Pollyana

Nice town, I'm sure it has some bad bits like everywhere, but it alos has some very expensive properties and a lot of resident millionaires. I have friends there, in the bracket of QC/High Court Judge. Seriously good houses

Pistolpete2

As we reach post #902, you probably need to resuscitate this thread from what an onlooker would likely describe as being the most overall pointless in BE history by looking top-down at what you will need to make a decision as to where on a rough basis you might settle in due course.

Timing is not ideal when work is not involved.

Let's face it, as the UK heads towards the most significant General Election in decades, which could vote in the most right-wing government for generations and force through the most economically damaging Brexit imaginable if it comes to a crash-out in just over a year's time, there seems precious little motivation to go do this thing right now.

You have isolated that crime and climate and localised weather conditions might be concerns but are unlikely to impact your day to day IF you make fairly obvious/straight-forward choices as to where to move to. Let's fact it, climate-wise (aside from oft idyllic English Summers) the UK as a whole is NOT particularly blessed.

You have to balance the grown-ups' requirements against the needs of the kids traveling with you and you are clearly doing this. Personally, I was a bit shocked that you were implying that a CITY would end up being a place that you could call home. I accept the diversity side as a plus but a city environment is not everybody's ideal by any stretch (you have not talked air pollution yet) and I follow the advice that it is much better to look at the burbs or just outside (maybe Shoreham, Hove or Lewes for Brighton), IF access at night is still easy.

There is nothing that anybody is going to say on here, that hasn't already been said that is going to impact your final decision now. There simply isn't enough objectivity to go on, as you would expect. IMHO, it's best to leave this for a while until you make your next comprehensive recce, when the dust has settled from the election and political deadlock and you can get a sense of where the UK is headed and also whether some healing can start to take place.

BTW, that is basically why I have chosen to leave and watch from afar for quite a while before making any sort of decision as to whether the place is worth returning to and if so, where.

Moses2013

As others have pointed out, all the cities mentioned will have rough areas and the more people the more problems. It's no different in the US and the only way people escape it there, is by living in gated communities. The general rule is that if you want to be closer to London and expect to have unlocked doors, this would be one of the areas to pick. If you still find faults on your budget, then the whole UK won't be for you.

SanDiegogirl

Folks keep mentioning the OP's kids, but from the earlier posts I gather his youngest is going to UCLA this fall - so his kids are young adults. The elder ones might not want to move at all - the younger one certainly is not going anywhere for the next few years.

SanDiegogirl

Lived in the area as described by Moses 2013 - Surrey hills area - for several years. As said, lovely area with pretty villages and rolling hills.

UkWinds5353

Don't even mention Nike. My kids live there half the time. There's a lot wonderful things about living in central Florida but one of the questionable factors is all the discount shopping which incentivize additional spending and after a while it can become too much. We have Nike outlets all over the country in the States. Here in Central Florida we have the added attraction in order to take your money, Nike Clearance stores where prices are seriously slashed. Basically turning people into shopaholics.

UkWinds5353

You are confirming what my wife has said about Beaconsfield. Thanks for that input. We will see how it all looks in comparison to the other areas in the UK. Originally we were going to buy a place and then relocate to the UK when the time was right, but after spending much of the summer there we realized there are so many factors to consider, and so many options. And despite the fact we don't have little kids and schools to factor into the equation, it's still important to just take our time and try to get the area correct the first time out. But finding a forever house is not easy it's happened for us only twice among several moves. We'll figure it out.

spouse of scouse

Same in Australia (and the UK), huge outlet villages and all big brands have clearance shops as well. I quite like them, they're handy when shopping for Christmas and birthday presents for the young ones, or even just to top up one's wardrobe.

spouse of scouse

It was easy for my husband and I because we knew where we wanted to live and what type of property we wanted. I think we found the one we loved after 6 or 7 viewings. I really think you should rent for a year or so, toodle around the UK on multiple reccies, and decide then.

christmasoompa

I grew up in a village near to Beaconsfield, and also lived near Amersham before moving to Berkshire, so know the area well. There is the Old Town which is really lovely, and the New Town which is rather less lovely and full of dodgy 60's buildings. So depends which part of the town you're looking at (they are seen as two separate towns almost), but it's a very affluent place, with good trains in to London, and surrounded by stunning countryside. But if you want nightlife for the kids, then it's not going to provide that!

BuckinghamshireBoy

Oh heck, now this is getting really spooky: I was born in Amersham and grew up in a village near to Beaconsfield...

100% agree on your Beaconsfield take christmasoompa, the "split" between Old Town and New Town takes a bit of time to fully digest.

moneypenny20

Bekonscot Model Village was one of our family's favourite day out when I was a kid and loved taking my kids. That's the sum total of my knowledge of Beaconsfield.

UkWinds5353

Your words hit home, and they mirror how the Mrs and I feel about taking our time finding the right place. As a Dad if I had my way I'd send my adult male kids on walk about so I can have my wife all to my self. Yes, It's actually allowed for dad's to think that way. But mothers are sometimes forever maternal and over rule the inner wishes of the patriarchs of the house. We will take our time seek out the fun and best path moving forward. And somewhere along the way I will find an investment property for the boys to enjoy and begin their UK adventure. And the wife and I will be 25 years old again together. With a bit of wildness mixed in!

We might summer in the UK and winter somewhere where middle aged people are young again and frisky.

Pistolpete2

Having, like you, watched the MBOTTUK section for a good number of years, I would think it fairly safe to categorise the three principle reasons for US-based Brits (and therefore their spouses) to return to the UK as:

To gain access to a more financially manageable healthcare provision by gaining access to the NHS
To return to a more temperate climate and escape the heat and cold of a more extreme US one
To reconnect with family (especially older) and friends and culturally more like-minded Brits and an environment with a sense of history

on here, returning to the UK from the US to work doesn't seem to feature much, these days

Outside of these big reasons, one can return to the UK to make some sort of connection as needs be, and there is NO real necessity to do it full time. Thus, splitting time between the US and UK and warmer climes in winter would seem to make obvious sense where one has the freedom to do so. Hence, in part, we are checking out and exploring and seeing what works better before we get too old to pack-up move and re-settle, pack-up move.......

What is more, this (part-time thing) is a far easier approach, when the UK has become somewhat alien from one's absence for many years. This - easier approach - is particularly the case when renting in the UK, in our experience. Basically, you then have it ALL. Then, if the UK does go pear-shaped every-which-way (from a personal perspective or nationally), you have minimal commitment.

It may sound callous but returning to the UK as Brits always seems, on here, to have the caveat attached which is that one has to have (that overseas) citizenship and a green card first, to cover the very eventuality I refer to here. Unfortunately, I left the UK in 1976 on a work permit with no expectation of anything beyond that and so it has transpired, for one reason or another.

I think it might be time to open a new thread covering splitting time between the UK and elsewhere and how one can do that within the confines of health, tax, immigration and all.

UkWinds5353

I could be proven wrong but I think the whole Brexit thing over time will be seen as a blip on the screen and the country will get back on track and things generally will normalize. I honestly believe Brexit for the UK will be seen as a lot less damaging than Donald Trump is for America. Interestingly enough, it's my opinion that Russia has underhandedly influence both the 2016 election in America and the referendum in Great Britain, but maybe to a lesser extend in the UK. Having said all that, things will get back on track and will actually work out well.
I like the idea of my wife having her dream coming true and living back in the place where her childhood dreams began. And how awesome it will be that her kids will share in creating similar experiences in that same place.

I'm keeping my options open along with my mind while taking this journey with the family. And quite frankly I view the UK as a good second option to living in America, because it is a very similar country in terms of being modern and westernized. My only gripe is the winters and we'll figure out a plan in dealing with that particular issue, whether wintering here in the States or some place else. Right now we are young enough to make a lot of choices and the move will happen at a pretty good time in life. Our biggest road block is deciding on the logistics of the youngest child attending University out in California. He would like for his mother and I to move out there with him at least for the first few years even if just on a part time basis so we have that to figure out in the coming months. Life keeps you on your feet thinking and adjusting and readjusting and that is a good thing. I think it keeps you young and sharp.

It's good you are sampling other countries while keeping your eye on the UK seeing if your birth country is measuring up to the kind of standards you want to enjoy at this point in your life. The main thing is the experience in itself having a blast and living your life on your terms. That really is in my mind living the dream.