Colchester

[dilligaf]

Anyone able to enlighten me about living in Colchester?

Have looked at upmystreet but what is it really like?
Thanks

[SteveD]

They've got a Magic Roundabout:

http://www.virtualportmeirion.com/roundabout/i ndex.htm

[chongalolo]

Hi dilligaf - I live in Colchester (for 20 years now) and would be happy to tell you about it, but perhaps you can tell me what you are looking for (e.g family or single life etc), which aspects do you particularly want to know about.

[dilligaf]

Hi chongalolo,

Thanks for your reply.

Looking for somewhere to retire to. Born and bred in London and want somewhere quieter, but not too quiet..

Fed up with the hustle and bustle of city life but don't want to be stuck out in the sticks but a bit of countryside would be nice.

We are looking all around southern England and so far the favourite on our list is Salisbury but wife said "too far away from our grandaughter and our sons " who still live in London.

My wife likes shopping and would like to be within reasonable reach of a shopping centre.

I will be happy with a good selection of local pubs and a choice of Indian restaurants. (easily pleased). Of course the attitude of locals towards strangers, local crime rate is a concern, upmystreet ony gives details for the county, not the local area so it can be a bit deceiving.

We are going to have a look at Colchester this weekend but wanted an "insiders" point of view. before we go.

Obviously once we have decided upon somewhere we will
be spending considerably more time there before moving.

Thank you in anticipation.

[Deb36]

I've got friends who live there so I visit quite often. It's lovely and I enjoy visits. Fri and Sat nights are quite "lively" but if you were to move a little out, maybe Kelvedon or Witham then much quieter. Great for shopping, eating out, dept stores and more boutique shops.

[chongalolo]

I think Colchester is mostly a great place to live. There is a big shopping centre in the centre of town, and all the usual supermarkets and home/garden shops on the fringes. It has a bit of a reputation as a squaddie town and that is true to a certain extent, so we avoid the town centre late on Saturday night (probably like many other towns) but at any other time it it fine.
There is a huge amount of building work going on in the north of Colchester (Highwoods and Mile End) with hundreds of homes being thrown up on small plots of land - a bit of a pity, but I suppose people have to live somewhere.
When looking for a property, some areas are better than others and will be quieter and give you a better quality of life. We live in Lexden which is leafy and pleasant and have always felt very safe. Generally the west side is a good choice. Personally I would avoid the eastern suburbs like Greenstead (but houses are a bit cheaper there) and the New Town area has its problems too.
There are loads of lovely restaurants (all types) and pubs in Colchester and the surrounding villages.
I have several friends whose parents have come to retire here from London and they love it. It is less than an hour from London on the train and twenty minutes from the beaches of Mersea and Frinton etc.
Hope this helps - I have tried to give a balanced picture, but if you have any more questions, fire away! PS The magic roundabout is mad!!

[dilligaf]

Thanks for that chongalolo, very interesting. Have taken on board your information and will let you know after the weekend how we got on.