Eastleigh

Catatonia

What is Eastleigh (Hampshire) like to live in? What are the areas to avoid or seek out?

I have heard that Bishopstoke is nice; is this true? Also, what are the roads nearish to the centre like e.g. The Crescent, Kipling Road?

I'm looking for somewhere with a bit of life, hence the need to be within walking distance of the centre, as Chandler's Ford is too quiet for me. But I don't want to end up somewhere rough.

TrickyDicky101

Bishopstoke is nice - it is at least a 10 minute walk from the centre of Eastleigh though (could be more like 25 minutes depending on which bit of Bishopstoke you live in). I am biased, but given the choice I would choose Bishopstoke over Eastleigh every day of the week.

Weren't you looking in Winchester? What happened? What kind of place are you after? Bishopstoke seems to have a good range from 1 bed flats up to 4 or more bed houses.

Catatonia

Well my Winchester house looks like it might not go ahead as the seller is refusing to drop the price to our survey valuation.

There's not much about in Winchester that I haven't seen, so I was thinking about widening my search as it will allow me more for my money, so I can actually get a character property which is what I really want. I can't decide between getting a bigger/ nicer property or having a shorter commute though!

That's good that Bishopstoke would be nice. I think a 15/20 min walk to the centre would be fine. I'm looking at a 3 bed house, preferably Victorian/ or 1930s.

TrickyDicky101

You'll be wanting to look in Old Bishopstoke then. There aren't that many properties of that age however, so your choice will be somewhat restricted (and what ones there are seem to come on the market infrequently). My parents have lived in Old Bishopstoke for the past 30 years or so. There are some very nice areas. There is also quite a lot of 50s/60s ex-LA housing stock. These seem to come on the market more frequently, but I would argue these are not in the more desirable locations in Bishopstoke. You pays your money and makes your choice though.

Colden Common is another potential area, but it's a fairly quiet neighbourhood (and mid way between Winchester and Eastleigh) so may well not meet your needs (it's like some areas in Chandlers Ford in fact!).

Richard_Webster

Kipling Road is the only area of Eastleigh proper with the classic 1930s largish semis - there are some on the busier Leigh Road as well.

Most of central Eastleigh (apart from the new Barratt Pirelli estate) has older 1900s railway terraces. The Crescent and nearby roads are reckoned slightly better than the main gridiron of 100 year old terraces in the roads south of the small park.

Old Bishopstoke has some character but is quieter and you have to hike past the playing fields and over a couple of branches of the Itchen to get into the town centre. The rest of Bishopstoke consists of modern estates.

In the mornings the queue over Bishopstoke Railway Bridge to get into Eastleigh tails back a long way. My secretaries live out that way and this week being half term (and less traffic) they were in remarkably early because they set out at their usual time! Also if you want motorway access then Bishopstoke is not so good for that purpose.

If you are looking for "life" it depends what you mean by that. Although I'm sitting typing this in Eastleigh - working late - I don't live in the town so I don't know what it is like late at night. Winchester - your original thought - would have more "life" - as would central Southampton.

Catatonia

Thanks, both. I will take a look at Colden Common but if it's anything like Chandler's Ford then it may not be for me! I think if I were to go for Bishopstoke or Eastleigh, I'd definitely want an older property rather than 50/60s house to make up for the slightly longer commute.

That's very useful to know about the traffic problems in Bishopstoke. Although if I live near enough to the station to walk then it might not be so much of a problem (and I guess even if I live further I could cycle to avoid traffic). But on days when I want to drive it might get quite frustrating, so I might do some test journeys in the morning.

By life I mean a few nice bars and restaurants, which CF seems to lack. Eastleigh doesn't have as much of a range as Soton or Winchester, but I think it will have enough to satisfy me when I don't want to travel up to the cities for an evening out.

TrickyDicky101

Colden Common won't be the place for you if you want bars and restaurants!

I know what Richard means when he says about the traffic from Bishopstoke - however, depending on where your commute is ultimately to, it may not matter: when I leave at 6:30 in the morning it's all pretty clear!

Catatonia

Looks like I will have to get used to getting up a bit earlier then!