Looks like I am going to be offered a job based at an office at Gatwick airport. Any locals got a good insight where would be best to live? Thanks!

Not sure what you are looking for.

Fun city life Brighton (relatively expensive but rising property prices could work for you)
Surrey Hills for biking
Plenty of nice villages in that part of Sussex, comuter towns like Heywards Heath

Avoid Redhill.

Avoid Crawley…..it’s creepy

Lived in both Brighton and Haywards Heath. Contrasting places, but it depends on your stage in life as to where would be best for you.

The village next door should be cheap – the locals are all moaning about how much their houses have devalued….

I spent 5 years in Crawley – technically Gossops Green but 2 minutes walk from Ifield station which made getting up to Gatwick quick and easy.

Creepy Crawley has a bit of a stigma, but it has decent facilities, half an hour to either the North or South Downs for walking or riding, half an hour to Brighton if you get up early and beat the traffic. Some suburbs were grim, but some were very nice.

Most bits of Crawley are shit, but they are nice bits.

Horsham is nicer, but further out. As said, tonnes of nice commuter villages nearby. Public transport connections are excellent north/south, but pretty shit east/west would be my only point of note. Not an issue if you’re driving/riding.

I didn’t mind Redhill. Doorstep MTB’ing too.

Anywhere along the north downs if you want miles of riding from your door, near the redhill-gatwick line if you want an easy trip to work

Brighton. Can’t beat it if you don’t mind a half hr commute. It’s a great place to be a new resident in as there is so much to do and so many other people who will be new to the area so easy to make friends. Riding just on the edge of the city with a friendly club if you want and Surrey hills for day trips. Been here 10 years and it feels like home can’t imagine a better place to live in the UK.

Belgravia or St James’ Park area, or anywhere in Westminster really. Quick stroll to Victoria Station and off on the Express.

May sound crazy, but consider further north. Look at Lower Halling in Kent. Nice village pub, good curry house and the best North Downs riding on your doorstep.

River through the village, housing cheaper than anywhere above. 30 minutes into London, 35 minutes to Gatwick.

Worth a driveby.

Which office just out of interest? My OH works there for the airport.

Brighton or Haywards Heath are the obvious places. But she lives in Esher and as she’s going against the commuter flow the commute isn’t too bad until inside the M25.

Lived in both Brighton and Haywards Heath

So have I, the stage of life where Haywards Heath would be the right choice of the place to live is actually known as death. 🙂

Lisbon. Commute by plane, crash in an air bnb during the week somedays. Snort coke and bang Portuguese women in Bairro Alto at the weekends. It’s better than waiting to die near to Gatwick isn’t it? Or do southerners have some masochist streak?

Tom. Trouble is, you can’t get there when they need you. They’ve had a mare of a time Sunday to Monday this week, and I got out to Madrid by the skin of my teeth. The idea is sound though 🙂

Work in Crawley and have lived in Horsham 3 years. Easy commute, nice town, tons of facilities, lots of great biking on doorstep, but might be too tame if you are looking for nightlife.

Tom. Trouble is, you can’t get there when they need you. They’ve had a mare of a time Sunday to Monday this week, and I got out to Madrid by the skin of my teeth. The idea is sound though

The more I spend time around southerners, living like dogs to buy some tiny death box next to an airport to retire in…. the more I’m regressing back to being 19. What the **** was I thinking when I decided to grow up, when London is the alternative?

Lisbon or Madrid sounds like a great idea. Don’t mind working hard and commuting, need somewhere warmer and prettier to blow off steam at the weekends.

That or I’m going to do a PhD and never grow up.

Reigate is really nice but quite expensive. I’d recommend Dorking though. Lots of good pubs, decent schools, riding on the doorstep. You can get a direct train to Gatwick as well.

Reigate is nice, Redhill next door is cheaper, but I wouldn’t discount it. And lovely villagey pubs all around the area. Used to have LOTS of long lunches working in Redhill….

OP why don’t you let us know what type of place you’d like to live in 🙂