Used to live just outside Reading but worked there at weekends.
Lots going on, plenty of choices for living, playing, etc… Like any large town or city there are good and bad places to live as said above. Oxford Road just avoid, unless somehow they have knocked it down and rebuilt it with a police station at every corner!
Too many people, takes ages to get anywhere at any time, but especially bad for rush hour. Public transport links are good, but they cost too much to use so not really a good alternative to the car. Car parking is definitely an issue for weekend town centre parking, don’t know about residential permits though.
Left for uni about 7 years ago, and now live in Scotland. I don’t like big towns or cities, so living up here I have space, no congestion and lots and lots of really good riding which I don’t have to share the trails with if I want some away time. If I was returning I would be looking outside Reading for living to avoid the issues above.
Wouldn’t say I hated living in the Reading area, but I’m not going to rush back! Scotland is just too good (as long as you don’t mind the long distances between places)!