Essex me up please

[Broken Hero]

Hello!
Ok, I am thinking of moving in the next couple of months, I live in Herts (the lovely village of Northaw to be precise) at the moment and although I would be happy to stay in this area, there is very little on at the moment and I am pretty open to some of the other home counties east and south east of London. I know all about kent and Herts, but nothing about Essex, a trip to Malden yesterday opened my eyes to some of the lovely villages and countryside in the county. The place needs to be about 30-40 minutes overland to the city, near the M25 (pref outside) and my girlfriend refuses to pay more than £175-180 a month for her train ticket, which is fair given that I wouldnt pay anymore than that to submit myself to the trauma of public transport.
Name me some places!

[Scott330ci]

Hornchurch - Where I currently live.

Not a bad area, 30 mins from Centeral London

15 minutes from M25

Train Ticket £160 monthly

[maximm]

I live in Brentwood and its pretty nice...I live the Warley end so I get fast train from Upminster which is is on the tube line so you can use an oyster card to get into London. I work in the wharf and get the 6.03 train in the morning and am at my desk just after 6.30 so pretty good commuting wise. And its bang on junction 28 of the M25.

Edited by maximm on Monday 10th August 14:14

[vixen1700]

It's a shame you're restricted by train fares, as Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages have to be some of the nicest places in the South East to live.

• biased of course*

[Scott330ci]

swerni said:

Where are you from?

[Broken Hero]

Two for brentwood, I am rightmoving it now, Hornchurch appears to be in London, with some kind of tubeline going through it, and Saffron although nice does not appear to have a train station with trains going towards the city. Also seems a bit too far out..cheers though!

[Scott330ci]

Broken Hero said:

Two for brentwood, I am rightmoving it now, Hornchurch appears to be in London, with some kind of tubeline going through it, and Saffron although nice does not appear to have a train station with trains going towards the city. Also seems a bit too far out..cheers though!

Debatable

London Borough of Havering Granted - But every fker puts Essex on the addresses.

[maximm]

Scott330ci said:

Broken Hero said:

Two for brentwood, I am rightmoving it now, Hornchurch appears to be in London, with some kind of tubeline going through it, and Saffron although nice does not appear to have a train station with trains going towards the city. Also seems a bit too far out..cheers though!

Debatable

London Borough of Havering Granted - But every fker puts Essex on the addresses.

This is the old Romford/Hornchurch etc are in London debate...its London borough on Havering but they are 100% Essex. Ask anyone who lives there.

[JudgeMental]

Thorpe Bay/Shoeburyness. 55 Minutes to the City. £220 ish a month but not particularly close to the M25

HTH

[Vlad.]

vixen1700 said:

It's a shame you're restricted by train fares, as Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages have to be some of the nicest places in the South East to live.

• biased of course*

+1

[Scott330ci]

maximm said:

Scott330ci said:

Broken Hero said:

Two for brentwood, I am rightmoving it now, Hornchurch appears to be in London, with some kind of tubeline going through it, and Saffron although nice does not appear to have a train station with trains going towards the city. Also seems a bit too far out..cheers though!

Debatable

London Borough of Havering Granted - But every fker puts Essex on the addresses.

This is the old Romford/Hornchurch etc are in London debate...its London borough on Havering but they are 100% Essex. Ask anyone who lives there.

Indeed - I am aware but we are on the Internetz. People are always right.

Hornchurch is in Essex.

[ascayman]

theydon bois is lovely. epping is nice too.

[Buzz word]

I'm chelmsford and thats where my vote goes. Not a clue on train costs as I'm not a city commuter but property isn't too silly. There is a park and ride to the centre of town if you go for the south side that can be good. 20 mins to maldon if you like that for a trip or 10 mins north and there are some nice villages. Lots of choice as you get with a reasonable size town. IMO the only southend and basildon are comparable for choice and size but I don't like basildon and southend is further out to commute from. It was also rated 8th best place in the UK by some TV show a few years ago. Tv wouldnt lie would it? so it has to be good.

[Jasandjules]

Langdon Hills? Laindon train station walking distance, and trains start there so get a seat (and I think 40-45 mins to London Fenchurch) - Downside however is it's near Basildon.

Being realistic, there are loads of lovely little satellite villages around Essex, BUT they usually are satellites of s***holes...

Shenfield?

[southendpier]

House prices in the nicer areas will be very high. Rural Essex means away from rail to Fenchurch street or Liverpool Street so you will have to factor in driving and parking costs and 30 mins-40mins commute doesn't actually get you that far from London.

I reckon you need to budget for:

45-60mins train journey
£200-300 train fares per month
At least £250K for home

:-)

[pincher]

Leigh-on-Sea

[/biased]

[vixen1700]

ascayman said:

theydon bois is lovely. epping is nice too.

Lived in Epping for six years and saw the change in the place in that time go from nice country town to 'Black Range Rover Sport Wannabe land'.

The place is pretty but has no soul, no decent pubs and is divided by people who commute by tube and never, ever venture into the High Street to shop or contribute to the town. Real 'White-flight land' now, with real nasty right-wing politics bubbling under the surface of the place. BNP Councillors and ex-chaiman of the National Front being prominent on local issues in the local rag.

Of course, you could move there and find it a lovely place, but having a business in the High Street put me off it for life.

[Broken Hero]

invaluable info vixen as epping looked ideal, and was the first place i looked up when I got in yesterday

[maximm]

Broken Hero said:

invaluable info vixen as epping looked ideal, and was the first place i looked up when I got in yesterday

I must also admit that I have lived in Brentwood my whole life and I think the pros outweigh the cons but it has suffered a little from the clueless council filling the high st with chain pubs and horrific clubs so on the weekend you get all the scum Romford, Harold Hill etc causing carnage and its tends to be a pretty awful place to go out.

But, as I said, there are lots of positive points to Brentwood and the surrounding area so just ignore the high st and seek out the proper pubs!

[ocrx8]

maximm said:

I live in Brentwood and its pretty nice...I live the Warley end so I get fast train from Upminster which is is on the tube line so you can use an oyster card to get into London. I work in the wharf and get the 6.03 train in the morning and am at my desk just after 6.30 so pretty good commuting wise. And its bang on junction 28 of the M25.

Edited by maximm on Monday 10th August 14:14

Another vote for Brentwood; moved here a year ago (also Warley end...) and it's the best all-round place in Essex from what I can see. Close to Lakeside for those unfortunate days where you have to endure shopping. Crap nightlife, but that's what London's for