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Looking to escape London any thoughts - Quiet openminded
Comments
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Dorset? Bournemouth is by the sea and much cheaper than London and still has plenty going on0
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I am comming up for 40 and have found many places over the last 20 odd years are getting ruffer and ruffer.
As for the OP, until we have more information we might as well list every town outside London in the hope one sticks.Been away for a while.0 -
Eastbourne's Soverign Harbour is lovely.
A friend has an apartment there on the waterfront and it's beautiful. (both the apartment and the views towards the Channel). A very relaxed atmosphere.
Shops nearby but far enough away so you dont get disturbed.
Hastings is not as bad as some people believe.
Yes it has some 'not so good spots' ie Warrior Square (St Leonards) but Hastings Old Town is beautiful, very quaint. The oldie worldie feel works very well.
The new modern part of town has the shopping centre Priory Meadow where the likes of BHS, WHSmiths and suchlike can be found.
Hastings also boasts one of the last working fishing ports in the uk.
Two very different areas offering two totally different lifestyles.
Both within easy reach of London and Brighton by train.
The A21 can be a bit of a pain when it gets down to the single lane carraigeway, although alot of it has been improved.
Gatwick is easy to get to (for flying) if needed for holidays
If possible I would spend a few days in both locations to really get the feel of both places.
.My beloved dog Molly27/05/1997-01/04/2008RIP my wonderful stepdad - miss you loads:Axxxxxxxxx:Aour new editionsSenna :male: and Dali :female: both JRT0 -
Struggling to see what you really want here OP
You want nice countryside?
You seem to want city-ish living with bars, nightlife
Youd like to be near the beach?
Is the only bad thing about brighton the cost of property? Otherwise, you wuld move there? Or is there anything you dont like about it ( personally I love brighton, but then I love london too!)
Im guessing you have discounted Bristol/ Bath?
Im wondering whether you might like the top end of stockport/ Peak district borders, you can still get a train into Mcr for the bright lights but the nearest beaches up there are are blackpool im afraid
Brighton/Hove would be my first choice, Pros: The Sea, Countryside close by, Good Links to London, Lively/ Nice Restaurants, Gatwick Airport up the road.
Cons: Rental way to expensive for what it is, Local councils crap, Parkings poor, Very Dirty in may areas.
I have lived in the countryside but got a bit bored after a while but I did get good value for my money. Great accomodation, nice fields & lakes near by, people nice.
I suppose the solution is a smaller version of London with better quality of life. Bath is nice, never been to Bristol though.0 -
anotherginger wrote: »a street which is like something you would see on booze britian is hardly a selling point.
i have lived in birmingham and thought it was a great place.
Yes it does get rowdy about 1/2am but Broad Street isnt just about the bars, it has the ICC opposite, nice restaurents by the canel, the mailbox full of things to do etc. Iv lived in Birmingham and London and had a much better standard of living in brum.0 -
cashbackproblems wrote: »Yes it does get rowdy about 1/2am but Broad Street isnt just about the bars, it has the ICC opposite, nice restaurents by the canel, the mailbox full of things to do etc. Iv lived in Birmingham and London and had a much better standard of living in brum.
That doesn't surprise me.0 -
I thought this myself until I visited a few times and found it not to be the case.
My grandmother was one of them - she moved there when she was about 70. My uncle still lives there....much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.0 -
Brighton/Hove would be my first choice, Pros: The Sea, Countryside close by, Good Links to London, Lively/ Nice Restaurants, Gatwick Airport up the road.
Cons: Rental way to expensive for what it is, Local councils crap, Parkings poor, Very Dirty in may areas.
There's little decent work in the local area but commuting to London is stressful and very expensive (£300+ a month train fares, i think).
It has excellent arts and social infrastructure but despite it's popularity and trendiness, it's known as DSS on sea for a good reason because it attracts homeless people who come for the services such as day centres that are there, plus the outlying areas are full of deprived council estates.
Frankly, you'll not be able to walk through the town centre without getting your ankles clipped by a rat faced chav pushing a pram or being tapped for money by a junkie or alchie.
So it has a good vibe but isn't as affluent as it first appears. Also, I agree with this poster about the dirtiness - it's a fairly windy place but the council give out boxes with flimsy lids for recycling so rubbish is often strewn across the streets.0 -
I think Bristol is great - as a city, it's not too big but not too small, lots going on and is in easy access of some great countryside. If you want to be within reach of London (rather than being in the middle of nowhere) then the train service to the Smoke is excellent. The only slight downsides are bad traffic and houses in the nicer areas (e.g. Clifton) are amongst the most expensive anywhere outside of London.
I lived in Bristol for 5 years as a young graduate. Loved the city but hated the crappy job I got stuck in. I only moved away for a better job otherwise I would have been happy to stop there.0 -
... I like blue skies, that said Edinburgh is nice.
You might like Glasgow, then, too. It often features as a top destination for visitors in the UK but has a lower profile than Edinburgh. Edinburgh tilts towards tourists whereas Glasgow is more liveable for ordinary folk who don't need to heave their way through dawdling tourists.
It has a west end, comparable to the west end of London, which is very popular with professionals and close to a University so has loads of bars, restaurants, a cinema, etc. Glasgow has the reputation of being less stuffy than Edinburgh and the housing is certainly much more affordable - it's possible to buy a 1 bedroom place in the city centre or west end for under 150k or a 2 bedroom tenement flat with period features under 120k in the nice southern suburbs (15 mins into city centre by train).
Great transport links, the best arts infrastructure outside of London and Manchester, the best shopping in Scotland. 3 Universities within the city boundaries, 4 including nearby Paisley. Two airports, one on the city centre fringes, the other 50 miles away. Despite it's urban gritty image, it's actually known as the green place - loads of big parks across the city.
It's the gateway to the highlands and islands. You can be in Loch Lomond within 30 minutes by train or just pack up a tent in the car and be wild camping within an hour.0
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