Thinking of leaving London. Does this place exist? Where is it?

[Speaknowfearlessreputation]

London has gotten so expensive and I am finding that the community I once loved is disappearing too.

If this is on our wish list, where would suit us?

-strong community: friendly, easy to integrate, lots to do
-liberal minded people
-creative people around (I work in a creative industry)
-access to London (doesn’t have to be commutable as I work from home, but DH and I do need to get back once every fortnight or so)
-a charming high street full of independent shops
-not too polluted
-good schools, preferably progressive schools
-great place to be a kid

Where would this place be?

I did have a snort at the idea of Macclesfield and Wilmslow being full of liberal minded people. But to be fair it's been 25 years since I lived there, must have changed dramatically 😳

I have never been quite as depressed as I was during the five years I lived in Plymouth. Something about that place sucked all the joy from my soul.

Beautiful coast and countryside nearby, yes, but the city itself is a permanently damp joy sponge.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130235534

tjsts walkable, it’s 2 minutes walk from the high street

Who said Woking? 😂😂😂😂

Sorry? Plymouth? What have i just read?

And it's over 3 hours train to Paddington

Not ideal for regular commuting

For once a fortnight commute I’d live in York.

Folkestone and Margate are very creative and walkable

I know. Some of the suggestions on here are hilarious.
I balked at the idea of St Albans being a creative hub with liberal minded artists swanning about the place.

All those saying Frome do surprise me, I live about thirty minutes away and each time I've been I have been underwhelmed. It's got one nice shopping street with independent shops, and a broken down and empty generic "Argos and Select" shopping centre at the bottom with a really depressing atmosphere. However, the sheer amount of people both in real life and on here that laud it as a creative paradise... maybe I'm missing something.

At least no one has mentioned Yeovil 🤣

Norwich. It has all the charm of a small cathedral city (not grimy) but is politically liberal, left-leaning with an art school in the city centre and lots of people working in creative professions. Living in the ‘Golden Triangle’ will suit you, and lots of nice pubs. Look at ‘The Lanes’ for independent shops, but the high street ‘Gentleman’s Walk is beautiful and a great market, fantastic library - good museums eg Sainsbury Centre. Cambridge is far less arty as it’s too expensive for people setting up a creative business. Commute to Liverpool Street is 90mins.

Yep. Stroud is like this too.
Stroud is all well and good but the locals will hate you, your neighbour will bang on about crystals and home schooling, the very rich will still look down their nose at you and everyone else will talk about how wonderful there is a direct line to London but bang on about how they're in the countryside now daaarrrrlling.
Much better to go to a nice town that isn't in reach of London to avoid all of this.
Or just stay the f**k in London if you love it so much! (Sorry - not directed to the OP but to 70% of Stroud's population).

There's plenty of us here, @orangeginaa.

I am surprised not to see Bury St Edmunds mentioned but maybe the journey to London would be too much.

Try one of the Kent seaside towns if you want something creative with decent access to London: Whistable, Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs, Folkestone and Deal.

Or Hastings, Brighton

I moved from London to Deal and the quality of life is so much better.

Folkestone is the closest when it comes to commuting and it has a nice creative vibe these days.

I live in Sheffield and I would say it ticks all those boxes except for the good schools, most of which are pretty pants but we manage.

Yeah but the traffic is snarled up everywhere. I’m not talking about anything but the grey, busy, hectic traffic absolutely everywhere except one tiny lovely spot.

It’s one big problem with LTNs, which are everywhere where I am now. They’re great when you live in them (I currently do), but the problem spreads to just outside them.

I wouldn’t want to live in Highgate either (can’t afford it anyway!!!) as every time I walk around there during rush hour I get actual chest pain!

I had a boyfriend from Stroud. It's a beautiful town and I remember being surprised the first time we went into a cafe and there was a table of middle aged hippies in big rainbow cardigans. I don't say it to be mean but there's no other way to describe how they were dressed. Very much the kind of clothes you'd buy from a shop that sells crystals and incense. I was young so I commented on it and my boyfriend's mum said "oh don't be fooled, their houses are even bigger than ours". There seemed to be a mix of people in posh farmer clothes and hippy clothes. I never met anyone who rude or unfriendly though. The only thing is that it's not very diverse. I grew up in Luton and the boyfriend said he'd never realised how white Stroud was until he met my friends.

Marlow, Bourne End and Henley creative with progressive schools?! (snorts coffee out of nose)

Also - I am reading every suggestion with interest! Thank you! And am making a list!

Totnes, Lewes, St Albans, Hebden Bridge, Holmfirth, SW Sheffield, York, Norwich always come up when people ask this question . Undoubtedly many other places too!

You need to explore Walthamstow more if that’s your concern. Hoe Street, Lea Bridge Road and Markhouse Road have horrible traffic. Off that it’s really not that bad. I cycle or walk over a mile for nursery and it’s a quiet route. People obsess over The Village but there are loads of pockets with quiet streets and people priced out of Hackney.

However if you want a car dependent lifestyle leaving London is a must.

Maybe look at SE7/SE3 SE London?

Parts of Bristol would fit your criteria. Stokes Croft is certainly creative! https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/england/bristol-stokes-croft-travel-guide-best-hotels-restaurants-things-to-do-b2073180.html

St Albans is walkable in the centre and there are buses too. Surprisingly arty with 5-6 theatres and an outdoor theatre. Excellent Odyssey cinema like a curzon but bigger and independent. Pioneer club/horn for music. Plenty of musicians, tv people, film people (close to elstree), writers, artists etc. Great state schools. Good train to st Pancras. But not cheap.