Leighton Buzzard vs. Letchworth Garden City – which would you choose?

[CloverDust]

Hi everyone,

We’re planning to buy a 3-bedroom house and have narrowed down our options to Leighton Buzzard and Letchworth Garden City. Both seem nice, but it’s hard to get a real feel for either without hearing from people who actually live there.
We’d love to know what each place is like in terms of local amenities, the quality of schools (even though we don’t have kids yet, we’re thinking ahead), etc.
We’ll also need to commute to London a few times a week for work, so easy access to trains would be ideal.
If you live in either area, what do you like about it? Or are there any downsides we should consider?

Any thoughts would be really appreciated. Thank you!

I don't know Leighton Buzzard but I know Letchworth well as it's the next town from me. Lovely houses, good transport links, both rail and to the A1M. There is a retail park with Aldi, Lidl, Sainsburys, B&M, Home Bargains etc. The town centre is tired in my view. It looks attractive but there's just not a lot there. Lots of charity shops. I go because there is a shop that caters to my son's hobby. I would happily live there if I had to.

There are also plenty of schools but I don't know enough about them to comment.

@CloverDust I know LB a bit. It’s growing like topsy! Has great transport links and a reasonably busy High Street. There’s plenty that’s good about it. Just over the border into Bucks, there’s a countywide 11 plus system for selection to grammar schools. Beds does not have this so a bit more relaxed.

The old “town planned” part of LGC is lovely but I don’t know much else about it.

Once heard this: Imagine an accountant designed a town... it would be LGC.

So true. No soul... gorgeous tree-lined streets though! Shame about its personality 😬

I don’t know LB. I used to live in Letchworth.
the town is not great but good green spaces and it has a cinema and swimming pool. I’d happily live there again.

Schools are really not great, unless you can go private but if you don’t have kids yet a lot can change over time.

Letchworth was the first ever Garden City circa 1903. The concept was developed by Sir Ebenezer Howard and in 1898 he wrote about having everything you needed in your small “city” but still maintaining links with the countryside surrounding it - the green belt. He founded the Town and country planning association and his concept has been copied elsewhere. As far as I’m aware, he was not an accountant but the”father” of urban planning.

It's lovely to look at. It just has no character. And yes I realise it wasn't an accountant who designed it... hence the word "imagine".
IMO better to live in Hitchin, then you get more soul and the good parts of LGC next door.

House prices in Hitchin are crazy, they are a more reasonable in Letchworth. I have lived in both places, the town is definitely better in Hitchin but the rest of Hitchin isn’t anything special.
Schools are better in Hitchin.

I will never to my dying day understand why people are so keen on Hitchin. It's on a good train line so a convenient commute, but it's just a bog-standard home counties sort of small town.

LGC 100%