St Albans/Harpenden/Hitchin

[Foresthealing]

Hi all, my partner and I are looking to move to Hertfordshire, and we’ve put together a shortlist of the locations mentioned above based on recommendations from colleagues and other posts here. They all seem quite desirable and tick a lot of boxes for us. All are commutable for both me and my DH by train or car in under an hour. We currently live in London.
We have a healthy budget and can go above £1m if needed. I’ve looked at properties in each area and there seem to be some good options across the board. I appreciate that in some places you may get less space for your money, but perhaps the town itself makes up for it with more to do and a better overall lifestyle.
We love nature, parks, great food, live music, markets, architecture and independent boutiques. We’re both creative outside of work and are hoping to start a family, so a strong sense of community is really important to us. We’re in our early/late 30s, with family in the Midlands and friends and an active social life in London and occasionally the Midlands.
We’re planning to spend a few days visiting these areas soon, so any recommendations for things to do, places to eat, neighbourhoods to explore, or spots that give a good feel for the area would be very welcome. Equally, it would be really helpful to know if there are any areas within these locations that are best avoided.
We’d love to hear from anyone who lives in these areas or has experience of them particularly what the general vibe is like and any thoughts or recommendations you might have. From posts I have seen there's positive reviews on all but the main negative has been that Harpenden is a little snobby.
Whilst me and my partner are probably seen as middle-class hippy liberals we are certainly not snobs so we would want a diverse mix of people and vibes.

Thanks all

I grew up in Harpenden and went to school in St Albans, both great places. Harpenden isn't snobby, it used to be but much more relaxed now.

I lived in St Albans up until recently and still have friends there. It's a lovely city and I'm still a bit sad I had to move away. It's right on the edge of the countryside and with good schools etc. As with any town/city there are some bits that are less desirable than others and prices reflect that, as they do with proximity to the station. As with everywhere else the town centre has struggled a bit in recent years with shop closures although it seems to be bouncing back. There's an excellent market there on Saturdays.

There's a big theatre at the Alban Arena that does live music, comedy, stage shows etc and a small arts theatre in the Maltings now run by OVO who also put on performances in the remains of the Roman amphitheatre over the summer. The Horn near the station is also good for live music from local and cover bands etc. There's an independent cinema called the Odyssey as well.

I'd recommend going early-ish on a Saturday morning and heading for the town centre. I suggest the morning as it can get very busy in the afternoon if the weather's good. Have a wander through the market and the shops, and then a look in/around the cathedral as it's absolutely stunning (check a map as it's weirdly hard to find from the town centre) and then down to Verulamium park. Maybe stop for a drink in the the Olde Fighting Cocks or a coffee in the Inn on the Park to do some people watching while you try to work out how to pronounce "Verulamium". In the park there are more Roman ruins plus an excellent museum of the local Roman history.

Harpenden is also very, very nice. Noticeably smaller and so without quite the same range of shops, things to do etc but depending on the kind of person you are the smaller town feel might suit you better. I think you'd fit in well in either place.

Thank you for that! I know people can exaggerate at times. Do you know anything about Hitchin at all?

Wow thank you lots of food for thought here.

I’ll definitely use your ideas for a plan when we go :)

do you know Hitchin at all?

and with St Albans - would you say closer to the station is less desirable house wise?

sorry for all the questions.

I don't really know Hitchin at all I'm afraid. I've heard the town centre is very nice but that's about it.

Closer to St Albans station is desirable in the sense that it's a popular commuter town so anything that makes it easier to get to the station is usually seen as a bonus. Obviously if you're very close then you'll have to deal with noise from the trains. Areas close to particularly good schools like Sandringham and Beaumont are also very popular because of small catchment areas.

Camp Road and its surroundings south of Hatfield Road isn't great, but north of Hatfield Road is generally lovely. Oysterfields is probably worth avoiding but go the other side of Waverley Road and it's really nice. Some bits of New Greens are a bit grotty but other bits are fine. It's a real mix. Realistically your budget will get you somewhere small and possibly in need of renovation within easy walking distance of the city centre and/or station, or somewhere quite a lot bigger nearer the outskirts. Harpenden house prices are more or less the same.

Thank you this is really helpful.