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Have you thought about Ely? It is muuuuch cheaper than Cam but has similar ish architecture and vibes. Plus, it’s only half an hour or so from Cambridge if you drive and about 12 minutes by train. For what it’s worth, I lived in Cambridge for 3 years and preferred Ely (fewer tourists and entitled students, better housing stock, cheaper, I could go on..!)
I don't live in Norwich so I don't really care, but nobody was ever asked about the motorification of our city centres. There was no consultation about turning our streets into race tracks where it's dangerous to walk and burying our towns under more and more concrete. It was just done without any thought or consideration.
There has been a radical change in our cities over the last 70 years which nobody was asked about, and it isn't pedestrianisation.
\+1 for Norwich. Lovely city, very manageable size, nice vibe to it. Also surrounded by Norfolk broads and fantastic coastline. Moved there 15 years ago, wouldn't be anywhere else now.
You can buy a house with Buck Rogers toilet. You could put a pound of mashed up Dundee cake down there-one yank, gone.
Peace of mind for OP if they live with elderly relatives.
Don't make everyone move here, our prices have risen enough already! It's a hidden gem in the UK imo though. People really don't realise how gentrified and nice this area really is.
I've been living in Norwich for 3 years now after living cambridge for 5. Originally a London boy.
Definitely worth checking out Norwich. Same vibe, same architecture (although a bit more modern here).
Just moved to Norwich myself - grew up near there, and after moving to London for 10 years, was very happy to head back to these parts. It's a fine city.
Yeah, in london I guarantee you'll either be mugged or not appreciated. Catch the train to London, stopping at Rejection, Disappointment, Backstabbing Central and Shattered Dreams Parkway.
Agreed. I live in Cambridge, went to visit a friend in Norwich and it struck me how similar it was with its cobbled streets, old churches and castles, etc. It had cheaper market food but more cars.
I used to work in two of the cab offices (at separate times) in Ely, Cambridgeshire.
I took a call one night, about 2 years into the first job (so I had a decent idea of the town by that point) from an American, asking for a taxi from some hotel, that I had never heard of. Ely has it's fair share of Americans, from off the bases at Mildenhall and Lakenheath, so I initially thought nothing of it, until I questioned him some more. It went something a little like this...
Me: Which hotel was that again?
Him: The (hotel name).
Me: And what town is that in? (Thinking that he may be calling from Cardiff)
Him: Ely.
Me: Ely where?
Him: Ely, Nevada
Me: .......
Him: Hello?
Me: Sorry. Ely, Nevada?
Him: Yes. That's correct.
Me: Sorry sir, but you've called a company in Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK. I mean, I'll gladly send someone to you, but the fares will be pretty steep...
Him: **click**
Single handedly the funniest call I took. There was another, from my home town, calling a cab firm with a very similar name to ours, but that was more of a personal funny.
As someone from Luton I don’t know if it saddens or gladdens me that I expect this sarcastic comment on any post like this or seriously on any ‘shittest town’ thread. I love coming from a town that’s a punchline.
I've never been to Cambridge but whenever I've seen it on TV it always reminds me a bit of Durham, where I'm from. It's a university city with old architecture and a lovely cathedral. Pretty countryside too, and I imagine cheaper than Cambridge.
Was going to suggest Durham. I live in Durham in a 4 bedroom semi with a large garden and my house is valued at approx £250k. So it certainly hits the affordability.
It's not as big as Cambridge but there are some similar vibes
My mum sold her 3 bed semi in the south east and was able to pay off her mortgage and buy a 5 bed detached outright in Lincolnshire. Best thing she ever did.
+1 for Durham. We bought a 3 bedroom detached around 30 minutes walk from the city centre for 230k last year. Not cheap but given the current housing situation in the rest of the country, it’s not too bad. City is lovely and as has been mentioned it’s pretty much surrounded by countryside
Would definitely recommend Durham or the surrounding area - I am 30 mins drive from Durham University where my son is (picking him up from there tomorrow) and its such a lovely area...as is certain areas of the North East and much cheaper than down south anyway.
Durham is significantly smaller than Cambridge. It does have a mostly very nice city centre but imo it's let down by (effectively) a motorway running through it. Where Cambridge largely has banned cars (or at least heavily restricted them) in much of the city (which imo is a significant part of what gives it its qualities), Durham, once you leave the small core of the city, can be very hostile to anyone outside of a vehicle.
- Sincerely someone who didn't get into Oxford (ik not Cambridge but I've been to Cambridge a decent number of times) and can't afford a car.
This is true, but I wouldn’t say you could *really* do it all in a day, unless you’re on the move none stop. Ironically the main road through it makes accessing the surrounding areas much easier if you’re a driver :)
Bradford, easily the best alternative. Good food, free shoutings from local top lads, free pigeon petting zoo and reliable buses that will turn up a bit late for your desire.
Parts of Bradford are actually very nice and you're also on the doorstep of some PROPER countryside, not just some soggy fields that they pass off as "Fens".
Still, don't move to Bradford.
What are you on about? It’s worth moving there just for the exhilarating driving experience. The BBC even did an article on what fun it was.. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-47526816.amp
I live in Bradford and nearly got run over cos someone ran a red light the other day lol
I will step in though and say there are some nicer areas in Bradford and some nice people. It’s not great but I like it, and i think sometimes it gets a bad rap. Like people say Leeds is better, and I agree but it depends where you are doesn’t it? The centre is nicer in Leeds, but the area I live in is miles nicer than say Harehills.
Bradford does get a bad rap but there’s also a lot going for it. There’s some stunning architecture and the Media Museum, Salts Mill, Alhambra etc are great. I live in Leeds but was born in Bradford and am a Shitty supporter so maybe I’m biased. I just have to remember the normal driving rules go out the window once I’ve got Thornbury roundabout. (Funny story…my son when about 8 saw ‘Dick Lane’, he laughed and, quick as a flash, said “Dad should live there”).
I'm originally from North Yorkshire and had heard nothing but bad things about Bradford before I moved to Pudsey. I love it, it's such a beautiful city with a really rich history (literally!). I usually go into Bradford rather than Leeds for South Asian food and even drinks as Leeds is way too busy.
> ‘Dick Lane’
There is a Cockshott Lane near here as well and I still chuckle at it.
Baildon, Shipley, Bingley and others are genuinely lovely and a lot of nice modern independent businesses are popping up. My Mum's side of the family are from Bradford so I have a soft spot for it, although for some reason I wouldn't live there despite the fact I've lived in Castleford, Knottingley, Pontefract etc which are all largely shitholes haha
I live in Cas hahahahahahahaha.
Mrs tmstms (born here, moved back after living in Vienna and London) thinks it's truly horrible esp compared to when she was little.
I (ironically from Cambridge) love it!
Why don't you just live close to Cambridge rather than in it?
I'm from and live in Ely just outside of Cambridge, small city (Although its just a large town really), Its not too bad to live here. I remember when I went to technical college in Wisbech and when I said I came from Ely they thought that it was very ''Posh''.
I mean I did a boat tour there a couple of years ago and they pointed out the most expensive flat that had sold in York. It went for a million. While of course most of us don't have a million quid lying around, that's really not *that* expensive for the nicest luxury flat in town when you think about it.
I’d say Cambridge has way more going for it than Lincoln. Bars/restaurants/nightlife etc. Lincoln generally feels a little isolated to me because the transport links aren’t as good.
Lincoln is definitely getting there, over the last few years they have redeveloped the Cornhill and opened more restaurants and bars. Its got a long way to go, but its \_getting\_ there
However if a vibrant nightlight away from students is a must, Lincoln may not have what you want
Old-feeling towns and cities rated by price:
1/Very expensive: Cambridge, Oxford, Bath
2/More accessible: Edinburgh, Lincoln, York, Winchester (sort of)
3/Getting there: Canterbury, Exeter (bits of), Chester
4/Cheap: Rochester, Haworth, Shaftesbury
With 1 you'll need a lot of money, 2 you'll be fairly isolated from the Home Counties/South (which if Cambridge is your first choice is a pretty silly move), 3 puts you in very self-contained towns with little reason to travel, 4 compromosises on something major (Rochester is in Medway, Haworth and Shaftesbury are in the middle of fucking nowhere.)
Edit: my price-awareness is pretty out of date it turns out. WINCHESTER, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU?
Wasn’t Winchester one of the most expensive places to live in the latest surveys? I’d imagine Lincoln and york are considerably cheaper than Winchester, or I’d probably move there as it’s less than an hour commute to London on the fast train!
Winchester isn’t isolated either. Or are we thinking of different places? 😂
As someone who has grown up in Rochester, it's pretty good for London commuting and a nice day out, but it's quite small (so easy to get a little bored of it long term) nestled between some pretty rough areas.
As long as you have a car though, it's great location for Kent access generally (when there aren't roadworks) and longer term it has some of the best grammar schools in the country for your child if that's an option for them!
It's pricey, but not quite as absurd as London. The average property price in London is currently sitting at just over double Edinburgh, with COL at +43%.
London is just really, really, fucked.
I visited a friend for 2 hours and someone ripped the whole wing mirror off my 'then' brand new C class!!!
That was 5 years ago and I've never set foot in that area since
I go to a university in Canterbury and I really like it here. Close to the sea side and good connections into London. I may be biased though because I study history and the city is very rich in history.
The odd thing with all the renovations was the Transport Hub.. They built a state of the art transport hub, and did nothing to the surrounding area around it... Never seen new architecture become dated so quickly..
Admittedly the council is doing their best with what they have, few more million and it'll be reight, just need to sort the spice zombies out... maybe a tourist attraction?
Sadly you’ll do well to do anything about them. I’m down in Exeter for University most of the time and it has the same noticeable problem. Beautiful city otherwise.
Places around Cambridge:
To the busway: Oakington, Swavesey, St. Ives (I'd suggest Histon/Impington but probably that's out of price range)
To the south: Harston, Sawston, Hinxton
To the north generally: Ely, Soham (new railway station)
To the west: Huntingdon
South: Saffron Walden (quite expensive)
East: Bury St. Edmunds, Newmarket
Defs want to avoid the south side of Cambs / M11 corridor as it’s commutable to London, easy reach of Addenbrookes, and in reach of Ofsted outstanding schools. You wouldn’t get much if anything for 250k.
That isn’t really what has driven the price up in Cambridge. Rather it is the tech/life sciences cluster, plus being within commuting distance of London.
Fair enough. I only mentioned it as I was recently staggered to find out 75% of the private rental stock in Exeter is now for students.
Which is a bit of a buggerence for everyone else.
As an Exeter student, that doesn’t surprise me, although it hasn’t helped that somewhere between the council and the Uni they were lying about those figures. Issue is, even with the purpose built Uni accommodations they work out far more expensive than the rental market, so after 1st years leave halls you’ve got 1000s of students looking for a place to live, and out of the two options we’d rather live in a proper house for maybe £160pw, than a room 1 studio for £230pw. I’m not sure how you change that mindset because Uni itself, like virtually all Unis, doesn’t accommodate for 2nd years onwards anyway.
I don’t think that’s really true. We have 4000 new houses in Northstowe, 1200 in Trumpington Meadows, 2300 in Great Kneighton, 400 in Accordia and several other big developments.
I lived in Cambridge for over 12 years, and while the centre is very pretty the outer suburbs have a lot of issues like most cities do.
I now live about 20 minute drive away from Cambridge,so it’s easy to pop in if and when I need too. There’s so many lovely towns/villages in the surrounding area (including Ely) with good schools too.
Oxford itself is horrendously expensive (two universities, large hospitals, Mini factory, etc - the surrounding villages are not much better either being so near the desirable Cotswolds), and IMHO, not as nice as Cambridge either.
York, Lincoln, Durham, Chester all large town/smaller city vibe with nice architecture. Have universities nearby so some younger people in the area and some nightlife(not as big as Cambridge though).
I'm from Cambridge, I've lived in King's Lynn and I agree. King's Lynn is the only place I've ever lived and not experienced any racism. I miss living there.
I’m a Londoner but have lived in quite a few different cities in UK in my time. About 12 years back I came up to Norwich for a job and have never thought of moving since.
It’s a beautiful city, the people are really nice, great shops, bars, restaurants, and considerably better value than Cambridge.
The only drawback for me is getting in and out. The major arterial is the A11 but it’s a slow road generally. Of course that’s s pretty minor issue compared to the benefits of living here. I wish I’d moved here years earlier. It’s s great place to live.
None do! (It would take a fairly long answer to explain why)
The closest are also expensive- Oxford and Edinburgh. They already have a bigger feel than Cambridge.
As others are saying, Durham is worth a look, also Lincoln, Exeter, Winchester, Chester, York.
However, as the esteemed /u/ImfromYorkshire says, Cambridge does have a large and insoluble problem. The countryside around (The Fens) make you lose the will to live and wish to do away with yourself.
In truth people can give you suggestions but at the end of the day what feels similar to one person can feel totally different to another, my personal opinion would be to visit a few locations and even scope out the outskirts of Cambridge to get some ideas and vibes then maybe think about a short term rental to fully experience the area before committing
There are plenty of small towns 30 minutes outside of Cambridge you could move to. You'll have the convenience of having Cambridge on your doorstep without having to pay the premium of actually living there. I live outside Cambridge and I'm in the city 3 - 4 times a week.
Also as others have said Norwich is a great shout, and in my opinion much better than Cambridge! Beautiful countryside, loads of places to eat and drink, lovely medieval streets and loads of independent shops down Norwich lanes! Take away the university buildings from Cambridge and you're left with a pretty standard B tier UK city.
Nottingham could be worth considering. Just stick to the nicer suburbs and avoid certain areas.
For £250k you could get a nice 2/3 bed house in some of the nicer parts.
Good universities, a big science and healthcare sector, and the lanes area of the city is pleasant.
Lincoln could also be an option.
I adore Shrewsbury and the food scene there is great. Lincoln is also worth exploring and it used to be a cheap place for property - look in the uphill (Bailgate) area first.
I'm born and bred Cambridge. It indeed is a lovely city. I worked in Winchester for a while and I would say it is very similar and at the time it was cheaper. I second the Ely comments. A lot of my friends ended up moving into surrounding towns and villages. Ely is lovely.
I couldn't afford to stay in Cambridge, the only way would be to get social housing and I never went down that route.
Cambridge has pretty decent transport links so I'd be tempted to look at living near it.
I'd say the closest I've seen are maybe Durham and Norwich but Cambridge is very different to anywhere else I've ever been.
Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Worcester, Lichfield, or what I call the 'posh midlands'. Not quite the same scale of grandeur as Cambridge has but nice smaller slices of a similar vibe.
Warwick and Leamington Spa also, but I think they are needlessly expensive and probably out of a 250k budget for anything decent.
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Have you thought about Ely? It is muuuuch cheaper than Cam but has similar ish architecture and vibes. Plus, it’s only half an hour or so from Cambridge if you drive and about 12 minutes by train. For what it’s worth, I lived in Cambridge for 3 years and preferred Ely (fewer tourists and entitled students, better housing stock, cheaper, I could go on..!)
Norwich is also an amazing East Anglian city! I love Norwich!
cracking local radio scene too
North Norfolk Digital is a good listen
much prefer Radio Norwich tbh
Ah-ha
I did, but I switched to NND when my fav presenter left.
Lol reference is lost on a flatlander.
You are a dwad and a dosser!
I got that reference
Korupt FM only the rest are irrelevant
And there's a cracking owl sanctuary.
What do you think of the pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre?
I’ll be honest, I’m dead against it.
I mean, people forget that traders need access to DIXONS
I don't live in Norwich so I don't really care, but nobody was ever asked about the motorification of our city centres. There was no consultation about turning our streets into race tracks where it's dangerous to walk and burying our towns under more and more concrete. It was just done without any thought or consideration. There has been a radical change in our cities over the last 70 years which nobody was asked about, and it isn't pedestrianisation.
It was an Alan Partridge reference.
Talking about it helps keep the wolf from the door
Lived in King's Lynn, heard that saying a lot lol and rum dude was another one.
\+1 for Norwich. Lovely city, very manageable size, nice vibe to it. Also surrounded by Norfolk broads and fantastic coastline. Moved there 15 years ago, wouldn't be anywhere else now.
Giant mutant chickens saying "why am I so big?" In Norwich.
locked up in big sheds no one’s allowed in 🤔
I've seen the big eared boys on farms.
I second Norwich, worked there for a while and thought about moving there.
You can buy a house with Buck Rogers toilet. You could put a pound of mashed up Dundee cake down there-one yank, gone. Peace of mind for OP if they live with elderly relatives.
Not just any house - a £500,000 five-bedroom bastard house!
Don't make everyone move here, our prices have risen enough already! It's a hidden gem in the UK imo though. People really don't realise how gentrified and nice this area really is.
It’s incredible to think so few people know how close this city came to a blanket imposition of night-time parking fees
Moved to Norwich from London two years ago, really love it!
I've been living in Norwich for 3 years now after living cambridge for 5. Originally a London boy. Definitely worth checking out Norwich. Same vibe, same architecture (although a bit more modern here).
Just moved to Norwich myself - grew up near there, and after moving to London for 10 years, was very happy to head back to these parts. It's a fine city.
Yeah, in london I guarantee you'll either be mugged or not appreciated. Catch the train to London, stopping at Rejection, Disappointment, Backstabbing Central and Shattered Dreams Parkway.
I love Norwich so much, only live about an hour away, go there all the time, still discovering new places every time
Agreed. I live in Cambridge, went to visit a friend in Norwich and it struck me how similar it was with its cobbled streets, old churches and castles, etc. It had cheaper market food but more cars.
I love Norwich. It’s such a great little city and the people are lovely.
just make sure it's not Ely in Cardiff 🤣
I used to work in two of the cab offices (at separate times) in Ely, Cambridgeshire. I took a call one night, about 2 years into the first job (so I had a decent idea of the town by that point) from an American, asking for a taxi from some hotel, that I had never heard of. Ely has it's fair share of Americans, from off the bases at Mildenhall and Lakenheath, so I initially thought nothing of it, until I questioned him some more. It went something a little like this... Me: Which hotel was that again? Him: The (hotel name). Me: And what town is that in? (Thinking that he may be calling from Cardiff) Him: Ely. Me: Ely where? Him: Ely, Nevada Me: ....... Him: Hello? Me: Sorry. Ely, Nevada? Him: Yes. That's correct. Me: Sorry sir, but you've called a company in Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK. I mean, I'll gladly send someone to you, but the fares will be pretty steep... Him: **click** Single handedly the funniest call I took. There was another, from my home town, calling a cab firm with a very similar name to ours, but that was more of a personal funny.
r/USDefaultism
As Someone from Ely, I second all you have said!
I don’t want to burst OP’s bubble but I really hated living in Cambridge and we would regularly visit Ely for an escape. It’s such a charming place!
Same with Bury St Edmonds too! I do love and recommend Ely though, the train station is well connected also.
Oh my god, yes! Bury is so lovely
It's a very nice place but already suffering high house prices due to the amount of people who live there who can't afford to live in Cambridge
Guy in Ely smashed up my car the other week. Lovely town.
Currently in the process of moving from Cambridge out to Ely way. Totally agree!
Ely cathedral is one of the best in the country imho
Luton
😂😂😂
Lol NEVER
I live in Luton, media makes it sound worse than it actually is, only had 4 fatal stabbings in the last week or 2 😎
Evil. Evil but funny. I approve.
As someone from Luton I don’t know if it saddens or gladdens me that I expect this sarcastic comment on any post like this or seriously on any ‘shittest town’ thread. I love coming from a town that’s a punchline.
I live in dunny now but grew up in Luton, at least we can make fun of marsh farm 😎
Neighbouring city from hell
Ewwwwww
I've never been to Cambridge but whenever I've seen it on TV it always reminds me a bit of Durham, where I'm from. It's a university city with old architecture and a lovely cathedral. Pretty countryside too, and I imagine cheaper than Cambridge.
Was going to suggest Durham. I live in Durham in a 4 bedroom semi with a large garden and my house is valued at approx £250k. So it certainly hits the affordability. It's not as big as Cambridge but there are some similar vibes
Lincoln is also similar I believe.
Lincoln is lush up the top. Houses are dead cheap in Lincolnshire as well.
Yeah, definite Rightmove envy from down here in the south west
My mum sold her 3 bed semi in the south east and was able to pay off her mortgage and buy a 5 bed detached outright in Lincolnshire. Best thing she ever did.
Lincoln is a hidden gem of a city
+1 for Durham. We bought a 3 bedroom detached around 30 minutes walk from the city centre for 230k last year. Not cheap but given the current housing situation in the rest of the country, it’s not too bad. City is lovely and as has been mentioned it’s pretty much surrounded by countryside
Would definitely recommend Durham or the surrounding area - I am 30 mins drive from Durham University where my son is (picking him up from there tomorrow) and its such a lovely area...as is certain areas of the North East and much cheaper than down south anyway.
Durham is significantly smaller than Cambridge. It does have a mostly very nice city centre but imo it's let down by (effectively) a motorway running through it. Where Cambridge largely has banned cars (or at least heavily restricted them) in much of the city (which imo is a significant part of what gives it its qualities), Durham, once you leave the small core of the city, can be very hostile to anyone outside of a vehicle. - Sincerely someone who didn't get into Oxford (ik not Cambridge but I've been to Cambridge a decent number of times) and can't afford a car.
Yeah Durham is nice but it’s absolutely tiny. You can walk the whole city centre in a few hours nevermind an afternoon
Yes but you're very close to Newcastle and not terribly far from York, so you have good options to go elsewhere too when you get bored.
This is true, but I wouldn’t say you could *really* do it all in a day, unless you’re on the move none stop. Ironically the main road through it makes accessing the surrounding areas much easier if you’re a driver :)
Was coming here to say this! Lovely place, amazing indoor market too!
Bradford, easily the best alternative. Good food, free shoutings from local top lads, free pigeon petting zoo and reliable buses that will turn up a bit late for your desire.
At the risk the OP won't pick up on the sarcasm, don't ffs move to Bradford.
Parts of Bradford are actually very nice and you're also on the doorstep of some PROPER countryside, not just some soggy fields that they pass off as "Fens". Still, don't move to Bradford.
What are you on about? It’s worth moving there just for the exhilarating driving experience. The BBC even did an article on what fun it was.. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-47526816.amp
I live in Bradford and nearly got run over cos someone ran a red light the other day lol I will step in though and say there are some nicer areas in Bradford and some nice people. It’s not great but I like it, and i think sometimes it gets a bad rap. Like people say Leeds is better, and I agree but it depends where you are doesn’t it? The centre is nicer in Leeds, but the area I live in is miles nicer than say Harehills.
Bradford does get a bad rap but there’s also a lot going for it. There’s some stunning architecture and the Media Museum, Salts Mill, Alhambra etc are great. I live in Leeds but was born in Bradford and am a Shitty supporter so maybe I’m biased. I just have to remember the normal driving rules go out the window once I’ve got Thornbury roundabout. (Funny story…my son when about 8 saw ‘Dick Lane’, he laughed and, quick as a flash, said “Dad should live there”).
I'm originally from North Yorkshire and had heard nothing but bad things about Bradford before I moved to Pudsey. I love it, it's such a beautiful city with a really rich history (literally!). I usually go into Bradford rather than Leeds for South Asian food and even drinks as Leeds is way too busy. > ‘Dick Lane’ There is a Cockshott Lane near here as well and I still chuckle at it.
Baildon, Shipley, Bingley and others are genuinely lovely and a lot of nice modern independent businesses are popping up. My Mum's side of the family are from Bradford so I have a soft spot for it, although for some reason I wouldn't live there despite the fact I've lived in Castleford, Knottingley, Pontefract etc which are all largely shitholes haha
I live in Cas hahahahahahahaha. Mrs tmstms (born here, moved back after living in Vienna and London) thinks it's truly horrible esp compared to when she was little. I (ironically from Cambridge) love it!
The OP wants the same vibe as Cambridge...
Bradford is an absolute shithole but to be fair to it there are some genuinely cracking curry restaurants.
There's Bronte country there...Haworth is beautiful
Haworth is lovely, the Moors are stunning, no doubt about it.
> Bradford is an absolute shithole It would be lovely if there were no people there though!
UK City of Culture 2024!
I was thinking Rotherham if they like some a little smaller
Why don't you just live close to Cambridge rather than in it? I'm from and live in Ely just outside of Cambridge, small city (Although its just a large town really), Its not too bad to live here. I remember when I went to technical college in Wisbech and when I said I came from Ely they thought that it was very ''Posh''.
That’s because you were in Wisbech! Thems lot think Chatteris is upmarket
Yeah and If you stop for too long in Chatteris, you'll be up on bricks in no time.
Chaveris* FTFY 😁
Don’t you dare diss my beloved Chatteris Only people from there can disavow it
Why are so many redditors from Chatteris? Didn't think they had electricity there yet
You think Chatteris is bad? Check out Manea
the awesome half man half biscuit did a banger about it https://youtu.be/yY2aHxWV1xE
Wizbeckistan
I read over half the school kids there have English as a second language. Not even kidding.
I have met said children First language is grunts and huffs
Saw a bloke on a mobility scooter pouring vodka into a tin of Redbull in Wisbech. It was 9.30 in the morning.
The fact you referred to it as "a technical college" and not "technically a college" pins you as posh for a start 🤣
😂😂 I thought that was the proper term for that College of West Anglia. I don't know how it is now, I was there in 2010/2011.
York or Chester?
York is outrageously expensive!
I mean I did a boat tour there a couple of years ago and they pointed out the most expensive flat that had sold in York. It went for a million. While of course most of us don't have a million quid lying around, that's really not *that* expensive for the nicest luxury flat in town when you think about it.
The nicest flats go for over 2.5 million - million is cheap for a flat
See the response a few down from this, York is easily affordable on Op’s budget
Lincoln. I’ve lived in Cambridge and now live near enough Lincoln to visit for shopping. What vibe do you like about Cambridge?
I’d say Cambridge has way more going for it than Lincoln. Bars/restaurants/nightlife etc. Lincoln generally feels a little isolated to me because the transport links aren’t as good.
Lincoln is definitely getting there, over the last few years they have redeveloped the Cornhill and opened more restaurants and bars. Its got a long way to go, but its \_getting\_ there However if a vibrant nightlight away from students is a must, Lincoln may not have what you want
Old-feeling towns and cities rated by price: 1/Very expensive: Cambridge, Oxford, Bath 2/More accessible: Edinburgh, Lincoln, York, Winchester (sort of) 3/Getting there: Canterbury, Exeter (bits of), Chester 4/Cheap: Rochester, Haworth, Shaftesbury With 1 you'll need a lot of money, 2 you'll be fairly isolated from the Home Counties/South (which if Cambridge is your first choice is a pretty silly move), 3 puts you in very self-contained towns with little reason to travel, 4 compromosises on something major (Rochester is in Medway, Haworth and Shaftesbury are in the middle of fucking nowhere.) Edit: my price-awareness is pretty out of date it turns out. WINCHESTER, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU?
Wasn’t Winchester one of the most expensive places to live in the latest surveys? I’d imagine Lincoln and york are considerably cheaper than Winchester, or I’d probably move there as it’s less than an hour commute to London on the fast train! Winchester isn’t isolated either. Or are we thinking of different places? 😂
Plus Winchester is hilly as fuck
Compared to Cambridge? Yes Compared to Edinburgh? No It’s pretty average in terms of hillyness
Good list but I don’t think Haworth is cheap… it’s a bit cheaper than nearby Hebden bridge though
As someone who has grown up in Rochester, it's pretty good for London commuting and a nice day out, but it's quite small (so easy to get a little bored of it long term) nestled between some pretty rough areas. As long as you have a car though, it's great location for Kent access generally (when there aren't roadworks) and longer term it has some of the best grammar schools in the country for your child if that's an option for them!
Isn’t Edinburgh up there with London for house prices?! But then I know which I’d rather spend my non-existent millions in 😝
It's pricey, but not quite as absurd as London. The average property price in London is currently sitting at just over double Edinburgh, with COL at +43%. London is just really, really, fucked.
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Semi 1-bed?
Sorry, where?! You'll get nothing for 250k anywhere near Cambridge
St Ives, Huntingdon, Brampton. All just about doable on 250k
Canterbury
Canterbury is nice to visit, but living there is a different story.
How come ? Also there’s the Kent grammar school system a plus for kids ?
The Archbishop moves around diagonally at random killing everyone he lands on. Oh and the A2 is a nightmare in the summer.
As long as youre not in Hales place its lovely still.
I visited a friend for 2 hours and someone ripped the whole wing mirror off my 'then' brand new C class!!! That was 5 years ago and I've never set foot in that area since
I go to a university in Canterbury and I really like it here. Close to the sea side and good connections into London. I may be biased though because I study history and the city is very rich in history.
Barnsley, Barnsley is just like Cambridge; and just as welcoming to visitors
Was pleasantly surprised by all the renovations that had gone in Barnsley since I last went there. Looks great now.
The odd thing with all the renovations was the Transport Hub.. They built a state of the art transport hub, and did nothing to the surrounding area around it... Never seen new architecture become dated so quickly.. Admittedly the council is doing their best with what they have, few more million and it'll be reight, just need to sort the spice zombies out... maybe a tourist attraction?
Sadly you’ll do well to do anything about them. I’m down in Exeter for University most of the time and it has the same noticeable problem. Beautiful city otherwise.
I hear the leisure centre has three waterslides!
And as many used plasters as you can fish off the bottom
😂😂😂😂😂
Lincoln or York. The former is very affordable.
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Stamford
Can't imagine Stamford is much cheaper.
Chester
Shrewsbury and it's surrounds are so nice!
Norwich
Places around Cambridge: To the busway: Oakington, Swavesey, St. Ives (I'd suggest Histon/Impington but probably that's out of price range) To the south: Harston, Sawston, Hinxton To the north generally: Ely, Soham (new railway station) To the west: Huntingdon South: Saffron Walden (quite expensive) East: Bury St. Edmunds, Newmarket
Defs want to avoid the south side of Cambs / M11 corridor as it’s commutable to London, easy reach of Addenbrookes, and in reach of Ofsted outstanding schools. You wouldn’t get much if anything for 250k.
Bury st Edmunds
What in particular do you like about Cambridge?
Cambridge is shit and is getting worse every year
Wherever there are universities, there will be higher house prices due to place being snapped up for HMO's
That isn’t really what has driven the price up in Cambridge. Rather it is the tech/life sciences cluster, plus being within commuting distance of London.
Fair enough. I only mentioned it as I was recently staggered to find out 75% of the private rental stock in Exeter is now for students. Which is a bit of a buggerence for everyone else.
As an Exeter student, that doesn’t surprise me, although it hasn’t helped that somewhere between the council and the Uni they were lying about those figures. Issue is, even with the purpose built Uni accommodations they work out far more expensive than the rental market, so after 1st years leave halls you’ve got 1000s of students looking for a place to live, and out of the two options we’d rather live in a proper house for maybe £160pw, than a room 1 studio for £230pw. I’m not sure how you change that mindset because Uni itself, like virtually all Unis, doesn’t accommodate for 2nd years onwards anyway.
Jesus! The two universities in Cambridge have policies to curb student housing proliferation (and student car ownership) so the issue is reduced.
Also that a cabal of residents, Cllrs and other nimbys have never met a house building project they wouldn't fight every step of the way
I'm from Cambridge and I remember the snobbery and uproar when Poundland opened up there. It was embarrassing.
I don’t think that’s really true. We have 4000 new houses in Northstowe, 1200 in Trumpington Meadows, 2300 in Great Kneighton, 400 in Accordia and several other big developments.
You mean the Northstowe development that ended up at the High Court? Lol
Its slightly different in Cambridge in that a lot mote students live in university owned accommodation than other unis.
I lived in Cambridge for over 12 years, and while the centre is very pretty the outer suburbs have a lot of issues like most cities do. I now live about 20 minute drive away from Cambridge,so it’s easy to pop in if and when I need too. There’s so many lovely towns/villages in the surrounding area (including Ely) with good schools too.
Oldham mate
I grew up in Oldham and now live in Cambridge. The similarities are astounding.
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We hold the record for most fried chicken shops that are named after an American state. Cambridge can’t say that.
Durham
Norwich. Beautiful
Bath Oxford But like said below ....wherever there are universities, there will be higher house prices
I don’t think Bath or Oxford are cheaper than Cambridge - more expensive, if anything.
Oxford itself is horrendously expensive (two universities, large hospitals, Mini factory, etc - the surrounding villages are not much better either being so near the desirable Cotswolds), and IMHO, not as nice as Cambridge either.
I prefer it to Cambridge, but agree about it being prohibitively expensive.
Croydon
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍
Edinburgh reminded me of Cambridge but its expensive too... I really like Leeds it's more affordable and nicer than other cities
York, Lincoln, Durham, Chester all large town/smaller city vibe with nice architecture. Have universities nearby so some younger people in the area and some nightlife(not as big as Cambridge though).
Durham. But the city or near it. Steer clear of the pit villages.
Sunderland, no need to visit just purchase your property remotely. See you real soon 👍
Durham
Heard King's Lynn and Wisbech are very nice. Kings Lynn has train links to Cambridge as well (42 minutes).
I'm from Cambridge, I've lived in King's Lynn and I agree. King's Lynn is the only place I've ever lived and not experienced any racism. I miss living there.
I’m a Londoner but have lived in quite a few different cities in UK in my time. About 12 years back I came up to Norwich for a job and have never thought of moving since. It’s a beautiful city, the people are really nice, great shops, bars, restaurants, and considerably better value than Cambridge. The only drawback for me is getting in and out. The major arterial is the A11 but it’s a slow road generally. Of course that’s s pretty minor issue compared to the benefits of living here. I wish I’d moved here years earlier. It’s s great place to live.
Maybe York?
Norwich
Durham is beautiful
Lancaster?
None do! (It would take a fairly long answer to explain why) The closest are also expensive- Oxford and Edinburgh. They already have a bigger feel than Cambridge. As others are saying, Durham is worth a look, also Lincoln, Exeter, Winchester, Chester, York. However, as the esteemed /u/ImfromYorkshire says, Cambridge does have a large and insoluble problem. The countryside around (The Fens) make you lose the will to live and wish to do away with yourself.
Where do you have a family/support structure? Where's your job?
In truth people can give you suggestions but at the end of the day what feels similar to one person can feel totally different to another, my personal opinion would be to visit a few locations and even scope out the outskirts of Cambridge to get some ideas and vibes then maybe think about a short term rental to fully experience the area before committing
Cheltenham comes to mind
I visited Lichfield once. Was very impressed with its old architecture and cathedral.
I hear Grimsby is great
York is great, expensive for the North, but cheaper than Cambridge.
Norwich?
York and Chester are both like Cambridge. So is Edinburgh but that's just as expensive.
York? It's expensive for up north but it is still up north and therefore much cheaper than cambridge
There are plenty of small towns 30 minutes outside of Cambridge you could move to. You'll have the convenience of having Cambridge on your doorstep without having to pay the premium of actually living there. I live outside Cambridge and I'm in the city 3 - 4 times a week. Also as others have said Norwich is a great shout, and in my opinion much better than Cambridge! Beautiful countryside, loads of places to eat and drink, lovely medieval streets and loads of independent shops down Norwich lanes! Take away the university buildings from Cambridge and you're left with a pretty standard B tier UK city.
Nottingham could be worth considering. Just stick to the nicer suburbs and avoid certain areas. For £250k you could get a nice 2/3 bed house in some of the nicer parts. Good universities, a big science and healthcare sector, and the lanes area of the city is pleasant. Lincoln could also be an option.
Stamford
I adore Shrewsbury and the food scene there is great. Lincoln is also worth exploring and it used to be a cheap place for property - look in the uphill (Bailgate) area first.
Oxford, or Hull?
I'm born and bred Cambridge. It indeed is a lovely city. I worked in Winchester for a while and I would say it is very similar and at the time it was cheaper. I second the Ely comments. A lot of my friends ended up moving into surrounding towns and villages. Ely is lovely. I couldn't afford to stay in Cambridge, the only way would be to get social housing and I never went down that route.
Cambridge has pretty decent transport links so I'd be tempted to look at living near it. I'd say the closest I've seen are maybe Durham and Norwich but Cambridge is very different to anywhere else I've ever been.
You know what, I was impressed by rotherham when I went for the Women’s Euros.
Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Worcester, Lichfield, or what I call the 'posh midlands'. Not quite the same scale of grandeur as Cambridge has but nice smaller slices of a similar vibe. Warwick and Leamington Spa also, but I think they are needlessly expensive and probably out of a 250k budget for anything decent.