Nice parts of Stevenage?

[NameChangr678]

We are first-time buyers currently renting in Hitchin - we have a budget of about 300k to buy somewhere. We've been looking in Hitchin for about a year and it's very overpriced - all we can get is a 2 bed flat, unless we live in a wreck on a council estate.

I hadn't really been to much of Stevenage outside the town centre, which isn't the best, but having explored more of it during lockdown parts of it really seem quite nice. We can get a nice 3 bed house with garden and drive for our budget. I don't mind the "soulless" feel, and the separate cycleways really appeal.

I just wanted to ask what areas are nice/quiet and what areas to avoid? I've heard the Oval/St Nicholas is rough but that's all I know really.

www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/town-great-stevenage-bad-name-3405407

there is info here. Have you looked at Letchworth?

I spent half my childhood in Stevenage in the 80s before moving to the coast and whenever I go back to see friends I am reminded how spacious and green and tidy it is. It's always had a bit of a reputation for skankiness but to be honest after living in inner cities over the years I'd swap happily! Bit shabby and a bit soulless in places but with so many great things within reach, not least London and some beautiful countryside. The old town used to be the poshest bit, and North Road towards Little Wymondley (think I'm remembering it right) was very nice. All the neighbourhoods are much of a muchness I think. The newer built ones are some of the worst types of new builds from the 90s - very small and overlooked. The semis and even terraces from the 50s have great proportions though and can have really great gardens too, yes and garages and drives - the luxury!

Like I say I'm an infrequent visitor these days so may be out of date with my info!

Oh yes! I'd forgotten the cyclepaths! Imagine being a kid and being able to cycle safely to the town centre or to your friends because your parents knew you wouldn't be battling with bloody Ubers! They were amazing.

@sleepismysuperpower1 yes I saw that today actually! I've been Googling "nice parts of Stevenage" and just come up on loads of Pistonheads posts saying "avoid all of it, live in St Albans or Harpenden instead" which is fine if you're a hedge fund manager....alas we are not. We would prefer to live somewhere cheaper and pay the mortgage off quicker. I cycled through it today and quite honestly it is very green, leafy and spacious. The fact I don't have to worry about getting mowed down is a huge plus point.

I've been to Letchworth, never really thought that much of it tbh because the town centre seems a bit dead. It's also not a huge saving on Hitchin and everything in our budget is right on the train tracks. Would consider it though, just don't know much about it either.

Imagine being a kid and being able to cycle safely to the town centre or to your friends

Yes exactly - as a kid my options were either to cycle on the pavement and get yelled at by old people, or go on the road and brace myself for a trip to A&E every time I heard a car behind me

If you say which areas you're looking at I can ask my friends what they're like now.

I'd suggest looking at Bedford.

I used to live in the Poplars area which was nice and could walk the dogs through fields each morning.

Easy commute into London as well.

The old town seems nice, but I don't really know Stevenage well enough to comment on individual areas, Welwyn Garden is nice and not as expensive as St Albans.

If you need to be on the A1 / rail line into London, have a look at Baldock, Biggleswade and Sandy as well.

The houses we're interested in are in Poplars, Shephall, the south bit (Broadwater?) and Chells. We usually commute via public transport to Cambridge and Luton (well, before lockdown kicked in....) but my job might be down the toilet, so it may well be just Cambridge we need to consider. I go into London a fair bit so train links are quite important, plus future jobs. I will have a look into Biggleswade, Sandy and WGC as well - quite liked WGC when we went there.

We viewed some houses in Baldock but it was a very small town and didn't seem to have much apart from pubs. We both quite like going out for brunch/coffee, so somewhere where you can easily walk/cycle to cafes and restaurants would be good. Hitchin is obviously ideal for this but our mortgage payments would be enormous....

What kind of budget do you have, OP? Letchworth is a nice family town, lots of nice parks and the town centre isn't bad, there is a cinema etc. Don't know how they would compare to the areas you were looking at in Hitchin though.

@sleepismysuperpower1 Our budget is around 300k. I'm thinking Stevenage because our family live other sides of the M25, so don't want to be too far north, and if the town didn't have safe cyclepaths then we have to live within walking distance of the train station - which for Hitchin/Letchworth isn't possible for that price unless it is right on the tracks or something is really wrong with it. We both try and avoid driving to work if poss. Obviously if house prices collapse like people are predicting, then we may be in with a chance in Hitchin! Also we seem to keep going to Stevenage for hobbycraft/laserquest/Nando's/trampolining so would make sense to live there.

We had an offer accepted on a flat in Hitchin for 300k but in light of corona and being stuck indoors for 2 months, we are going to pull out, as it feels totally overpriced and like we are just paying for some developer's choice of kitchen and bathroom. It would be nice to buy somewhere we can put our own stamp on, and with outdoor space.

Although if it's mainly on residential roads then I guess cycling at rush hour would be fine - I just wouldn't want to do it on Hitchin main roads and roundabouts at 8am, it would be like playing Frogger....

ah, okay. Knebworth might also be worth a look? It has its own shops and train station but is only a 20 minute bike ride/ 5 minute drive to Stevenage. there is currently a 2 bed house on the market for £290,000 link on a private road.

I grew up in Stevenage. Chells Manor (roads like Chalkdown, Uplands, the White Way) is the nicest area IMO though most of the east side of the town is good. Parts of the rest are all good too, it's rare to find a whole area that I'd avoid, although I'm not a fan of Bedwell I have friends who live there happily. Broadwater Hertford Road area is nice.

Personally I'd avoid the east end of the Great Ashby area - very crampt. The other end towards Martins Way is nicer, they were the first phases and much more spacious.

I think there's planning pending for a new development between Gresley Way and Walkern, so don't rely on those field views if you look at houses round there.

Traffic can be very heavy along the main routes. The cycling network is fabulous and I miss it now. I used to cycle across the town a few times a week and never had to cross a road.

If you're heading to Cambridge for work, I would also explore further up the A1, like Stotfold, Sandy, Biggleswade. But tbh when I lived up that area I still drove to Stevenage for most major shops and social stuff. There's a retail park at the Biggleswade junction now which helps reduce that a bit.

I dated someone in uni for a while from Stevenage - it was short lived as we were a dreadful match but I spent a bit of time there. Unfortunately I can’t for the life of me remember where he lived, and though I’ve briefly looked at the map for a familiar street name I can’t pick it out. I remember the house though - 50s terrace, pretty spacious, and quite nice. Stevenage is a little soulless but so are most modern settlements. If it has most of the amenities you’re looking for and it will give you a better standard of living then why not?!

Could you ask what shephall is like please?

Of the areas you mention Poplars is the nicest OP.

Stevenage is divided into neighbourhoods but it’s more subtle than that there is good (and bad) everywhere. Check our crime stats and access to the cycle path network if it’s important to you.