If you left London and you liked living somewhere arty…

[Longdrive89]

… Where did you go? I am starting to feel very restless and London is making me cynical!

We’re going to check out Stroud and surrounds this weekend hopefully.

Where else should we look?

We both have very in demand jobs (healthcare / education type things) and have that freedom. We’re also considering abroad because of this!

100% Brighton

We are also considering this. It's hard as we do love our area of London to a certain degree but the cost of living is just so high and we are fed up of the pollution. Moving elsewhere it really needs to feel like a big improvement to make a move worthwhile. What is your set up do you have kids? If you're considering abroad I keep hearing good things about Lisbon.

Bristol
Glasgow
Newcastle
Edinburgh

Not Brighton I have to say..

Stroud or Brighton. Stroud is great

It's nice around Stroud. Some good grammar schools too.

Brighton/Hove/Lewes, Bristol, Glasgow.

I've been to Stroud, just seemed an ordinary MC country town?

Edinburgh, no contest

Hastings
Hay on Wye
Margate

Stroudy here! Look in the places around Stroud rather than just Stroud itself.

The Stroud 5 valleys is a wonderful place to live, but each valley has its own feel.
Minchinhampton - cimmon & visit Winstones
Randwick - the views
Painswick yew trees
Uley - walk around Uley Bury if you can, Prema arts centre
Berkeley - Castle, Edward Jennar, Milkmade
Frampton - canal walk, picture perfect village
Nailsworth for a potter
Tetbury too
If you tire of visiting places to live and want to spend time doing the things we do at the weekend, Woodchester mansion (grounds), Coaley Viewpoint, westonbirt Arboretum, Woodchester vineyard, Sub rooms, Stroud Brewary, Tetbury goods shed, Prema arts centre, Stroud farmers market, Severn bore, cam peak, smallpox hill, cam Longdown and prob loads more...

What do you mean by 'arty'? Any particular type of 'art'?

Sorry about typos, should not post, post pub!

<waves at you from off the top of the scarp>

I’m local and endorse this message. I moved back to this area from London and have an arty background, and there’s lots to do here, plus the surroundings are stunning. You can never tire of being outdoors in Gloucestershire.

It depends what you mean by ''arty''. Artists are usually attracted to areas that are still a bit grotty but afford potential for cheaper accommodation and art studios.

It that is the type of place you want:

• Margate/Ramsgate. Margate is hipster central but still rough
• Folkestone
• Hastings.

If you want something more established (and therefore more expensive):

• Whistable
• Brighton
• Bristol

Or cities: Glasgow, Manchester, Edinburgh.

I think places like Stroud is what middle-class people see as ''bohemian'' and ''arty'', rather than the slightly grittier places that actual artists move to.

I went to art school (am a teacher now), still do my favourite thing as a hobby, and I love having classes around me as I’m very social. I like taking up any kind of new hobby that surrounds my favourite thing - pottery, basket weaving, etc. So I’d love to live somewhere that has that kind of thing going on. (I’m told Stroud and surrounds would suit me with that!)

I also like high streets that feel charming - lots of independent shops etc.

We do have kids and I’m also looking for a progressive education for them (the teacher in me!). I’m also told that’s in Stroud, but I must admit I haven’t researched that.

London has all of the above. But it’s expensive and the cost of housing - and feeling like I’m being pushed out of the areas I like - is increasingly getting me down! Plus I would quite like to look up in the evening and see the stars.

Sound wonderful! What great tips!

I really love Edinburgh. Somehow that feels like an intimidating move as we’re so far away and know nobody! But perhaps another visit is in order to stop that from feeling like the case!

Cambridge is a nice place, come and have a look

I think I like the first options on your list best - except for Margate, which DH really doesn’t like (I don’t know why, he can’t quite explain it himself). Ramsgate, Folkestone and Hastings all have people we know in them too! Which makes them feel doable! (Although we haven’t visited any of those areas in years now.)

Funnily enough, we have also considered Portugal! Lisbon felt a bit too polluted for me when we went last year, but other parts of the country are stunning.

I agree. I want a big improvement too. And I want to feel like I’m going for positive reasons rather than being forced out of the nicer parts of London because of cost. I want to run, rather than get pushed! I also want to go somewhere that feels like it has a strong identity and a brilliant community, and not a commuter place.

It’s hard when you’ve been in one major city for so long!

Bristol was an amazing place in the 90s but I think it’s polluted and expensive now. Brighton is expensive and has bad traffic. Lewes is expensive and a bit elderly. If you go somewhere cheaper it won’t have the established nature of the expensive places and it therefore more of a punt.

Put your comfy shoes on and have a weekend walking around Bristol - Gloucester Road, Clifton, Southville, the Harbour area for starters. Arty daughter moved there from London a few years ago & wouldn't go back.

Haha! I knew the first place mentioned would be Stroud 😄

Bristol. I could never live in Stroud. Agree with a PP that it’s expensive but is not polluted ?!

Have you thought about cardiff? There's lots going on, it's on the coast and not far from beautiful scenery. You'd get a lot more for your money than in the South East. There's an arty hub in Chapter Arts Centre and loads of other places as well.
The city centre is quite identikit (although there are some lovely arcades) but there are also some lovely smaller high streets in Roath, Whitchurch etc.

Hebden Bridge