Hemel Hempstead - does anyone know much about this area?

[velvetviolet]

Hey!

We are a young couple and looking to buy our first home and have seen a few properties in Hemel-Hempstead ! We aren't from the area and wondered if anyone knows much about Hemel itself (in particular living near the station). Are there certain areas to focus on / areas to avoid - I know Boxmoor is gorgeous but slightly out of the budget :(

Most importantly - Is it a safe place to live / is there much crime?

Is there a community feel? As a young couple would be great to know if it has other young couples / young families in the area so we feel like we fit in?

I also have to commute into London, is this an OK commute?

Would love to hear if anyone knows more about the area - thank you!

Bumped as im curious to know. Currently renting in London and exploring commutable areas. Have no family local so have no idea what areas are good/bad/worth it.

Hi I’ve name changed to see if I can help you. I’m in Hemel and have lived here pretty much my entire life. What kind of property are you looking for? What budget do you have? Where are the properties you’ve liked?

Another Hemel resident here. Born here, moved to london then came back here after having children. Where exactly do you need to commute to in London?

I also have to commute into London, is this an OK commute?

yes!

Yes. Station is not really in the town though.

The shopping centre isn’t great. It is relatively inexpensive for a reason. Berkhamsted is much nicer! HH has great motorway links and it’s very much a London overspill place back in the day. I would look around any station town on the Euston route. HH isn’t really the best but is convenient!

I think @PresentingPercy makes some valid points. Hemel is quite a functional town in that sense. The shopping centre isn’t the type you’d plan a day trip to in order to get something special, but it’s perfectly ok for day to day stuff and errand running.
There are some nice pubs for meals and the old town also has some nice restaurants. But it’s doesn’t have a thriving nightlife in a concentrated area. There’s no nightclub any more either. But it is very handy for places nearby that do offer these things. I’m HP1 so I can be in Berkhamsted in around ten minutes or so on a clear run. St Albans is around twenty minutes away, Watford about the same. London is easy to get into (Euston) and then there’s places like Brent Cross or Milton Keynes in easy reach. So for me it works well as I can afford to live here and still access good nightlife, restaurants and shopping when I want them - just not on foot.

What is your budget? There is not much housing near the station . The railway runs parallel to the A41 so between the railway and the road isn’t really desirable.

It depends on how far you’ll walk. We are only 12 minutes walk away and aside from Boxmoor, you’ve got Chaulden and a little bit of Warners end that’s walkable. Plus there’s Apsley station, so you’ve got plenty around there. The manor estate has lovely housing and is walkable from Apsley station.

I know an old thread but I'm looking at Hemel Hempstead, specifically Boxmoor - family of 4 from SE London, somewhere quieter and green but still convenient (public pool, cinema, functional shop) and fairly anonymous (i.e. not a village)

I like HH compared to St Albans, Harpenden, Berk (find these a bit too 'posh' for me)

I will commute to central London (West end) 2-3x a week and DH occasionally up North.

We are looking at private primary then try for St Albans and Berkhemsted secondary. One DC might suit comp better - bright but dyslexic and less inclined to learning. Also wondering what the local HH school is like?

Another Hemel resident here. Can't say anything about the schools (no kids), but the town is nice to live in. Yes, it's not posh like St Albans or Berkhamsted - but that is why it is much cheaper to buy a property here. When I hear that people call Hemel names - they clearly haven't been to any dodgy areas in London :)

We bought our first property in HH primarily for functionality and access. It's been absolutely fine. It has everything we need within a reasonable distance and if we want to go to the "nicer" areas we can do so with ease. I commute into London regularly (and also use the M25) and we have family in the North and South so needed to be in the middle. There are some not so nice areas but I find this to be the case with everywhere and as we grew up using a car to get most places it was never a shock to have to do it here.

We are about to move to our next house and will be moving to nearby village (Kings Langley). It's slightly more rural and "cosy" but again, accessible to everything you need. Personally, I think it gets a bad rep and you get more for your money. Berkhamstead/St Albans are great but to be in walking distance of the high street you need huge budgets or you need to accept a tiny house on a squished road with no parking and we wanted more space so here we are!

@milkshakeandchips5 i think it only gets bad reputation in Mumsnet, to be honest :) in real life - everyone I know likes Hemel, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with it! Boring - maybe, but actually in the last 10 years it has developed a lot. One of the most important things for me - there is no problem to park pretty much anywhere, and virtually no traffic - something that is always a problem in St Albans or Berkhamsted.

I lived there for nearly a decade. It's ok. My knowledge is 15 years out of date but parts of grovehill weren't great. Woodhall farm was better but you'd be best off nearby like Tring or berkhamstead.

GAH. Just saw its a zombie resurrected for similar advice!
Boxmoor is nice. We used to have dinner on our anniversary at the boxmoor lodge.

Feldon is also lovely

It's absolutely fine. Also relocated here from SE London. Not sure about your schools plan - for secondary you mean private? As you wouldn't get into a state school in Berkhamsted or St Albans. It's very much done on distance. HH school is alright.