Good places to live near LTN!

[tedbud]

Hi People,

I have recently secured a job with an operator ex LTN, and will have to relocate.

Can anyone advise some good areas within 45 mins of LTN that I should be looking at? I can't afford St Albans/Harpenden yet so....

Cheers

Tedbud:eek:

[LGS6753]

Depends what you want...

modern city with lots of housing, good amenities and access - Milton Keynes

traditional small town with restaurants etc - Hitchin

planned "new" town, quiet and good for families - Letchworth

pleasant small villages - Lilley, Offley, Hexton, Meppershall, Ickwell, Old Warden etc.

larger villages with more houses and shops - Ampthill, Flitwick, Barton le Clay, etc.

places to avoid - Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis.

really cheap property - Rushden (1 hr+ north), St Neots

Generally these places are north of Luton for cost reasons. Property gets dearer as you get nearer to London, the most expensive areas are Harpenden and St Albans. Proximity to a Capital Connect station adds property value because the train goes direct into the City of London.

PM me for more info, I've lived here for a long time:8

[tedbud]

Cheers LGS,

I have a young family so MK is not really up my street...

Will PM you for more info if that's ok.

Most important things are a good pub or three, a few shops, good school, and a four bed detached for less than 300k.

Cheers

[pabely]

Try Bucks area, do you want town or village? I too was brought up in Herts & Beds area. Herts best for schools.

[VS-LHRCSA]

Hemel Hempstead is a great place to live. It's good for families and is close enough to Luton. There is even a National Express link if you don't want to take your car to work. I did a contract out of LTN once and I liked Hemel so much I stayed after the contract finished.

[LTNman]

Have a look at the Wigmore area of Luton. It's one of Luton's better areas, plenty of newish 4 bedroom detached houses, only a couple of minutes drive to open countryside with country pubs and best of all it's only a 4 minute drive to the airport.

[Powerjet1]

Barton Hills, on the north edge of Luton, with countryside just half a mile away, is probably the best area within the Luton Borough. Area awash with 3/4/5 bed houses, but it also one of the most expensive. A 10/12 minute drive from the airport.

[nickmanl]

10/12 minutes drive from Barton Hills/Bramingham? It may well be in the dead of night but in the early mornings it is more realistically going to be upwards of 20 mins. Coming home from the airport in rush hour either through the town centre of down Stockingstone road will also make the journey around 20 - 25 minutes! I should know, I live there!

[5150]

I fly out of Luton and live in Northampton.

45 mins down the motorway, money goes a lot further than down south and plenty of decent schools and pubs.

I can't see myself moving anywhere nearer LTN in the future.

[BYALPHAINDIA]

I fly out of Luton and live in Northampton.

45 mins down the motorway, money goes a lot further than down south and plenty of decent schools and pubs.

I can't see myself moving anywhere nearer LTN in the future.

I keep hearing that LTN is 'Deadwood', Being a Northener LTN is not usually on my frequency.

What has gone wrong in LTN Town???

Is it where all the London Lowlifes end up??

There seems to be enough employment down there??

I'm just curious.:ok:

[Glenn@LTN]

I live in Hemel Hempstead and must admit its alright here, its pretty quiet, access to LTN is pretty easy, even with the M1 roadworks you can still be there in 25 minutes, sadly its not the cheapest place to live but one of the nicer places id say!

Glenn

[LTNman]

What has gone wrong in LTN Town???

If someone was bind folded from another country and dumped in Luton town centre and was asked where he thought he was by looking and listening to the local population he might think he was in Poland, Hungary, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Trinidad, India, Ireland, Iraq or a hundred another counties. Third World and Eastern European attitudes have been imported into the town which is seen as a good thing by local politicians who are now frightened of loosing the substantial immigrant vote.

The town has lost its identity, its respect and its original population.

[VS-LHRCSA]

Hemel's great because it is more or less equi-distant to LHR and LTN. You can be in Euston in 25 mins on a fast train. Schools are good and there's a nice village atmosphere in the high street. Is getting pricey though, because of the access to London.

[LTNman]

Hemel, the home to Bunsfield and the big bang!!!

[Buster the Bear]

If you have children AVOID Luton, if you don't believe me, check the OFSTED school achievement tables! Barton is good as the secondary school has an excellent achievement assessment (Harlington). Many Luton folk have moved a few miles North on the A6 to ensure their kids are educated properly. Trust me, you don't by choice want to live in Luton these days, 20 years ago I would never have made that statement! 20 years ago I walked through England to get to my football ground, now I might as well be in Lahore! (I am in no way being racist, but simply factual)

My in-laws have teenagers at schools in Luton, sadly they are unable to move out of the area for financial reasons, what were two very bright children are now suffering from the poor academic standards of the town.

If you have a family and entertainment is high on your list, Milton Keynes, or close too would a sound choice, but just remember, once the M1 has been dug up and widened between the M25 and Jct 10, the next stage is 4 laning right up to MK over the following 8 years!

If I had to relocate to somewhere in the vicinity of Luton I would move to Harpenden, if the prices there are out of reach, then somewhere North and probably off the A6, thus avoiding the M1.

Sadly the most enviable place to move too in Bedfordshire is a certain pen in a sleepy place called Whipsnade, and we are full!

Anyway, it's time to visit the Arndale and buy myself a new sweater from C&A. I must start to brush up on my Polish then.

[Buster the Bear]

Keegan Aviation based at Luton Jan 1967!
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee24/busterthebear/p51.jpg

[boeing_eng]

A rather sweeping statement on Luton schools Mr Bear!

Yes, the bulk are not brilliant but a number do produce the goods are are better in this respect than many you will find in MK or Northampton! Obviously, it pays to do some research but labelling all Luton schools as poor is not on!

Agree with the comments on both Wigmore and Barton Hills areas of Luton. Both are good areas with amenities you won't find stuck out in some of the villages!

What’s all this fuss about Luton anyway?.....Anyone been to some of the older areas of Stevenage recently!?

[OLNEY 1 BRAVO]

Leighton Buzzard is also worth considering:

- property prices not too high
- majority of schools pretty good
- 40 minute commute to LTN avoiding the M1
- Milton Keynes only 15 minutes away from shopping
- Buster is only 20 minutes awayat Whipsnade (in fact you could pass Whipsnade on your way to work each day!!!)
- 33 minute journey to Euston at peak times

On the minus side, amenities not so good ... no cinema and the largest town in england not to have a hospital!

[Level bust]

There are plenty of nice villages in Mid-Beds, between Luton and Bedford. Pleasant drive in to the airport, except for the last couple of miles!

There are some good schools in the area, they are also still Lower, Middle and Upper, although the Upper schools are getting rather crowded.

Plenty of good pubs around as well, some doing good food.

[heebeegb]

If you can afford it, Harpenden. Lovely.

[boeing_eng]

You obviously havn't read the original post properly:=

It was mentioned that Harpenden/St Albans are out of budget!

Not surprising really......Around half a million of your hard earned pounds will these days only buy you an unremarkable 3 bed dwelling there!!

[fade to grey]

Hi,
Quite a few luton people up here in Towcester/Daventry

Towcester is a nice quiet place, Dav is cheaper but chavvier.

I'm surprised all these people like hemel - I had a girlfriend there for 18 months and the place is chav heaven - it even got in that book '50 Crappest places in England 'or such like

[VS-LHRCSA]

It depends on where you live. Hemel is quite spread out and getting pricey too. I live in the Old Town and it has a very nice feel to it, not at all chavvy. I'd be out like shot if it was.

[GLIDERMAN]

How about Pulloxhill, lovely unspoilt mid Beds village, Great pubs, close to schools & everything, easy distance to airport!

[In trim]

I used to live in Ampthill. Lovely village, out in the country, 25 mins to the airport, good schools, and would definitely recommend it. It's certainly worth a look.

IT

[1pudding1]

Another vote from an ex-Ampthill resident here. V nice village.