I am wondering about the plane noise. At times it seems pretty bad, other times the planes are using another route. Do you just stop noticing after a while, or is it an ongoing blight?

Any other things I should know? It seems pretty nice by the river/canal, but maybe there are bad aspects?

I grew up in Kew on the other side of the river – the plane noise is noticeable when I stay at my parents’ house for the first day or so, then it soon just becomes background noise and it’s not an issue.

It used to be great when Concorde flew over 🙂

No up to date knowledge about Brentford, sorry!

You might want to give this a read..

used to live in Putney, which is a little bit further away. Never really noticed it after a while, apart from occasionally in the mornings when the first flights left taking off west to east.

oh and concorde, daily, landing and taking off, but you knew almost exactly when it would fly overhead.

My great grandfather played for Brentford (and QPR, come to that) and I went out with a girl that lived in Ealing (didn’t notice any plane noises while staying over).

Otherwise near the M4 which makes getting to Wales / the west country that little bit easier.

HTH. 😀

I wouldn’t.

Look at other places as the noise can become really quite tiresome after a while..

Kingston is further away from the flight path maybe have a look there?

I lived in Brentford a few years ago and the plane noise wasn’t an issue, but it’s not the most lively part of West London.

The mighty Bees are in the Championship now!

Not lived there but worked at a certain drug company for a year and my three thoughts would be:

1 Not cheap, except the places I wouldn’t want to live…
2 Traffic, lots of
3 Get somewhere with parking, as there are too many companies who weren’t allowed to build enough parking.

http://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/(S(cybwjt55w3lxkq554w0ktf45))/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=5524

Thanks for the info. Maybe I need to rent somewhere to decide where I really want to live !!

Maybe state why you’ve shortlisted Brentford then others can give you more informed alternatives?
I also worked for a large company based near Brentford but I wouldn’t have considered living there.

Good point, warns74 🙂 I started out looking at Ealing, as a compromise location to work in Uxbridge but be close enough to central London, but I got discouraged by the generally crap standard of property being marketed at inflated prices, and Brentford seemed to offer more sq ft per pound, with nicer new flats than the usual conversions or ex-council property.

Try further out and then come back in?
Egham, Chertsey, Staines etc?

Bearing in mind the clear flood risk, take care where you buy!

Are you looking to commute via car or public transport?

Probably be car from Brentford, but of course I prefer if someone else does the driving 🙂 That would put me somewhere along the Metropolitan line or the Picadilly line, I guess. Someone suggested Pinner but it looks less exciting even than Brentford!

Not lived there but worked at a certain drug company for a year…

Oldfield Lane in Greenford?

Probably be car from Brentford…

Serious question – have you ever lived in/near London?

Serious question – have you ever lived in/near London?

No, which is why I haven’t a clue about different areas 🙁 According to Google it’s about 35min against traffic at commuting time, though that may be blx I suppose.

Riverside, Brentford I remember as a decent concert venue.
Read the Antipope as stated above, have a pint of large in the Flying Swan, keep an eye out on darts night.
Brentford is home to Marchant the wonder bike? A little bit of us all exists in Brentford. 😀
Find somewhere with a good cycle route to Uxbridge? Then you can forget the car.

if I were buying I’d avoid Brentford. I lived in Kingston & still keep property there, in the next few years with rising interest rates non prime areas will at best stabilise, at worst bust.

I’d stick to established areas with good transport links – Kingston, Richmond, Surbiton etc.

Find somewhere with a good cycle route to Uxbridge? Then you can forget the car.

Canal path all the way from Brentford to Uxbridge.

Although personally I’d go the other way along the canal and look for somewhere in or around Rickmansworth.

No, which is why I haven’t a clue about different areas

I’m glad you haven’t taken that as a dig, because it wasn’t. 🙂

I’d stick to established areas with good transport links – Kingston, Richmond, Surbiton etc.

Agreed. Most of my family come from that neck of the woods (Glaxo was built opposite my Grandad’s house while he was living there. They’re b-stards, but that’s a different story) and I’d agree with the above – look at your transport links, be it by tube, bus, bike – whatever. In my experience living and working in London, if you’re looking at driving be prepared to add a lot of arbitrary time to your commute unless you’re going very early or very late. In some ways trying to get round the edge is even worse than travelling into the centre.

The other thing to bear in mind is that good transport links will also add to the cost of renting / owning, so it’s all a balance.

The last thing to bear in mind is that you’re living in one of the most vibrant and lively cities in the world. Live somewhere you can take advantage of it! This can mean looking at nightbus routes, or looking at living a little further into London and commuting out.

Not at all, I’m happy to agree that I haven’t a clue in this area, so I’m grateful for a cold dose of reality !! 🙁

My new idea, the polar opposite of the last one, is to start out by renting near Finchley Road. Then at least I can see if I want to take advantage of what London has to offer, or if I prefer to hide in the suburbs…

if I were buying I’d avoid Brentford. I lived in Kingston & still keep property there, in the next few years with rising interest rates non prime areas will at best stabilise, at worst bust.

I’d stick to established areas with good transport links – Kingston, Richmond, Surbiton etc.

I agree entirely with all of this and could happily bang on about the merits of these areas but I have no idea what the commute (by car) to Uxbridge would be like? As others have said don’t underestimate what a mind numbing, soul destroying experience commuting by car in and around London can be!

The other things to maybe consider are:

How often do you want to get into central London? Every week, the odd night out?

What do you want out of where you live? (Good night life, easy access to green space, decent cycling, pubs, family life vs single life etc?)

Whatever the answer to any of the above is, I still wouldn’t live in Brentford!

I lived there for 5 years. In the day it was much cheaper than surrounding areas, while giving access to the riverside etc, but everything costs a bomb these days. I did also work there, and didn’t drive, which made it ideal.

I wouldn’t live there for uxbridge though, I would want somewhere further out. “Close” to london is a relative term, the hounslow loop line is crap, you can be closer while being further out.

just to add I would choose an established area with a choice of transport link – you will pay of course, look at somewhere like Wimbledon (tube, above ground, bus anywhere).

With the housing mkt looking a bit wobbly I’d stick to established areas. Saying that somewhere like New Malden (not cheap any more but say 10% off Kingston prices).

Good luck, I don’t think I would have a car if I lived in or nr London though. Parking & traffic is a nightmare.

I would echo some of the above, the reason you want to live that close to London should be your main concern (assuming your can’t afford the centre), if you don’t want to venture in to town more than once or twice a week then there are much nicer area’s to live in that would probably be within the same commuting time.
But each to their own & all that.

My new idea, the polar opposite of the last one, is to start out by renting near Finchley Road.

Have you looked at a houseshare? Good way to reduce costs and meet others outside work, especially if you’re getting a feel for an area.