Where to live? - Watford/St Albans/Hemel Hempstead

Where to live? - Watford/St Albans/Hemel Hempstead

Author
Discussion

offspring86

710 posts

171 months

Thursday 5th January 2023
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
Hitchin or WGC

I am under 40 and single - so I want to be where other youngish people are - hence my preference for somewhere slightly more built up like Watford, St Albans or Enfield.
Hitchin will fulfil your desire to be near youngish people better than WGC. Hitchin town centre is filled with shops, bars and restaurants.

Don1

15,936 posts

207 months

Thursday 5th January 2023
quotequote all
Agreed. Hitchin.

DrDeAtH

3,586 posts

231 months

Thursday 5th January 2023
quotequote all
Enfield isnt a nice town and has no redeeming features...

Spindoctor

781 posts

199 months

Friday 6th January 2023
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
I am under 40 and single - so I want to be where other youngish people are - hence my preference for somewhere slightly more built up like Watford, St Albans or Enfield.
Of those three, St Albans is by far the nicest place to live (and therefore the most pricey). And Hitchin is much more like St Albans than WGC is.

Mark83

1,157 posts

200 months

Thursday 12th January 2023
quotequote all
We moved to Hitchin in 2017 and we love it here and no desire to move, so much so we just built an extension rather than move.

It's perfect for us; fast train to London, great food and drink options, town centre that doing well and nice people.

designforlife

3,734 posts

162 months

Friday 13th January 2023
quotequote all
St Albans, no contest.

Great for a singleton in their 30s, london is a skip away on the thameslink so you can get down there, get drunk and get a late train home.

I lived there for several years and really liked it, only moved away as I was priced out, would live there again in a heartbeat. It's a relatively safe town, low sketch factor, plenty of amenities.

Couldn't pay me to live in Watford, and Hemel is pretty grubby (worked at the snow centre for several years so spent plenty of time there, not somewhere that's in any way inspiring to live in).

Hertford is also nice, kind of like St Albans on a smaller scale.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Friday 13th January 2023
quotequote all
designforlife said:
St Albans, no contest.
Trouble is you need to be a squillionaire to live there.

Don1

15,936 posts

207 months

Friday 13th January 2023
quotequote all
My flat opposite The Goat was £100k. 23 years ago....

okgo

37,860 posts

197 months

Friday 13th January 2023
quotequote all
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Trouble is you need to be a squillionaire to live there.
Surely it’s no different to any other nice commuter town around London?

Don1

15,936 posts

207 months

Friday 13th January 2023
quotequote all
Welwyn and Hatfield isn't massively expensive. Gets more expensive round Digswell/Knebworth, but then cheaper again Stevenage way and then north.

Hitchin for me is the sweet spot.

Mojooo

Original Poster:

12,668 posts

179 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
Hitchin is prob too far from Hertford (office) to be a first choice

At the moment I am flexible for either WGC, St Albans or Enfield even - its slim pickings for places to live fitting my criteria as it is.

Vasco

16,475 posts

104 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
Hitchin is prob too far from Hertford (office) to be a first choice

At the moment I am flexible for either WGC, St Albans or Enfield even - its slim pickings for places to live fitting my criteria as it is.
It would be St Albans by a mile for anyone who can afford it (have you seen the prices?) - and few are going to suggest Enfield or WGC!!

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
Don1 said:
My flat opposite The Goat was £100k. 23 years ago....
Did you live in the band hall? hehe the curly headed actor from Brush Strokes lived in a house opposite to the Goat too.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
okgo said:
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Trouble is you need to be a squillionaire to live there.
Surely it’s no different to any other nice commuter town around London?
Don’t call me Shirleyhehe Snorbens does carry a price premium yes

Don1

15,936 posts

207 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Don1 said:
My flat opposite The Goat was £100k. 23 years ago....
Did you live in the band hall? hehe the curly headed actor from Brush Strokes lived in a house opposite to the Goat too.
biggrin Sopwell court - granny place. Nice and quiet.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
Don1 said:
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Don1 said:
My flat opposite The Goat was £100k. 23 years ago....
Did you live in the band hall? hehe the curly headed actor from Brush Strokes lived in a house opposite to the Goat too.
biggrin Sopwell court - granny place. Nice and quiet.
biggrin

We lived opposite (ish) where Sopwell Lane meets Holywell Hill.

okgo

37,860 posts

197 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Don’t call me Shirleyhehe Snorbens does carry a price premium yes
Perhaps to stuff local but to me it looks basically the same as all the other similar places round the m25 - beaconsfield, weybridge, Sevenoaks etc.

Mojooo

Original Poster:

12,668 posts

179 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
Vasco said:
Mojooo said:
Hitchin is prob too far from Hertford (office) to be a first choice

At the moment I am flexible for either WGC, St Albans or Enfield even - its slim pickings for places to live fitting my criteria as it is.
It would be St Albans by a mile for anyone who can afford it (have you seen the prices?) - and few are going to suggest Enfield or WGC!!
I know but PH does have a tendency to be snobbish - when you look at all the housing thread - how many parts of the UK do actually get recommended - 4 or 5???

I have found somewhere in St Albans but agent is rubbish at responding.

Spindoctor

781 posts

199 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
Hitchin is prob too far from Hertford (office) to be a first choice

At the moment I am flexible for either WGC, St Albans or Enfield even - its slim pickings for places to live fitting my criteria as it is.
St Albans would also be a pain of a commute to Hertford, esp if you do it daily and at peak times. If you can WFH 2 or 3 days a week, not such an issue.

jimmytheone

1,356 posts

217 months

Saturday 14th January 2023
quotequote all
[quote=designforlife] St Albans, no contest.

Great for a singleton in their 30s, london is a skip away on the thameslink so you can get down there, get drunk and get a late train home.

.../quote]

Thameslink runs 24/7 for Luton and Gatwick airports so there's always a train home (when they're not on strike) drink