Can living in Norwich feel quite isolating?

[88casey]

Hi, I’m hoping for some advice please.

I have a young family and we are considering moving to Norwich from South east London. I really like the city but I’m worried about the distance to other towns/cities.
Is there enough going on in Norwich and surrounding areas for it not to be an issue? Or do you just have to make peace with the fact that getting anywhere will take a few hours?
I would be getting the train to London a few times a month which is fine. I’m more concerned about day trips with a 3 year old who hates being in the car! Thanks

Never been a problem for me. I've lived in Norwich and London. Norwich is a beautiful city and surrounded by lots of equally lovely towns and villages. There are loads of things to do for families at a fraction of the cost of other areas in the south east, and its food and drink culture is widely renowned. Check out muddy stilettos for ideas on what to do in and around Norwich.

A couple of my friends don't drive and never complain that they feel isolated, public transport is really good as it has to be for a city with a lot of students.

Norwich is a city. It isnt rural.
Theres lots to do. Its a great place.

It can feel quite isolating in a wider sense, because you’re not on the ‘way’ anywhere- you’re sort of tucked away in a little corner of the UK.
also, train connections to London are typically good and fast, but otherwise transport links are not great, especially roads out of the county.
there are great beaches within 30 minutes of Norwich, walks and leisure on the Broads, nice villages for Sunday pub lunches etc.
Norwich itself has a fairly good selection of theatres, cinema and independent arts.
just depends how you like to spend your time really.

There are loads of places to go to from Norwich, OP. It’s also a city in its own right, not rural. But this does read as though you’ve picked on Norwich as the result of a box ticking exercise, without knowing or particularly liking East Anglia. Perhaps go there?

I highly recommend Norfolk as a place to live. Norwich is a beautiful city with lots going on. The coast is fabulous and there are some lovely villages, with the broads and some great national trust places too. It’s got interesting history and culture and is more laid back than the South East. Added to that you can get to Cambridge and London on the train pretty quickly and house prices are lower than the south.

Yes it is out of the way in terms of getting to other parts of the country.

Which other towns or cities would you want to visit? Both Ipswich and Colchester are closer to London by train but having lived in Ipswich and Colchester but now live close to Norwich can think of no advantage to visit them for their facilities per se. Colchester is an army town with a campus university with a small town centre. Ipswich is the poor cousin struggling to find an identity. Norwich by comparison is a vibrant city which covers a large area with both historical and modern attractions whose campus university is less isolated due to other developments.

Norwich is a fine city but will be different to SE London. Maybe you won’t have to do so many day trips with your 3 year old who hates long journeys?