# Worth living in Redhill?



## Absref (Oct 16, 2015)

Hey Guys,

I've been offered a position in Redhill and will be moving to the area in the new year (from South Africa). Has anyone here lived there in their mid to late 20's, from what I can see online it looks kinda dull...

I'm playing with the idea of moving to Guildford and commuting in for work but it's pretty damn expensive, any suggestions? I'm not into the clubbing scene but still like having random things to do.

Appreciate any input, thanks


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Oct 16, 2015)

Redhill is pretty dull, sim667 can fill you in on that.

Guildford isn't exactly buzzing, but at least it is busy and has a couple of (really shit) clubs and lots of nice and busy pubs. The whole area is expensive as hell though, will you have a car or commuting by public transport? There are some cheaper areas of Guildford like Onslow Village, but cheap is relative...


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## Absref (Oct 16, 2015)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Redhill is pretty dull, sim667 can fill you in on that.
> 
> Guildford isn't exactly buzzing, but at least it is busy and has a couple of (really shit) clubs and lots of nice and busy pubs. The whole area is expensive as hell though, will you have a car or commuting by public transport? There are some cheaper areas of Guildford like Onslow Village, but cheap is relative...



The rent does look pretty high in Guildford, any opinions on the places around Redhill, like Horley, Crowley and Epsom?

At first I wont have a car but will probably get one soon after arriving, can't imagine life without own transport plus the train tickets from Redhill to Guildford add up to about 300 pounds a month...


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## maomao (Oct 16, 2015)

You can sleep for free in Gatwick Airport if you're ok with roughing it a bit.


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## Dan U (Oct 16, 2015)

Redhill is fine if you want reasonably affordable rents and easy access to London on fast trains that run quite late. 

The Guildford to Redhill rail line, while picturesque is prone to massive delays and can take
 yonks. 

Redhill is on the edge of loads of countryside, the North Downs etc if that is your thing. 

If you want to get drunk with students, it's handily placed for more upmarket and expensive Reigate. 

sim667 is def your man for this


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## sim667 (Oct 16, 2015)

I do live in Redhill indeed, I'm 32 and have been round here for a long time now, 7 years.... but I've been socialising in the area for about 16 years.

Its not the best place in the world, but its not the worst..... So redhill itself is currently undergoing a massive facelift, they're putting in cycle lanes and doing the town centre up, its getting a cinema, and theres some bog standard pubs and a snooker hall. There's some quite nice pubs outside the town centre, and some nice houses. Benefit wise, it as a good train link with both brighton and london, although the service provider isn't the best (southern service). Off the top of my head travel into london is about 24 quid on peak and about 13 quid off.... travel to brighton is about 11 quid. Both take about 45 mins. About a mile away you've got Reigate, which is a nice old market town, and more expensive to live in, but the transport to london is just another change and can be a total pain in the arse. Reigate has lots of restaurants and nice shops. There's a push at the moment to get redhill included in the london train zones, so that may be worth a consideration too.

Luckily for you I also went out with a girl who lives in guildford, so know that well too. Guildford is pretty damn expensive to live, but i really like it, there's a lot going on (its a university town), and parking is a nightmare. Im not 100% sure on the train service there, but its a pain to get to brighton as its over toward portsmouth..... I think travel to london on the train is quite a lot more pricey too. I think its over an hour redhill to guildford on the train, and thats without delays.

Horley is just as boring as Redhill. But a  little cheaper. Stuff isn't as close together as in Redhill there either. Crawley is a hell hole spawned of the new town era...... I would never even consider living in Crawley, I hate it with a passion. Epsom is nice, but I think its a bus to get to redhill in the morning, and I have no idea what buses are like because I never use them.

So basically the summation is good things about Redhill..... 1. Its easy to get out of, by plane, train or car, 2. Its going under a big regeneration process and has a good amount of amenities. Negatives 1. There are nicer towns nearby, but they're more pricey.

Im quite happy here, but I've got a big friend base, and knew the deal before I got here. If you don't know the area, then it might be worth basing yourself in Redhill and get to know the different places around the area and see how you feel about it..... When you first move somewhere, its probably easier to be closer to work, and then you have less travelling to and from work, and have the energy to explore...... Just a suggestion.

Another benefit of Horley and Redhill is they're both less than 15 mins on train from Gatwick.

If you want any more advice, or even for me to ask around about house shares and stuff feel free to PM me. I know you're not into clubbing as you've said, but I do know the pubs and stuff. Im a big raver and live music fan, so I go to london or brighton pretty regularly instead of staying locally.

Where are you going to be working if you don't mind me asking?


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## Dan U (Oct 16, 2015)

Epsom to Redhill on the bus would be a monumental ball ache of a commute.


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## Puddy_Tat (Oct 16, 2015)

Think I went to Redhill for a job interview a year or two back.  Or maybe it was Reigate.  I really can't remember. 

This (Surrey CC) is home for bus info for the Redhill patch.

Bus 405 is a London bus service and is Oyster Card-able for the same fare as any other London bus service, even though it goes all the way out to Redhill.

The rest of the buses out there are non London services, so largely self financing unlike London bus services, so broadly less frequent (and often not running evenings & Sundays) and more expensive than London.   Metrobus do have some 24/7 (or almost 24/7 routes) based on Gatwick, though.

Epsom to Redhill is bus 460 which is about every hour.  And the morning peak buses towards Redhill will probably be full of school kids.

From quite a while back (when I went after another job in similar sort of patch) the message was that housing would cost less if you went in to Sussex rather than Surrey.

And if you're not aware, National Rail Enquiries has a season ticket price enquiry page here


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## Absref (Oct 16, 2015)

Thanks guys, loads of really good info here.

Sim667, I think you've got the right idea with setting up in Redhill as a base and going from there at a later stage if need be. Biggest priority is definitely getting to and from work, ending up on the wrong train heading to Wales probably wouldn't go down too well.

I'm still amazed at how close everything is in the UK, down here the closest neighboring town is 60 miles away...

How do you find travelling back from London going through Croydon at night? A friend living in London described Croydon as being 'stabby', not sure if it's just hype or something to be wary of.

I'm going to be working at a firm right by the train station so I'll probably try find a place right around there as well.

Thanks again for all the info!


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## sim667 (Oct 17, 2015)

Absref said:


> Thanks guys, loads of really good info here.
> 
> Sim667, I think you've got the right idea with setting up in Redhill as a base and going from there at a later stage if need be. Biggest priority is definitely getting to and from work, ending up on the wrong train heading to Wales probably wouldn't go down too well.
> 
> ...



Croydon isn't all that bad, I grew up round there, and it's certainly got less rough since people can't afford to live in London any more..... Croydon is also becoming expensive to live in so I guess Redhill is one of the next major towns down.

There's lots of new flats being built in Redhill, so if your looking for a flat to yourself, one should be easy to find, but you'll pay a premium. I live in a part of Redhill called Earlswood, which is quite nice, as is St. John's. Both about a 15 min walk from Redhill station, I work right in the town centre, and cycle in. Get out of bed bed 8.20, shower, in the office by nine. So it's very close.

Merstham is out the other way and also a bit cheap, and probably about a 25 minute walk into town. But not as nice in my opinion. Both merstham and Earlswood have their own train stations too one the same line as London-Redhill-Brighton.

The other part which is quite nice is raffles bridge, which is about a 5-10 min walk out toward Reigate, but then stuff gets really pricey over that way.

Avoid the Cromwell estate, it can be quite rough, although it's slowly all getting pulled down. 

If you're working by the station though it's a very easy part of town to get to...... It sounds like you'll be working in one of the big offices there, I could probably guess the company 

There's lots of nice walks and bike rides around here too out in the country


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## Absref (Oct 17, 2015)

sim667 said:


> Croydon isn't all that bad, I grew up round there, and it's certainly got less rough since people can't afford to live in London any more..... Croydon is also becoming expensive to live in so I guess Redhill is one of the next major towns down.
> 
> There's lots of new flats being built in Redhill, so if your looking for a flat to yourself, one should be easy to find, but you'll pay a premium. I live in a part of Redhill called Earlswood, which is quite nice, as is St. John's. Both about a 15 min walk from Redhill station, I work right in the town centre, and cycle in. Get out of bed bed 8.20, shower, in the office by nine. So it's very close.
> 
> ...



Think it gets a bad reputation from the riots a few years ago, as soon as you google Croydon up pops videos of looting and violence... I have just spent the week in Johannesburg so I think 'threat level' is a pretty relative term.

I'm still in two minds about whether or not to do a flatshare, you never really know who you could end up living with but perhaps living with locals would be a good thing.
Thanks, seen some nice places in Earlswood and good to know you can get around so quickly. You must get soaked cycling in every day.

Ha ha yeah I was reluctant to mention the company name, everything has been discussed but the final papers still need to be signed next week to make everything official.

It actually sounds like Redhill, although not a thriving metropolis, is a pretty decent place to live. Quite keen to get out there and see it all first hand.

-


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Oct 17, 2015)

Hope it all works out well for you. 

Regarding house sharing; I think sim667 does that, so probably best avoided in case you end up shacked up with him...


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## kabbes (Oct 17, 2015)

Reigate seems nice to me -- always looks like it has a bit of a buzz when I drive through it, but I have to admit that I've not really spent lots of time there.

Guildford to Redhill sounds like a horrible commute to me.  I'd avoid that if possible.  

Are you planning to drive or take public transport?


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## kabbes (Oct 17, 2015)

Absref said:


> At first I wont have a car but will probably get one soon after arriving, can't imagine life without own transport plus the train tickets from Redhill to Guildford add up to about 300 pounds a month...


sorry, just saw this.

If you're planning to drive at some point, it does change things a bit.  You can't tell what traffic is like just from looking at maps -- a bit of local knowledge helps.  And from that point of view, I have to say that I would avoid like the plague having to drive from the Guldford area to the Redhill area on a regular basis.  Better is to look east of Redhill.  Sevenoaks, for example, will only take you 15-20 minutes drive (although Sevenoaks is likely to be a bit familyville for you at this point).


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## Puddy_Tat (Oct 17, 2015)

kabbes said:


> Sevenoaks, for example, will only take you 15-20 minutes drive (although Sevenoaks is likely to be a bit familyville for you at this point).


 
I make it 17 miles from junction 5 to junction 8 of the M25, plus however far it would be from any location in Sevenoaks to centre of Redhill.

While I don't know that direction of that bit of the M25 in rush hours, wonder if that might be a bit optimistic?


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## kabbes (Oct 17, 2015)

Puddy_Tat said:


> I make it 17 miles from junction 5 to junction 8 of the M25, plus however far it would be from any location in Sevenoaks to centre of Redhill.
> 
> While I don't know that direction of that bit of the M25 in rush hours, wonder if that might be a bit optimistic?


It's a journey I do pretty regularly -- I live near Dorking and my brother in law lives in Sevenoaks.  It's quick, is the point, even though it's a long way.  That bit of motorway is normally fairly light.  In contrast, the bit to the west of Redhill is insanely busy at all times.


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## sim667 (Oct 18, 2015)

Absref said:


> Think it gets a bad reputation from the riots a few years ago, as soon as you google Croydon up pops videos of looting and violence... I have just spent the week in Johannesburg so I think 'threat level' is a pretty relative term.
> 
> I'm still in two minds about whether or not to do a flatshare, you never really know who you could end up living with but perhaps living with locals would be a good thing.
> Thanks, seen some nice places in Earlswood and good to know you can get around so quickly. You must get soaked cycling in every day.
> ...



I think croydons got a bad rep from the riots, but also it did used to be fairly rough, I've been mugged in Croydon albeit 15 years ago now.

And no I don't get soaked cycling, it doesn't rain every day lol.


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## sim667 (Oct 18, 2015)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Hope it all works out well for you.
> 
> Regarding house sharing; I think sim667 does that, so probably best avoided in case you end up shacked up with him...


I'm currently trying to encourage my lodger to move out, so I can live on my own ;D


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## classicdish (Oct 18, 2015)

Absref said:


> How do you find travelling back from London going through Croydon at night? A friend living in London described Croydon as being 'stabby', not sure if it's just hype or something to be wary of.



Just to give you a bit of context:

South Africa murder rate = c. 30/100,000

UK murder rate = c. 1/100,000

London Borough of Croydon murder rate (nb. population = c. 376,000) 
12 months to August 2015 = 1 (= 0.3/100,000)
12 months to August 2014 = 6 (= 1.6/100,000)

(also about half of UK murders are domestic disputes or arguments between people who know each other and happen in private homes)

Just use a bit of common sense and there is nowhere in London (or the UK generally) that is a "no-go area". For example this is a list of things I do to avoid trouble: 

eg 1 try and avoid getting lost on a dark housing estate at night away from a main road
eg 2 be a bit more careful on Fri/Sat night around town centre pubs/clubs at closing time 
eg 3 avoid buying drugs off street dealers and avoid getting into arguments with drunk squaddies / bouncers / hardmen /police officers / wannabe gangsters etc
eg 4 avoid walking around the streets chatting away on an £800 iphone and if you must then keep looking around you eg for snatch-and-cycle kids on bikes
eg 5 resist the urge to tell the obnoxious afternoon crowd of schoolkids to shut-the-fuck-up on the buses
eg 6 always lock up bicycles with heavy-duty locks preferably somewhere without direct roadside/van access and take off all removable and quick-release accessories
eg 7 if you have a "distinctive" accent and/or appearance then exercise a bit of 'volume control' in a new pubs at least until you have sussed out what kind of regulars it has and how they are reacting

Anyway here's a bit of Croydon flavour while we are on the subject:


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## Absref (Oct 18, 2015)

Thanks guys! Plenty of info to get me started here, and not beaten up by school kids haha


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## smmudge (Oct 21, 2015)

Just so you know Redhill is a bitch for driving into on a weekday morning, and once you get here there's nowhere to park. Knowing the companies around here I doubt you will have a parking space.

I don't care for Redhill that much but I grew up here. My girlfriend and I are currently putting plans in action to move to Manchester.

Hope that helps.


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## plurker (Oct 21, 2015)

Has anyone set up suburban75.net yet?


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## sim667 (Oct 23, 2015)

smmudge said:


> Just so you know Redhill is a bitch for driving into on a weekday morning, and once you get here there's nowhere to park. Knowing the companies around here I doubt you will have a parking space.
> 
> I don't care for Redhill that much but I grew up here. My girlfriend and I are currently putting plans in action to move to Manchester.
> 
> Hope that helps.



Have you seen the traffic since the re-introduction of the 2 way system? Its been atrocious.

There is plenty of parking, its just bloody expensive...... Gloucester road car park is almost always half empty, but I've had to park there for an afternoon whilst at work once..... £5 for about 3 hours iirc.

Thats why I cycle to work


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## hash tag (May 23, 2020)

Used to live on Croydon and worked in Redhill for a few years. Refill is good for trains to London but would much sooner live in Reigate. Has Redhill become a bit of a ghost town lately. Used to do great bike rides from Croydon down to Redhill, along A25 to Oxted area then head back North to Croydon. Great training rides. 
coming back to OP, I wonder where Absref ended up?


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## sim667 (May 25, 2020)

hash tag said:


> Used to live on Croydon and worked in Redhill for a few years. Refill is good for trains to London but would much sooner live in Reigate. Has Redhill become a bit of a ghost town lately. Used to do great bike rides from Croydon down to Redhill, along A25 to Oxted area then head back North to Croydon. Great training rides.
> coming back to OP, I wonder where Absref ended up?


I mean Redhill is a ghost town at the moment because of the lockdown, but once the new cinema is completed and the other stuff they’re building I think it will be quite a bustling little town


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