London rents are too high - where to go instead?

[Rentquestion]

This is for a friend who is moving to the uk from NY, where she’s from but is strongly tempted to come back here because of an opportunity within her company.

Rents in London (where we met and where she used to live) are insanely high, and not much is out there. So she’s asked me where I’d recommend instead of London. I’m not really sure!

She really liked Hackney when she was here. In the States, she lives in Brooklynish area. Where out of London, that would be an easy commute in, would have some similarities to those sorts of areas? (I can’t think of anywhere!)

She’s a single mum and has one young kid and wants to be in a nice neighbourhood where they can put down roots and make some friends.

Can she not just move further out? Parts of South London are probably closest to Hackney/Brooklyn as much as you can generalise, try Peckham, Brockley, Brixton, West Norwood.

Guess that money is an issue since it would be £1600+ for a 1.5 bed flat (double and a single bedroom) in those locations plus another £350 or so for bills.

OP, what’s her budget?

Hackney is most definitely in London.

That’ll teach me to skim read….

Brighton is the only place that comes to mind, and although it’s commutable, it’s stretching it a bit.