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A while ago I asked about places to live if you work in Reading, and the STW hive mind produced a huge volume of very useful information. However, that job fell through 🙁
New candidate - central Uxbridge. As before, I would like to live somewhere where I can access the cultural (and shopping) benefits of That London, but still have a decent commute, preferably by public transport.
Can you help me out again? Thanks !!!!!
I live in Uxbridge.
It's shit.
Full of chavs, overpriced, very few decent pubs.
Oxford?
Well there's all sorts of places along the A40 depending on how far towards London you want to live - or go the other way into rural areas. I lived in Shepherds Bush but that's so expensive now, Acton would be cheaper for a London feel. How about Ruislip?
I lived in Uxbridge for a while in the mid-nineties. it was shit then.
Anywhere on the metropolitan line is worth a shot, or down to about Ealing on the bus route. West Drayton was always popular, or you could push out near Pinewood if you have a little bit of extra cash.
Or, think outside the box and live on a boat.
Somewhere on the Met or Picadilly line?
Rayners Lane or Harrow? Harrow has gone down hill a bit over the years, but isn't too bad.
Even Wembley Park to Uxbridge on the tube is under 30mins. Wembley isn't great these days though unfortunately.
I grew up in Wembley and went to uni at Brunel in Uxbridge so am relatively familiar with that area.
Work in Uxbridge, live in ... ??
Is it Hope of moving?
Windsor. 10 mile bike commute. I do it daily.
Northwood?
Stumpy, when were you there? I graduated in '96.
I grew up in ickenham, two stops from uxbridge on the train. Its a fantastic little place.
I lived in Uxbridge for quite a few years, I didn't think it was that bad really. Only worthwhile public transport will be tube though. Ickenham/Ruislip are pleasant enough.
Traffic is a problem via car - the A40 roundabout or coming in from M4 oe Slough is slow. I lived in Northwood for a year (which I liked a lot) and could cycle in less time than sitting in peak time traffic.
Doing it again I'd probably live somewhere near Denham or Denham Golf Club stations (much quicker into London than all those stops on the tube) and cycle in. Pleasant canal towpath route all the way into town.
Uxbridge is a hole. I worked in Stockley Park for 5 years and I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere near there any more. Better than Bracknell though. Basically anywhere from Kingston upon Thames to the south is commutable and having lived there, surbiton and walton on thames, I'd look that way. It's ridable in about an hour too.
I've a couple of workmates in uxbridge who recommend commuting out from london. They reckon that going in the opposite direction to everyone else is much easier. mind you, I don't know how many days they actually go into the office...
I would think it's basically along the Met or cycle in, as above. Not sure about the Uxbridge branch - they always seem to be looked after. We live along the pauper's branch to the north. Northwood (noted above) is along ours, but you'd have to go back to Harrow and change back out to the Uxbridge branch.
Along the canal from Denham there are lots of places, eg Harefield, Rickmansworth etc. It is a nice ride but prepare to be utterly soaked when it's raining, so many puddles on the canal path!
Rickmansworth, harefield, pinner hatchend are all easy commutes there or anywhere around the ruislip area. commuting against the flow is fine but traffic isn't that bad around here.
Worked in Uxbridge for nearly a year whilst living in East Finchley. Was quicker to ride the 16 miles each way by bike than attempt the Northern/Metropolitan Line shuffle. Made me incredibly fit.
West Drayton
Don't move to West Drayton unless you want to be collateral damage in a gangland drive by.
As we seem to be going for middle class enclaves then maybe look at Gerrards Cross or Beaconsfield. Both have train routes into London and both are easily rideable to/from Uxbridge or you could get the train from either to Denham and walk and use a Brompton from there into Uxbridge.
Ruislip is also easy access to London and Uxbridge although not quite as middle class as the two above.
Rickmansworth has some nice bits although no easy rail link to or near Uxbridge, likewise Harefield, Windsor and Eton are both nice but again direct public transport is a non starter.
Ealing, Harrow, West Drayton, Acton etc. are really no different than Uxbridge. If they were your choices I'd rather live in a nice part of Uxbridge and be able to walk home than live in any of those and commute twice a day. North Uxbridge merging into Ickenham is the nicer end of the district.
I have a mate who works in Uxbridge and he lives in Reading. Not a nice place.
willard, I started in '95 and graduated in 2000. I did a foundation in Engineering and then a thin sandwich course so managed to hang on there for 5 years!