Advice on Milton Keynes

[ImTheOnlyUpsyOne]

Hello, we are planning to relocate from London suburb to Milton Keynes - we have appointments to view a couple of lovely properties in Conniburrow - but I've now read a lot of negative reviews about the area. Can anyone give me some insight into what the 'best' areas are in MK? And is Conniburrow really that bad??

We have 2 young children so schools are important too.

Conniburrow is not nice, avoid!
Most of the estates near the city centre are bad, so Fishermead, Netherfield, Beanhill, Oldbrook, Bradwell Common, Eaglestone etc.

I lived in MK for a long time and my family are still there.I have my old house still in Great Holm which is nice. Loughton, is good the estates further out towards Buckingham.

Or the other side of the city, Woolstones, Old farm park, Middleton etc are also lovely.
I don’t know so much about the very new bits though.

My friends have just bought a new build in Broughton - very nice, but depends if you need to commute, as it's the opposite side of MK to the train station.

Property prices are much less than London, but actually still not cheap - especially for decent family homes. If the price looks too good to be true, it's usually the area that's the issue.

I wouldn't buy in conniburrow - I'd advise coming up and spending a weekend driving round and getting a feel for the different areas. It's over all a great place to be

I've basically highlighted the areas on the map where I would avoid. The rest are ok - some nicer than others but the highlighted ones are where I'd never live. Hope that helps!
I am a bit out of touch with the primary schools but that should be easy enough to google.
I went to Two Mile Ash and Denbigh schools. but there were fewer schools then compared to now as I am old.

I know a lot of people in MK, and the whole place just makes me feel miserable. It's very soulless, like a lego town or dystopian novel. I always feel like I can't wait to get out.

@adulthumanwolf
I lived there from 1986 until 2013 and it is not like that at all as a child. It was fantastic. I don't live there now, I live very rurally in a different part of the UK.

A lot of visitors to MK do not like it, but living there is very different. I'm not sure your post is at all helpful to the OP though tbh - hardly providing any insights into which states are nice is it?

Thanks for all your answers. It's given me a lot to go on. Definitely seems like these properties are too good to be true, they've reduced their asking price recently too.

@Megan2018 thanks for the map!

Avoid Conniburrow as many have said above. Have you considered the outskirts/ villages in Bedfordshire? Lots of greenery and close to Milton Keynes and Bedford for commuting/ shopping, whilst having a sense of community and living in the countryside.

No you really don’t want to be in Conniburrow! Also have a look at Newport Pagnell and Olney/sherington/emberton/stoke goldington. Olney is lovely with great state schools.

I live in mk and I agree that conniburrow, netherfield beanhill and fishermead should be avoided.
Furzton Emerson valley the shenleys are nice areas in Milton Keynes with good catchments for secondary schools like Denbigh and shenley brook end.
I've lived in mk all my life and grew up bletchley...some nice parts there still.

MK is not soulless it is misunderstood by those who don't know it, it has a fascinating history and the only city in the world of its kind. It was groundbreaking, look into the history of it and it'll explain why it is the way it is. It's not a great city to drive through, but was designed that way purposefully! You're not supposed to see anything but roundabouts, roads and trees driving through as the residents live behind those sheltered spaces, in privacy. New Towns get a lot of stick (and aren't perfect of course) but a bit of research really helps empower you to understand a place.

Conniburrow is rough my ex MIL lived there, used to always feel uneasy leaving my car!. The estates on the outskirts are nicer. And there are some nice villages if you go out towards Buckingham, Bedford. Northampton.

@Megan2018 's map has nailed it!

That map is really oversimplified. It puts all of Bradwell Common - half of which is in the 20% LEAST deprived areas of the country in the same league as Netherfield, which is in the 10% MOST deprived.

You'll just have to check out areas and come and get a feel for the place. But yes, if something is too cheap to be true, it will be the area.

DD lives in Walnut Tree, I really like it personally. She tells me its very quiet, within walking distance of her DP's work and easy to walk to bus routes etc. It's not the cheapest of areas but it works for them.

They also get robot deliveries which makes it fully worthwhile 😂