Chelmsford anyone?

charchar0203

Hi all just found a nice place to rent in chelmsford quite cheap aswell(been trying to get out of london for awhile)

my question is whats chelmsford really like are there any places to avoid what is considered the good/bad areas?

any help would be great
thanks

moromir

Depends what you want from a town really? Shopping is fine, all the big stores etc.

I'm not sure what you want from nightlife but its got all the usual townie bars, only big club I'm aware of is Dukes (please don't ask me what thats like, I went once when I was 18 and never went back). The Bassment is good for decent music.

Not sure if you're into sport but we've got a football team and a pretty decent ice hockey team.

Our rail links are good, the trains run something like every 10 minutes during rush hour, every 20 mins after that, beware we're getting hit with a lot of engineering works on the Sundays at the moment though (Olympic buildings)

I'd generally avoid the Melbourne estate (although neighbouring Newland Springs is nice), recommend the fish and chip shop on their parade though. North Springfield can be a bit rough but old Springfield is quite nice. Great Baddow is a bit further out but nice.

Broomfield is nice, good bus service (every 10 mins) to the bus station but rush hour traffic can be a bit sticky.

Chelmer Village again decent enough place to live, its a rat run though.

Springfield Road is the other way out and the road itself can be a bit rough in places (the prison and the police headquarters are both down that way) but the roads coming off are okay.

Where abouts is the property you've seen?

Burridge60

If you need the station get a compass and draw a one mile circle of the town centre.

Will take you to Moulsham. Old Springfield (just a little beyond the prison). Writtle Road and Broomfield road. Great paths and cycle ways to and from the town centre for the summer months and good buses to station if it rains. Town Centre parking a little pricey but park and ride at Sandon and another due shortly at Broomfield side of town.

Nightlife is very good brings in regulars from all over Essex. Shopping I am told is good but no Primark (yet) and we had a Waitrose but they left town. John Lewis coming in 2012/13. Probably too many Tescos but hasn't every where?

Have lived a 7 minute walk from the train station for 17 years and wouldn't live any where else in town. Bit of a pig to get out or across town by car but thats just traffic. Its often quicker to walk!

VfM4meplse

Burridge60 wrote: »

Bit of a pig to get out or across town by car but thats just traffic. Its often quicker to walk!

Esp if the flyover's on the other carriageway! But the good news is that the route to Southend is now very easy.

hazyjo

Blimey, is Dukes still there? I remember going there when I was very young!

My BIL lives in Chelmsford, as does a friend at work (she's in Springfield). Both seem happy enough there. Not sure it's BIL's thing as a bit towny for him, but there are a few nice restaurants in the near vicinity they go to. Used to have another work friend who lived there too and she was pretty happy. Her and my BIL live the north side of Chelmsford (coincidentally in streets next to each other).

Jx

firstaspect

I lived in Chelmsford for 20 years. It's a really nice place really, lots of good shops, restaurants and bars. Although most of the bars in town are for a 'trendy' crowd there is plenty of more quiet pubs with good beers if that's your thing.
If you'll be commuting to London then being somewhere that you can walk or cycle to the station is essential rather than driving.
Springfield is nice, Broomfield is nice, Writtle is nice if you prefer village life just outside Chelmsford itself.
Avoid Melbourne, it's mostly social housing and does have quite a high crime rate. But as someone else has said, the fish & chip shop there is great!

charchar0203

The flat is on a road right next to town its called mildmay road mainely choose this one because its close enough to walk to the station,
not really interested in night life as we work so much we dont get a chance to go out, Whats the crime like? as one of our main reasons is to get away from the crime in and around london and chelmsford is about as far as we can go and still make it easily back into work...

Treadway1

charchar0203 wrote: »

The flat is on a road right next to town its called mildmay road mainely choose this one because its close enough to walk to the station,
not really interested in night life as we work so much we dont get a chance to go out, Whats the crime like? as one of our main reasons is to get away from the crime in and around london and chelmsford is about as far as we can go and still make it easily back into work...

You can check out the new Home office website www.police.uk. Just type in your post code and it will show all the crime in the last month or so (If the site isn't still having problems with the amount of people trying to use it, that is).

firstaspect

charchar0203 wrote: »

The flat is on a road right next to town its called mildmay road mainely choose this one because its close enough to walk to the station,
not really interested in night life as we work so much we dont get a chance to go out, Whats the crime like? as one of our main reasons is to get away from the crime in and around london and chelmsford is about as far as we can go and still make it easily back into work...

Mildmay Road is fine. I know a few people who live around that way. It's close to Moulsham Street which does get very busy on Friday/Saturday nights but crime is pretty low as far as I know. You're close to a Tesco there as well so is a good location.

clairet707

Didnt know there were that many of us in Chelmsford on here..

Cant really add any more than what has been said already..

Mildmay road is near the Army and Navy and you will possibly get some traffic cutting through from lady lane..

You are close to restaurants and shops though..

Were behind the Princes Road tesco so a bit further out from you, but we do get views of the whole of Chelmsford (inc Melbourne Tower )

moromir

Mildmay is one of those roads where it depends what end of it you are in.

The top end is full of lovely victorian properties (parking can be a bit of a nightmare), the other end is full of fairly nondescript older style flats. I understand theres a pub down there that can get a bit rowdy.. worth a look round the area after dark on a Friday or Saturday to be sure.

I know I'll be in the minority but I actually really like the Melbourne Tower (to look at it), they've done it up so it actually looks quite posh, but believe me its not