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!

Definitely Edinburgh!

Or Cork.

Totnes or Faversham. Totnes is gorgeous and Faversham an hour from London if you want to pop up to a show. Margate is half an hour on a train, as is Whitstable.

Dungeness-but then I am obsessed with prospect cottage which might not be enough to make a life out of. I think there is a bit of an alternative arty community there though.

Norwich would be my suggestion as it has the art school NUA in town centre plus things at the UEA (Sainsbury Centre for Visual Art). Much more of an arty scene than in Cambridge, which is too expensive for most creative types apart from Ai Weiwei. Norwich also has loads going on for kids and teen, jobs (depending on your industry) and 1hr30 into London so not as far away as Edinburgh which would be my next suggestion. North Norfolk also has an arty scene around Cley etc but obviously quite well-heeled one. Also not so far from Suffolk which also has pockets of artists eg around Saxmundhan.

I'm an artist and I live just outside Worcester. The art scene here is thriving - lots of new galleries and studios right in the centre of town. Arty festivals all year round. Upton (known for its almost weekly music festivals in the summer months, plus a lovely arty crafty high street), Pershore and Evesham all nearby with arts centres, theatres, etc. It's also a beautiful part of the country whilst being very well connected (M5).

I have absolutely no idea op but can attest to the fact that Margate was and is foul. I am from that area and Margate has been in decline for decades. How it is ever hyped I shall never know - possibly the local council has a large PR budget.

Oh in Norwich there’s also lots of art classes at places like Anteros, and a Steiner school (depending what you mean by a progressive education?). And the Library is amazing for kids. I go there a lot as I grew up there studied at the art school and visit family there. I many ways it would be much nicer place to live but our jobs are in Cambridge/London.

Oh, is Margate really not worth a visit, @RosesAndHellebores ? It’s at the top of my list for this year - mostly for art viewing reasons, but sea air and Haeckels are also a draw. I keep reading about cool new B&Bs, too.

Would it truly not be worth a couple of nights’ stay?

A night I guess - it's small and doable in about 4 hours.

There's a tawdry seafront, decaying buildings, old B&B's full of social security tenants, a not very interesting harbour, a town centre that looks like a ghost town and was never much cop. The old town is quaint but tiny - doable in about 25 minutes. I don't believe there's a decent restaurant.

There is significant underlying poverty and high unemployment. The glue sniffers of the 80s have been replaced with stronger drugs.

It's a shame because the beach is wonderful. If I were you, I'd stay in Broadstairs or in land nearer to Canterbury (Chartham for example) and do the villages too: Minster, Monkton, Wingham, etc.

Folkestone

I agree with Hebden Bridge but I don’t want it to get too popular

Further afield is Chester. It's become a very different place in the last few years - and easy access to Manchester, Liverpool, Wales and lots of beautiful countryside

I second Folkestone, it seems to be becoming quite popular with the DFL’s.

@MetaDaughter I've just looked up Haeckels. It sounds wonderful but brought back the stench of summer baked seaweed and effluent which used to pervade that entire coast in July/August. I think it's better now.

FWIW Whitstable when I was a girl was particularly unglamorous with shingle and the old cockle sheds. It had less going for it than Hernia Bay in the 60s/70s.

It would be nice to see that whole coastline turn the corner. It used to be nice, particularly when there was local tourism and jobs for local people.

Another vote for Edinburgh

I love Edinburgh but it’s FREEZING almost all year round.

In the age of global warming that's a plus. And you're exaggerating of course!

I wouldn’t agree with hebden bridge… 15 years ago maybe, but now it’s just air bnbs and stag dos. I think a lot of the artier stuff is getting priced out and this process has been sped up by flooding as people give up trying to rebuild their businesses every 3 years.
Also if you want to go to a supermarket you have to drive.

Areas like Chorlton or prestwich in Manchester could be a good fit.
Bristol is a good shout, all my really arty/alternative friends seem to have ended up there and love it.

If you’d consider going abroad Erenfeld in Köln or Strernschanze in Hamburg, as well as most of Berlin could be a good fit too

Bristol

Not really . We lived there for four years and I struggled with the lack of warmth / time spent outside, even august days had a chill. Compared to the SW where we spend SO much more time outside through the year, it’s really incomparable. Take your point about global warming though!

Frome is usually mentioned on these type of threads.

Bristol. Most of my friends are self employed in some form of creative role (everything from burlesque to full time band members to jewellery makers etc) , there's loads of live music and art stuff going on.

Clifton is very pretty with some lovely architecture and the Stokes Croft/St Pauls/Easton type of areas are a bit more gritty but with some great street art (not just Banksy haha) and independent shops/cafes/galleries/pubs with live music etc, so depends what you're into.

One of my favourite things about living here is that it's big enough to have multiple excellent theatres, music venues, galleries, museums etc but small enough that it's easy to get from one side to the other. Plus loads of parks and the countryside is easily accessible (as well as Bath, Wells, Glastonbury and so on for day trips). I personally hated living in London because it's just too big!

We live in Lewes-would fit the bill. I don’t have kids so can’t comment on schools etc. it has station 1 hour to London on train, 15 mins to Brighton.

Happy Valley may not have done you any favours then!

Forest Row in West Sussex, lots of pottery classes, couple of art classes around, lovely walks on Ashdown Forest - good posh hippy vibe going on there. Vegan Restaurants - lovely town!