#22

Think @ynot lives there/nearby. Has a good micropub from what I’ve heard.

1 Like
#23

Personally I would avoid Aldershot. Farnborough has some nicer parts and also some pretty shitty parts. Cinema is always £4.99 a ticket.

Farnham is lovely with the best Frensham Ponds access but pretty quiet.

Never been to Alton.

1 Like
#24

Although Aldershot had the West End Centre. Seen Daniel Kitson there a couple of times and they always have bands on.

1 Like
#25

Yeah I think Farnham would be my choice if money were no object, it has the maltings venue, near enough to aldershot for the west end centre, cobbet pub, but would get less for my money.

Aldershot, less desirable area, but think it really punches above its weight for gigs and things.

Farnborough is probably the most sensible choice as it does well on my three main criteria, cost, commute, travel time to home, but I am completely unfamiliar with it (beyond the farnborough groove compilation series).

Alton is one I don’t have much experience with but am drawn to, really liked their lounge bar venue when I went there seemed to be advertising all kinds of interesting events (a freak folk night in 2016), near enough farnham and aldershot for additional venues, and right on the edge of a national park, surprisingly affordable but probably as a result of a longer commute (which south western railway are making even worse next year, but that is the same across the board).

#26

Alton is the one that comes out lowest on my three criteria but doing best on gut feeling. As i’ve already used commute, distance from home, and cost to discount places to get to this shortlist, think I need to give less weight to them to make the final choice and start to factor in the more qualitative stuff

#27

What’s the Nandos situation? Could be a tiebreaker.

2 Likes
#28

looks like just aldershot. someone should make an interactive map thing, that instead of commute times, goes by distance to nando’s https://mapumental.com

1 Like
#29

Yeah, the only time I go to Farnborough is to either go to the megastores like B&Q or Smith’s toy store or to do a cinema McDonald’s double header with the boy.

The shopping area is pretty bleak.

The area around Farnborough north station was really quite nice though.

1 Like
#30

think is is definitely an area I should explore

#31

Better than

??

3 Likes
#32

Dorking is really nice (depending on what you are into). Great bottle shop too.

So don’t you mock its name!

3 Likes
#33

Bet you like Dweebly-on-Sea and Lower Nerdton as well.

1 Like
#35

Cwbaft!

#36

I live in Caterham which is one stop further out.

Regards Whyteleafe, the beer place is great as well as the football club, but apart from that there isn’t much there at all, it just the A22 cutting down the the M25. We looked in Whyteleafe but found it boring, if the beer place had been there when we moved that might have swayed my opinion.

What it does have going for it is the fact its got three stations. Whyteleafe and Whyteleafe South are on the same line (same as Caterham), and then Upper Warlingham which is the far faster line into London.

I really like living in Caterham (the Valley), as its close to the shops and station, its got a good local theatre too, its also a 2 minute drive and you are on the M25.

Personally I’d avoid Redhill, its a bit of a dump. Reigates nice, but might be pricey.

Coulsdon, I know well too, as I cut through on my way to work, but again there isn’t much there and its a cut through to the M23/M25.

Personally I’d consider South Croydon (especially around Lloyd Park which is lovely), or perhaps Carshalton which is a lovely villagey feeling place, with great pubs. Wallington (where I work), also have nice housing and is close to Carshalton. Addiscombe might be worth a look too.

1 Like
#37

Also perhaps Oxted.

It’s got an really nice Everyman cinema, a great bottle shop, a theatre and a yearly beer festival, but its very Tory/Brexit.

1 Like
#38

dorking has one thing going for it for me in that I could get a train direct to london victoria, also easier to get to brighton from than most of the other places I’m considering (most people I know are in brighton or guildford-on-sea as I call it)

#39

My wife’s from Oxted. And Godstone too.

#40

Woah! You’re back properly? Hello!

#41

Hello Tone. No not really. Only while I am off sick - the rest of this week.

#42

Godstone is nice, but it’s got terrible public transport links.