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A Home in the Burbs
Words Krystle Sarkodie
What’s that saying we use every New Year’s Eve, “New Year, New Me” right?, but how about “New Year, New View?” 2020 has shaken the world, and we have all been affected in different ways, but as we prepare to usher in 2021, maybe it’s time to change our perspective and physical surroundings. Sometimes getting out of the city, and getting some fresh air in your lungs can make all the difference to your mental health and general wellbeing. Senior Property Manager Krystle Sarkodie, has put together a list of her top three areas, and they're all within a one-hour commute to London.
Bromley, Kent
If you’re looking for somewhere which isn’t too far from London, but far enough to get that fresh air, then Bromley is definitely an area to look at. Bromley is in the county of Kent and is one of the large towns in the South eastern district of England. Bromley is known for being an area with a lot of greenery, as well as a great shopping centre, The Glades. Bromley has 6 different stations (Bromley South, Bromley North, Bickley, Sunridge Park, Shortlands and Ravensbourne), which can get you into London, in under an hour. With up to four trains every hour into London Victoria, Blackfairs, Farringdon and St Pancras; if you needed to get into work or a night out in central, then Bromley is a great location.
The average cost of rentals in Bromley is currently £1,264 for a 2 bedroom apartment. There has been a steady rise in costs in Bromley as more young professionals and young families look to set up home, to come out of the hustle and bustle of London, however with a closer commute into the city. In terms of travel costs, Bromley is in zone 4/5 – Bromley South is Zone 5 and Bromley North is zone 4; so your travel would cost approximately £52 - £62 for a weekly pass or £200 - £237 for a monthly pass. *Note all figures are rounded, please go to TFL website for correct figures.
Bromley is definitely a sought after area, especially because the commute into London is much quicker than other areas outside of the capital; if you’re someone who still wants to be a stone throw away from the big city lights then Bromley is the place for you.
2. Milton Keynes
Now this must be one of my favorites towns in the UK. It was built in 1967, so is still fairly new but it has grown massively and has undergone some major refurbishments where it was completely abolished and recreated as “New City” to include the surrounding towns such as Bletchley, Stony Stratford and Wolverton making it one of the most modernised towns in the UK. ‘MK’ as the towns’ residents call it, is bursting with life and everything that one could want in terms of a location for work, life and pleasure. There is only one main station in the town – Milton Keynes Central, but there are stations in the smaller neighbouring towns such as Bletchley and Wolverton; the commute into London is 30 minutes from Milton Keynes directly into London Euston, with several trains every 8-10mins (during the weekdays, less during the weekends).
Milton Keynes has an amazing shopping experience with its super shopping centre ‘Intu Milton Keynes’, which boasts of ‘everything a girl could want’ from designer bags to top High Street brands. This is the shopping centre every girl dreams of! The town is jammed packed with bars and clubs and one could be mistaken that they were in the West End on a night out, so you definitely will get a ‘London’ feel.
Average renting price in Milton Keynes is £1,075 for a two bed flat which would be a good size, already you can see the cost of living is lower and you get to have that city vibe and also still work in London to have the London weighting salary; which is what many MK residents do. Your travel cost would be higher as you would have to add the cost of your London travel card, to the cost of your travel from Milton Keynes into London. Monthly, you would be paying approximately £134 to 165 for a weekly pass and £515 to £634 for a monthly travel card, including travel for Zones 1-6 *Note all figures are rounded, please go to The Trainline website for correct figures.
Milton Keynes offers so much for all types of people, and has so many activities within the town, so you wouldn’t need; everything is literally at your finger tips. If you decide you want to take a short trip, the M1 is on your doorstep, leading up to the Midlands and home counties. I would say go and spend a few days there so you can get a good feel for the town.
3. Canterbury
The historic town of Canterbury is best known for the book by Geoffrey Chaucer “The Canterbury Tales” which followed the journey of pilgrim, Thomas Beckett and is also one of the most visited towns in the UK; it has quite a large student population due to the number of universities in the town – University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University and the University for the Creative Arts. The town has two stations Canterbury West and Canterbury East, which take you straight in London St Pancras and other London Terminals within one hour.
Canterbury has much to offer from its history, to its tranquil boutiques, which offers a unique shopping experience. As there is a large student population, Canterbury has several bars and restaurants, so there will never be a dull moment on an evening out with family or friends. Average rental for a one-bedroom property is around £690 and two bedrooms are around £1,130 pcm which is rather reasonable considering this is a town heavily dominated by students and also with such vast historical importance.
If you were to live in this town, you would be able to get into London quite easily without much difficulty, but you would have to also consider the additional cost of your London travel card on top of your travel card from Canterbury to London. A weekly travel card would be in the region of £141 to £191, and a monthly would be £552 to £732. These figures include a zones 1-6 London travelccard and the figures are rounded up. Please refer to the Trainline website for exact figures.
I think Canterbury is a beautiful town, and it holds so much history which will keep you very engaged. It’s much quieter than the other two towns I have spoken about, but it really can offer you some excitement if you really want to find it.
I hope if you’re looking for a new start, that this helps you to take a step outside the city of London and will help you to maybe start a new journey in 2021.