Places to live/avoid in Reading

I’m going to be having to base myself in/around Reading for approx. 3 months. Don’t really know Reading at all other than going to the festival over a decade ago so just looking for areas I should avoid.

I’ll be working 5 minutes from the train station and want to avoid driving.

Oxford Road – avoid

Oxford road and cemetary junction are the rough cheap bits but are very handy for where you’re working. Not too bad really. I lived on oxford road for 7 years. Nothing bad ever happend. Moved away when we had a kid.

If you could avoid all of Reading, that would be best. But if you’re resigned to living in Reading then avoid the Oxford Road itself, but some of the roads off it are fairly quiet. I’d go for a quick cycle (don’t bother trying to drive!) around the areas you’ll quickly get a feel for which areas are better to avoid.

On the plus side, Swinley is very close.

I’d rather live oxford road are than Whitley. Towards Uni is nice but pricier, Caversham the same.

Forgot to mention, I’ll only be enduring in Reading Mon – Fri so commuting time more important than being in nicer surroundings. Just want to avoid anywhere totally dodgy.

Places to avoid – Reading.

I’m happy to train it in to Reading up to about half an hour, but need to be north of Reading really as will be driving down Mon am. So open to suggestions

North of reading is expensive. Given the circumstances and depending on price Caversham or Uni areas. You’ll save a bit living around Oxford Road area as said just pedal about the place a bit. The area around Kensington Park and the Workhouse Coffee shop (best thing about Oxford Road) is generally ok for example.

Pangbourne.

10mins train ride into reading but the countryside, thames etc. on your doorstep.

Plenty of nice, reasonably secure flats on the Kennet on the east side of town. That’s what I’d be trying for if I had to go back for a short stint.

University area also has some nice streets – as recommended above, have a ride around to get a feel for the place. West Reading requires care!

As above, avoid Oxford road, trick is if any estate agent lists the property as “West Reading”, avoid it, they don’t want to tell you where it is as it’ll be a ****hole.

Same goes for Whitley (anything West of Shinfield Road, or estate agents “South Reading” or “Shinfield Road”, if it was a nice bit of Shinfield Road they’d say Lower Earley which is also nice) , although that’s not quite as much a hole, I spent a year in Whilety Wood and despite living over the road from a drugs den (metal plates for windowns, CCTV on every wall, 2x above the door), gettign propositioned by crack ‘ladies of the night/morning/lunchtime/afternoon/evening because it’s Whiltey’ on the bus, and occasionally getting chased by ‘gangstars’ so off their tits it wasn’t a fair race. It was Ok.

Depending on what kind of accommodation you want Shinfield Park’s usually good for professional house shares as there’s a lot of contractors at Foster Wheeler next door doing Mon-Fri.

So if West Reading is bad but Pangbourne is good where’s the border between good and bad?

Purley on Thames/Tilehurst?

Tilehurst is better as is Purley. Oxford Road isnt that bad tbh. Its not like parts of London or wherever. Its quite “vibrant” and has enough hookers and dealers to keep you entertained but I lived there for 7 or 8 years without an issue and my motorbike was parked out on the street with just a crappy chain round the wheel and it wasnt nicked..

One good thing, possibly the only one, is that you’ll be close to the Chilterns where the riding is terrific. 😀

Unlikely to be doing any biking other than a short bike commute.

Well, I think it would be worth staying in the area for one weekend to enjoy the Chilterns. There’s a huge amount of riding there but best enjoyed in dry-ish conditions. Plenty of Chilts people on here who could show you the trails. 🙂

Some really great road rides from Reading too.

I’ll probably only be renting on a mon-fri basis so weekends are out.

Thanks for all the advice, think I’ve probably got a good idea of where to avoid. Now I just need to find a room.

I’ve lived in Reading for about 7 yrs now, lived in lower earley which is good, safe (for me anyway) and good transport links. Its not a big place, so even from the village i now (spencers Wood), it only takes me 20min to ride into town. Avoid Whitley for sure.

I lived in Reading for quite a while but back up north now. Started off in Early had a couple of years off the Oxford Rd , and a few years in Whitney plus a few years on the Wokingham Rd near the Showcase. I don’t think Whitleys that bad parts of the north make it look like child’s play.

Following on from this is there anyone who lives in or near Reading who would like a Mon – Fri lodger for 3 months?

Pangbourne + 1. I lived in Aldermaston Wharf for a couple of years. That was nice.
Your best bet is spareroom.co.uk and have a look.

I’ve sent a few enquiries via spare room but thought no harm in asking here too, more likely to have space to keep a bike 🙂

Woodley is nice,dullish and very suburban.
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/woodley-second-best-britain-families-4195554

Got an out house…

I had to drive through reading today

I hate driving through reading, whatever you do cycle everywhere the road system is as ‘mare and its not even term time yet!

Got an out house…

If it’s a McMoonter quality outhouse I’ll take it 🙂

What’s Didcot like?

Typical small town. Essentially OK, nice enough. Decent bike shop, mountain mania. Just outside you have nicer bits like Upton, east hagbourne, blewbury, Chilton, Harwell.

The big issue with Reading is the river, and not enough bridges… As a result, there’s always a faff about getting around in a car. I’d reccomend Caversham, as it’s pretty pleasant, central, and runs out into loads of good Chilterns singletrack bridleways. Pangbourne would also be good for access to riding. There are loads of riders in the area, so a night ride midweek could well be an option; I usually do Tuesday or Thursday!

The river is why I’m thinking of avoiding driving into Reading and stopping in Didcot and getting the train from there as I’m driving down from up north every Monday.

Not a bad plan fella. Its not long on train.

I’m not a fella 🙂

Henley would be an alternative to Pangbourne. Same train connections and direct access to Chilterns. Maybe more expensive but better pubs. Goring, one stop west of Pangbourne is another. Definitely no need to put up with Reading if you’re happy getting the train for 10 minutes.

Oi, you leave the Oxford Rd alone !!!!. My mother live there, albeit at the Purley end of it. Its not too bad heading out that way. You can pick up a cyclepath on the Oxford rd, near the Tilehurst station to Scours lane and then the towpath to Caversham bridge and Reading. Nice commute. Avoids all traffic. Tilehurst is not a bad place and you have Sulham woods in the background for an occasional play in the bomb holes. If you are using it as a base, the I don’t think you would want to spend crazy money on heading to Henley. That’s also 2 trains to Reading. Caversham heights is nice and even out to sonning common, which is doable on a bike, although maybe not great in winter months. Earley can be a reasonable place as well as Woodley a bit further out. All commutable and keep your costs down a bit.

Didcot is a tip really. Are you working for Thames water by chance just behind the station?

I’d stay in either pangbourne, goring, Henley or Wallingford or possibly twyford. Ive lived in all these areas bar Henley and they’re nice. I used to live in central reading near the hospital and it was great but it’s a bit bit and miss (in my opinion).

No, not Thames Water

Blimey Reading hasn’t got many fans has it?

Like most towns of it size talk a walk down a few selected streets and it looks smart, take a walk down a few selected others and it looks like a dump.

I lived in a flat for a while round Erleigh Road area to the east of town, and later houses just south of Bath Road, Castle Hill area to the west. All of which were about 10mins from station.

The traffic however, is pretty much as horrendous as described. Town planning concepts of the 60’s left lasting damage.

Ended up that I’m avoiding Reading completely and staying in Oxford instead 🙂