Moving to Reading, Berkshire

[Katlise]

I am planning to move to Reading (UK). Can anybody tell me - where are the 'nicer' bits of Reading and which are the ones to avoid?
Thanks.

[The Big Gill]

Caversham's nice.

[kazza12345]

i like caversham too ... generally you can be guided by house prices, so if, for example you spot a 2 bedroomed house that is a bargain, its probably in a not-so-nice area.
Places to avoid (in MY opinion; i don't want to get in a row with people that live in these places) are
1)whitley
2)southcote
3)oxford road area
4)some parts of tilehurst

places where i, myself personally would consider buying a house
1)some parts of tilehurst (tilehurst village, for example)
2)some parts of calcot (not the bits on the north side of the bath road
3)most of the university area (but not by cemetary junction)
4)outlying villages ie burghfield, mortimer, sonning common, theale, pangbourne, purley

so so sorry if i've offended anyone at all
It might be a really good idea to come down and take a look around and see what feel you get for places! depending on how far out of town you have to go and how much money you have, there are lots of nice options further towards newbury, or further towards oxfordshire

[The Big Gill]

kazza - you might be able to help on this: I worked in Reading a couple of years ago, and traffic was really bad on the roads between town and Thames Valley Park, especially in the Christmas run-up when loads of people came in to shop. Is that still the case?

[The Big Gill]

Also, I think Oxford Road was where that recent drugs/kidnap/murder incident took place, wasn't it?

[kazza12345]

it was in prospect park (the actual murder) which is in tilehurst area but the hotel they took them to to be tortured was in the oxford road area.

i'm sorry i dont know where thames valley park is - is it the one by the a329m? Mind you, i work in reading going round to peoples houses all obver rweading and the surrounding areas, and i can safely say that traffic is *** ** everywhere! They have a new proposal to slow traffic down on the idr too - joy!

[emma0606]

I live near Wokingham and have done for 15 years. I personally think this side of Reading is the nicest.

You can't go wrong with most parts of Wokingham, Winnersh (Hurst side), Hurst, Twyford, Lower Earley, Earley or Woodley.

You will pay more for properties over this way but it's worth it.

I have several friends who live in Reading town centre, one had his car broken into outside his house, one was burgaled and the other found somebody in his garden. Since the Oracle went up properties have soared and half of them really aren't worth it.

[Ms.Hijinx]

i live in wokingham and agree with the others nothings as bad as the whitley whiff though!!!!!

[nickmo]

http://www.upmystreet.com has some other info too.

[robertson]

I used to live near Goring-On-Thames and Pangbourne, and that's a beautiful area.

[slimjim]

Good answers so far. Many parts to Reading these days, most pretty good - some to avoid. My views:

Southcote - east end is good, west end is definitely not
Bath Road/Tilehurst Road area - very good and walking distance to town (important with traffic problems these days).
Fords Farm - ok estate
Calcot - pretty good suburb
Theale - good village on edge of town with good links
Tilehurst - most ok, especially around village and west of Tilehurst station - avoid bits east of Tilehurst station
Purley - nice spot
West Reading/Oxford Road - Reading's melting pot. Not recommended unless you like that urban grit feel but there are still plenty of nice pockets within it.
Caversham Heights - posh!
Lower Caversham - mainly nice victorian housing area
Caversham Park Village (CPV) - looks nice but beware, has a bit of an edge to it.
Emmer Green - very smart.
All of the above 4 are north of the river, a big problem is you have to drive to the other side every day.
London Road/Cemetry Junction - avoid
University area - nice but bad traffic
Shinfield Road - nice
Shinfield - was a nice village until a year ago; now its a big housing estate - still good though
Woodley - mostly good (feels like a separate town from Reading)
Wokingham Road - gets better the further from Reading you go
Earley - mostly good, excellent schools make it popular
Lower Earley - was once the biggest housing estate in Europe but it is actually mostly very smart.
Whitley/Whitley Wood/Northumberland Avenue - AVOID!
Outlying villages:
Burghfield - very nice
Burghfield Common - ok
Mortimer - good
Pangbourne/Whitchurch - very nice
Sonning - Very posh!
Sonning Common - very good, nice community feel
Twyford - nice town, good links
Winnersh - mostly smart suburbia
Aborfield - old garrison

[~posy-jo~]

hi katlise!! i think slimjim has got it just about right. also spencers wood, and three mile cross are nice areas. i was born and brought up in reading. ( i now live in somerset due to my husbands work ). if i could go back i would. i visit regularly, if i could go back i would definately choose woodley, it's a lovely part of reading but not too far from town. let me know if you need any information on anything or if you have any ideas about where you want to go. if you want i will give you my email or msn address if it makes it any easier for you. but i know reading like the back of my hand and if you want my help just ask xXx

[Katlise]

Thanks to you all.
What a nice bunch of people you are! :-)
We're hoping to start looking in the next couple of weeks.

Posy-jo, that is really kind of you. That would be great - thank you.

[~posy-jo~]

hi katlise! just let me know if u want me to post my email address. i will do it while i know u r looking then get the ed to remove it xXx

[Katlise]

Hi posy-jo, sorry has taken me so long - a little thing called 'work' seems to be getting in the way of my being online :-)
Re: email address... I don't know whether you are around at the moment?

[~posy-jo~]

i'm here now!!! are you around?? if not post as soon as you get this and i'll keep checking xXx