Oxford vs Outer London

[Indiego]

I am relocating from abroad and will (initially at least) be living alone. Have maintained a small number of friendships mostly in Outer London, Home Counties area. My main priority when looking at somewhere to live in my 400k budget will be my quality of life when there, ability to have existing friends to stay as well as meet new people. I am 100% aware of the restrictions of the property budget, but would rather compromise on property size than location. I know Oxford well from studies & visiting. I do not have to work, but would like to have the opportunity to do so for my own mental/social needs. I like Oxford not just for the physical beauty but large amounts of talks, classical concerts and so on, as well as the proximity to London. I am fairly different in outlook to lots of people but the Radio 4 listener type is probably closest to my thinking. There isn't a substantial difference between the property you can get in Surrey/Kent/GL borders or indeed North London/Herts borders and in the villages around Oxford, but I am wondering which would best suit my life goals at this stage (health early 50s). I've lived and commuted into London before and found it stressful. I also like to be near a selection of pubs and social outlets. So any ideas on my best bet?

My view is that if you’re in the London suburbs, then make sure you’re getting the plus points such as a tube, train, buses etc within walking distance. Your future elderly self will thank you for it profusely when you’ve free travel and are going to the South Bank just because!. You mention North London/herts and these places can be perfect. To me, commuter hotspots like Welwyn, Hatfield or Esher suffer from being neither one nor the other. Of course such places work for many especially with young kids.

Otherwise you are better moving to to a smaller city like Cambridge or Oxford.

good luck!

Are you thinking Oxford itself or villages around Oxford?

I think it's generally a bit easier to get to know new people somewhere smaller. But not too small - you need to have some stuff going on, a range of people, places to meet. Some villages near Oxford are a bit small/quiet or not well connected. But Oxford itself might work (it would be a very small place for 400k though). I live in a lovely active village on the train/Thames between Oxford and Reading which could also suit, maybe - though the train service to Oxford is not as good as it should be.

Might help if you could be more specific about the size/type of place you would prefer and some particular spots you are considering.

Thanks for the messages. I'd not want less than 2 bedrooms, so most likely a share of freehold flat or a modest house. My budget will be ca. 130k more in a couple of years time but I don't want to risk being off the UK ladder for that long, even though I realise HP may we go down. In Oxford I was thinking Headington or Littlemore. Take the point re free London pass but that's a good while away and I'd rather have somewhere that suits my main goals now which are to build a social life. There's no way I'd get further in than zone 5 jn London itself and yes rhe further put areas can be a bit hard going

As for Oxford itself in addition to Headington or Littlemore I d be prepared to go further in but nlitd have to be a special place for me to be happy with 1 bedroom. I'd go for a central townhouse or flat if I could afford or but finances preclude. I do love the idea of being able to walk or cycle to both the pub and classical events in town

Not Littlemore, it is full of social problems and there were actual riots at the local secondary. It’s the grimmest bit of Oxford.

Headington is nice but the bus takes ages due to traffic. I’m inferring from your post that you’re moving alone, in which case I’d look at Summertown/Jericho instead.

Ok. Yes I remember there being issues a long way back in Blackbird Leys. Headington to Oxford bus slowness wouldn't worry me as I'd happily cycle. Also I think there's an Oxford tube coach stop to London nearby. Yes I'll be moving by myself. As I said I've a few decent friends in and around London but they're so busy ime you realistically only see them at weekends when pre organised. Its a trade off socially as in the M25/Outer London places it'd possibly be easier initially but I need to meet new people as well and for that I wonder if risking some loneliness I the first few months in Oxford might have a. payoff down the line if I succeed in making local contacts via my interests and am.abke to invite the London area people up for weekends too. I'd give it 2 years wherever I choose and if finances all and I feel I made the wrong decision after that time I'd try the alternative. Am aware of course of the stand duty issue wirh that

I highly recommend New Hinksey (I.e. around Hinksey Park in South Oxford). There are small houses and flats on the market in your budget. It’s got a very friendly villagey feel but 20 minutes walk to the town centre (or 5-10 mins cycle). Close to the river and nice green walks but also on the doorstep for everything in the town centre. I’ve found it very easy to meet people around here and there is lots of community stuff going on. Bit of a hidden gem!

Also to get more for your money Kennington seems nice and is a very easy cycle or bus to the city centre. Monthly ceilidhs held there if that’s your kind of thing!

I briefly lived in Littlemore and wasn’t keen but Sandford (just down the road) seemed much nicer.

and am able to invite the London area people up for weekends too

I wouldn't count on this - I know a good handful of people who moved out of London after the pandemic, to places in Sussex or Hampshire. There was lots of talk about weekend visits, but in reality it doesn't happen - several have moved back already.

If your existing friendships are strong, and your friends are concentrated in an affordable area with good transport links to London, I would buy there. It is easier to make new friends if you already have a social network.

I like East Oxford near Magdalen Road. It's got its own set of really good food places (including one of the top 20 bakeries in the country, according to the FT). Only about a mile to Oxford High St and very close to Cowley Rd, but still quiet and residential. You can (just about) still manage a 2 bed house for 400k. I own an airbnb there and my guests all seem to really like the area. I live outside Oxford myself, but if I was moving back by myself and didn't have tonnes of money I would buy there. A number of my colleagues are buying there now (academics can't afford North Oxford these days!)

I used to live on Magdalen Road. I was surrounded by students partying all night and then coming to ask me for toilet roll because they’d run out. It’s not for me

OneDay that sounds like great advice, thanks. I love ceilidhs. I realise this is a reflection of the way SE England housing markets have tone, but I just wondered how we've got to a situation where we talk about £400k as "not a lot of money". Was reading another thread about a London relocater and £850k was mentioned as a middling amount.

When you there? The area has changed in the last few years I think. I feel like there are a lot of young families taking kids to school in the morning. And plenty of academics.

I know Magdalen Road- pub called the Magdalen Arms - but from a few decades back. I can't say I know how it is now- so may well have changed. It was a slightly rundown, studenty, newsagents and launderette place back then without much obvious character.

Someone made a point earlier about people relocating back from Home Counties, possibly partly because the promised weekend visits never materialised, Reality is, partly due to having a scattered (and not terribly cohesive) friendship group, I never did much spontaneous socialising, With the exception of the pandemic times, I found I saw the same or more of London and London area friends when living an hours flight away, as people would make the effort more, as would I on visits back.

I guess what I am hoping is to continue nourishing the London area friends but also build a local social life, along the lines of interesting talks, cycling groups, pubs, rock and classical music concerts etc. I also like the idea of being able to access London easily and be close to international transport hubs where possible.

I didn't enjoy living in the Outer London/Surrey borders area before. It was very leafy but I felt quite isolated and, after a day in central London, longed to settle down with a good book on an early evening train out of London to a Midsomer Murders (without the murders) type place where I could stop in at the local pub or at least be recognised by someone on the way hone from the station. I realise this is pure fantasy but I find increasingly it is ib our dreams that we find the key to knowing ourselves

I think Oxford will suit you well - I lived here with friends in London and is is near enough to pop into London for the night or for a weekend but also definitely feels like it has its own community and identity. We moved to New Hinksey 5 years ago and I definitely have that thing of seeing people I know almost everytime I go out. Admittedly having children helps a bit with that but, for example, there is an active scene swimming in Hinksey Lake (all year round) and Hinksey Lido, there is nice WI with young-ish progressive types (40s/ 50s/ 60s), there’s a busy farmers market every Sunday morning in Hinksey Park which welcomes volunteers, there’s Hogacre Common eco park which has volunteers, the South Oxford community centre has various groups meeting regularly including yoga, a community cafe. There’s a Facebook group Friends of Hinksey Park Facebook group if you want to get an idea. The ceilidh in Kennington is also really fun and inclusive with all ages from students to 80s and plenty of people on their own.

Sounds to me like you’d be much better off here than outer London!

Headington would be a good choice as quite a nice area with a good high street, not too studenty and on the bus route to London. The downside is that on your budget you would be most likely looking at flats rather than houses.

I'm not saying East Oxford/Magdalen Rd is the most beautiful part of Oxford. But I think it is one of nicest, most interesting parts for 400k if you are not concerned about school catchment areas.

Your last post is a bit contradictory though. If you want rock and classical concerts, that's Oxford proper. If you want midsomer murders, that's smaller villages.

I'm don't think there are any nice proper villages with their own separate identity and facilities within cycling distance of Oxford. There are pleasant parts of Oxford with some sense of community, but they are not midsomer style villages. You could try somewhere like Charlbury which is a fast regular train away from Oxford?

Or move closer along the river/trainline towards London (eg Goring, Pangbourne)

pinkspeakers good point. Probably the biggest priority for me are the things you get in Oxford proper. Id probably benefit more from being around a certain amount of the international and concert goer fraternity than I would from the Midsomer aspect. Depending on where I might end up, some of the villages are cycling distance away too. I cycled to Radley from Oxford a while back and the views were exquisite. I'm highly socially liberal, and get a massive kick out of being around people from other cultures. I have experience also of teaching English as a foreign language (more a hobby than a job given the working conditions) and realistically this is the kind of work which proliferates in Oxford. I can't be in the city centre but an ok place that I can cycle from might be good. The aspects of London I like are realistically the buzz and history of central London by day (and night if there's something on) but I got a real sense of being around people who thought very very differently to me, weren't interested in the same thing, and actually quite a sense of isolation when I was in the zone 5/6 and nearby areas. It was often an hour or so into central London from there anyway, so even if you budget 2 hours for an Oxford Tube, it isn't disastrously worse,

Oxford proper sounds good then! And I'd stick to fairly central. East Oxford or South Oxford. East fits particularly well with the socially liberal/culturally diverse aspect, but South is very pleasant. North Oxford is not affordable and West Oxford has less of a community feel I think. Or Old Marston maybe? I don't think there is much going on in Radley, though it is certainly a pleasant cycle. Avoid Kidlington. I have friends their with a similar outlook to yours and they hate it!

I think you'd fit perfectly into both East and South Oxford. Good luck with your move

I was brought up in London's NW suburbs and came to Oxford age 24 for an unusual teaching job, having had no previous connection with the city or uni(s). I've lived in the city centre, various villages, one of the market towns and three of Oxford's suburbs. I quickly slotted into the city's social and artistic scene and can honestly say Oxford City and County have fitted me like a glove. There's a longstanding fable that once you've arrived here as a Townie you'll stay for a LONG time. And never confuse uni life with town life