KiwiGTI

Anyone live around this area?

What's it like? Would like to know things like the chav quotient, commutability to London etc.

boxst

Hello

I go through it occasionally. It's a great commuter place, easy access to motorways, airports and a good rail connection.

However, the place itself is a dump. There are some nice areas (outside of Crawley, towards East Grinstead). Crawley is a "new town", which should tell you everything.

Steve

Flatcapdriver

Creepy Crawley you mean? Chav central in my opinion although I don't live there its close enough to be worrying although I never had any problems with any of the tenants I had.

A trip round County Mall on a Saturday will convince you its not a good idea. A bit like Northampton, only grimmer.

what would scooby do

Liar, there is nowhere grimmer than Northampton

Chrisgr31

I work in Crawley but would never live in it! One or two nice places in the town, lots of lovely villages around. Train service from Crawley not so good as from Three Bridges, might want to try elsewhere on the Brighton line. Or as someone said East Grinstead

David Lock

Pretty grim and miserable. One of the worst towns in lovely West Sussex IMHO. Shopping OK if you like old malls. Close to Gatwick, of course and road access OK. As said some cracking villages in surrounding areas but watch out for Gatwick (which may expand) noise. dl

Flatcapdriver

There are. I'd put Crawley, Northampton, Wakefield, Sheffield and Leeds in the premier league of grimness with heaps more to follow.

KiwiGTI

Thanks for the advice, I'll look elsewhere.

Flatcapdriver

Where do you need to commute to and what is your budget? With that information we may be able to help you.

lucylastic

I'd agree entirely with Crawley, Wakefield and Northampton, can't comment on Sheffield as don't know it well enough, but would dispute Leeds - it's nowhere NEAR as grim as the others! Bradford, absolutely, Leeds certainly not. IMO of course

KiwiGTI

My lease is up soon and I was looking at moving out of London (Victoria or City), within 1/2hr commute, and family and nice car friendly.

My wife can't drive and we have a 7 month old so needs to be somewhere she'll feel safe and have good public transport for her to get around the local area.

Angry

Ahhh Creepy Crawley, I live in East Grinstead about 10 miles away.

There are some nice areas, no scratch that, one nice area, Pound Hill.

I wouldnt want to live there myself, as has been mentioned there are loads of nice Villages in West Sussex which are much nicer than Crawley.

So true! Its a veritable gallery of hoodies with adidas shell trousers, and teenage mums pushing,usually twin, buggies.

IIRC it has one of the worst levels of teen pregnancy in the UK.

starship impreza

iTrader: (1)

Lived in crawley 48 years never had any problems.so for those of you who are slagging it off ,how would you know if you have never lived here
Have you been to East Grinstead ,Horley ,Brighton ,Horsham or any where else on the out skirts of Crawley the same things go on there as in Crawley
And the County Mall may be full of youths etc ,but where do you think they all come to from and where do you think a lot of them live ,yes all the areas on the out skirts of Crawley because Crawley has a shopping Mall that is where they gather .Horley ,East Grinstead ,Horsham have only a handfull of shops .
So dont slag it off if your not in possesion of all the facts
And from the previous posts none of you has ever lived here you have only passed through it or worked here ,As they say dont judge a book by its cover
There are places far worse than Crawley
Gary

Flatcapdriver

I had three flats there and its a **** tip. Luckily the tenants I had weren't too bad but the chavs and pond life who inhabit the town are beyond belief and this was in Pound Hill. End of story. You don't have to live somewhere to know its a **** tip, its self evident unless you're either deluded or can't escape.

Kiwi - it depends on your budget but Oxted or Caterham may be a better bet if you need it to be affordable.

Daryl

Crawley is a horrible place, IMO. As others have mentioned, East Grinstead is OK, as are Horsham, Haywards Heath and Redhill

David Lock

Good public transport and West Sussex is an oxymoron, certainly as far as villages are concerned. Horsham is not too bad a place as a town. Boring compared with London and outside your 30 min commute specification. Guildford (Surrey) would be better for London commuting. My commuting days are long over thank goodness but I always thought North of London was quicker to London by train? dl

steppers

well done flatcap oxteds right next to me and spot on for getting out of london
not bad train service either
as for crawley jesus what a dive
nice places just outside oh yeah broadfield langley desh gatwick 3 bridges
sets the taste buds off....not
usually featured on crime street uk on sky as a hotspot for hassle outside nightclubs called branigans and bar med
OH just thought of a good reason to live there A subaru dealership
Oh one other thing youll stuggle to get there for a years worth of road works smashing

Scooby Snacks 23

I live just outside Redhill (on the nicer side ) and I think the nice towns/villages around are Reigate, Caterham, Oxted/Limpsfield, or Dorking and some it's surrounding villages.

Whilst Crawley may be 'orrible, I do go to the UGC cinema there

steppers

eh didnt know there was a nicer side to redhill
only joking of course

boxst

It's called Reigate ...

Steve

Flatcapdriver

Reigate was great to live in and even though it used to get invaded at the weekends by local peasants it was never a fight first or a drink scenario.

steppers

boxt dyou go to the village brasserie indian on the road to dorking if not u should
and reigates not redhill is it even though my mate lives in woodhatch and says he lives in reigate

Flatcapdriver

Don't get me started on Woodhatch.