Bristol is its own city with local culture and restaurants. Reading has some, but it's smaller and still close enough to London that it feels more suburban.
I've worked with people who commuted 90 minutes each way multiple times a week and they all survived, but were miserable about it. They all had very strong roots wherever (kids in school / with friends, family / lived whole life in / spouses with demanding jobs or local business owners).
So I'd say unless you feel heavily tied to Bristol, then move. A bit more variety in restaurants and nightlife won't pay for almost 10 hours driving a week.
I don't know Bristol enough to draw parallels, but best place more centrally in Reading is Caversham. A bit further afield there's lots of posh places like Henley which are still close enough to work around Reading, or nice smaller towns like Wokingham.
Yeah based on the feedback I've received, moving to Reading seems better thwn commuting. I'm just weary a bit of the fact that everyone we know lives in Bristol, so not sure how easy it would be to grow roots somewhere else.
How frequently do you see these people? Probably easier to drive back a couple weekends a month for dinner etc, stay a night at someone's or a hotel, than driving 3x a week the other way. Also remember with a kid on the way your social life will take a massive dip.
I'd suggest driving down for a weekend and doing some house hunting, make sure you look around too and not just central Reading.
Very good points. Since living abroad I only see them twice or three times over a year so it's not like I'm stopping cold turkey. But sometimes you wanna be "where everybody knows your naaaame 🎶
You're 100% right though, easier to get to Bristol three times per month than getting to Reading three times per week.
>I'd suggest driving down for a weekend and doing some house hunting, make sure you look around too and not just central Reading.
Great advice, I'll do that.
There is so much value in being in a place where everyone knows you. I think it's more important with a kid because of the support you can get. Yes your social life takes a dip, but you rely on others to bring food or watch your kid in an emergency. That's priceless.
Honestly, most of my mates live in Bristol and I usually travel there once month, stay with a mate and do the weekend together. It's not a long journey, straightforward either by train or driving. So you can do that but make new connections in Reading.
People aren't as friendly as compared to Bristol, just keep that in mind. It's not that Reading is full of dicks, just that from my experience people in Bristol are a lot nicer to people they haven't met. Here people keep themselves to themselves a bit more.
noted! I think i'll just do that, that is, make the occasional trip to bristol to boogie and spend the rest of the time in Reading. Thanks for the input!
The nightlife is so different. We don't have that Gloucester Road cafe/bar vibe area or anything. Friar Street is like Park Street, we've got a couple of decent taprooms but, again, no selection like Briz does. Also - uber is basically non existent here. You can get them occasionally but it's very rare.
The buses are good though. No first bus here! The trade off is there's no Voi/Tier but, depending on your point of view, that's not the end of the world really.
I lived in Bristol for 5 years (student days), then 4 years in Oxford, and moved to Reading 4 years ago.
The one big thing I miss about Bristol is sort of ineffable to be honest. The only, utterly inadequate, word I can think of is the "atmosphere". Walking around Montpelier, Clifton, Redland, Bedminster, Hotwells etc., I felt like I was part of something bigger, something bursting with colour, idyllic almost. It helps that Bristol is hilly, so you turn a corner, and see the undulating Victorian streets stretching over the horizon, and think ahhh. I really miss just walking around the place, pub crawling down Gloucester Road, picnic'ing on Brandon Hill, being able to walk to see the best independent artists playing live at the Marble Factory, the Beacon, Thekla... There is likely some early-20s nostalgia bias there.
Ever since I've moved to Reading I've been chasing this feeling, and have come up short, to be honest. Everything feels much smaller, almost like a village. Reading isn't a small place, if you look at the map. But much of the area is occupied by large housing developments with little individual character. There is very little to do in Tilehurst, Lower Earley, Whitley Wood, or Woodley (please, someone, correct me if I'm wrong there). As a result, your urban life will take place over a much smaller area, basically the centre and Caversham.
On the plus side, once you're "in" to the Reading community, it's quite a warm and cosy place. Head to the Fisherman's Cottage on one of their music nights, and you will see neighbours bumping into each other and strangers chatting each other up, and all the hallmarks of a small, but inviting, and unpretentious local community. The same could be said for the Castle Tap, the Nags Head, and other local pubs. There is also a small but strong independent scene, and I'm always touched to see the support given to local businesses (c.f. the Grumpy Goat).
So actually, Reading is a pretty rad place to live to be honest. There is still an air of naffness about (case in point, the Shit Things in Reading blog), but it's lovable.
The houses are also fairly cheap for this part of the country.
To answer your specific question, I don't think anywhere in Reading really compares to Clifton or Stokes Croft. Bedminster though could be roughly compared with any of the historical, close-knit Victorian terrace neighbourhoods: Newtown, Coley, Katesgrove, Cardiff Rd etc. and Lower Caversham. I'm a Newtowner and it's a lovely place.
Thanks for commenting! although many posts have convinced me that moving to Reading and visiting Bristol is the best way forward, yours is the one that truly made me feel that in Reading there's hope for finding glimpses of that sense of community :) I'll make sure to check all of the places you mentioned!
With a young child on the way, I’d be reluctant to spend that much time and energy commuting. Bristol undoubtedly has more to offer, but Reading is fine and that time will be really precious when baby arrives.
grew up in Reading, lived in Bristol for a while. Bristol is better for culture, nights out and entertainment (compared to reading). Reading is better for housing, safety, travel links to London and Bristol, schools? (not an expert on this one). some people say that the shopping in Reading is better but Bristol has way more independent shops and chain brands with Cribbs Causeway. From what others and you have said, living in Reading and occasionally making the 1-2 hour to Brizzle it's not a bad thing
Bristolian here who has worked and lived in Reading for the last 12 years, in my late 30s with kids.
It depends on what you are after really. Bristol far and away has more culture and especially more nightlife because it's a bigger city and it's nowhere near any other major urban centres, whereas Reading is near to London. To be honest though I find Bristol a little too cool for school/up it's own arse these days, not helped by the influx of Londoners to it in recent years, and cost of living is very expensive. Every time I go to Bristol I'm pissed about all the traffic and driving everywhere, but then everyone I know lives in different parts of the city in Bristol and I live in the university area in Reading and I can basically walk, cycle or drive anywhere I'd want to go to within 15 minutes, so YMMV.
I'm not sure there is a close analogy to Clifton/stokes croft/bedminister (all fairly different areas of Bristol tbf). I'd say probably University area or parts of Caversham are your best bet. You probably want to steer clear of Lower Earley which is pure suburbia and a bit far from the centre.
Don't commute from Bristol to Reading. I know someone who did that for a bit and they were miserable.
noted. I was quite lucky that despite moving around in Bristol, i was always withing walking distance of harbourside/stokes croft so i never had to worry about busses/traffic. But i'm clearing moving past that phase in life, so need to accept that reduced nights out, and driving around with the kid may be the norm.
Caversham seems to be a good choice. Would that also include Lower Caversham and and Caversham heights, or should I avoid them if possible?
I can't comment on Caversham really as I don't often venture north of the river, sorry! I think someone on another comment has the right of it in saying that Reading isn't small but it's got quite distinct areas, and in my experience that means you tend to stick to a few areas when you live here (as you would in Bristol). I live in East Reading in a very studenty area (but luckily not a studenty road- you do need to watch out for that if you live in East Reading, just as you would in Bristol in areas like eg Redlands and Clifton), and I basically never go to West Reading or Caversham because everything in my life (work, kids school, kids clubs etc) are in East Reading, Woodley and Lower Earley (the latter two I'd not live in personally as too suburban for my tastes). I'd also say that if you are having a kid you will find it much easier to put down roots. I didn't really know anyone here till I had kids, then just met people through nursery/school/clubs. Not everyone feels like "my people" but some of them do and you do get a sense of local community here. People always shit on Reading but it's not that bad- before I lived here I lived in Taunton and honestly that was the absolute pits!
I used to live in Reading up until I went to uni in 2016 in Bristol and then stayed
Reading is great to get to London easily but aside from that there isn’t much drawing me to move back to Reading (aside family & love of a shit football team)
There is really nice days out around Reading like Windsor and all the rivers/canals. There are some cool places and good food about just in pockets of areas and of course the notorious Purple Turtle is loved by all
Bristol just has more going for it I feel. There’s more things locally to do on weekends, way more events and different things to do throughout the year. The countryside around here is pretty good as well, and nearby beaches (albeit not the sandy dream) are always fun. Bristol will always win it for me
Price wise I’ve found them both really similar
In terms of location, as someone else said Caversham and some parts near Reading uni can be Clifton vibes. My experiences are from living in Tilehurst, which is west Reading and quite suburban. If you’re willing to not live in the town but in a nearby one for cheaper, thatcham seems to be where a lot of people end up when starting families and wanting to get on the ladder.
Don’t commute, the drive between Bristol and Reading gets super monotonous and I only do it like once or twice every 2 months
Easy access to central London (made easier by the change onto the Elizabeth Line at Paddington) for an evening out/day out is the thing most people from further out envy about Reading. But that has the downside that it leaves the town punching a little below its weight on local culture/entertainment etc as people just hop on a train. And starting from a point of less than half the population of Bristol as well that explains the far smaller centre and level of facilities/activities... although Bristol is a high bar!
Reading is big enough to have all the practical facilities and is a pragmatic choice to bring up a family, a process that brings its own new connections without having to try. North of the river has good access to the Chilterns if walking/cycling appeals. South of the river if you plan to drive almost anywhere else!
Good luck!
I am living in Reading for many years now, but do go to Bristol for work related stuff every month and I know Bristol quite well now, I must say overall Bristol is much better place, much better places to hangout, food, pubs and leisure activities in general also education wise, lot more grammer schools and good university (my elder daughter is aiming for bath and bristol next year for Uni) but also comes with expensive housing and cost of living.
However I will choose Reading over Bristol simply because i will still get same things albit in smaller scale, few cons to note is most well to do locals work in London, so you will get to feel cold london attitude while socialising, but once you are in parent group and choose any organised sport like football, rugby, softball etc, life becomes much better with any more social opportunties, all of sudden you will find Reading as good as Bristol
Bristol native, living in Reading
Bristol is so much better, there isn't much comparison. However, I am here for the convenience as I work in London. That said, Bristol has become extremely expensive and if money were no object, neither Bristol nkt Reading would be high on anyone's list....
Horses for courses.
I have lived in Reading and on outskirts - can’t really compare to bristol as only been to bristol a few times but look at places around Reading - lots of lovely towns 10 mins on train away or a short drive which would be nicer to bring a kid up in but town centre super accessible - you will find when you have a child you make Friends that way too just takes a bit of effort through Nct, schools, classes etc etc - if you are buying rather than renting think about catchment schools too as although they change a bit you don’t want to be almost forced to move again in 5 years if your school is super crappy. Wokingham and pangbourne may be worth a look as well as caversham - both easy commute but better schools and something going on in the towns themselves. I am in Crowthorne- high street crappy but schools great and loads of forest walks etc - trains just a. But worse for commuting. Generally Wokingham is pretty good if jobs changed too as on Waterloo line but 10
Mins from Reading to get to Paddington too and between Reading and London normally a fair bit of job choices and right between M3 and M4 - when my partner moved here for the first 2 years he kept being excited about how close everywhere was to visit 🤣 if you are thinking about specific areas around just ping on here which ones and sure you will get some decent feedback and maybe some areas to avoid within them ( which is often the hardest thing to find out! ).
If you have kids coming, do you want to be commuting 3-4 hours a day?
Is there a cash alternative to the car allowance? If you cycle to work you can bank that.
Good point about the cash alternative didn't consider that. I was sort of thinking I ask for 1-2 extra wfh days instead of the car.
But yeah once per week is tolerable 3 days per week for 3h per day is not
I’m from near Bristol and I go to uni in reading, I still go there a lot as my girlfriend is at Bristol uni.
Bristol is better for nightlife, food, and just general culture. Reading is better for housing prices, proximity to london and being less dangerous at night (depends heavily on the area I guess but I feel safer walking through reading)
Cheers mate, appreciate the input. I miss the bristolian nightlife but that's bout to change anyway. Hoping i can find something like oowee in Reading though
Reading is getting pretty close to a suburb of London to be honest. Good for commuting, but don't really find much else that great about it.
Bristol has some really cool areas and generally quite a good scene. Of course it's plagued by the problems that face other cities, but IMO it has a lot more going for it.
Bristol is grimy and gritty (with some really lovely bits) but the grime is offset (in my mind) by ready access to culture, music, great nightlife and restaurants etc., and to the West Country, but more importantly Bristol has a large relatively young educated and artistic community that creates a fantastic vibe and a real sense of community.
Reading (where I now live) by contrast is a suburban shit hole with virtually no local arts scene, little architectural merit, and a population mostly comprised of dull and uninspired people, recent immigrants with zero interest in integration, rife with poverty and drugs. It used to be affordable but now even that isn’t true.
However, Reading has very good (and VERY expensive) public transport connections to London and the rest of the UK …but good luck if you have to commute anywhere by car.
There’s also some nice countryside around.
My partner and I can’t wait to sell up and leave for just about anywhere else.
Edit: I should add that Reading is great for people whose main pastime is to shop, eat and drink in high street chains.
Very strong words against Reading here :) from a housing perspective, do you find that house prices have risen in Reading more than elsewhere? We're thinking of treating a move to Reading as an buffer zone, staying 5 years and making another attempt for Bristol after. Based on your personal experience do you think that's sound?
It’s a very broad question depending on a lot of factors. I recommend looking at the factual data rather than judging based on some biased opinions.
[https://landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ukhpi/browse?from=2017-01-01&location=http%3A%2F%2Flandregistry.data.gov.uk%2Fid%2Fregion%2Fcity-of-bristol&to=2023-08-01&lang=en](https://landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ukhpi/browse?from=2017-01-01&location=http%3A%2F%2Flandregistry.data.gov.uk%2Fid%2Fregion%2Fcity-of-bristol&to=2023-08-01&lang=en)
https://preview.redd.it/w4ezk71iq9bc1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=780e997e6b948bb621ef51b11ea06a9af1689c66
I don’t know the comparative stats. You’ll have to Google. My thoughts are that Reading is generally pretty expensive and if you find what appears to be a bargain, there’s probably a very good reason for it.
Not sure if that helps, but I used to work with three different Italians that did not know each other prior and used to live in Bristol, before moving to Reading.
All of them are planning to either move out to Bristol or at least out of Reading.
There's just not much to do in Reading and there's an insane amount of homeless/heroine addicts.
My usual walk with the dog by the children playground - I spot usually one or two currently high or shooting up while I'm walking by.
Going to the shop means answering I don't have any spare change.
Everyone coming in here either comes for uni or to work/actually live in London.
Oh damn that doesn't sound great. Could you share perhaps which areas of Reading seem to suffer more from tbese issues? I presume there must be something bit more safe within 30' of the train station?
Mainly central and Oxford Road, but there's also South cote and Norcot south, according to crime stats.
Everyone always says there's Caversham that's nice - yeah, if you will ever only spend time in your tiny district and never have to face the grim reality of reading, then I suppose that works.
Head (Reading) vs heart (Bristol) decision which only you and your partner can make. They both have their positives as two of the better places to live in the UK.
Bristol is its own city with local culture and restaurants. Reading has some, but it's smaller and still close enough to London that it feels more suburban. I've worked with people who commuted 90 minutes each way multiple times a week and they all survived, but were miserable about it. They all had very strong roots wherever (kids in school / with friends, family / lived whole life in / spouses with demanding jobs or local business owners). So I'd say unless you feel heavily tied to Bristol, then move. A bit more variety in restaurants and nightlife won't pay for almost 10 hours driving a week. I don't know Bristol enough to draw parallels, but best place more centrally in Reading is Caversham. A bit further afield there's lots of posh places like Henley which are still close enough to work around Reading, or nice smaller towns like Wokingham.
Yeah based on the feedback I've received, moving to Reading seems better thwn commuting. I'm just weary a bit of the fact that everyone we know lives in Bristol, so not sure how easy it would be to grow roots somewhere else.
How frequently do you see these people? Probably easier to drive back a couple weekends a month for dinner etc, stay a night at someone's or a hotel, than driving 3x a week the other way. Also remember with a kid on the way your social life will take a massive dip. I'd suggest driving down for a weekend and doing some house hunting, make sure you look around too and not just central Reading.
Very good points. Since living abroad I only see them twice or three times over a year so it's not like I'm stopping cold turkey. But sometimes you wanna be "where everybody knows your naaaame 🎶 You're 100% right though, easier to get to Bristol three times per month than getting to Reading three times per week. >I'd suggest driving down for a weekend and doing some house hunting, make sure you look around too and not just central Reading. Great advice, I'll do that.
There is so much value in being in a place where everyone knows you. I think it's more important with a kid because of the support you can get. Yes your social life takes a dip, but you rely on others to bring food or watch your kid in an emergency. That's priceless.
Valid points. I'll have to weigh that carefully. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Everything changes when you have kids
But additionally, having a baby gives you a big opportunity to make new friends and roots in a new place.
Also a very good point. Thanks!
Honestly, most of my mates live in Bristol and I usually travel there once month, stay with a mate and do the weekend together. It's not a long journey, straightforward either by train or driving. So you can do that but make new connections in Reading. People aren't as friendly as compared to Bristol, just keep that in mind. It's not that Reading is full of dicks, just that from my experience people in Bristol are a lot nicer to people they haven't met. Here people keep themselves to themselves a bit more.
noted! I think i'll just do that, that is, make the occasional trip to bristol to boogie and spend the rest of the time in Reading. Thanks for the input!
The nightlife is so different. We don't have that Gloucester Road cafe/bar vibe area or anything. Friar Street is like Park Street, we've got a couple of decent taprooms but, again, no selection like Briz does. Also - uber is basically non existent here. You can get them occasionally but it's very rare. The buses are good though. No first bus here! The trade off is there's no Voi/Tier but, depending on your point of view, that's not the end of the world really.
I lived in Bristol for 5 years (student days), then 4 years in Oxford, and moved to Reading 4 years ago. The one big thing I miss about Bristol is sort of ineffable to be honest. The only, utterly inadequate, word I can think of is the "atmosphere". Walking around Montpelier, Clifton, Redland, Bedminster, Hotwells etc., I felt like I was part of something bigger, something bursting with colour, idyllic almost. It helps that Bristol is hilly, so you turn a corner, and see the undulating Victorian streets stretching over the horizon, and think ahhh. I really miss just walking around the place, pub crawling down Gloucester Road, picnic'ing on Brandon Hill, being able to walk to see the best independent artists playing live at the Marble Factory, the Beacon, Thekla... There is likely some early-20s nostalgia bias there. Ever since I've moved to Reading I've been chasing this feeling, and have come up short, to be honest. Everything feels much smaller, almost like a village. Reading isn't a small place, if you look at the map. But much of the area is occupied by large housing developments with little individual character. There is very little to do in Tilehurst, Lower Earley, Whitley Wood, or Woodley (please, someone, correct me if I'm wrong there). As a result, your urban life will take place over a much smaller area, basically the centre and Caversham. On the plus side, once you're "in" to the Reading community, it's quite a warm and cosy place. Head to the Fisherman's Cottage on one of their music nights, and you will see neighbours bumping into each other and strangers chatting each other up, and all the hallmarks of a small, but inviting, and unpretentious local community. The same could be said for the Castle Tap, the Nags Head, and other local pubs. There is also a small but strong independent scene, and I'm always touched to see the support given to local businesses (c.f. the Grumpy Goat). So actually, Reading is a pretty rad place to live to be honest. There is still an air of naffness about (case in point, the Shit Things in Reading blog), but it's lovable. The houses are also fairly cheap for this part of the country. To answer your specific question, I don't think anywhere in Reading really compares to Clifton or Stokes Croft. Bedminster though could be roughly compared with any of the historical, close-knit Victorian terrace neighbourhoods: Newtown, Coley, Katesgrove, Cardiff Rd etc. and Lower Caversham. I'm a Newtowner and it's a lovely place.
Thanks for commenting! although many posts have convinced me that moving to Reading and visiting Bristol is the best way forward, yours is the one that truly made me feel that in Reading there's hope for finding glimpses of that sense of community :) I'll make sure to check all of the places you mentioned!
With a young child on the way, I’d be reluctant to spend that much time and energy commuting. Bristol undoubtedly has more to offer, but Reading is fine and that time will be really precious when baby arrives.
Well argued, thanks.
grew up in Reading, lived in Bristol for a while. Bristol is better for culture, nights out and entertainment (compared to reading). Reading is better for housing, safety, travel links to London and Bristol, schools? (not an expert on this one). some people say that the shopping in Reading is better but Bristol has way more independent shops and chain brands with Cribbs Causeway. From what others and you have said, living in Reading and occasionally making the 1-2 hour to Brizzle it's not a bad thing
indeed, the consensus seems to be to just do the occasional visit to Bris instead of the every-other-day visit to Reading. Thanks!
Bristolian here who has worked and lived in Reading for the last 12 years, in my late 30s with kids. It depends on what you are after really. Bristol far and away has more culture and especially more nightlife because it's a bigger city and it's nowhere near any other major urban centres, whereas Reading is near to London. To be honest though I find Bristol a little too cool for school/up it's own arse these days, not helped by the influx of Londoners to it in recent years, and cost of living is very expensive. Every time I go to Bristol I'm pissed about all the traffic and driving everywhere, but then everyone I know lives in different parts of the city in Bristol and I live in the university area in Reading and I can basically walk, cycle or drive anywhere I'd want to go to within 15 minutes, so YMMV. I'm not sure there is a close analogy to Clifton/stokes croft/bedminister (all fairly different areas of Bristol tbf). I'd say probably University area or parts of Caversham are your best bet. You probably want to steer clear of Lower Earley which is pure suburbia and a bit far from the centre. Don't commute from Bristol to Reading. I know someone who did that for a bit and they were miserable.
noted. I was quite lucky that despite moving around in Bristol, i was always withing walking distance of harbourside/stokes croft so i never had to worry about busses/traffic. But i'm clearing moving past that phase in life, so need to accept that reduced nights out, and driving around with the kid may be the norm. Caversham seems to be a good choice. Would that also include Lower Caversham and and Caversham heights, or should I avoid them if possible?
I can't comment on Caversham really as I don't often venture north of the river, sorry! I think someone on another comment has the right of it in saying that Reading isn't small but it's got quite distinct areas, and in my experience that means you tend to stick to a few areas when you live here (as you would in Bristol). I live in East Reading in a very studenty area (but luckily not a studenty road- you do need to watch out for that if you live in East Reading, just as you would in Bristol in areas like eg Redlands and Clifton), and I basically never go to West Reading or Caversham because everything in my life (work, kids school, kids clubs etc) are in East Reading, Woodley and Lower Earley (the latter two I'd not live in personally as too suburban for my tastes). I'd also say that if you are having a kid you will find it much easier to put down roots. I didn't really know anyone here till I had kids, then just met people through nursery/school/clubs. Not everyone feels like "my people" but some of them do and you do get a sense of local community here. People always shit on Reading but it's not that bad- before I lived here I lived in Taunton and honestly that was the absolute pits!
I used to live in Reading up until I went to uni in 2016 in Bristol and then stayed Reading is great to get to London easily but aside from that there isn’t much drawing me to move back to Reading (aside family & love of a shit football team) There is really nice days out around Reading like Windsor and all the rivers/canals. There are some cool places and good food about just in pockets of areas and of course the notorious Purple Turtle is loved by all Bristol just has more going for it I feel. There’s more things locally to do on weekends, way more events and different things to do throughout the year. The countryside around here is pretty good as well, and nearby beaches (albeit not the sandy dream) are always fun. Bristol will always win it for me Price wise I’ve found them both really similar In terms of location, as someone else said Caversham and some parts near Reading uni can be Clifton vibes. My experiences are from living in Tilehurst, which is west Reading and quite suburban. If you’re willing to not live in the town but in a nearby one for cheaper, thatcham seems to be where a lot of people end up when starting families and wanting to get on the ladder. Don’t commute, the drive between Bristol and Reading gets super monotonous and I only do it like once or twice every 2 months
Easy access to central London (made easier by the change onto the Elizabeth Line at Paddington) for an evening out/day out is the thing most people from further out envy about Reading. But that has the downside that it leaves the town punching a little below its weight on local culture/entertainment etc as people just hop on a train. And starting from a point of less than half the population of Bristol as well that explains the far smaller centre and level of facilities/activities... although Bristol is a high bar! Reading is big enough to have all the practical facilities and is a pragmatic choice to bring up a family, a process that brings its own new connections without having to try. North of the river has good access to the Chilterns if walking/cycling appeals. South of the river if you plan to drive almost anywhere else! Good luck!
Thank you that's very helpful!
I am living in Reading for many years now, but do go to Bristol for work related stuff every month and I know Bristol quite well now, I must say overall Bristol is much better place, much better places to hangout, food, pubs and leisure activities in general also education wise, lot more grammer schools and good university (my elder daughter is aiming for bath and bristol next year for Uni) but also comes with expensive housing and cost of living. However I will choose Reading over Bristol simply because i will still get same things albit in smaller scale, few cons to note is most well to do locals work in London, so you will get to feel cold london attitude while socialising, but once you are in parent group and choose any organised sport like football, rugby, softball etc, life becomes much better with any more social opportunties, all of sudden you will find Reading as good as Bristol
Bristol native, living in Reading Bristol is so much better, there isn't much comparison. However, I am here for the convenience as I work in London. That said, Bristol has become extremely expensive and if money were no object, neither Bristol nkt Reading would be high on anyone's list.... Horses for courses.
I have lived in Reading and on outskirts - can’t really compare to bristol as only been to bristol a few times but look at places around Reading - lots of lovely towns 10 mins on train away or a short drive which would be nicer to bring a kid up in but town centre super accessible - you will find when you have a child you make Friends that way too just takes a bit of effort through Nct, schools, classes etc etc - if you are buying rather than renting think about catchment schools too as although they change a bit you don’t want to be almost forced to move again in 5 years if your school is super crappy. Wokingham and pangbourne may be worth a look as well as caversham - both easy commute but better schools and something going on in the towns themselves. I am in Crowthorne- high street crappy but schools great and loads of forest walks etc - trains just a. But worse for commuting. Generally Wokingham is pretty good if jobs changed too as on Waterloo line but 10 Mins from Reading to get to Paddington too and between Reading and London normally a fair bit of job choices and right between M3 and M4 - when my partner moved here for the first 2 years he kept being excited about how close everywhere was to visit 🤣 if you are thinking about specific areas around just ping on here which ones and sure you will get some decent feedback and maybe some areas to avoid within them ( which is often the hardest thing to find out! ).
Many thanks for your detailed post, it's very helpful! Still negotiating the job and especially the wfh arrangement so the jury is still out
If you have kids coming, do you want to be commuting 3-4 hours a day? Is there a cash alternative to the car allowance? If you cycle to work you can bank that.
Good point about the cash alternative didn't consider that. I was sort of thinking I ask for 1-2 extra wfh days instead of the car. But yeah once per week is tolerable 3 days per week for 3h per day is not
It's 3 hours per day when the traffic runs well. Which happens, sometimes.
I’m from near Bristol and I go to uni in reading, I still go there a lot as my girlfriend is at Bristol uni. Bristol is better for nightlife, food, and just general culture. Reading is better for housing prices, proximity to london and being less dangerous at night (depends heavily on the area I guess but I feel safer walking through reading)
Cheers mate, appreciate the input. I miss the bristolian nightlife but that's bout to change anyway. Hoping i can find something like oowee in Reading though
Reading is getting pretty close to a suburb of London to be honest. Good for commuting, but don't really find much else that great about it. Bristol has some really cool areas and generally quite a good scene. Of course it's plagued by the problems that face other cities, but IMO it has a lot more going for it.
As someone who lived in Reading and near Bristol, I would 100% choose Bris
Haha Bristol is way better. Reading would only be worth it if you intend on spending a lot of time in London.
Bristol is grimy and gritty (with some really lovely bits) but the grime is offset (in my mind) by ready access to culture, music, great nightlife and restaurants etc., and to the West Country, but more importantly Bristol has a large relatively young educated and artistic community that creates a fantastic vibe and a real sense of community. Reading (where I now live) by contrast is a suburban shit hole with virtually no local arts scene, little architectural merit, and a population mostly comprised of dull and uninspired people, recent immigrants with zero interest in integration, rife with poverty and drugs. It used to be affordable but now even that isn’t true. However, Reading has very good (and VERY expensive) public transport connections to London and the rest of the UK …but good luck if you have to commute anywhere by car. There’s also some nice countryside around. My partner and I can’t wait to sell up and leave for just about anywhere else. Edit: I should add that Reading is great for people whose main pastime is to shop, eat and drink in high street chains.
Fancy a job on the local tourist board?
Very strong words against Reading here :) from a housing perspective, do you find that house prices have risen in Reading more than elsewhere? We're thinking of treating a move to Reading as an buffer zone, staying 5 years and making another attempt for Bristol after. Based on your personal experience do you think that's sound?
It’s a very broad question depending on a lot of factors. I recommend looking at the factual data rather than judging based on some biased opinions. [https://landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ukhpi/browse?from=2017-01-01&location=http%3A%2F%2Flandregistry.data.gov.uk%2Fid%2Fregion%2Fcity-of-bristol&to=2023-08-01&lang=en](https://landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ukhpi/browse?from=2017-01-01&location=http%3A%2F%2Flandregistry.data.gov.uk%2Fid%2Fregion%2Fcity-of-bristol&to=2023-08-01&lang=en) https://preview.redd.it/w4ezk71iq9bc1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=780e997e6b948bb621ef51b11ea06a9af1689c66
That's a great resource you shared, many thanks
I don’t know the comparative stats. You’ll have to Google. My thoughts are that Reading is generally pretty expensive and if you find what appears to be a bargain, there’s probably a very good reason for it.
Not sure if that helps, but I used to work with three different Italians that did not know each other prior and used to live in Bristol, before moving to Reading. All of them are planning to either move out to Bristol or at least out of Reading. There's just not much to do in Reading and there's an insane amount of homeless/heroine addicts. My usual walk with the dog by the children playground - I spot usually one or two currently high or shooting up while I'm walking by. Going to the shop means answering I don't have any spare change. Everyone coming in here either comes for uni or to work/actually live in London.
It's the same in Bristol, Heroin or Spice is a real issue there now in and around the center as well
Oh damn that doesn't sound great. Could you share perhaps which areas of Reading seem to suffer more from tbese issues? I presume there must be something bit more safe within 30' of the train station?
Mainly central and Oxford Road, but there's also South cote and Norcot south, according to crime stats. Everyone always says there's Caversham that's nice - yeah, if you will ever only spend time in your tiny district and never have to face the grim reality of reading, then I suppose that works.
Head (Reading) vs heart (Bristol) decision which only you and your partner can make. They both have their positives as two of the better places to live in the UK.