Luton and surrounding areas...

I had a very successful phone interview for job based out of Luton today and already know that I will be brought in for a face to face interview.

Now, if I like the people and the company (so far, so good), where should I live?  DH knows nothing about the south other than Bedford (as he went to Uni there).  Places to live?  Places to avoid?  We don't want to spend a total mint on housing, one bedroom would be ideal, two would be fine.  We have the dogs so enough space for them (two of them are slightly larger than a smallish house cat) and good places to take them on walks.

DH will be doing some job training for his new career so there may be times where I am home alone for a week or two so I don't want to live anywhere dangerous.

Suggestions?  Help is appreciated because I am clueless!

BTW, sorry for all the questions about various cities.  Where we end up depends on where I land a job!

I have a brother-in-law in Wooton. It's OK. Very non-descript but it feels safe. We live somewhat near Aylesbury which is sort of grotty. But there are some GORGEOUS little villages in between.

It would be a bit of a commute but if you're into character there's a village called Whitchurch that I adore. I also really like Tring and Ivinghoe but those might also be too far out for you.

Further south, St Albans is nice. I know someone who went to uni there and liked it.

That's about as much use as I can be I'm afraid. I liked it better when you were talking Oxfordshire, but this is still close so I'll let you off.   

Well you know...  Leicester is not a long commute to Luton 

That's about as much use as I can be I'm afraid. I liked it better when you were talking Oxfordshire, but this is still close so I'll let you off.   

   I know, I keep bouncing around!  Stinks when you have to go where the job is, but, it isn't forever.  I really just want to be somewhere safe and generally comfortable.

Well you know...  Leicester is not a long commute to Luton 

Oh no!  Not at all!  Let's see, according to Google maps, its only 50 miles or so!    The Leicester job turned me down because I wasn't "seasoned" enough.   

Hitchin is a nice market town not too far from Luton. Don't know about links to Luton itself, but it's not too far.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitchin

DF was an estate agent in/around Luton, plus not only grew up in the area but has previously lived there for around 3-4 yrs in his adult life.  Will ask him this evening & report back to you.

Stay tuned! (do remember that he loves Aylesbury, though)

DF was an estate agent in/around Luton, plus not only grew up in the area but has previously lived there for around 3-4 yrs in his adult life.  Will ask him this evening & report back to you.

Stay tuned! (do remember that he loves Aylesbury, though)

Really?  That's great!!  I await your report on pins and needles! 

Did find some nice looking stuff in Dunstable. But, again, I just don't know anything about these areas!

Further south, St Albans is nice. I know someone who went to uni there and liked it.

And it just made the Top 20 list of best places to live in the UK! 

Hiya 'Scared'

Our business location is in Hemel Hempstead about 20 miles or so from Luton. I do know a girl who's from Luton and from the various joking around I know that you'd want to live just outside of Luton itself and/or a easy commutable distance away. she's just bought an apartment in St Albans and I'd definitley recommend St Albans area to live in, its very nice indeed! usual applies, live just outside of the main hustle and bustle although St Albans is small enough to live in the central areas. I wouldn't advise living in the central areas of Luton though! the word 'grottier' comes to mind! - there are of course pockets of newer and maybe better areas within Luton itself so maybe check those out, but as you'll have dogs, I'd suggest someplace a little larger and further out giving you access to space.

Dunstable - a bit boring I guess - but the surrounding areas and smaller villiages are much better, I was driving past it into St Albans to avoid stupid traffic on the M1 on saturday and I noticed how nice the small villiages just between St Albans, Dunstable and Hemel Hempstead are in terms of just being outside the hustle and bustle but close enough to get stuff done in

St Albans is pricey, guess the surrounding areas of Luton are as well - keep looking on righmove.co.uk for a radius of each of these towns of say 5 or 10 miles to help compile a list of possible places to rent/buy etc

I dont know too much about the areas north, or east of Luton though..  just south and westish..

Cheers! DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Thanks for that info, Dennis!  Very valuable! 

Your "scared" mate! 

(from Aless's DF):

Okay, there are areas of Luton that must be avoided at all costs and then there are areas that I have lived in for many years and that are great. First of all, you don't want to live in the following districts.

- Marsh Farm
- Hockwell Ring
- Lewsey Farm
- Bury Park
- Bushmead

They are all crime hotspots. Especially the top 4. Bushmead fronts itself as a nice area and even looks pleasant but sadly it has a high burglary rate.
Avoid the others at all costs and don't let estate agents tell you that that areas have changed because they haven't.

I personally lived in a district called Leagrave, which is one stop after Luton Central. Really nice area, as well as Sundon Park. Just try and stay away from the council sides of Sundon.

Luton is really well priced as it has a lot to offer. Avoid living in the town center as the prices are all marked up for the sake of drunken folk crashing in the street in the wee hours of Saturday morning singing "'Danny Boy"! Luton has  a big Irish population. If you are going to live outside Luton, the best place to be is Dunstable which is a 15 minutes bus ride away and has similar prices.

I'm going to recommend an old acquaintance of mine at a very reputable firm called HouseHold. They are based in the Luton Town Center. Give Simon Baker a call on (01582) 487487.  I'm pretty sure he's still there but if not, anyone else will in lettings will be able to help you. Hope this has been helpful! .

NB; avoid St Albans and Harpenden. SO overpriced


(Aless again) Dar, if you have any more questions or want to know something specific, just ask - I'll pass it along & he can most likely answer most anything.  It's hard to give a 'summary' of an area as such, I think.  I do know that Luton offers easy airport access and a quick train ride into central London for days/nights out.  If you're thinking of living a bit further out of Luton itself, just give a shout...my boy knows every little town in the Home Counties, I swear!

Thanks Aless and Aless's DF!    Once I hear more about the job, I will call his friend at the estate agents!  And if I think of anymore questions, I will ask!

Thanks again!

He also said that Hemel Hampstead IS NOT convenient for working in Luton, as there's only way to get between the places: it's a bus that only runs once an hour (if it comes at all!).  So just to counter what some people might have said .  No use living in a nice place if the transport links stink.

Good luck with the job!!

I spent much of my childhood in Luton during the 1970s, living in the Limbury district.

Marsh Farm and Bury Park were bad neighborhoods with horrible reputations even back then, particularly the Marsh Farm Estate area with its horrible tower blocks.    When news came through about the riots in Luton during the 1990s it was no surprise that Marsh Farm was mentioned.

We left in 1980, but the last time I went back to visit a couple of years ago only confirmed what I'd seen in my previous trips, that the whole town has deteriorated badly.  For my money, I wouldn't live anywhere within Luton itself.  There are a lot of much nicer places in the surrounding area.

I live in Hemel Hempstead. Its a nice but small place to live with semi-easy access to London.
St Albans is very nice, if a little pricey so I agree with Dennis here. We would like to move here when we are ready to upgrade our house.
I have only been shopping in Luton once and I will not being going back anytime soon. It doesnt seem like a nice place to live, as Aless' DF has confirmed.
In terms of living near Luton, I hear good things about Dunstable and Houghton Regis.