Good areas in London?

[minestrone]

I can't see how that could possibly be true if it takes 2h25 to get from York to Kings Cross and 18 minutes from Surbiton to Waterloo. What were they doing, walking from Surbiton?

[eek]

I can't see how that could possibly be true if it takes 2h25 to get from York to Kings Cross and 18 minutes from Surbiton to Waterloo. What were they doing, walking from Surbiton?

But you have to get to Waterloo which may take 30 minutes.

To be honest I don't know but assuming you at a certain level of management its perfectly possible to incorporate at least 1 of those commutes in your working day (paperwork and email catch up).

[norrahe]

ironically I know someone who moved to near York because the journey from there to London was less painful and only 10 minutes longer than they journey from Surbiton into London.

I learnt many years ago that the best plan for travelling is to reduce the number of steps required. The fewer steps in your journey the less likely it is to go wrong.

Used to live in Surbiton and then moved to Northamptonshire, journey was about 20 mins longer, most of the time from Surbiton was queuing for the Waterloo and city line.

[d000hg]

Most of the posts on this thread have, not surprisingly, been from people who don't own property in London and never will because they can't afford it.
What you are asking for is impossible.
There is no nice place in zones 2 (or 3 for that matter) which are affordable unless by affordable you mean a million quid.
Your best bet is home counties towns that are <40 mins by train from a London terminus.
Even then you have to chose the area carefully (and there are some very nice areas) to escape the chav masses and to do that you're certainly talking about > £750K.

Presumably if one is single, you CAN get a nice place for £200-300k, but have to compromise on space rather drastically - a posh 1-bed apartment where all the neighbours are professionals rather than a flat in a tower block? There are definitely lovely apartments around, but maybe even they cost more than this?

[Scrag Meister]

I live in Tottenham and have Victoria and Piccadilly lines nearby for Central London. (Zone 3 though)

Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted can be easily reached.

Tottenham is not everyone's cup of tea though. House prices are reasonable though.

[doodab]

ironically I know someone who moved to near York because the journey from there to London was less painful and only 10 minutes longer than they journey from Surbiton into London.

No offence, but unless he was getting off at an earlier stop and catching a slow train into some obscure tulippit in north London this has to be BS, cos Surbiton -> Kings X takes an hour or so, so you are 80-90 minutes ahead going anywhere even if going via Kings X is the best route, which is highly unlikely.

Having said that, I can relate to the pain thing, it depends to some extent on where in London you are working, but unless you are within walking distance you will have the same problems getting to/from any terminus.

Don't get me wrong, I'd quite like to move out of London myself, but I'm not kidding myself that travel into Central London will get easier.

[AtW]

Buckingham Palace is allright.

[doodab]

Used to live in Surbiton and then moved to Northamptonshire, journey was about 20 mins longer, most of the time from Surbiton was queuing for the Waterloo and city line.

Yes but Northampton -> Euston takes < 90 minutes, not 2 1/2 hours.

[bobspud]

I live in Tottenham and have Victoria and Piccadilly lines nearby for Central London. (Zone 3 though)

Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted can be easily reached.

Tottenham is not everyone's cup of tea though. House prices are reasonable though.

This ^

When I lived in London I was the other side of the reservoirs 5 minutes from Blackhorse Lane. It was a fairly quiet area, with a ten minute ride into Islington for the nightlife or a one stop change to Tottenham Hale for a train straight into Liverpool Street. It just would not be a place I would call nice...

Interestingly I have found over the years that many clients have been far more than happy to allow WFH knowing I have a ridiculous commute than if I was only popping up the road from Walthanstow.

[vetran]

Vacancies here :

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