Moving from Singapore to UK

[Satellite]

Hi.

I'll be moving from Singapore to the UK early 2010 as my husband has got a job there near Gatwick airport.

He is currently already there and looking for a place for us to ease the hassle when our son and I join him.

We are looking for somewhere nice to live. I will be a home mom and our child is 1 year old.

Location must provide easy access for pram (so walk up apartments are out) and preferably have nice parks/playground and shopping closeby. Also must have the hustle and bustle city-feel to it. Another key priority is that commute time for my husband should be no more than an hour. Would be nice if he had option to drive his own car or take a train.

Thanks.

It should read, "I will be a stay-at-home mom.."

Should clarify that I'm looking for suggestions on where to live.

My husband told me to check Redhill, Surrey out. What do you think of that place?

Suggestions on other locations also welcome.

Hi, I'm currently living in the Middle East but our UK home is within a few minutes from Gatwick and have lived in and around that area for years.

Redhill in Surrey has very nice areas, a fairly decent town centre and supermarkets and I believe the schools are not bad (for in the future of course) There is a mumsnet local in Redhill so might be worth you posting on there.
It is just two (or three depending on fast or slow trains) stops from LGW.

Also nearby (between LGW and Redhill is Horley, Surrey) Very small town centre with a lot of places closing down. In the outskirts of the town there are some lovely areas to live and near the town centre are a lot of estates. Some good schools too although apparently not quite so good nearer the council estates. One train stop to Gatwick.

Over to the other side of the airport you have Crawley (W Sussex) and surrounding areas.

Crawley is HUGE. You have the rather naff areas (Broadfield and Bewbush) and then the 'posher' areas like Worth and Maidenbower. Maidenbower and Three Bridges (which is next to Maidenbower) are close to Three Bridges train station which is one stop from LGW. Maidenbower is a relatively newish (started building in around 1991/2) 'estate' but is very nice. It has a villagy type feeling and there is a central area with a few shops, post office, takeaways, chemist and gps surgery and dentist. Prices are obviously higher here and Worth than in other parts of Crawley.
Crawley has a quite large town centre which has a nice(ish) shopping centre and also a lot of shops outside the mall although last time there a lot were closing down.
There are lots of nurserys and schools in the Crawley area and like everywhere, some will be better than others.

Hope this helps but if you need any more information just shout.

Hi Satellite!

Have you considered Brighton & Hove? It's half an hour drive from Gatwick and has great rail links too.

It is a city officially and has quite a buzzing vibe to it. There's always something going on and you've got the beaches in the Summer and the Downs on the doorstep for great walks.

The shopping is great and you can get the train to London which takes about 50 minutes. Plenty of nice things to do and there are quite a few of us Mumsnetters here and we meet up frequently too.

of course Brighton and Hove are lovely too Didn't mean to rule you out just thought OP meant a bit nearer.
Satellite, Pesto is right, Brighton is lovely and some lovely MNers there that regularly 'do' lunch

I grew up in this area and know it well.

Have you looked at Reigate? It's just 2 miles from Redhill (they kind of merge in the middle) and IMO a much nicer town, smaller and prettier but with lots of good shops and restaurants and a cinema, and a really good park/playground. It is more expensive than Redhill so it will depend on your budget.

There are direct trains from both Reigate and Redhill to Gatwick.

Thanks. I've ruled out Brighton as it is too far away from London. I'm basically a city girl (as Singapore is one big city) and would like to have as much of city life as possible.

I've lived in Leeds way back from 94-97 and found that too small and dull. So at least now you may have an idea as to what I am not looking for. Is redhill and reigate smaller than leeds?

Not keen on small towns or the countryside AT ALL. One weekend per year at the countryside is more than enough for me.

How do I contact the mumsnet at Redhill and Reigate?

(I'm finding it really hard to get the feel of a place, not actually being there.)

Hi,
Redhill and Reigate much smaller than Leeds so probably not for you.
There is a section on here 'Mumsnet Local' and there is a Redhill branch. In fact, I think from memory it is the only branch.

Out of the options mentioned so far, Crawley will be the biggest town. As mentioned above, Three Bridges/Maidenbower close to the main line station to LGW but also only around 40 mins (depending on train) to London Victoria.

Have a look on rightmove at properties in the areas discussed, it will at least give you a view on prices and what you can get for your money

I am living in Singapore now and am a little that you found Leeds dull - then again it has probably changed a lot since the time you were there. After all Leeds is the 3rd largest city in the UK (population wise)! What is it exactly about city life that you need/would miss if you didn't have it? Maybe you could consider living in London itself - for what we pay for our condo here you could get something fairly central !

Will your husband's company pay for you to go to the UK for a look around? I would think that would be well worth doing if possible otherwise it is very difficult for you to get an idea of where you would like to live - or will they put you up in serviced accommodation until you are able to find somewhere - then you are not rushing into anything? If not maybe you could consider a short-term let (this is much more common than in Singapore) which again would give you chance to decide where you want to live. How long are you going to be in the UK for?

Hi SNES. I found Leeds dull becuase it was mostly about students and the pub scene. I love musicals and always had to go to manchester for it. I've stroll Leeds city centre in Oct 08 and yes, it has changed somewhat.

I realised that I really wnat to live in London now. What I like about city life is the ability to travel to more than one city centre(not sure I'm using the right term here but in Leeds, there is only one city centre but with London, there are more places one could go to) with ease, the anonymity of people, varied choices of things in general all within easy reach (hop on the tube, get, and get home all within half a day). General activity going on around me.

But we have decided to stay short-term in Rehill while we look for a permanent home somewhere. (We're moving there permanently) I guess that permanent home is most likely going to be in London.

That seems like a good plan of action and will give you chance to see what will suit you and your family in the UK. Good luck with your move - it's a big change!

South London is affordable (I'm North of the river though, so can't be too specific about areas) and there are some nice parks too. If you are used to the business of a large city I'd say definitely move to London.

Where in South London depends on train links and budget really.