Where to live in the UK...help requested

Hello again,

Following up on my earlier thread...We are in London this week and my partner has received several job offers. It seems there is an acute shortage of Neonatologists here...So it turns out she can likely get a job in pretty much any larger town or city that has a NICU. Thus far, she has offers at NHS hospitals in;

Reading
Newport
Brighton
London (White City area)
London (Chelsea area)

Sadly we know nothing about where best for us to live here. We are really at step zero, and only now even forming our thoughts and questions. But, I thought I’d start by asking for your input. Things we like:

- easy(ish) train or tube commute for her of sub-1 hour duration (ideally more like 20-30 minutes)
- We want to rent a “house” with its own entry and no or few shared walls (no apartments)
- Safe and nice neighborhood
- 2 bedrooms min, 2 baths min. But from looking online I'm seeing its more typical to see 4/2, which is fine.
- 1 garage spot min (or at least a car park spot like a driveway in front of the home)
- close to or in “the country” ideally
- prefer to avoid crowded hip places, we like quiet areas not urban . Hate living in/near traffic.
- the most sun and warmth as can be had
- Budget of we will pay whatever the market rate is for the chosen region (meaning we won't chose someplace based on cost of a home.

I realize that’s not much to go on, but appreciate any input. (not looking for specific homes to rent, we will do that using the recommended websites, rather now looking for neighborhoods or towns so we can decide which offer accept)

Thanks!

 

From your criteria I’d rule out London. Whilst travel is easy and quick within London it’s very expensive,(you will get a small increase in salary, called “London waiting” but not enough to make the difference) loads of people and lots of idiots who should just stay there and not be allowed outside the m25!!!

Newport, which one? If wales; wales is lovely and you will be closest here to the country side but can and does have a lot of poverty as there is little industry. Also tends to be wetter than other areas.

Brighton, fairly happening place, and known as the gay capital of the UK. Probably the best weather. I couldn’t comment on living there; only ever sailed there!

Reading. As per your previous thread. From your criteria I’d suggest it (and possibly Brighton) would be the best compromise.

You do have to go see them all as they are very different in feel etc; and also exactly where the hospital is she will be working and the area/toad network.

If you get offered something in Bath or Bristol or around the area let me know as this is my backyard.

As an aside, the NHS is seriously short of all skill sets do you should have no problem getting s job. Reported that in England alone there are almost 100,000 vacancies.

Good luck

 

From White City look to the west - very nice parts of Buckinghamshire just within reach with a change from tube to rail at Ealing Broadway - also relatively easy to drive via A40

For Chelsea some of Surrey is viable with a change at Clapham Junction - again with the option to drive up the A3 - not sure about staff parking however

All your options are at a roughly similar latitude so the weather will be similar albeit with more rain at/near Newport

 

I know most of those areas well with the exception of Brighton only been there a couple of times. My list in order would be :

London Chelsea
London White City - It’s close to the A40 and therefore some really nice countryside areas
Brighton - quite cool with a pebbly beach, know for its big LGBT scene
Reading (my son goes to Uni there) okayish town but surrounded by some really nice villages
Newport - Dont go there !!

 

'London weighting' please!

 

There are some beautiful villages on the outskirts of Reading. Sonning is so nice George Clooney bought a place there.

Your list of requirements really points towards either Reading or Brighton. You can live close enough to either town and still feel as though you're in the country.

London is just a grind these days, forget driving in London at all, it's just so unpleasant.

The thing to remember is everything here is very compressed, "good areas" and "bad areas" can be separated by as little as one street in major cities. As you go further out of the major towns you start to see distinct pockets of obviously upmarket areas or well kept villages.

 

One word answer......DONT

Take it from me, the Uk is a giant mess at the moment, the idiots voted for brexit, and the politicians couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery. Socialists are trying to take control everywhere, and if you are legal and law abiding, you get hit by every tax possible, and then some, while criminals and layabouts don’t have to worry about a thing.

The police force is a farce, more akin to the keystone cops than an effective police force. They turn up only if they feel like it, and as long as any risk of catching anyone is long gone, and the only thing they care about is people who might put their foot down a bit hard on an empty road......

Seriously, the USA is the greatest country on earth, you maybe won’t really realise exactly how much that means until you try this god forsaken mess of a country..... stay there my friend, don’t come here and join the racists and socialists on every street corner.

 

In which case when do you join the pre-Corbin exodus ?

 

But you live in London, no offence but that’s what you get there. The rest of us are just fine thanks! (Although they could get in with getting us out of the eu so I can sell my yacht!)

 

I don’t live in London at all. I put London as it’s the only place anyone outside the uk knows. I live in south Gloucestershire, in the country, and while the scenery is nice, the country, it’s politics, it’s culture, has been utterly destroyed by the morons, and clearly if Corbin ever gets in as PM, any of us with more than £2 in the bank will be raped for tax like we’ve never known before. I’d rather be in the US where working hard gets you somewhere, and people aren’t embarrassed to do well and make money

 

As soon as I have enough in the bank to ensure I arrive in the US as a positive addition, a contributing citizen, and not a drain on resources. I won’t be claiming persecution, or religious sanctuary, or any of the other ******** that the wasters who flout our borders claim.

 

If you want max sun and warmth (for the Uk) head out to the south west eg Torbay . Otherwise known slightly tongue in cheek as the English Riviera ,yep they really do have palms down there.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-05-18-tr-20839-story.html

 

Haha, the only part of the UK I can be bothered with. There’s a Ferrari main dealer up the road in EXETER, Carrs, where I buy all my cars!

 

Just down the road from you!!! We will have to meet up and argue about Hamilton Lol!!! (Or maybe not!!!)

If Corbyn gets in we are all f***ed! Anybody who supports Maduro’s policies is a nut job. And I will refrain from discussing terrorist organisations.

The above said; I find if I don’t read the papers or watch the news there is very little to be grumpy about here. Work is more than plentiful, few cops has an advantage in owning a Ferrari, and I’m still at liberty to upset all the townies by hanging pheasants from my garage! Biggest grumble today was a very long queue for coffee at Wilton Super cars; and a few “40mph” club drivers to get around! So a morning blasting around Salisbury plain, looking at some cool super cars at Wilton, a bit of engine bay cleaning now followed by watching the GP. I’m happy!!!

As for the OP; as you are not moving permanently, come try it out, (as apposed to Sid,I’d never move to the us, so like everything opinions differ) you always have a ticket home if you don’t like it or move onto Australia etc as they are all desperate for health care workers as well.

 

There you go , our Arizona mate could even pick up a Fezza to blast down those country lanes for sunday lunch and a decent pint.

 

And keep an eye open for cops and stupid scamera vans lurking in lay-bys! At least in the US you just get a ticket and carry on, here you get caught four times and you are banned!

 

i dont know how a brit wld respond but as an american who lived and worked the for a cple years id say chelsea hand over fist.

 

I’m at Carrs on the 9th for the F8 Tributo local launch, time slot of 12 noon. Fancy meeting up there and seeing some automotive porn?

 

That would be perfect; except I’ve a client meeting that day! I’ll ask Carr’s to move the launch to the day before !!!!

Appreciate the offer though.

Be interested to see what you think of it.

 

That would be perfect; except I’ve a client meeting that day! I’ll ask Carr’s to move the launch to the day before !!!!

Appreciate the offer though.

Be interested to see what you think of it.

 

Problem is Chelsea on a Dr salary? Gona struggle. Then what’s the point working there if you can’t live there. Will most likely have a long horrible commute to get to work.
As someone pointed out Reading or Brighton likely to offer a much better standard of living.

 

I've lived in the south east twice, close to hastings (but not in an area full of crackheads, I may add). The weather really was quite good. Connection to france within 30 mins drive away (chunnel), that really was perfect, and airports in decent driving distance.

Newport whilst weather is good I'd think too far away from main airports and a drive to france would be a lot longer.

Closer you get to London the more expensive it is. Living just outside London and driving into the city for a daily commute, forget it. Unless you get in extremely early (before 6am) it's not doable IMO. Living inside london and a house with garage...be prepared to open your wallet and then some.

I enjoyed living in the South East. Quiet villages everywhere, and busier towns if you wish so. If you where to choose brighton you can live in for example Lewes (or any village surrounding it really!), a quick commute in. beware of slow internet speeds though, really can be a nightmare if you're too far into the country. My last house had less than .5mb connection on a good day. Forget netflix...

look on rightmove, type in Lewes and say a 5 mile radius you should find plenty of property.

I'm about to swap portugal for Manchester. Grim north, terrible weather. Nice restaurants though. Not too pleased about it if I'm really honest, would much rather be in the South East again near London and the Chunnel. But our business set up is in Manchester and due to business' partner having his child in school there there's no chance of it happening really!

Will be there for a few years tops. Should be worth the sacrifice!

But with Daytona on this, I wouldn't swap the US for UK if could be avoided!

 

Update: Based on the hospital and the people she interviewed with, she has chosen a hospital in the northeast part of London...

Our choice was informed by looking at a couple of places that seemed to have the housing stock we are looking for; Ealing and Ruislip. Ruislip in particular appears to be on the edge of where the city/suburbs meet the "country". And there seem to be plenty of houses with no shared walls, etc that we wanted. Surprisingly, it seems her commute will be 30-40 minutes from the house to the hospital (bus/walk to tube, bus/walk to hospital).

So...all in all, I'm viewing this as a good outcome. We can get into london and enjoy the city benefits in relatively quick fashion, and I can spend my days in a quieter area and get out for quick drives into the countryside. And there are even golf courses nearby.

Anyone know something about those areas? We are interested in all info.

Thanks!

 

Ealing and Ruislip are in West/NW....

 

Yeah, thanks. As soon as I left the computer to go for a short walk I realized I had a brain lapse and inadvertently typed "northeast" when I meant "northwest". (Too late to edit the post tho.)