If You Could Live Anywhere in England, Where Would it Be?

[AJ]

I have actually thought about this.

When I was over there a couple of years ago, I didn't see much of the country, just mainly London, Birmingham and Manchester. As with any country I visit, I wonder how I would cope living there.

I decided on a place that seems nice, is closish to Birmingham for Villa home games, and also not far from London.

For my fantasy emigration, I chose Watford.

[sidcow]

4 minutes ago, AJ said:

I have actually thought about this.

When I was over there a couple of years ago, I didn't see much of the country, just mainly London, Birmingham and Manchester. As with any country I visit, I wonder how I would cope living there.

I decided on a place that seems nice, is closish to Birmingham for Villa home games, and also not far from London.

For my fantasy emigration, I chose Watford.

Yeah, I would go join @Xelain The Cotswolds if I were you.

[Spoony]

The Cotswolds is a solid mix between country living and city/town living. 

[Mark Albrighton]

I don’t have an answer for this, I haven’t been to enough places in the country to say definitively. Kinda content where I am. 

I suppose I wouldn’t mind living in a slightly more rural setting. 

Interesting the responses seem to be weighted more to the south of the country. After staying approximately where I am, my initial inclination is to head north but I have no real reason why I feel that.

[TheAuthority]

36 minutes ago, Spoony said:

The Cotswolds is a solid mix between country living and city/town living. 

My mother and sister live in the Cotswolds, and for that reason alone, is enough to stay as far away as f*****g possible from that place.

[VillaChris]

7 hours ago, ferguson1 said:

After seeing a comment made by @Xela in another thread, I do also love the Cotswolds and could happily retire in a Cotswolds village.

Close enough to Cheltenham and Bristol/Bath/Oxford should I need the shops/restaurants etc. 

Beautiful part of the country and one I forgot about earlier when posting. 

That would be the ideal location for me. Beautiful countryside and while like any part of the UK trains aren't amazing...you'd only be about 50 minutes from Brum, Cardiff, Bristol, Worcester, Swindon.....(only joking) and London is about 100 minutes so pretty much the same if you're attempting to get to the capital from North Brum and have to get into new street.

I do like many parts of the North but winters would be a little bit too bleak but guess County Durham has its attractions and people wanting to test their eyesight.

Could never see myself living within the M25.

[AJ]

6 hours ago, sidcow said:

Yeah, I would go join @Xelain The Cotswolds if I were you.

Soooo.... what's the deal with Watford?

[blandy]

6 minutes ago, AJ said:

Soooo.... what's the deal with Watford?

 

[AJ]

So Watford is not an exciting place? That's cool with me, I wouldn't be looking for excitement there. What I like about Watford is a couple of things. Firstly, the location. It is only about an hour away by train to Birmingham, so going to Villa Park every second weekend won't be much of a hassle. For non Villa related fun, London is only a half hour away. Secondly, it seems to be quite a safe and comfortable place. Apparently, it has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, so I don't have to worry about 15 year old kids kicking in my windows to nick all my stuff while I am doing nudie runs through Hyde Park.

What I consider is this. I like the fun and shiny things that the big cities have to offer, but I don't want to have to deal with the problems that are usually associated with in living in big cities. Location is big factor me. Watford wins!

Disclaimer; Despite having a wonderful time there when i visited, I couldn't live in England. I would find it difficult adapting to the cost of living, the weather, the traffic, and the higher rate of crime, to name a few things. England has many great things going for it too, but what wins out, what do you take for granted first, the good or the bad? Also, if I was going to live somewhere in England, I would probably exercise more due diligence and research than a quick google and a rail map.

[il_serpente]

17 hours ago, El Zen said:

Yeah, that’s certainly one thing I don’t like about where I live now. I’m not too far away from Oslo with a decent rail connection (I’m typing this from the train into town, as it happens) but day-to-day I rely too much on my car to get around. 

Where are you now and what part of Oslo did you grow up in?   My dad grew up in Majorstuen/Hegdehaugen and I have family in Veitvet, Rasta and Stovner.   I lived briefly at Bøler, Hellerud and Blommenholm as a kid.

[Rds1983]

If I could live absolutely anywhere in England, it'd be in Dua Lipa's shower.

But unfortunately I don't think she'd be up for that. 

[Demitri_C]

Can i be difficult and say aomwwhere outside the uk?

For me it would be stockholm

[Demitri_C]

2 hours ago, AJ said:

So Watford is not an exciting place? That's cool with me, I wouldn't be looking for excitement there. What I like about Watford is a couple of things. Firstly, the location. It is only about an hour away by train to Birmingham, so going to Villa Park every second weekend won't be much of a hassle. For non Villa related fun, London is only a half hour away. Secondly, it seems to be quite a safe and comfortable place. Apparently, it has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, so I don't have to worry about 15 year old kids kicking in my windows to nick all my stuff while I am doing nudie runs through Hyde Park.

What I consider is this. I like the fun and shiny things that the big cities have to offer, but I don't want to have to deal with the problems that are usually associated with in living in big cities. Location is big factor me. Watford wins!

Disclaimer; Despite having a wonderful time there when i visited, I couldn't live in England. I would find it difficult adapting to the cost of living, the weather, the traffic, and the higher rate of crime, to name a few things. England has many great things going for it too, but what wins out, what do you take for granted first, the good or the bad? Also, if I was going to live somewhere in England, I would probably exercise more due diligence and research than a quick google and a rail map.

Ergh watford no thank you

[AXD]

Just now, Demitri_C said:

Can i be difficult and say aomwwhere outside the uk?

For me it would be stockholm

That’s for in the ‘If You Could Live Anywhere in Sweden, Where Would it Be?’ Thread

[Demitri_C]

3 minutes ago, AXD said:

That’s for in the ‘If You Could Live Anywhere in Sweden, Where Would it Be?’ Thread

Didnt even know there was one

If your asking uk i would probably say Islington 

[bickster]

Just now, Demitri_C said:

Didnt even know there was one

If your asking uk i would probably say Islington 

Oh do trot on  

[AJ]

6 minutes ago, AXD said:

That’s for in the ‘If You Could Live Anywhere in Sweden, Where Would it Be?’ Thread

Malmo.

Its closest to Villa Park.

[sidcow]

10 hours ago, AJ said:

Soooo.... what's the deal with Watford?

Nothing inherently. I've not spent enough time there to form an opinion but I would be amazed if it's anything much different to living in any suburban area in The UK. 

Possibly slightly more wealthy than many northern towns due to the proximity to London. 

Therefore if you could live ANYWHERE it would be an odd choice. 

If you want proximity to Birmingham and London The Cotswolds or Buckinghamshire would offer a much more traditionally considered idillyc lifestyle. 

If you WANT to live in an urban place then just go for somewhere in London, getting to Brum isn't much of a ball ache. As we're assuming you have won the lottery or whatever it's probably the place to be for a wealthy urbanite. 

In a few years HS2 will be whizzing you up to Brum in a jiffy too. 

Edited November 27, 2022 by sidcow

[Villadevon]

Born and raised in Aston. Last forty odd years living on the North Devon coast, no desire to live anywhere else. 

[El Zen]

4 hours ago, il_serpente said:

Where are you now and what part of Oslo did you grow up in?   My dad grew up in Majorstuen/Hegdehaugen and I have family in Veitvet, Rasta and Stovner.   I lived briefly at Bøler, Hellerud and Blommenholm as a kid.

I grew up in the southern middle class suburbs (Kolbotn), spent most of my 20s in the Hasle/Løren/Valle area, and am now back in southern Akershus, about 25 mins south of the city.

My mother’s family hails from Carl Berner/Sofienberg.