Looking at a job in Reading, but as far as I can see, Reading is the arse end of nowhere. Where should I consider living? Is it feasible to live in London and commute out?

Sonning. Lovely, but £££!

If you’re after town living then either London or Oxford would be a similar journey by train, if you’re after something a bit more rural then there’s loads of smaller towns and villages not far from Reading. It’s certainly feasible to live in London and commute to Reading, plenty of people do it the other way around which would be much less pleasant.

What is it that you want out of where you live?

Thanks for the tips. In an ideal world I’d be living in Paris, so I’m wondering what’s the closest approximation within a reasonable commute 🙂

Wokingham and surrounds isn’t the worst place In the world, 20 mins from Reading in rush hour.

I was at Uni there, plenty of good road and MTB cycling around.

Why would you live in London and commute to Reading?

Also depends on where in Reading the job is and how you will commute. Reading rush hour traffic is not pleasant if driving.

Unfortunately, the nearest place to Reading that feels like Paris is probably Paris.

I quite like Reading as a town, but then I also quite like Basingstoke.

There’s no close approximation of Paris closer to Reading than yer actual Paris France, so you can forget about that straight away.

I quite like Reading as a town, but then I also quite like Basingstoke.

I believe it’s known as “Amazingstoke” thereabouts…

where in Reading (as it impacts journey a lot) and transport – train, car, …

also what sort of place do you want to live (suburbia, city, town, village, middle of nowhere etc)

re Paris, you get a lot of dog muck and snails on most UK parks…..

Oxford?
It’s a bit like Paris.
Honest.

“Thames Valley Park”.

Live in Reading if you like towns. You dont want a comute from hell. If you hate towns like i do get a motorbike.

Have you thought about Slough? It is just like Paris.

Spot the difference

quite a walk from Station, http://www.tvptravel.co.uk/tvp-buses
A4 going W into Reading blocks if at commuter time (*and other times)
however see A329M N bound(*or learn to swim/or bribe town planners if you like Oxfordshire)

so,possibly,- somewhere that you can get on the M4 easily – doesn’t usually block until/from M4 Maidenhead morning/evening so you could go from East or West *beware London commuters at from west juncti0ns (J12 from S is ok but that’s because there is nowhere to live there …..)

? Newbury – canal, river, tower (small crane at barge museum), smells of garlic nerxt to many Pizza outlets

I’m starting to see some flaws in my plan … 🙁

Newbury has a Cafe Rouge, and Tescos sell things they call baguettes. Renault dealership has gone though. There might still be a Peugeot one.

It does have 4 bike shops though.

Couple of miles from the train station, all adds time and faff to the rail commute. I think your ideal of cosmopolitan urban living is in tatters. Wokingham is not a bad shout so long as you commute by car or bike or maybe Henley to the North East. Henley’s got the better off road riding of the two.

I used to live in Pangbourne and commute to Reading. It starts with a “P”..
From what I’ve seen on the news recently it’s more like Venice at the moment 🙂

are you talking ‘9 to 5’ hours or something a bit different

Though much maligned, I think Bracknell is actually rather nice, and has plenty of greenspace and great facilities (especially for mtb’ers)

edit – just seen you’re thames valley park – right at the end of a fast road from bracknell, but likely hell if main rush hours

I work at TVP and live in Crowthorne. Up until recently lived in Fleet.

M4 can be pretty horrendous at times, very often when I cross it it is at a standstill, but that’s not til about 8:15 if I’m on the bike. If I take the car I tend to leave home at about 8:50 to miss the worst of the traffic, takes about 15 minutes to drive from Crowthorne, 40 mins to ride. The ride is OK actually (especially when compared to my last route from Fleet!)

Traffic round the whole area can be pretty horrendous during rush hour/school run, more so lately with all the flooding – Sonning bridge closes regularly when there’s flooding and causes a huge traffic backlog through Reading and surrounds.

Lots of good riding around, lanes etc for roadies and Swinley, Minley Manor, Tunnel Hill, etc all very close by. I can ride to Swinley in about 15 mins from home.

Personally I’d say look at Wokingham/Crowthorne/Sandhurst/Finchampstead. Depends what you want though and what your budget is.

Feel free to mail me if you want more specific info.

Newbury has a Cafe Rouge, and Tescos sell things they call baguettes. Renault dealership has gone though. There might still be a Peugeot one.

It does have 4 bike shops though.

frankly with quotes like ‘reading is the arse end of nowhere’ and ‘I’d rather live in Paris’ it’d be better if he didn’t come to Newbury.

I’d say live in Paris, sounds like you’d fit right in 🙂

I lived in Aldermaston wharf. Great rail link to reading and a really nice place.

I also used to live in Pangbourne, but had the good sense to live at the top of the hill 😀 Close enough to get to Reading easily , but far enough away to get some peace and quiet.

Worked in London and did the commute back and forth down the M4, M25 and A40 everyday for 18 months. Nearly F-in killed me. Don’t know how people do that every day.

We were looking for a house to buy for ages and looked around Newbury and Aldermaston Wharf also, both very nice places. We almost bought a place in Newbury (Chandos Road).

Have you thought about Slough? It is just like Paris.

Spot the difference

That roundabout has sadly gone now and been replaced by an awful set of traffic lights.

(The Slough one, that is)

The Chilts obviously!

That roundabout has sadly gone now and been replaced by an awful set of traffic lights.

(The Slough one, that is) [/I]

They’ve also knocked down the Brunel bus station and Slough College. Its a gross attack on Slough’s cultural heritage. In a hundred years people will be decrying the loss of 70s concrete architecture.

At least the Library is still there.

Windsor is a bit like Paris

I live in Wokingham and work in Reading.

I’ve made my thoughts on the matter on other threads and been told to politely **** off if you don’t like it*. There’s probably worse places to enjoy purgatory, but unless you like earning money and spending it in the Oracle, theres not much to Reading. There’s a comedy club, there’s a theater which gets a succession of better comedians and worse pop bands, a few night clubs which range from crap, to crap and pretencious, to crap and pretencious and expensive. I think it’s entirely possible that in the entirity of history no one has said “I want to go to Reading”. “I’m going to Reading”, I’m in Reading”, “I’m from Reading” or “I’m thinking of going to Reading”, but never wanting to be there.

Some towns people hate and tell you the best thing is the M123 leaving it. But even the M4 skirts arround Reading.

Oscar Wilde went to prison here and apparently left a reformed character, so we can conclude it’s a good place for a prison if no one wants to go back.

The cycling isn’t bad, the road biking is excelent and the MTB’ing is a case of making the most of a mediochre situation. Which in some places is very good (the MOD land to the south etc). It’s no Scotland, Wales or Lakes, but it’s probably better than a lot of the SE.

*plans are afoot. And some of what I say is tongue in cheek.

Cemetery Junction. You know it makes sense.

Actually, I lived down that way as a student, where the Kennet & Avon canal meets the Thames. It wasn’t too bad. Long time ago, mind!

Live in central Reading – loads of flats. We used to have one overlooking the Kennet, was fab. You can cycle or walk along the towpaths to TVP reasonably quickly. You really don’t want to drive it.

Where Boxfish suggests also has nice properties – we used to live in Hamilton Road for a while in a lovely flat there. I’d still choose centre of town though for convenience.

Rail is only 35 minutes or so from London if you need to get out. It’s also not too bad to get to the M40 to head north.

EDIT: Oh, and avoid West Reading.

Have you thought about Slough?

Not any more – they removed THE roundabout.

Commuting out of London to Reading is perfectly feasible. It’s about a 30 min train ride, with (empty) trains four times an hour. Live somewhere like Notting Hill and cycle your Brompton to Paddington, then ride the other end (or keep two bikes).

If you fancy nice, but not cosmopolitan, there is Windsor. Trains to Reading from Slough and you’ll need to ride the other end.

I wouldn’t contemplate driving into Reading along the M4 corridor.

Even on empty trains, that’s over an hour of commuting each way. Or put another way, about an hour and a half a day you could be spending doing something else.

Reading isn’t perfect, but neither is west London, and given the ridiculous house prices in Acton/Ealing/Notting Hill at the moment, plus the cost of a season ticket, it seems like you lose more than you gain.

If you want a town/something lively then Windsor is worth a look. If you like a quiet life then any of the smaller villages west of reading are worth a look.

I personally dislike Reading but a lot of people live there and seem to like it.

They’ve also knocked down the Brunel bus station and Slough College. Its a gross attack on Slough’s cultural heritage. In a hundred years people will be decrying the loss of 70s concrete architecture.

I know. 🙁

At least the Library is still there.

Every cloud… 😀

Back to the OP’s question – I would personally look north of Reading to get the better commute and avoid the M4. CG’s suggestion of the Chilts is definitely worth a look – I loved living there. Alternatively have you looked at taking the train away from London, so somewhere like Twyford?

Probably easier and quicker to cycle direct from Twyford via the towpath. North of Reading is very nice if OP has the budget for it.

If you’re the sort that can afford Windsor town centre prices and don’t mind the commute, then Winchester town centre might also be worth a look. Train to Reading and then Brompton to TVP.