly yet where everyone in the family will need to get to so need to be somewhere fairly generally accessible. If it was down to me I guess I would just go with Alverstoke.

Alverstoke is fine with nice views towards the Isle of Wight. You'd have fairly easy access to the Gosport ferry if you are working in Portsmouth. The traffic up to Fareham to get onto the M27 can be a nightmare bit busy.

Sorry, cross post!

Alverstoke is lovely but the reason it's lovely is that it is a bit cut off from the rest of Gosport so transport is not that easy. However, Cosham isn't lovely. You get a lot for your money in Cosham but it is a bit rough in places. Are you sure Fareham is no good for you? It's in the middle with reasonable access to Gosport and some decent schools. It's a bit suburban.

Definitely Alverstoke although if you're wanting to get off or onto the peninsula by car anywhere near rush hours you can probably add an hour onto your journey. However plans have been passed to widen Newgate lane recently so things 'should' improve for part of the route at least, eventually. Alverstoke is infinitely nicer than Cosham (and Fareham) imo, and if you have young(ish) children a new (free)water park will be opening on stokes bay this spring.

I've seen some lovely houses in Alverstoke on Rightmove. And there appears to be a Waitrose. And a beach. All looking good as long as we never want to go anywhere else then.

Cosham is not on Portsea, it is one of Portsmouth's Overseas Territories.

Alverstoke is not in Portsmouth at all.

Have you chosen these areas because they are not many miles from Portsmouth? There is the sea in the way, you know.

Are you looking for a house near work or something?

The waitrose is small and in Gosport itself but yes it's there and yes yes to the beach.

It's easier to cycle to the ferry and take your bike across that way to continue your journey on the other side, rather than try to drive into Portsmouth at busy times of day.

PigletJohn, thanks for putting me right, see the hazards of moving to an area you've never even visited. Yes, looking for a house near work which would mean Gosport, but as my kids are all teenagers wondering if Alverstoke is too cut off to be convenient as they get older and have college, jobs, social lives etc. So thought Cosham might work as a place you can access Portsmouth and lots of other places from. We all prefer using public transport to driving so as long as it can be done by train or bus we are all happy.

Also DH works from home but needs to go to London fairly regularly.

for going to work, look somewhere nearer Gosport. It is quite long North to South. If you are near the ferry at the Gosport side it will take you to Pompey for days out or the big shops in Southsea, but a bit tiresome if you are trying to use it for work. Near a station wil be useful.

Do you work in a hospital?

Alverstoke is fine in terms of getting to Portsmouth etc; bike/bus/walk to ferry then over to Gunwharf for shops/cafes/cinema/bowling/restaurants.

Portsmouth and Southsea station is right by the ferry so can train up to Southampton/London etc. Far easier than driving really!

Driving in and out of Gosport peninsula is a nightmare at certain times of the day but not too bad at other times; the downside is Alverstoke is right at the bottom so very traffic dependent in terms of how long it takes to get up towards Fareham and the A27 and M27. Mind you the new road between Lee and Newgate Lane is handy as long as Newgate Lane isn't snarled up.

Alverstoke is nicer, Cosham has better transport links. Not sure how far Springfield catchment extends these days, you could look at Drayton/Farlington but they are really just houses, no proper centres.

There are no trains in Gosport/Alverstoke. You will need to catch the ferry over to the Hard (Portsmouth) for trains, so this will add costs to travel for teens. The upside (or downside, depending on their feelings about small boats: mine are entirely positive) is that they will have the adventure of returning from clubbing in the small hours on the night ferry, which is basically a little fishing boat and an experience not to be missed.