Where is better to live....Whitstable, Canterbury or Margate

[Bastet11]

Hi All,

Which do you think is the best for a person who wishes to have a 'Mediterranean Vibe' in UK: cafe culture (artisan coffee shops), health food, sunlight and warmer weather. And safe, crime free, of course. With a good commute to London. And the best neighbourhoods in a place of your choice.

Thank you.

How much money do you have?

whitstable is nicest but expensive

I don’t think there’s a health food shop in margate yet 😂

It’s not warmer in any of those places than it is in London , they are 40-50 miles down the road . Whitstable is probably the best of the 3 unless you want to use a car in which case it’s an absolute nightmare in the summer months .

I beg to differ.. it's turned into shoreditch on sea!!

There's a couple in Cliftonville.

I'd choose Whitstable. Margate is a fucking cesspit.

I'm in Canterbury. Within walking distance to the town centre, which means plenty of weekend brunch/lunch outings, and the occasional weekday lunch, too (I mostly work from home, commute 1-2 days a week). Decent enough shopping, a couple of good theatres, multiple cinemas. There's a bit of a student buzz most of the year, and then tourists in the summer. Plenty of outdoor cafes, and it's quite international (for Kent, anyway). The commute from Canterbury is just about doable. For me, it's about 90 minutes door to door, with the train alone taking 55 minutes to London St Pancras.

Whitstable, while lovely for a weekend visit, is a much trickier commute and there's a lot less going on outside of the busy, touristy summer months. It's not on the high-speed rail line. We often go on a weekend though, it's very close to Canterbury.

And while Margate is up and coming, it's still quite rough in many parts, schools are not amazing, and the commute is very long.

Happy to chat more if you need any local advice!

Thanet has a vibe and people from whitstable (the original dfl's are now moving to Margate) property in Margate is through the roof and what was affordable 5 years ago is now very far and few between. Canterbury is lovely but full of students - if you want to party all weekend every weekend this is the place for you! Whitstable.. no parking in the summer, everyone wears crocs and it's mostly air b&bs! That said sadly Margate is going the same way..

@rockingbird The students are quite harmless though, and it does mean there is more live music and nightlife than in Whitstable or Margate... Having said that, don't buy a semi with students in the other half!

I have a couple of friends Canterbury way and they had nothing but trouble with students. Rural areas not far from there are a better option than town. Cartham Hatch is popular and within reach. If you drive not too far from the station.

Broadstairs is nicer than Margate/Ramsgate.

I do like Margate to visit: it is very arty, has some good restaurants and cafes in the old town but it still has some way to go and personally I would not live there because there is definitely still a lot of deprivation and antisocial behaviour.

Whistable, Sandgate, Sandwich and Deal also nice. Brighton?

The seaside towns are not warmer than the rest of the South East or London in the winter. it gets really windy as well on the seafront :).

Unfortunately most of that north Kent coast ihas become full of DFL's and it's definitely not warm - there's nothing to stop a biting wind from the north.

If you want warmer, excellent commute to London and quirky I'd choose St Leonards/Hastings.

Whitstable is so overrated- full of boring retired people. Cold and windy too. How about Hastings? Much better climate and a good buzzy vibe.

I wouldn't be going anywhere near Margate tbh. Canterbury is really lovely but is obviously a city so not near the sea. Whitstable seems like your best bet for what you're looking for. As a Kent resident though, I wouldn't pick any of the three. Perhaps Canterbury if I could afford to live in the nicer parts which I can't! Also don't think the students are a problem (I am one).

I also wouldn't pick any of the surrounding Margate areas either. So no Cliftonville, Broadstairs, Westgate, etc.

If I could live anywhere around this area it would be Sandwich!

I would say Canterbury- there is so much going on it is a thriving 'city' (really large town'. Canterbury is very practical to cycle and walk around, lots of cafes and night life (although a lot of it will be student orientated). Canterbury has better secondary schools. Its just a hub and people who live in other east kent towns tend to come to Canterbury to do stuff. Whitstable will be slightly milder in weather being on the coast. Whitstable doesn't have great secondaries in case that is an issue. Margate has a lot of deprivation.

I have lived in Whitstable and Canterbury .

People may try and claim Margate is up and coming / arty / trendy but it is a horrible place . I would never live there . A day out is ok but it is very rough and huge unemployment means a lot of unsavory characters . I’m being honest . People may say I’m being harsh but it is a dive !

Whitstable is cool, safe , beautiful and definitely has the Mediterranean vibe. Amazing in the summer . Lots of pubs/ restaurants and cafes . I loved living there and didn’t find it too small. I remember prices of houses soared whilst I was there and they have confined too. I think that I would rather live in Whitstable and drive / take the bus to Canterbury ( 15/20
mins) when I fancied it . The commute to London is not a long one at all. High speed runs from whitstable.

I moved to Canterbury after Whitstable and I remember missing whitstable. If you were early 20s then maybe you would like the buzz of Canterbury but I think that Whitstable has a really community and friendly feel whilst being quirky and having the beach .

Canterbury is cool and a great Cory and beautiful in the summer and a brilliant place to live but as I said , I’d prefer to live in W and just travel to Canterbury when I fancied it !

I lived in a flat in the main high street in Canterbury and loved the buzz but once you are out of the main streets and parks you could be anywhere. Whistable however is a gem .

Thanet is a big no - Broadstairs is the only place in Thanet i would consider .

Consider Folkestone. Huge mix of cultures , beautiful beach and amazing schools but not on a par with Whitstable.
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Not Margate.

We lived in Canterbury for many years and the only places I would live in the whole area would be Canterbury , whitstable or broadstairs - personally I'm not keen on costal places in winter, so would probably say Canterbury .

Do you have kids and what age? If they are approaching secondary age one thing to consider is Kent is a grammar school county. Whitstable doesn't have a grammar school so means travelling to Canterbury or Faversham if your children pass the kent test and you want them to go to one. I think Whitstable school (non grammar)is better than it was but worth doing research. Thanet schools vary widely in reputation.

If school isn't a factor I'd happily live in either Whitstable (probably Tankerton side) or Canterbury. Love Margate for a day trip for arcades, beach and old town but would probably go Westgate or Birchington if wanted to live in Thanet as Margate itself is very polarised

Whitstable, If you want seaside, obviously, otherwise Canterbury, but being very careful which areas.
Margate can be a nice day out.
I'd prefer Broadstairs, Sandwich or Deal.

I visisted down that way during covid times. I thought that Ramsgate and Broadstairs were far nicer than margate.

Folkestone. Nicer beaches, more going on, still only twenty mins from Canterbury and less than an hour on HS1 to London

You want ‘crime free’ and you’re considering Margate? 😅😂