Rotating events and food trucks in and around The Truman Brewery keep things exciting as well. The area offers a variety of places to choose from. If you want to stay in this part of London, you can book accommodation in Hackney here. Go to local events, on your own if possible. 7.50 adults, 5 Lambeth Palace Rd, London SE1 (+4420 7401 8865; www.gardenmuseum.org.uk) BEST FOR: River walkers. Epsom is a charming commuter town in Surrey. Schools within Guildford often appear in the Sunday Times Best Schools List, making it an ideal place to settle for families with children of school-going age. New here? One of the only noted downsides to choosing Reading as your commuter town is the high price of rail season tickets. Thomas Ruschke: Free WiFi, great shops and a cool hipster vibe. Nowadays, the time-worn streets are peppered with independent shops and eateries, like Townsends bookshop, Italian bistro Lucca Enoteca, and record and natural wine shop Winyl, as well as arty. hipster: 1 n someone who rejects the established culture; advocates extreme liberalism in politics and lifestyle Synonyms: flower child , hippie , hippy Type of: crusader , meliorist , reformer , reformist , social reformer a disputant who advocates reform Leave us alone. Thanks for subscribing! Excellent transport links into the city mean that you can make the journey from Guildford to London in around half an hour, perfect for the speedy early morning commute to work. Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. Thankfully, there are people in the know that do all the delicate weighing up of prices, green space and broadband coverage then release their best-ranked places to live and commute to London, complete with travel times. But where should these yuppies with an edge start their search for a home? Old village stocks in Aldbury, Kent. If the cheapest house price is what you're looking for then Stevenage would be your best choice. It isnt only Camberleys leafy charm that has made many commuters turn their hard-working eyes to the town. Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. The lure of the city has dwindled in recent years. Dont ask where the nice areas are. A terraced house typically costs 387,000 while a detached home will set you back 878,000. The only city in the county of Essex, Chelmsford, has a strong identity and proud history that allows it to stand out of the shadow of the nearby European capital. Do you plump for ease of journey but a tiny flatshare in Kennington, or bags of room in Brentwood but playing dodgeball with transport strikes and engineering works? The openness of Camberley, interspersed with rivers, inlets, and woodlands, gives the town a far more countryside feel than you would expect, something that has been responsible for its growth in popularity. The average house price for this town is considerably lower than Iver which can make it that much more attractive. Ramsgate is the perfect place to trawl vintage shops. Reene recommends looking east, around the Harbour Arm, which has become trendier as the area has been regenerated with bars and restaurants. The combination of fantastic rail links, county charm, and affordable housing will make the city a far more popular alternative to the towns closer to Greater London. From the colorful markets to the street art, record stores, and vintage shops around Brick Lane, this is one of the most exciting parts of London. Is it worth living outside of London and commuting? One commentator wrote: "I have seen it slide from a town of some limited qualities to the toilet of Berkshire within the last five years.". Obviously, Reading is known for its annual music festival but recent news thatits existing four Lidls will be joined by a further three has caused a right stir in thelocal press. Make friends at one of the tennis clubs, work out at half a dozen gyms and enjoy plenty of long country walks exploring pretty villages within Saffron Waldens hinterland. A couple of miles down the coast from Broadstairs, Ramsgate was once a fashionable Victorian seaside resort, and although todays holidaymakers have set their sights on more exotic climes, there is still a lot to recommend in this busy town, with its street cafes, charming marina, clifftop walks and blue flag sandy beaches. The area south of the Thames has changed a lot over the last few decades, and today its home to some of the trendiest places in the UK capital. Only 17 miles west of central London, Staines-upon-Thames is a town that often gets overlooked when it comes to the best commuter towns near London. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The prevalence of street art, gigs, and arthouse films at the famous Ritzy cinema means theres something new to see on every visit, too. Where should you categorically avoid even if the house prices are very affordable? Catherine Nice moved to Folkestone in 2015, with her husband Gary, and their two children, Jude, 11, and Ruby, eight. This 36-square-mile island is set just off Kents north coast, separated from the mainland by The Swale. The historic town of Windsor is arguably most famous for being the home of Windsor Castle, a royal residency for nearly a thousand years. In 2014, Nice felt a need to be close to her parents, so the family moved to Leighton Buzzard. The combination of fantastic rail links, county charm, and affordable housing will make the city a far more popular alternative to the towns closer to Greater London. Also in Hertfordshire, so the same rules about hurricanes apply, but house prices here hover perilously close to 600,000. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. We don't know. These are the list of the best commuter towns and some of the worst. ea, sand (or pebbles) and occasional sun are all on offer within 90 minutes of London. London is only a 30-minute train which makes Redhill an attractive location. Georgie, 43, runs a local community centre while her husband, Lee, 45, is an electrician. As the years go by,Chelmsfordis only set to grow as a commuter town. We already have this email. The area has a fun nightlife scene as well. Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when youre feeling flush). A more practical option is Lydd, set on the edge of Romney Marsh, four miles from Dungeness. Just under an hour from London, Aylesbury doesn't seem to be well-liked by those who live there. That is why thanks to MoveIQ expert and TV property legend, Phil Spencer, who ranked the best commuter towns for London and Ilivehere which ranked the worst places to live in 2022, MyLondon has compiled a list of the best and worst to live. Again, with an average season pass of 2,904, the cost of making this daily commute isnt something that can be taken likely. That is why thanks to MoveIQ expert and TV property legend, Phil Spencer, who ranked the best commuter towns for London and Ilivehere which ranked the worst places to livein 2022, MyLondon has compiled a list of the best and worst to live. It is one of the longest lines of beach in the country, one just leads on to the next, so it is great for walks, she says. While quiet in winter, Mersea does get very busy during the summer holidays. Theres a range of options to choose from in the neighborhood, including hotels and apartment rentals. Just off the Hampshire coast, Hayling is easy to get around its about four miles from coast to coast. Often seen as the quintessential commuter town near London, the small market town of Watford has dodged all the negative connotations of being so close to the Greater London area while retaining many of the independent benefits. Let us know here. Catherine and Gary Nice pictured in their Folkestone home. Guildford is one of the commuter towns near London with a long-standing reputation for housing many who work in the city, increasing its popularity. As the vastness of Londons expansion seems to grow in size, affordable and promising commuter towns seem to get further and further out from the capital, and Stevenage is one such place. And they have useful shops on their doorstep, plus country pubs dotted all over the place. St Albans is a twenty-minute train journey from Londons St Pancras Station and is perfectly placed to commute to the city center on a daily basis. Famed for its annual music festival and bustling town center, Reading retains its own identity and reputation for leisure and nightlife. Pre-Covid, Hayling Island was one of those places considered just a bit too far for London commuters, but the pandemic has changed all that. This growth in population and popularity has brought about stiff competition for housing and employment. Bethnal Green Working Mens' Club is a front for some of the hippest happenings in London, including the monthly Double R Club, where Twin Peaks fans eat cherry pie and watch nightmarish burlesque. Here you can shop for your fave hipster brands such as Comme des Garcons, Jonathan Saunders and JW Anderson, plus plenty of other more or less known designers. The fastest train to London St Pancras takes 20 minutes, the average house price in the area is 582,115 and with a relatively lofty season ticket price of 3,712. Lying directly north of the capital, out of the hustle and bustle of Greater London, is the small city of St Albans. For those who wish to live outside of the town itself. Not only is it possible to take the train straight into London, but Watford is connected to the city by both the underground and overground transport networks. By Robert Cutts from Bristol (Fore Street . Notting Hill Put on the map by its namesake film, Notting Hill has retained its fame throughout the years. Despite the royal connections and eye-watering property prices, Windsor has an air of charm and Englishness that makes it a hugely popular place to live. Commuting to London takes 25 minutes and your terminus is Paddington, but house prices there are still close to 550k. The benefits of being in Hatfield are endless, and with house prices on average costing 358,761, you could save yourself a pretty penny. The commute involves a drive to Ashford, 17 miles away. This 285 square miles of ancient forest sits right on the south coast and is heaven for outdoorsy types. Just you wait. In the town you will find plenty of good gastropubs and being in the Surrey Hills means access to lovely walking and cycling country. Named Thames Valley Town of the Year in 2017 and boasting a quality of life rating of 96%, Basingstokes popularity is undeniably on the rise. Be as snooty as you like; they're obviously doing something right (the combination of uber rare Japanese cereal and old He-Man videos, at a guess). Weve heard good things about local independents, including bookshop Books on the Hill and the Odyssey cinemaand its also famous for being the only Englishtown to have ever produced a Pope, so if youve got your eye on theVatican,this could be the one for you. Not as smug as Broadstairs, this good-looking town is the perfect place to chill out on the beach, pick up vintage finds at its outstanding collection of antique shops (youll be hard pressed to visit the Petticoat Lane Emporium without finding something you have to buy), or cycle the Viking Coastal Trail. This collision of contemporary and crumbling is what gives the village its unique charm. It's so hot it's even been rated the most hipster area of London. Peckham is next on my list of hipster London neighborhoods. How much will it cost? Lymington and Brockenhurst have train services to London (about 90 minutes to Waterloo). The average house price is 317,686 making it one of the cheapest on the list. The commute to St Pancras International takes an hour and three-quarters. Although Surrey is the most expensive of the home counties, buyers who are willing to look beyond the classic dormitories like Guildford can find value on a (comparative) budget. Luckily, several London neighborhoods offer just that, albeit for a slightly higher price tag. Fastest train to London: 27 mins. This mini community is home to tattooists, jerk chicken and jiu jitsu classes. In addition. Super cool Dover Street Market is the hipster home in central London. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. Here are the capitals best commuter isles. Vast new estates are now zoned west of the A1 and in the northeast of town, providing affordable housing to residents of Stevenage. here was a time when Londoners lured by the sea would head off to Brighton or perhaps Southend. Margate got a lot more expensive in the past few years. Its so hot its even been rated the most hipster area of London. In Little Chelsea you will find record shops, cafes, delis and boutiques. For the readers of Ilivehere, they voted on the worst places to live and these three commuter towns made the list as being some of the worst. If you want to stay in this part of London, you can book accommodation in Brixton here. In addition. If youre asking yourself where do London hipsters live? youll find the answer here. As for haircuts: men can get a 'Lumberjack', 'Arctic Explorer' or 'Captain Valet Deluxe' at branches of The Valet. But be prepared for top prices. With no further ado, here is the list of the best to worst places to live. All rights reserved, Best commuter towns to Paddington by train. The prices also make it a dream for those wanting to leave. This multicultural neighborhood is known for colorful south London markets like Pop Brixton, Brixton Village, and Brixton Market. On wet days there is still plenty to do, with a leisure centre and pool, cinema, theatre and annual music and arts festivals. Twice the size of Londons Hyde Park, Cassiobury Park is a popular spot with dog walkers, runners,s and summer days sun-seekers. For coffee head to Union, a yoga shop and cafe. If you want to stay in this part of London, you can book accommodation in Peckham here. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Services to Fenchurch Street take from 48 minutes. The best London commuter towns for 2023 have been ranked in Yopa's annual report, uncovering the most affordable alternatives to the capital's high house prices. Whether you choose to commute from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Surrey or Kent, these are some of the best towns to live near London; 1. Margate, on the east coast of Kent, has seen a property boom. Top commuter towns across Hampshire, Surrey, Kent and Essex Picturesque country and seaside locations for house-hunters who still want to live within reach of the capital. Top 22 must-visit places in Slovenia! But the east side of the island is a whole different story, with pretty seaside towns such as Leysdown-On-Sea and Minster on Sea, beaches and nature reserves.
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