Does anyone know Harpenden?

Know it quite well. It is a nice big market town, very good schools, good shops and restaurants, and v safe. A little suburbany I would say (dont know specifically where that area is) but near enough the countryside to not be

Harpenden's lovely - I would love to live there but unfortunately its a tad out of our price range! The schools are excellent. It has a lovely choice of shops/restaurants/bars and it always feels like a very safe place to be. You don't tend to get much crime at all in Harpenden from what I've heard.

It has quite a villagey feel to it while being a big town iykwim?

Are you thinking of moving there?

Is this for you knownowt? Are you going back to the Uk? I've been looking at Harpenden too, amongst other places. Where are you from?

A different perspective - I really don't like it. It's too suburban for me but not in a good way. I think it's overpriced and characterless, full of chains - I don't like the high street with its big whoosh through of cars.

I have friends that live nearby and I've always quite liked it when I visit

I was born there and grew up there (mind you it was about 12 years ago since I left!) and my parents still live there 0 they moved there in 1072 before the house prices went bananas!) I went to Roundwood Junior and Roundwood Park which was good but I think all three schools are massively oversubscribed (my father is a county councillor and deals with the appeals from parents) which has I think led to some children having to travel to Hatfield for schooling.

It does tend to be filled with estate agents and the supermarkets are Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer but I would say it was fairly safe (although my BIL did have someone try to mug him at a cashpoint!) I would say it is pretty suburban which not necessarily a bad thing and you can get into London easily by train (suspect the commuting may be a bit more of a crush than when I did it several years ago). People who've lived there for a very very long time used to talk about going into the "village"/

I think I would characterise it as being "terribly nice" although my father has also done some work with the Harpenden Trust which helps local people who need help with paying fuel bills, furniture etc so it's not all wealthy.

Thanks everyone. Yes, it is a place we're considering moving to when we come back next year. Our current house in the UK is in a centralish but fairly grotty bit of London and I'm feeling a bit unsure about the grime and crime (it never used to bother me at all- I wonder whether being away and just hearing news reports without the counterweight of your own experience makes things seem worse than they are.)

We need to be near the Thameslink and would like decent schools- interesting to hear about children not getting places, that would definitely be something to think about. Harpenden or St Albans seem the logical places to look.

I do feel a bit nervous about it though as I've only ever lived in the country or in London and worry I might feel as if I've fallen between two stools. It does tick all the boxes though. Hmmmmm.

(Does anyone remember my recent post about annoying my husband by over-planning? ?)

I lived in St Albans for 4 years (we bought our first house there) and I much prefer it. The train was nightmarishly over packed even at 7am (I used to have to get a 6.10am train to get a seat) but I think they are making improvements there.

Would always go for St Albans over Harpenden, any day. the downsides to St As is the 'towny' feel of some parts of the centre at night, although again it's improved a lot more recently. and the prices are shocking, which is why we moved back to London - it was cheaper to live in Dulwich than it was St Albans! (mind you we were set on staying in the centre, a ten minute walk from station and 5 mins from Cathedral, so that was particularly exorbitant)

I live in St Albans and much prefer it to Harpenden - Harpenden for me is a bit too small and a bit local if you see what I mean. I think it is also overpriced for what you get and for me it is overly pretentious - everyone seems to know everyone and I would find it a real change from London. That said - it is very safe and very nice and the schools are good- in actual fact nice sums it up for me! It really does depend what your priorities are - we need to be close to Thameslink too and have looked at Brighton and sussex way instead - still safe but much more interesting in my opinion.

I echo what others have said about both St, Albans and Harpenden, though I do actually prefer Harpenden. Harpenden is definately safe. Both are an easy commute on Thameslink.

Does it have to be Thameslink? On the other First Capital Connect line between London and Cambridge/Peterborough there are some nice towns and villages with train lines (some not so nice ones too). Places like Knebworth and Hitchin villages.

Hitchin and the surrounding villages are extremely nice (Offley, Great and Little Wymondley) but i can't vouch for the communte. Schools are good in the area. Pretty safe also.

I also grew up in Harpenden (all be it the not so nice part), it is a very nice town, but I don't think I would be in any rush to move back it's just too pricey and dare I say it a little snobby (sorry). Having said that though I do always feel very homely whenever I do visit or go out there - there are lots of lovely restaurants.

I also much prefer St Albans, there's just more to do and more charcater, I unfortunately moved from there last year as we wanted a house and couldn't afford one there.

C x

Thanks everyone- interesting stuff about St Albans. I would definitely look south (Brighton way) as well but from what I camn tell this part of the line doesn'tgo to the London station we need- or am I being thick? Those villages around Hitchin are lovely- I have a friend who lives near there. Hmmmmm.

(I also wanted to say, in case I sound a twit asking whether it's generally a safe area, that we'll be coming from a super-crim bit of London so I've probably got safety etc on the brain. This is a picture of my street earlier this year (literally and honestly- my house is just out of shot) ?

I'd echo the preferences for St Albans. Both are nice but St Albans has a bit more about it (I was born and grew up in Hemel).

Brighton on the Thameslink goes all the way thru London (I assume if you're looking at Thameslink you want Kings X/St Pancras?), and therefore stops at Kings X, Blackfriars,City Thameslink, Farringdon and London Bridge. The fast train gets into Victoria (and London bridge I think).

The Camrbidge/P'boro line gets into Kings X

What was happening in your street Knownowt? Goodness, I really have let a sheltered life in rural Oxfordshire ?

wahh I love that picture KN. Wasn't it for a drugs bust? They took hundreds of officers in riot gear ?

Yep, drugs and stolen goods. It was biggest ever police raid in Islington [proud]?

? Numbnuts

That picture is hilarious. seriously.

We went to St Albans last time we were there to have a look. I quite liked it. I think it would depend where though? I've been looking al over Herts really. NN has been a great help with areas .

Are you going back soon?

That picture is hilarious. seriously.

We went to St Albans last time we were there to have a look. I quite liked it. I think it would depend where though? I've been looking al over Herts really. NN has been a great help with areas .

Are you going back soon?

Love the photo ?

Another point of view here. I was born in Luton and lived in Harpenden for about 4 years as a teenager, and now live near Luton but on the other side.

I really didn't enjoy Harpenden at all. To me, it always felt ever so slightly up its own ar$e and I never settled at all. This may be of course because I am clearly an out and out chav after being dragged up in a rather infamous area of Luton - for those that know the area, Marsh Farm- as polar opposite to Harpenden as you could find in the surrounding area!!

p.s - between Harpenden and StAlbans, would defo go with St Albans x

HTH

Knownowt - we looked into moving into this area some time ago, again because of the Thaneslink. I have a list of villages with good catchment areas (we wanted village rather than town) of some of the best schools in the area; if you're interested I can send it to you. Secondly, do you have this book? It's fab. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guide-Commuterland-Finding-Within-Telegraph/dp/1845130359

I know St Albans and Harpenden very well. One thing to consider is access to the town centre. Harpenden has always been fairly easy, St Albans much less so....quite a lot of casual visitors/tourist do clog up the car parks. St Albans also has some not so good parts, so if choosing here to live, check out your area carefully.

I used to live and teach in Harpenden. It's quite quaint and pretty but I found it incredibly snooty at times and everyone seems to know everyone elses business. I also found it difficult to integrate into, it was quite cliquey (I was there for 4 years and as a northern lass by origin the comment 'ooh you're not from round here are you?' became a little tedious).

I also lived in St Albans which I much preferred; I found it a much more balanced mix of people with more to do socially and better shopping. Obviously it has its rougher parts but I think most places do. I loved St Albans but the property prices were out of my reach.

I now live near Hitchin which is my fave so far; lots of pretty villages surrounding it and a real market town feel. My husband commutes into London several times a week and you can get to Kings Cross in 35mins.

I've lived in Herts for 15years now so know a fair few places if you need any more info.