Help us decide which place fits our lifestyle best in England (Richmond, St Albans, Bath, Reading, Oxford)?

[mrszusi]

Hi everyone,

We're currently residing in Richmond upon Thames and working in Soho. We're considering relocating because, while we adore the natural beauty surrounding us, Richmond is crowded, everything feels quite distant, and there's a transient vibe to the community. Our ideal location would offer safety, abundant access to nature, a river nearby, a sense of community, and fewer crowds. However, one of us needs to continue working in London.

Could you suggest which place might best suit our needs? Any tips or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

no family or friends location to consider?

Richmond is crowded,
everything feels quite distant,
and there's a transient vibe to the community

This sounds like the start of a song by The Smiths.

I find these sort of threads really odd. For example, Bath has nothing in common with Reading. Why would someone be considering two such different places, I don't get it.

We're not originally from the UK, and we don't have strong connections in the place we're living.

Are you currently in Richmond, or the Borough of? If in Richmond proper then there are parts of the Borough which are less crowded and with a less transient community. Worse transport links though.

Have you been to Bath, Oxford, St Albans and Reading?

Maidenhead has a river and is on the Elizabeth Line straight to Tottenham Court Road for Soho. Much closer than Reading and is on the rise!

Of those, St Albans probably ticks the most of your boxes. Bath to London is a long commute, Reading is a shithole, Oxford is crowded with tourists.

Richmond and London suburbs in general are crowded in a different way from Bath or Oxford. Those cities are rammed with tourists and students. That said, I love living in one of them. Your budget will surely stretch very differently in the cities you've listed... You need to prioritise your wants and needs

We're currently living near the Richmond Bridge-Richmond Hill area, but I'm uncertain about moving further from the tube because relying solely on buses would make travel even slower. Which parts could you suggest me?

Reading is the only place I haven't checked yet. I've gathered some information from the internet.. But I've visited the places once, so we selected them based on our first impressions.

What about Berkhamsted @mrszusi ?

You've got the Grand Union canal, Ashridge Estate (woodland managed by the National Trust), trainline into Euston.

Great High Street with The Rex (fabulous cinema) and restaurants.

Actually, that's our favorite. The only thing I miss is the river because we love kayaking and walking along the riverside. But I know it's just a small inconvenience.

I've never heard about it, but I'll definitely check it out. Thank you

get some weekends away in the diary!

how long have you and your partner been in UK?

Harpenden.

There are villages in between Reading and Oxford that offer the nature and river access, as well as a community feel. Think Moulsford, Goring, Pangbourne. It may be possible to find somewhere with river garden access in some of these places.

There's a river running through Verulam Park
In St Albans. St Albans is very nice and commutable.

Tunbridge Wells is also a good option.

almost 2 years now

That's true, but for me, it's more about the kayaking aspect :) I`ll check Tunbridge Wells, thanks

What’s your budget? That’s probably quite critical.

In my experience a lot of London’s population is quite transient - by nature of so many of them renting and being a fairly international crowd.

You don’t sound like your particularly want to be IN London based on your post - could you commute from West somewhere eg Guildford.

when you say “checked”

do you mean visited and explored?

renting?

If you are not from the UK, are you after communities from your home country? E.g the German school in Petersham, the American school in Cobham.

No river in St Albans really, the river Ver is mainly a trickle if that. There is a small lake and some canals in various surrounding areas. St Albans is quite touristy in the summer, quite a busy town centre and quite spread out housing. Good railway links to London. Pretty expensive housing, but I guess you know that.