On looks alone, the two loveliest villages have to be Dedham and Nayland. But the second you step across the ancient causeway that separates island from mainland you will feel like you are on a different planet. This commercial reputation is married perfectly with Basingstokes proud cultural institutions. Sea, sand and sun-kissed beaches. When we first came down there were maybe one or two restaurants. MoveIQ looked at train times as well as affordability, annual season ticket prices and what an area has got going for it to compile their rankings. Coming in at number 9 on the top 50 worst places to live, came Slough. South of the river, the Bussey Building has fast become a hipster stalwart, thanks to rare groove funk and soul nights, gallons of Red Stripe, and more art students than you can shake a 20,000 loan at. The couple have a six-year-old son, Evan, and a dog, Buddy, and the family loves to hang out on the beach. And, although Surrey is the most expensive of the home counties, buyers who are willing to look beyond the classic dormitories can find value on a (comparative) budget. The historic Berkshire market town of Windsor is a favorite commuter town for those who look for a little more luxury when it comes to home life. The distance from the capital means you are able to escape that London-centric nature that often comes with towns closer to the Big Smoke. Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. I hope youve enjoyed this guide to the best hipster neighborhoods in London, and that its made you want to put on your glasses, get a tattoo, go vegan, and explore more of the citys coolest areas. hipster: [noun] a person who is unusually aware of and interested in new and unconventional patterns (as in jazz or fashion). Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. Where To Be A Hipster In London | Londonist The area offers a wide range of places to choose from. A London budget will go much further down here renters will say theyve got 1,300 for a two-bed when that should pay for a five-bedroom house. There are lots of bars and restaurants here, not to mention some of the best pubs in south London. Old village stocks in Aldbury, Kent. But where should these yuppies with an edge start their search for a home? Hipsters are going to start frequenting actual working mens' clubs, like Penge & District Trade Union & Social Club. There are lots of hipster-friendly. Let us know here. Located to the far west of London, just under fifty miles, Basingstoke may surprise many with its commuter town label. 10 Best Commuter Towns Near London - Homelike Rambling detached houses in peaceful East Mersea come with big gardens and 1 million-plus price tags. Just out of town the gorgeous views from Box Hill, immortalised by Jane Austens Emma, are almost worth the thigh-straining climb to enjoy them. All in all, Basingstoke ticks many boxes if you are looking for an overall better quality of life outside of the often chocking life inside the UK capital. Its just 25 minutes from St Pancras, and is weirdly also known for its cinematic heritage, with Elstree Studios, a collection of different studios across various sites of which two still remain. As promised, heres a map of the hipster London neighborhoods on my list. Being stuck in the traffic allows you to observe the magnificent beauty of all the trashy citizens that live there.". Its a good choice for outdoorsy types: you could relax at the lovely beaches at Leysdown-On-Sea or Minster, explore the Elmley Marshes, and its tourist trade means there is a good choice of pubs and cafes. Hackney Wick is also near large green spaces like Victoria Park and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, so there are plenty of places to channel your inner hipster outdoors here. As the vastness of Londons expansion seems to grow in size, affordable and promising commuter towns seem to get further and further out from the capital, and Stevenage is one such place. Only 17 miles west of central London, Staines-upon-Thames is a town that often gets overlooked when it comes to the best commuter towns near London. With a population of 22,076, Horley is a small town with beautiful historic buildings, plenty of local heritage, and a high street that is home to both your favourite retail chains and quirky . Kings Parade and Great St Mary's Church, Trinity College, Cambridge. The forests big catch, however, is its prices. Rotating events and food trucks in and around The Truman Brewery keep things exciting as well. There are lots of good options in and around the area. How much? Essexhas long been a good port of call for those looking for a seaside location but who dont want to compromise on local amenties. This account already exists. Employee Story Of The Month: Meet Chaythanya, Senior Backend Developer, 8 Home Renovations That Dont Add Value (and What to Do Instead), What The Short-Term Let Licencing Changes Mean For Scottish Landlords, A Landlords Guide To Renovating Your New Property Ready For Tenants To Move In, Expats in Barcelona: Everything You Need to Know About Setting Up a Bank Account, Employee Story Of The Month: Meet Salomi, Senior Product Owner, 13 of the Best Neighborhoods to Live in Barcelona, London neighborhoods: 15 Best Places/ Areas to Live in London. A commuter at Vauxhall station, London, in May. We see youre using an ad-blocker. Journey time to London: 36 minutes Hitchin, Hertfordshire Being 20-minutes from the city certainly makes this an attractive location. My list also has links to my blog posts about specific London neighborhoods. Bethnal Green Working Mens' Club is a front for some of the hippest happenings in London, including the monthly Double R Club, where Twin Peaks fans eat cherry pie and watch nightmarish burlesque. A two-bedroom flat around here will cost about 300,000, says Claire Reene, branch manager of Bairstow Eves, while you could pick up a four-bedroom house for around 600,000. Ideally situated by the beautiful Henley-on-Thames as well as being well-connected for those looking to visit Reading. Theyre fun places to get outdoors and into the elements here. Heres our pick of 16 locations for commuter homebuyers. If you want one of the dreamy period townhouses right in the centre of the city or one of its smart satellite villages like Sparsholt or Micheldever, you are looking at asking prices upwards of 1 million yes, London prices. Often seen as the quintessential commuter town near London, the small market town of Watford has dodged all the negative connotations of being so close to the Greater London area while retaining many of the independent benefits. The popularity of St Albans, increased by commuters and settlers, means that competition is fierce for homes, often driving up property prices. If you're already a hipster you'll already know about a lot of these. The combination of fantastic rail links, county charm, and affordable housing will make the city a far more popular alternative to the towns closer to Greater London. Fastest train to London: 27 mins. We already have this email. A lot of hipster neighborhoods in London are in the East End. Taking just over fifty minutes to arrive at either Londons Paddington or Waterloo station, it is easy to see why Windsor is at the top of many peoples commuter town list. The popular town is known for the annual Reading festival which see thousands descend on the town to jam to some music. This collision of contemporary and crumbling is what gives the village its unique charm. The town of Reading is well known for its textured history and being one of Berkshires largest towns. 11.Basingstoke. Its celeb-strewn too: Dele Alli and Gino DAcampo both live here. But Kents sandy beaches, grammar schools and lovely towns are drawing a new generation of Londoners still WFH for part of the week and willing to live farther from the office. So where is the best place to live if looking to leave the capital? Hipster girls may want to look into membership at Chez Stephan, a hairstylist that doubles up as a wine club. By their very nature, lots of cocktail joints are somewhat hipster. They have more information about each area. Twyford in Berkshire is another location worthy of consideration. While there is only a 13 minute difference in journey times from Gravesend and Ashford to London, there's a staggering difference in cost. Its history has left a legacy of streets of lovely Victorian and Regency townhouses, which to Londoners will seem ridiculously cheap you could pick up an average flat for 152,000 or a house for 251,000. At number three was the iconic Luton. Hayling Island in Hampshire is about four miles from coast to coast, its beach a mix of sand and shingle. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email. For more bang for your buck you could go for New Milton, which also has a station but is more built up and less quaint than Brockenhurst. Families looking for somewhere to settle and commute with younger children will be delighted with the high reputation Guildford has when it comes to its schools. The commute completely transformed Britain. Is it over for ever? Not as smug as Broadstairs, this good-looking town is the perfect place to chill out on the beach, pick up vintage finds at its outstanding collection of antique shops (youll be hard pressed to visit the Petticoat Lane Emporium without finding something you have to buy), or cycle the Viking Coastal Trail. After a hard day hipstering (? If you want to stay in this part of London, you can book accommodation in Spitalfields here. In mid-winter the seasides a different place. Hertfordshire is becoming a common theme on this list. Coastal commuter towns: five hipster-friendly seaside spots for London While pop-ups vanish as quickly as Coco Pops turn the milk chocolatey, Cereal Killer Cafe is still going strong. Another home county packed with commuter-friendly locations isHampshire, which has everything from charming cities to rural villages, although its hotspots tend not to be shoestring budget options. Go to local events, on your own if possible. From Colchester you can get to Liverpool Street in just under an hour. In 2014, Nice felt a need to be close to her parents, so the family moved to Leighton Buzzard. blog and then, because we cant resist, weigh in with our own thoughts. Be ahead of the game: at some point, someone's going to figure out you can essentially have bottomless brunch at Wetherspoons for 20 a head. St Albans is a beautiful town rich with history and only 20 minutes from London, A train from Reading to Paddington Station would take 25 minutes, From the outset Iver may not look like much but it has loads going on, High Wycombe came in number 7 and is a pretty town consisting of the old and the new, Aylesbury is a mix of old and new, with modern buildings emerging from Tudor-era houses. A few months ago we brought you the best commuter villages around London to live out your bucolic fantasies. 7.50 adults, 5 Lambeth Palace Rd, London SE1 (+4420 7401 8865; www.gardenmuseum.org.uk) BEST FOR: River walkers. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations. Today I want to share my guide to the best hipster London neighborhoods with you. The best London commuter towns, according to Phil Spencer and Moveiq 1. The first homes at Brent Cross Town are already on sale, with guide prices starting at 400,000 for a studio, 430,000 for a one bedroom flat, and 585,000 for a two-bedroom flat . Catherine Nice moved to Folkestone in 2015, with her husband Gary, and their two children, Jude, 11, and Ruby, eight. One sip of this stuff and you'll be a raving hipster. One for lovers of the random-stuff aisle. Something went wrong, please try again later. This unique arrangement means that Watford has the blessing of being far enough removed from London while being seamlessly connected to its major transport networks. Hackney Wick is first on my list of the coolest neighborhoods in London. Living in Iver could open up a realm of possibilities you never thought possible. Its the kind of place you either fall madly in love with or hate. This mini community is home to tattooists, jerk chicken and jiu jitsu classes. There is a thriving arts scene in the town and an art trail (as well as a folk festival and regatta). Its proximity means that you are able to take the train into the capital within 25 minutes or within an hour and a half drive. We moved to Ramsgate because we could afford to buy here, she says. The fastest train into St Pancras takes 25 minutes and the average house price is 514,773. A four-bedroom house in one of these areas would cost about 1 million. Nice, 41, is a print designer with her own homewares brand, Kitty McCall, and she and Gary, 44, who is in the process of setting up a bespoke recruitment agency, had lived all around south and south-east London, most recently in West Dulwich. Arsenals European dream over as Wolfsburg land cruel late blow, Dissatisfied Arteta sends title race warning to Man City: This isnt over, Tottenham good, bad and ugly all in the same game at Liverpool, Amazon insight shows how Chelsea must learn from Arsenal, says Lampard, Wolff fires warning over Mercedes upgrades as Hamiltons wait continues, Where to buy outside London in 2022: the commuter areas seeing a new year surge in homes for sale, Has Covid killed the London property market? Next on my list of the best hipster London neighborhoods is Hackney. Hipsters are integral to London. The variation in properties and neighborhoods mean that Stevenage is somewhere that attracts commuters with many different incomes. Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links. Where to buy a home in 2023: the London regeneration zones where home It doesnt affect the way you shop, and its a great way to support the A Lady in London blog. has a number of outline villages that provide a far more secluded lifestyle ideal for truly escaping the day-to-day hustle of inner city London. Airdrie. And they have useful shops on their doorstep, plus country pubs dotted all over the place. The commute: Trains to St Pancras International take just under an hour. The latter's Peckham branch has a speakeasy which serves 'Father Ted' cocktails, and has been known to play Knight Rider on loop (inspiring you to drink a few Father Teds). Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. Now you have got The Folkestone Wine Company, which I love, a little tapas place called Pick Up Pintxos, and the Harbour Arm is amazing in summer because it has live music and lots of street food stalls.. Top 15 sights in Engelberg, Switzerland (including TITLIS). St Albans is an area full of history dating back centuries. The commute: Trains to St Pancras International take around an hour and a half. London is only a 30-minute train which makes Redhill an attractive location. Not only is it a stones throw away from rural and suburban bliss, but the town itself also has a lot going for it. If you want to stay in this part of London, you can book accommodation in Peckham here. The openness of Camberley, interspersed with rivers, inlets, and woodlands, gives the town a far more countryside feel than you would expect, something that has been responsible for its growth in popularity. The fastest train to Kings Cross is 27 minutes however another benefit of Stevenage is the fact you can get to London Bridge in 40 minutes. Buyers on smaller budgets could consider adjacent Westcliff-on-Sea which is attracting more interest thanks to its value for money although it is by no means as hip as Leigh. Not only is it possible to take the train straight into London, but Watford is connected to the city by both the underground and overground transport networks. For more bang for your buck look east towards Redoubt, where you could pick up a two-bedroom flat for 180,000 to 200,000, or a two-bedroom Victorian cottage for 250,000 to 280,000. The commute: Trains to Victoria take around 90 minutes. Commuting to London takes 25 minutes and your terminus is Paddington, but house prices there are still close to 550k. Dedham also has an Ofsted outstanding primary school, as does the village of Lawford. Whether you choose to commute from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Surrey or Kent, these are some of the best towns to live near London; 1. Movie buffs might rhapsodise over The Shining or Dr Zhivago, but for our money, its the fact that The Muppet Show was produced here that gives it outstanding kerb appeal. Get an Uber Boat all the way to Barking in east London. Stephen Rodgers, senior branch manager at Fox & Sons estate agents, estimates that you would pay around 280,000 to 300,000 for a two-bedroom flat, or around 500,000 for a three-bedroom terrace. Reene recommends looking east, around the Harbour Arm, which has become trendier as the area has been regenerated with bars and restaurants. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images Taking around forty-five minutes to arrive in the capital, Basingstoke commuters may have a longer journey to and from work than most commuter towns, but it is a welcoming trade-off for the quality of life this Hampshire town provides. You are also only 16 miles from Cambridge for day trips and nightlife while the journey to London (from Audley End Station) takes less than an hour. This up-and-coming part of south London is known throughout the city for its cool coffee shops, great local market, tattoo studios, and independent stores. Although its ideally placed for commuting into London, there is a large infrastructure here that means you are not forced to travel outside of the town during your days off, creating a great balance between work and home life. The best commuter towns in Hertfordshire. As the need to work from home meant the need to be in the office became less important, commuter towns saw an influx of people making the move out of London. Although more expensive than counties like Kent, Hertfordshire's commuter towns are among the closest to London, with our two hotspots both within 30 minutes of the capital 1. A bit of a shortage of larger period houses means, when they do come up, prices of around 800,000. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. This infrastructure is bolstered by Readings huge commercial center, especially for information technology and insurance. There are lots of hipster-friendly little cafes, traditional pubs and cocktail and wine bars, so you wont miss your cafe culture too much. Although not traditionally seen as a commuter town, the past few years have seen a huge boom in London employees settling in the city. It was one of Kents original Cinque Ports and the walled town centre still possesses plenty of medieval charm. Be ahead of the game: isn't it obvious? When that extends to big stuff such as where you want to, in relation to where you work, then it gets a bit more tricky. Set on the river Itchen and beside the South Downs, Winchester has a charming old city centre but it is vibrant and quirky enough to keep Londoners happy.