Nicest place to live a commute to Gatwick airport?

[Lucielllle87]

If money was no object, where would you choose for a max 45 min commute to Gatwick?

Advice for a friend who currently lives abroad!

It would depend on their timeline, whether they were initially intending to rent or buy, whether both parents will work near Gatwick and whether they will be seeking places at state or independent schools.

Or Westerham, Penshurst, Groombridge in Kent

I second Lewes. Although parking there is a nightmare if you don't have off-road parking.

Dorking is a lovely town,or one of the villages nearby.

Brighton for an arty city vibe?

Otherwise for a train commute have a look at places around the London to Brighton Thameslink line.

Are they working at the airport or intending to fly as part of their commute?

I'm seconding East Grinstead. Just a few stops on the train, gets a lot of space for your money, pretty town with plenty of facilities.

People are dissing Croydon, which OK fair enough, but Purley is lovely.

No direct trains from Gatwick to East Grinstead

Shirley Hills

I'd also go for Horsham - I love it there. Lovely Old town, huge park, leisure facililties, community feel, unusual shops and bars and cafes.

Money no object - possibly Reigate (No direct trains to London tho) or Guildford.

I live in a town a 10 minute walk from Gatwick - it's got great transport links, it's very green (in spite of the motorway/airport/railways) and quiet unless you are right under the flightpath.

Forest Row. It prides itself on being arty and alternative. A bit try-hard IMO but there's no doubting it's a nice place to live. They will need ££££s though.

Tunbridge Wells.

Depends if they need/want/prioritise London and Gatwick

Reigate definitely if not
Kingswood is also lovely

if you need more London Cheam/Kingston

Wow, nice reply 🙄

I went to Brighton recently for a weekend - was shocked how awful it was!

There are Victoria trains from Reigate and direct ones to
Gatwick.

Croydon is a city in itself pretty much and has some really upmarket / expensive areas as well as the not so nice areas. I think it's great - loads of schools including private and access to grammar schools in Bromley / Kent. Diverse cultures, great transport links to London and the South Coast without massive price tags (for what my house cost, there's no way I'd have got anywhere as good in Brighton or Clapham Junction). Great places to get to for days out.

Saying an area as big as Croydon is somewhere to avoid at all costs without having actually done any research into it is rude and unfair, and just shows a lack of any sense of nuance or ability to do research. Fine if you have an actual reason to not like it (eg not the right location for work, or want more fancy shops etc) but completely dismissing somewhere based on vague stuff you may have read in an article online at some point or heard someone say based on no better evidence is just wrong.

We’ve wondered about East Grinstead. Is there much there? Seems like there isn’t much for families?

We’ve wondered about East Grinstead. Is there much there? Seems like there isn’t much for families?

Leisure centre, parks, theatre, good state schools, nice high Street, Bluebell railway, Wakehurst, Standen, Ashdown forest...

Hove

I would avoid Central Brighton and look more towards Horsham. Definitely need their biggest though!

Horsham is dull, middle England boring white

So is Reigate, Guildford, Dorking ,Leatherhead

@mosel plenty of people want that criteria though as otherwise these places wouldn't be pricey and in demand - as May these people moving back- so you can't dismiss it - not everyone wants Brighton or south London -- I like both, in different ways.

I didn’t mean to offend. I haven’t been in more than 20 years, but it was notoriously not great then. My old uni friend is from Croydon and would say it. I grew up in a fairly deprived area elsewhere in the country, so I wasn’t trying to be a snob.

I was wrong to make such a comment based on no recent knowledge of the area. I am sorry and embarrassed that I did - and I have mentally updated my opinion of Croydon!