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Original poster

Please help me find a city - not an easy one

203 replies

icecreambrownrice · 23/01/2024 15:56

I've been thinking about this for months. I'm indecisive and suffer from acute anxiety. I tend to ruminate and second guess my decisions.

I know no one can objectively say which location is 100% ideal but I'm open to suggestions and recommendations.

I have twin DDs in sixth form, am a single parent. Family in South, not close to them. Currently renting a three bedroom house in a village near Cambridge.

Have saved up a healthy deposit looking to move to a city. I love love love London but I can't afford it, at least not in the SW areas that I want.

DDs will be at different unis, I'm in my 50s, my no.1 priority is location and amenities. I just want a little house with shops and excellent transport links.

Max budget £400k for 2-3bedroom home. I'd be so happy in a cottage-style home with a patio garden.

My criteria:

I need hustle and bustle
I hate living in the suburbs
I need excellent public transport (phobia of driving)
House as close to the bustling city centre as possible

No flats due to leasehold, service fees etc
Multi-cultural - I'm mixed race
Safety is key as I'm alone most of the time.
I commute to Farringdon, London once a month.

I've thought about Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham, and Reading. I just don't know if they're right for me. Not keen on Liverpool, Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds. I spent most of adult life abroad so I still see these cities as foreign places.

I can't even narrow it down. Help.

OP posts:
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26
StamppotAndGravy · 27/01/2024 08:14

Slightly wild suggestion, but do you have a European passport? Would you consider Brussels or Paris? They've got the bustle of London without the endless suburbs with lawns and garage and boredom. I mean, they do have suburbs, but the suburbs are bustling, interesring and sometimes gritty. Direct trains to London

Doyathinkhesaurus · 27/01/2024 09:27

Duckingfun · 26/01/2024 19:33

What about Leicester?

Leicester is anything but dead. Comedy festival is coming up. We have a graffitti festival. We have a King! Big venues for gigs. Decent shops. Museums, Curve theatre, all the sports. Some of the greatest Indian food and celebrations outside India. Loads of links to China and Hong Kong. Asian supermarkets to die for.
If you live in the burbs and never leave them it will seem dull anywhere. Our rail link to London is what kills us. Too expensive.

TheGander · 27/01/2024 09:34

OP if you’re not fond of the suburbs Cheam and Sutton are not going to do it for you. My son’s at school in the later and I’ve been there for work a few times. At the very least visit and walk around before you consider them.

DanceMumTaxi · 27/01/2024 09:43

Lots of people have suggested alternatives to London, but you don’t sound particularly keen on any of them tbh. It really does sound like you’d prefer to be in London, so I think you should change your criteria a bit and stick with London.

TheGander · 27/01/2024 09:49

However OP will only be able to afford the suburbs in London, maybe it boils down to finding a suburb she finds congenial.

peachgreen · 27/01/2024 10:13

I feel the same as the OP and both those areas would be a good enough compromise for me – but of course she should take a good look around them first! Obviously we’d all love to live right in the city (I’ll take one of the houses next to the Globe, thanks 😂) but alas, it’s beyond the reach of most.

TheGander · 27/01/2024 10:20

Agreed! Mine would be Bloomsbury, alas I live in a less than adorable zone 3 suburb.

DasAlteLeid · 27/01/2024 17:53

Norwood and Crystal Palace in SE London would suit you @icecreambrownrice. They’re both suitably bustling and grit is plentiful!! I think Sutton and some other similarly suburban areas will just be too dull, you might as well live in Cambridge!

Sublime66 · 27/01/2024 18:46

I would go for a bigger house in Reading, and nip in when you want. Only takes 20mins to Paddington. That is quicker than living in zone 3-4

Mynewnameis · 27/01/2024 19:23

Sutton is fairly dull suburb Surrey isnt it?

peachgreen · 27/01/2024 20:25

Yes @Mynewnameis but it’s in OP’s budget, has the cottage-style houses she’s looking for and is 30 minutes into Central London. She won’t get everything.

Original poster
icecreambrownrice · 28/01/2024 07:44

DasAlteLeid · 27/01/2024 17:53

Norwood and Crystal Palace in SE London would suit you @icecreambrownrice. They’re both suitably bustling and grit is plentiful!! I think Sutton and some other similarly suburban areas will just be too dull, you might as well live in Cambridge!

I like CP and haven't ruled it out!

OP posts:
Original poster
icecreambrownrice · 28/01/2024 08:00

MonkeysandParrots · 27/01/2024 23:02

One of my dds is keen to get into Bristol university. Will be our first ever visit if she's successful! I ruled out Bristol as their public transport service isn't great compared to other cities.

OP posts:
MonkeysandParrots · 28/01/2024 10:35

Well, there is truth in that, public transport outside of central Bristol isn’t great. The irony though is, if you live fairly centrally, it’s fine. When I moved into town from the outskirts, we sold our second car and I walk/train/bus/occasionally Uber nearly everywhere now - and I commute to London on a fairly regular basis.

Montpelier & St Werberghs sound like they’d be perfect areas for you. Both gritty in their own ways, close to the centre, definitely walkable into town, close to local train routes, melting pots of ethnicities, socio economic groups, Bristolians and people from anywhere and everywhere else. Great sense of local community.

Wherever you do end up, I hope it’s a happy and safe landing place for you.

Crikeyalmighty · 28/01/2024 15:05

@icecreambrownrice I'm not Bristol's biggest fan because I don't like gritty- but given your criteria I definitely think it fits your bill and you dont necessarily need lots of public transport internally- the cottages I posted a couple of days ago in Totterdown, you can walk into the centre- and the buses are good- same applies to Montpelier etc-

KirstenBlest · 28/01/2024 16:06

I'm not Bristol's biggest fan either. The good bits are lovely (and £££) but the rest isn't.

I wouldn't recommend Reading. It's a big town not a city

Crikeyalmighty · 28/01/2024 16:38

@KirstenBlest it's why we moved to Bath years ago - personally felt it was like a bigger version of the bit of Bristol I liked- but far less of the gritty and grim bits, - however if OP likes gritty, very multi cultural and little cottages- Bristol has lots of it.

KirstenBlest · 28/01/2024 16:50

@Crikeyalmighty , I like Bath.

smilingeleanor · 28/01/2024 17:07

Leicester? very multicultural, definitely get a gritty city feel and your budget is healthy in leicester. Look at stoneygate area - loads of nice period properties

Crikeyalmighty · 28/01/2024 17:46

@KirstenBlest so do we. It doesn't take me hours anymore to get around either. We actually lived in one of Bristols better bits for 2 years but it was taking us ridiculous amounts of time to get into town whether bus or driving or out to motorway - I think it's probably a better experience if you are a lot more central- but that wasn't for us as we wanted a nice detached house, good garden and I don't do gritty . Given what the OP is after though I think it would suit her needs well

KirstenBlest · 28/01/2024 17:56

@Crikeyalmighty , I lived in the non-gritty areas and they were soulless.

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