Am I crazy to think a place like this exists???.....

 
I blogged about this today bc I constantly think about it now that I am in this sort of planning phase for the next stage of my life.... and considering a UK move is still top of my list.  Is there anyplace/neighborhood in the UK that fits this description (good part of it at least?), I think it would be really helpful for my next trip over too, then I could actually go check it out and see if it's somewhere I could see myself living. 

Thanks in advance for any ideas! The UKY group always has wonderful feedback/ideas!

Here's the qualities that I would like to find in a place/neighborhood. I seem to always think about these various things and how nice they would be to have in my life. Ok so am I totally crazy in thinking that there is a place that exists and has all these qualities??

    * Urban setting
    * Ability to find housing with a private yard
    * Historical buildings/residences (that have actually retained their original character and not been completely modernized)
    * Clean, well maintained streets, buildings (no dilapidated structures, spray-painted fences, etc)
    * Low crime rates
    * Access to very good public transportation
    * Good amount of parks/open spaces within walking distance (dog friendly of course)
    * Restaurants/shops/pubs within walking distance (not fast food! nice, local spots where I can support LOCAL business owners)
    * Dog friendly neighborhood/establishments
    * Outdoor markets or local produce market
    * Access to healthy food markets/organic foods and goods
    * Relatively mild weather (no 10 feet of snow, no sweltering summer heat - somewhere in the middle)
    * Larger percentage of normal people (basically lower chances of bumping into irrational, self-centered, jerkish types)
    * Normal cost of living (don't have to sell a kidney to afford to live there, nor have to have the salary of a rocket scientiest - can be afforded by a normal middle class professional)
    * Within 1-2 hours of ocean
    * Within 2 hours of major international airport
    * Scenic destinations within driving distance
    * Good amount of activities, ie museums, organizations, outdoor activities, etc.
    * Friendly vibe

If anyone knows of a place like that, please, please, please let me know, I will then pack my bags and move there shortly.   

Have you considered  Brighton?

Except for the excellent public transport, you're wanting Victoria, BC.  And they're improving that bit!

My home town - in south west England (a few miles north of Bristol) fits pretty much everything on the list:

    * Urban setting

My town has about 15,000 people, with a city of 400,000 within 30 minutes drive.

    * Ability to find housing with a private yard

Almost every property has a private back garden

    * Historical buildings/residences (that have actually retained their original character and not been completely modernized)

The town has been around for several hundred years - my primary (elementary) school building is over 160 years old and we have a small castle that Henry VIII stayed in in the 1500's

    * Clean, well maintained streets, buildings (no dilapidated structures, spray-painted fences, etc)

There is very little graffiti around the town and most buildings are well maintained.

    * Low crime rates

Very low crime - not much more than the odd teenage vandalism or house break-in. I believe there has only been 1 murder in the last 10 years.

    * Access to very good public transportation

Public buses run every few minutes around the town itself, every 30 minutes into the city of Bristol and every hour to the large shopping mall nearby. Nearest train station is 20 min by car.
 
  * Good amount of parks/open spaces within walking distance (dog friendly of course)

There are several parks and open spaces within the town, as well as streamside walks. Walk five-ten minutes to the outskirts of town and you're surrounded by countryside and fields.
   
* Restaurants/shops/pubs within walking distance (not fast food! nice, local spots where I can support LOCAL business owners)

The town has several restaurants, pubs and shops - no McDonalds-type places, luckily. Shops range from large supermarket to local family-owned grocers, butchers etc.

    * Dog friendly neighborhood/establishments

Dogs are everywhere - you can't leave the house without seeing several people walking their dogs.

    * Outdoor markets or local produce market

Although depleted in recent years, we have a local farmer's market every week or two.

    * Access to healthy food markets/organic foods and goods

There are a couple of health-food shops as well as fresh fruit and vegetable shops.

    * Relatively mild weather (no 10 feet of snow, no sweltering summer heat - somewhere in the middle)

Maybe a max of 5 inches of snow per year - some years no snow at all. Winter temps 35-50 degrees, summer temps approx 65-85 degrees.

    * Larger percentage of normal people (basically lower chances of bumping into irrational, self-centered, jerkish types)

Most people are normal. High number of over-60's and retired, plus families. Lower percentage of 20-somethings (most have moved away to big cities)

    * Normal cost of living (don't have to sell a kidney to afford to live there, nor have to have the salary of a rocket scientiest - can be afforded by a normal middle class professional)

Cost of living is higher than in the north and than in the US, but it's not extortionate. 3-bedroom houses sell for £250-300,000 on average.

    * Within 1-2 hours of ocean   

Ocean is 30-45 min drive to the west or 90-120 min drive to the south

* Within 2 hours of major international airport

There are at least 5 international airports within 3 hours' drive - Bristol (1hr), Cardiff (1hr), Birmingham (90 min), London Heathrow (2hrs) and London Gatwick (2.5-3hrs)

    * Scenic destinations within driving distance
 
Many - much of England is scenic and since you can drive from one side of the country to the other within 4 hours, nothing is far away compared to the US.

    * Good amount of activities, ie museums, organizations, outdoor activities, etc.

Yes. Not so many museums in the town itself, but several within 30 min - 1 hours' drive.

Wow ksand, very convincing case for the Bristol area, that was a wealth of info and I thank you for that!  Sounds like Bristol and Brighton (thanks Mort) are definitely on my list for my next visit.  I've never visited either on my trips to the UK, I usually am in London/Bucks and all over Scotland. 

And Madeira, even though I currently live in Seattle and have visited Victoria a few times, I think I should make another trip up there soon and spend more time off the beaten path and get a good feel for the neighborhoods, etc.  I have always liked it up there. 

Thanks for the great suggestions!

Hi there

As some have already waved the flag for their areas - thanks Ksand24!!!! - Overall you'll find there isn't really a place that meets all you wants perfectly. You will have to shock horror, compromise to some extent on some of the list you have!

Looking on a 'high' level - I'd say the best chance of finding most of what you want is to be close to a major UK city and choose to live on the outskirts of the area. I'm sure where ksand24 is from is not central Bristol, I think a smaller town just outside of the city or at least just on the outskirts. Cost of living is high no matter where in the UK you are. Yes there are variances, so if you do go up north where housing is proportionally cheaper you'll probably also find that well paying jobs are less common. If you then look where the jobs pay what you'd like, it'll probably mean the housing is X times more and might mean you can't get that victorian apartment conversion with period features and a garden etc!!!

reading all your list though, I would also put forward the suggestion you find as they say in property programs on the telly and in magazines etc 'a quaint little town untouched by the rigours of modern day living yet just a stones throw away when needed' !

I remember driving through places like that in Oxfordshire and in the Sussex's - as well as more northerly places too. Personally, they're a little too quiet for me, but could be the type of places for you to maximise the chances of getting most of your list!

Around here, I'd say look around Denham, Gerrards Cross, Iver, Aylesbury, the Chalfonts, and along the thames valley which does have quite a few small towns and villages.

Hope this helps a bit!

cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Believe it or not, I would have to say that Belfast, at least the south where I live, ticks most of your boxes! 

It certainly has its own breed of strangeness, though, and I know other people have had a very different experience of the city. Personally I can't see staying here forever, but it certainly has its points and there's a lot to enjoy.

I'll add another vote for Victoria, though. I loved Vancouver Island, and given the chance, I'd be there in a flash!

In most any area you look except the remotest of areas you will find all you are looking for. Maybe not in the same city, or in the same 5 mile radius but still not far! We love taking train journeys to York, Lincoln, Nottingham and even a few trips to London. Even my kids enjoy exploring the cities some of which have such fantastic architecture it amazes me still. I tend to walk with my head pointed upwards staring at brick work and roofs and chimney pots! Maybe I am a tad strange   Also we take trips to the sea side which the kids never tire of, and there are river walks, country walks and trip through small forests. I had just as much fun and amazement in Wales and look forward to exploring Scotland next! Anyway, best of luck to you in your search  

Believe it or not, I would have to say that Belfast, at least the south where I live, ticks most of your boxes! 

It certainly has its own breed of strangeness, though, and I know other people have had a very different experience of the city. Personally I can't see staying here forever, but it certainly has its points and there's a lot to enjoy.

I'll add another vote for Victoria, though. I loved Vancouver Island, and given the chance, I'd be there in a flash!

I would've suggested Belfast too Elynor.  I'd also suggest Newcastle, Northern Ireland. I adore Newcastle, and am probably a bit biased, but I found the whole of County Down amazing.  It's a fairly small village ( I think about 8000 people), but it's about 20 min from Newry, 45 minutes from Belfast and 90 minutes from Dublin.  It's right on the Irish Sea and also at the base of the Mourne Mountains.  There's a lot of outdoor activities and IIRC, most houses did have back gardens.  There are regular bus services to Belfast and Dublin, and you'd have easy access to both international airports.  I've found that, in general the bus services, both locally and to destinations across the province, to be reliable and fairly frequent.

I lived there for my first couple of months there, until DH got the job in Derry and we moved.  I LOVED it there.  It still had the feel of a quaint village and people were friendly, and I was close to two good-sized cities.  I also like that if I wanted to go for a walk, I had the choice of walking along the beach or exploring Slieve Donard.  Long-term, DH and I would love to move back to that area.

Anyways, I'm off now to see if their tourism board has any job openings...

I would've suggested Belfast too Elynor.  I'd also suggest Newcastle, Northern Ireland. I adore Newcastle, and am probably a bit biased, but I found the whole of County Down amazing.  It's a fairly small village ( I think about 8000 people), but it's about 20 min from Newry, 45 minutes from Belfast and 90 minutes from Dublin.  It's right on the Irish Sea and also at the base of the Mourne Mountains.  There's a lot of outdoor activities and IIRC, most houses did have back gardens.  There are regular bus services to Belfast and Dublin, and you'd have easy access to both international airports.  I've found that, in general the bus services, both locally and to destinations across the province, to be reliable and fairly frequent.

I lived there for my first couple of months there, until DH got the job in Derry and we moved.  I LOVED it there.  It still had the feel of a quaint village and people were friendly, and I was close to two good-sized cities.  I also like that if I wanted to go for a walk, I had the choice of walking along the beach or exploring Slieve Donard.  Long-term, DH and I would love to move back to that area.

Anyways, I'm off now to see if their tourism board has any job openings...

Thanks, I thought everyone would think I was crazy!

I love the Newcastle area, too, especially the wee village of Dundrum. We had an amazing day out there last spring: we went to the nature reserve, which runs along the beach, and (sort of) saw the seals, and then we walked into Dundrum and got ice cream. And while we were wandering around eating it, we saw signs for the castle and decided to check it out. It's a fun castle--the central round keep is still fairly intact, and you can walk up the spiral staircase to the top of it. And although the hike up the hill is pretty steep, the view is probably my favorite in Ireland. It has everything: mountains, sea, village, church spire, green fields, sheep...



edited after I found the missing comma...

My home town - in south west England (a few miles north of Bristol) fits pretty much everything on the list:

Cost of living is higher than in the north and than in the US, but it's not extortionate. 3-bedroom houses sell for £250-300,000 on average.

I live pretty closd to ksand24, only about 30-40 minute drive north of Bristol, and in another small town.  We love where we live!  I agree with everything in her post except the housing statement.  Sadly, for those of us trying to support familes on fairly modest incomes £300,000 for a three bedroom house does feel pretty extortionate.

I live pretty closd to ksand24, only about 30-40 minute drive north of Bristol, and in another small town.  We love where we live!  I agree with everything in her post except the housing statement.  Sadly, for those of us trying to support familes on fairly modest incomes £300,000 for a three bedroom house does feel pretty extortionate.

Fair enough - it is pretty expensive, but I was kind of comparing it to other very expensive areas that people may consider living in. Yes, £300,000 is a lot for a 3-bed, but compared to paying say, £600,000 or more in the south east, it's not so bad. A lady in one of my classes here in the US just told me that her mother lives in Bristol (in a very expensive area by the sounds of it - she owns one of those 5-storey stone houses) and that her cousin has just bought a £4 million house in London!!

My parents were lucky to have bought their house when prices were cheaper (they are on a fairly modest income too) - they have an extended 3-bed semi (now 5-bed) which is currently worth close to £300,000, but they paid less than half that amount for the house in the late 90's.

I'm a little south of Bristol and, strange as it may seem to many people, Weston-super-Mare meets almost all of the requirements.

(And we've actually got a beach!)

Thanks, I thought everyone would think I was crazy!

I love the Newcastle area, too, especially the wee village of Dundrum. We had an amazing day out there last spring: we went to the nature reserve, which runs along the beach, and (sort of) saw the seals, and then we walked into Dundrum and got ice cream. And while we were wandering around eating it, we saw signs for the castle and decided to check it out. It's a fun castle--the central round keep is still fairly intact, and you can walk up the spiral staircase to the top of it. And although the hike up the hill is pretty steep, the view is probably my favorite in Ireland. It has everything: mountains, sea, village, church spire, green fields, sheep...



edited after I found the missing comma...

I love Dundrum!  I spent a week and a half there in 1999, and thought it was lovely.  I don't like the sea, and Dundrum and Aberystwyth in Wales are the only two seaside places I've been to that I've liked.

Leeds ticks your boxes as follows:

    * Urban setting - Yes!
    * Ability to find housing with a private yard - Define 'private yard'?  Our house has a very small yard, but to be truly private, I think you'd need to be in the country which leaves off 'Urban setting'
    * Historical buildings/residences (that have actually retained their original character and not been completely modernized) - Yes!
    * Clean, well maintained streets, buildings (no dilapidated structures, spray-painted fences, etc) - Wellllll, you're in what was part of the Industrial Revolution here. A number of the buildings are sooty in appearance which is part of the history.  So if you want them to be clean, you're going to have to give up the criteria (original character, not completely modernized, etc) in the point directly above.
    * Low crime rates - not sure how Leeds fares on this one.  Some neighborhoods better than others - I feel very safe where I live.
    * Access to very good public transportation - Yes, great public transport.
    * Good amount of parks/open spaces within walking distance (dog friendly of course) - Yes!
    * Restaurants/shops/pubs within walking distance (not fast food! nice, local spots where I can support LOCAL business owners) - Yes!
    * Dog friendly neighborhood/establishments - no idea, I don't have dogs
    * Outdoor markets or local produce market - Yes!  We have great markets, green grocers, local butchers, and Leeds City Market itself which is absolutely fabulous!
    * Access to healthy food markets/organic foods and goods - Yes!
    * Relatively mild weather (no 10 feet of snow, no sweltering summer heat - somewhere in the middle) - Yes!
    * Larger percentage of normal people (basically lower chances of bumping into irrational, self-centered, jerkish types) - Nicest people in England!
    * Normal cost of living (don't have to sell a kidney to afford to live there, nor have to have the salary of a rocket scientiest - can be afforded by a normal middle class professional) - Yes!
    * Within 1-2 hours of ocean - Yes!
    * Within 2 hours of major international airport - Yes!
    * Scenic destinations within driving distance - Yes!
    * Good amount of activities, ie museums, organizations, outdoor activities, etc. - Yes!
    * Friendly vibe - Nicest people in England!