# Best Places To Live In (Outskirts of London)



## FoxyRed (Jul 19, 2010)

Does anyone here live in the outskirts of London and still commute into the city?

Where do you live and how long does it take from there to central london?

Im looking for inspiration 

Much appreciated.


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## Santino (Jul 19, 2010)

What do you mean by outskirts? Zone 5? Off the tube map completely?


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## FoxyRed (Jul 19, 2010)

Santino said:


> What do you mean by outskirts? Zone 5? Off the tube map completely?


 
Watford.... Amersham...Reading...

I dont know any other places. We want to see fields...


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## Santino (Jul 19, 2010)

kabbes is your man for commuting from a bucolic leafy home in the country.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 19, 2010)

Cambridge?

Just under 1hr to Kings Cross.

Has fields.

Ely = +1 stop / +10 mins. Probably has even more fields, proportionately.

All my commuting cousins live in Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks.

Guildford? 35 mins to Waterloo? Has accountants. And stockbrokers.

Woking? -5-7 mins from Guildford to Waterloo. Home to 'Mondeo Man,' TB's target at the '97 election. Ohhh yes. Also, used to contain the closest Toys R Us to Guildford.

NB: Reading had the closest Games Workshop. Until the mid-90s.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 19, 2010)

FoxyRed said:


> We want to see fields...


 
hth!


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## Kanda (Jul 19, 2010)

Milton Keynes 

Cheap houses, 1hr door to door to Soho.


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## FoxyRed (Jul 19, 2010)

mrs quoad said:


> hth!


 
haha thanks so much for the other info!


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## fogbat (Jul 19, 2010)

Santino said:


> kabbes is your man for commuting from a bucolic leafy home in the country.


 
Perhaps there's an empty wing available at Kabbes Towers. Worth asking, Foxy.


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## FoxyRed (Jul 19, 2010)

Kanda said:


> Milton Keynes
> 
> Cheap houses, 1hr door to door to Soho.


 Wow... I just had a look... I could get a 4 bedroom detached house  for peanuts! WTF


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## mrs quoad (Jul 19, 2010)

fogbat said:


> Perhaps there's an empty wing available at Kabbes Towers. Worth asking, Foxy.


 
One of the servants' outhouses, perhaps?


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## mrs quoad (Jul 19, 2010)

FoxyRed said:


> Wow... I just had a look... I could get a 4 bedroom detached house  for peanuts! WTF


 
Yeah, my 2 bed in Huddersfield cost £50k. A few years back. In Gloucester t'other day, I saw a three-bed 'reduced for quick sale' at £70k. Uh. Or was that Tameside? One of the two, anyway. It's been a busy week or two.


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## Kanda (Jul 19, 2010)

FoxyRed said:


> Wow... I just had a look... I could get a 4 bedroom detached house  for peanuts! WTF


 
As bad a name as it has, it isn't too bad a place to bring up kids. Safe, large expanses of green, plenty of lakes, activities and shit. Just don't ever require public transport!!


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## girasol (Jul 19, 2010)

Yes, but would you be able to survive the lack of London?  Maybe.

We couldn't so we went for a smaller house in London, rather than a bigger one on the outskirts...


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## stupid dogbot (Jul 19, 2010)

FoxyRed said:


> Wow... I just had a look... I could get a 4 bedroom detached house  for peanuts! WTF



It'd be in Milton Keynes, though.


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## Kanda (Jul 19, 2010)

stupid dogbot said:


> It'd be in Milton Keynes, though.


 
..and your experience of MK is????

I lived there 20+ yrs


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## FoxyRed (Jul 19, 2010)

What is wrongwith Milton Keynes? Is it really that bad?


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## Kanda (Jul 19, 2010)

FoxyRed said:


> What is wrongwith Milton Keynes? Is it really that bad?


 
It depends what you want. In my opinion, if I were to have kids and still want to work in London, it would be close to the top of my list.


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## BoatieBird (Jul 19, 2010)

Kanda is right - MK is a great place to bring up kids.
Loads of open spaces, lots of trees, plenty of facilities.
I lived there for many years and there really isn't anything wrong with it.


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## zenie (Jul 19, 2010)

What's your budget? 

I'd say Surrey but the nice bits are dear 

Some beautiful villages just outside Guildford, or down Epsom way. Then you've got the three W's around Croydon, Bletchley etc etc

Do you drive?


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## stupid dogbot (Jul 19, 2010)

Kanda said:


> ..and your experience of MK is????
> 
> I lived there 20+ yrs



So? Want a fucking medal or something?

"Milton Keynes _Survivor_!"



I have friends that still do live there, family nearby. It's a _fucking hole_.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 19, 2010)

Kanda said:


> ..and your experience of MK is????
> 
> I lived there 20+ yrs


 
And you turned out ri...

Oh


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## Kanda (Jul 19, 2010)

stupid dogbot said:


> So? Want a fucking medal or something?
> 
> "Milton Keynes _Survivor_!"
> 
> ...


 
The idea is to bring kids up there and then get the fuck out of there!!  Not hang about moaning about how shit it is


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## Streathamite (Jul 19, 2010)

if it's commutable that matters, that means the home counties (and Bedfordshire). With that ion mind, Essex (parts of it) And Luton are as cheap as it gets


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## ChrisFilter (Jul 19, 2010)

When I leave London it's gonna be right on the outskirts. Whyteleafe, Warlingham... that sorta place. Regular, fast trains into town, near the M25, open countryside.


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## zenie (Jul 19, 2010)

Streathamite said:


> if it's commutable that matters, that means the home counties (and Bedfordshire). With that ion mind, Essex (parts of it) And Luton are as cheap as it gets


 
Luton? God no!


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## Leafster (Jul 19, 2010)

zenie said:


> What's your budget?
> 
> I'd say Surrey but the nice bits are dear
> 
> ...


 


ChrisFilter said:


> When I leave London it's gonna be right on the outskirts. Whyteleafe, Warlingham... that sorta place. Regular, fast trains into town, near the M25, open countryside.


I guess I'm biased  but the three Ws are very convenient. Half an hour on the train to London, 10 minutes from the M25 and it has a country feel to it. Whyteleafe and Upper Warlingham stations are just inside Zone 6 so I can use an Oyster Card.

Woldingham's a bit dear though  The average price of a three bed house is over £ 1/2 Mill.


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## marty21 (Jul 19, 2010)

Essex - plenty of fields - loads of train into Liverpool St


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## Dan U (Jul 19, 2010)

I rent in Reigate and moved their last year, best place i've lived i reckon in terms of what i want out of life at the moment - i.e less than an hour from a london terminus on a train and decent countryside a 2 minute stroll from my front door, be a nice place to have kids etc although it is a tad 'white' - but surprisingingly mixed in an economic sense.

some friends of mine were looking to buy somewhere in South London but their budget precluded them from getting a house somewhere they really wanted (Zone 2) so they've taken the plunge and just bought a nice place in Tunbbridge Wells - again under an hour from London Bridge/Charing Cross.

anywhere down the main line to Brighton is worth a look as well imo

i've got another mate who lives in Huntingdon, thats an hour from Kings Cross and his Mrs commutes in every day but it's a bit dull otherwise, lack of hills and all that.

also there is the new high speed line to St Pancras going through Kent, although it's ££ and depending on where you get on, it might not be that high speed.

happy hunting - nowt beats spending a few weekends driving round areas you might like to live in backed up with some research on rightmove etc


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## Maggot (Jul 19, 2010)

If I could live anywhere it might be in the Darenth Valley - Otford, Shoreham, Eynsford.  The most beautiful villages and scenery and 50 mins from central London.


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## FoxyRed (Jul 19, 2010)

So helpful!! Im on rightmove now


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## Dan U (Jul 19, 2010)

it's definitely a trade off Foxy - albeit one i suspect will be less of an issue for you as you are preggers

smaller commute/proximity of friends/nightlife vs longer commute but better all round quality of life (once you are less fussed about being able to get on a nightbus home from a party etc).

imo anyway but i have to say my 80-90 minute commute each way is considerably less annoying when, like this time of year, i can go for an hours walk through fields after work etc

plus the trains run all night to Gatwick which is only £20 in a cab when i do have a big night out 

eta - although you might want to consider your support network when you have sprogged of course.


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## stethoscope (Jul 19, 2010)

I was thinking earlier that we had a thread like this not too long ago but with the ongoing forum work I couldn't find it, anyway, looks like the LL has worked the magic....!

You might find some options on the Best London satellite town? (and there was also a complimentary worst thread)


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## davesgcr (Jul 19, 2010)

Ah the dreams of Metroland ! - "rus in urbe" and all that. depends on your bottom line , but I would reccomend St Albans if you can afford it with all the "proper" attributes of a country ish city , with great countryside to hand - Harpendon gives more modest bang for buchk if you ignore the million plus areas.

Dont dismiss Kings Langley and Berkhampstead - great place the latter - Rex cinema , canals , good pubs , Ashridge Forest - 35 mins travel on good train service that runs to about 2am !!!


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## Pickman's model (Jul 19, 2010)

totteridge is nice, and handy for the northern line (zone 4): probably forty-five minutes into the west end of city of london once on the train.


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## doddles (Jul 19, 2010)

Here in Caversham, just north of Reading we are 15 minutes walk from Reading train station, which is 25 minutes from Paddington. We have the Thames on our doorstep and the Chiltern Hills and Oxfordshire behind us - beautiful countryside.


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## kabbes (Jul 20, 2010)

OK, I'm biased.  But in my opinion, I've never come across anywhere in any of my travels that is more beautiful than where I live.  Here is a photo I took with my phone on Friday (sorry for it being dark and grainy, but the light was failing and the camera is rubbish):



That's literally around the corner from my house.

From here, Guildford train station is about half an hour away so not worth driving to.  But you could easily live in a village about 15 minutes away from Guildford instead.  They have six trains an hour that take 35 mins to Waterloo.

I drive 10 minutes to Effingham Junction station, which has two trains an hour that take about 45-50 minutes to Waterloo (plus a few fast ones a day that take about 40 minutes plus two an hour that take about 55 minutes).

After we move, I'll be driving 15 minutes to Dorking station, which has four trains an hour to London (two to Waterloo, two to Victoria) that take about 50 minutes.

So, in all, not the easiest of commutes.  About 1 hr 15 mins into the City (or 1 hr 30 mins to the Docklands, which is what I do).  But it really is beautiful.  And if you want country villages that are great places to raise kids (kids are really helpful and friendly round these parts) and feel safe and welcoming (no need to lock doors and lots of community events) then the travel is worth it.

It is expensive though, I won't kid you.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 20, 2010)

I think Leigh was nominated as the best place to live outside of London if you worked in London


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## kabbes (Jul 20, 2010)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> I think Leigh was nominated as the best place to live outside of London if you worked in London


It's a bit close to Gatwick though -- the planes aren't terrible but they aren't ideal.  Plus it's a bit "open fields" -- it's much nicer in the woods of the Surrey Hills.  Not that it's anything other than very nice, but I would definitely choose our area of the world instead.


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## Streathamite (Jul 20, 2010)

davesgcr said:


> Ah the dreams of Metroland ! - "rus in urbe" and all that. depends on your bottom line , but I would reccomend St Albans if you can afford it with all the "proper" attributes of a country ish city , with great countryside to hand -


actually, for all that I hated growing up there (smug, bourgeois tory town with far too many twitching curtains), from the POV of bringing up a family and commuting you're dead right. It's got the lot - low crime rate, Ok pubs & restaurants, big parks, easy commute


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## Dan U (Jul 20, 2010)

kabbes said:


> It's a bit close to Gatwick though -- the planes aren't terrible but they aren't ideal.  Plus it's a bit "open fields" -- it's much nicer in the woods of the Surrey Hills.  Not that it's anything other than very nice, but I would definitely choose our area of the world instead.



couple of nice pubs though, walk 90 mins across the field to the Plough some Sundays 

Surrey Hills are great though, i love being at the foot of Colley Hill

I went to a fair at Brockham on Saturday. was


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## Hollis (Jul 20, 2010)

Don't forget Harlow.  I imagine its cheap.  Good into London. Lots of greenery.  Not sure about the town centre though.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 21, 2010)

How is Leigh-on-Sea a bit close to Gatwick?


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## Kanda (Jul 21, 2010)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> How is Leigh-on-Sea a bit close to Gatwick?


 
It's not. Then again, no one said Leigh-on-Sea did they?


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## kabbes (Jul 21, 2010)

Indeed, Kanda, because I think most people when they read "Leigh"  would interpret that as meaning the place called "Leigh" and not as a place that isn't, in fact, called "Leigh".  Maybe I'm just a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 21, 2010)

Maybe I should have said Leigh in Essex then.  I do apologise


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## *james* (Jul 21, 2010)

We are moving to Staines - on the river Thames, near Windsor, 30 mins to London on Train, decent town centre with market on Saturday, near Heathrow, M25, M4 etc


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## zenie (Jul 21, 2010)

*james* said:


> We are moving to Staines - on the river Thames, near Windsor, 30 mins to London on Train, *decent town centre *with market on Saturday, near Heathrow, M25, M4 etc


 
Have you actually been there in the evening?  

Easy to get to Windsor which is lovely mind


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## g force (Jul 21, 2010)

Yeah you couldn't pay me to live in Staines - it's selling point seems to be it's well connected to get the hell out of it.


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## Kanda (Jul 21, 2010)

g force said:


> Yeah you couldn't pay me to live in Staines - it's selling point seems to be it's well connected to get the hell out of it.


 
This ^^ It's a fucking hole.


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## kabbes (Jul 21, 2010)

Give the poor guy a break, he's going to live there!

I'm sure you'll enjoy it greatly, james.


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## zenie (Jul 21, 2010)

Actually the new bars by the riverside are quite nice tbf, it's all the Ali-G's hanging around the other bits which make it shit.


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## Hollis (Jul 21, 2010)

Plenty of 3 bed properties in Harlow under £150k..  food for thought.

http://www.findaproperty.com/search...ent=0&areaid=1248&bedrooms=03&maxprice=150000


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