Where to live? - Watford/St Albans/Hemel Hempstead
Discussion
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Alfa Pete said:
As above it’s definitely worth looking at the Beds side of the Herts border.
I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
Didn’t OP say he wanted nightlife? I don’t think the above are hot beds I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Alfa Pete said:
As above it’s definitely worth looking at the Beds side of the Herts border.
I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
Didn’t OP say he wanted nightlife? I don’t think the above are hot beds I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
He can’t afford Herts so may need to re-evaluate priorities.
andy ted said:
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Alfa Pete said:
As above it’s definitely worth looking at the Beds side of the Herts border.
I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
Didn’t OP say he wanted nightlife? I don’t think the above are hot beds I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
Alfa Pete said:
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Alfa Pete said:
As above it’s definitely worth looking at the Beds side of the Herts border.
I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
Didn’t OP say he wanted nightlife? I don’t think the above are hot beds I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
He can’t afford Herts so may need to re-evaluate priorities.
I got the feeling OP wanted a stroll rather than trains and boats and planes. But I get your drift
2172cc said:
Glad you got sorted in the end.....just skimmed through the replies and no-one seems to have mentioned Potters Bar where I live. I like it there and suits me perfectly.
Did you consider that?
Whenever I see a sign for Potters Bar I always imagine a group of people with muddy hands stood at the bar having a beer Did you consider that?
Alfa Pete said:
As above it’s definitely worth looking at the Beds side of the Herts border.
I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
Where are you? Sounds like you're pretty close to me.I’m in a rural village located 1 mile from the Herts border but 2 miles from Luton parkway station for easy commuting into London, a similar distance from j10 of the m1 but a 10 minute drive from Harpenden.
If my house was a mile or two across the border it would probably be 30% more.
Look at the villages of Caddington, Woodside, Aley Green and Slip End.
2172cc said:
Glad you got sorted in the end.....just skimmed through the replies and no-one seems to have mentioned Potters Bar where I live. I like it there and suits me perfectly.
Did you consider that?
Yea - I am actually going there today so will check it outDid you consider that?
My office may be moving to Stevenage so I will have that down as my number 1 place at the moment. Its worked out well in the sense that I can spend my time scoping out Stevenage. Although it seems to me that all the action is focussed on the town centre which is quite small. Houses are about 50k more expensive then I'd like them to be but some of the ones I looked at went up by that much during Covid so they may come down slightly.
I went to London for the first time (from here) the other day - 10 mins to the station in car - then about 30 mins to Finsbury Park. On the way back it was only 18 minutes on the return train (Finsbury Park to Stevenage). Overall though its still a bit of a pain and not exactly something I'd be doing every other day due to time and cost (whereas in a big city there may actually be something to do every other day locally within a 10-15min drive).
Honestly? If you say you live in St. Evenage, people judge you. But like any town there are good bits and bad bits. It's all pretty new town, 70's concrete architecture and the like - except in the old town. There is the St. Evenage rollercoaster close to the missile works and Airbus for the fun of it.
Don1 said:
Honestly? If you say you live in St. Evenage, people judge you. But like any town there are good bits and bad bits. It's all pretty new town, 70's concrete architecture and the like - except in the old town. There is the St. Evenage rollercoaster close to the missile works and Airbus for the fun of it.
My son loves that ride. The wife not so much. What I have found about Stevenage
-very characterless in terms of architecture - and to be honest it is a bit painful when you are driving around and everything looks the same.
-pretty quiet for traffic with generally good/modern roads
-it has most of the major chain stores you would want
-good trains into London
-not a huge amount of nightlife - most of it seems to be centred around one High Street called Old Town - which is basically a normal high street in most other places but a big deal in Stevenage
- if you want somewhere to retire to - perfect
- have to travel a fair bit to surrounding towns like Hitchin, Hatfield, St Albans, Welwyn and Hertford.
- I've only been to the main high street once or twice - yes it is very old looking from the 70s and 80s but it has the shops you need generally. if you want a fashion spree go to London on a weekend.
- unlike many on here, I am not snobby about housing. The houses are still quite expensive compared to the UK but generally a lot of it was built post war. Some new estates on the edges.
- its not BAD but its not particularly great either.
I wouldn't live here if I didn't work in the area to be honest. I wouldn't really describe it as vibrant or buzzing.
-very characterless in terms of architecture - and to be honest it is a bit painful when you are driving around and everything looks the same.
-pretty quiet for traffic with generally good/modern roads
-it has most of the major chain stores you would want
-good trains into London
-not a huge amount of nightlife - most of it seems to be centred around one High Street called Old Town - which is basically a normal high street in most other places but a big deal in Stevenage
- if you want somewhere to retire to - perfect
- have to travel a fair bit to surrounding towns like Hitchin, Hatfield, St Albans, Welwyn and Hertford.
- I've only been to the main high street once or twice - yes it is very old looking from the 70s and 80s but it has the shops you need generally. if you want a fashion spree go to London on a weekend.
- unlike many on here, I am not snobby about housing. The houses are still quite expensive compared to the UK but generally a lot of it was built post war. Some new estates on the edges.
- its not BAD but its not particularly great either.
I wouldn't live here if I didn't work in the area to be honest. I wouldn't really describe it as vibrant or buzzing.
Edited by Mojooo on Friday 21st April 13:22
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