Hi, I'm a New Zealander moving to England around about March/April for a bit of an OE. Does anyone have any recommendation on what cities or part of the country are the best to live in? I'm mainly just looking for somewhere where it's relatively easy to find work and decent(cheapish) rental accomodation. Plus I don't drive, so somewhere that has a good public transport system would be great, a veggie friendly place would be awesome too.

If expense is a big consideration, you'll have to look north, I think. The southwest is always in the news as the most expensive place outside of London, but I think that there are some good spots. I really liked Bristol when we were there. It was kinda funky, had good veggie spots, and we managed to get around on the bus (and train!) without getting lost. :) Brighton was wonderful too, but not cheap, I think.

This site has a property rate index, where you can get a rough idea of letting costs: http://www.rentright.co.uk/rrpi.aspx The council tax rates, depending on your location and the size/value of your flat can make a big difference too. :yes:

So far, we've found most of England to be pretty veggie friendly. I've not yet been in a grocery store without soyamilk, nor in a town without at least one Indian restaurant and someplace with a veggieburger on the menu.

Our corner of Oxfordshire is pretty nice, but the rental costs are insane (seriously, insane). The public transport varies widely, but on the whole isn't too bad. There's a lot to do in Oxford and you can hop to London in just over an hour.

Well I live in Nottingham, and I love it. Quite Veggie friendly, brilliant puplic transport in my opinion, lovely community, good universities, awesome shopping. Plus it's Robin Hood country.

Couldn't tell you about pricing though - only that I'm still at college and not working yet (I'm getting on to that ¬_¬) and my dad is retired, and we're living in a nice area which is both quiet and close to the city (with a 10 mintue walk to Wollaton Hall/Park (http://www.wollatonhall.org.uk/)). So by that gauge I'd say rental prices are reasonable.

I've always wanted to live in Brighton though, but it's not cheap. (:

I agree with Jen - the North is going to be much cheaper.
I live up North and it's not as grim as some Southerners would have you believe :p
And yeah, England in general is veggie friendly, especially if you're l/o. What kind of work are you looking for?

ETA>>> (...I put the wrong link B4, it is now corrected...)
http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?p=1766539

you might like to check out my plans for the South of England or someplace south-ish...

Any questions, just ask, pm me preferably...

I don't know a lot about places to live, but I live in south-west UK near Bath and tis pretty nice :]

Yeah UK is wonderful for being veg - going abroad is often such a shock! I used to assume all countries were as good as the UK! Pretty much everywhere will have a veg option - if not severeal, and a lot of university/touristy citys have vegetarian or vegan resturaunts (Bath, Oxford, of course London etc). Around me there's a few great ones, and vegetarian shops which just sell vegetarian food - there's a couple of those in Bath actually. Most supermarkets have 'free from' sections with dairy free [and wheat, gluten free] food, and most supermarkets lable clearly vegetarian food. I think you'll do fine for being veg whereever you go really :]

But cheap? Probally not around here. London is expensive but great public transport/veg friendly. Cheap you want to go up *nods*.

Haha that wasn't very helpful, sorry.

Well I live in Nottingham, and I love it. Quite Veggie friendly, brilliant puplic transport in my opinion, lovely community, good universities, awesome shopping. Plus it's Robin Hood country.

See now, half of America already thinks that people in Nottingham run around with dorky hats singing "Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally. Golly, what a day". Well now, now I have to come and see for myself! :p

See now, half of America already thinks that people in Nottingham run around with dorky hats singing "Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally. Golly, what a day". Well now, now I have to come and see for myself! :p

Yes you ought.

Warmister/Bath is a lovely place to visit/live if you like historic sites. Stonehenge, chalk horses, roman baths..

bristol is really nice. so is nottingham. i spose ease of finding work would depend on what you wanna do, who you know, and what you're qualified to do, though- thats the same anywhere, i guess.

I have lived in Leeds and Manchester, although am originally from and currently still reside in Tyne and Wear, NE England.

I find the people in this part of the country to be friendlier than other places I've lived in and there isn't the gang culture of places like Manchester.

You could do a lot worse than a decent area of Newcastle such as Heaton or Sandyford and if you have plenty of cash then Jesmond. Excellent public transport and safe.

starlass who used to post here, mentioned quite a lot and with some emphasis the crimes in or around Newcastle, (where she lives) but maybe thats nothing over the national average? ...and therefore nothing too severe? God knows. I've never lived there.

tangerine, what do you hope to do for employment?

starlass who used to post here, mentioned quite a lot and with some emphasis the crimes in or around Newcastle, (where she lives) but maybe thats nothing over the national average? ...and therefore nothing too severe? God knows. I've never lived there.


Depends where you live, all major cities have their crime hot spots. I can tell you though, inner city Newcastle is *nowhere* near as bad as similar areas of Leeds and, especially, Manchester.

tangerine, what do you hope to do for employment?

Some type of office type work. I've been doing testing for an IT project the past few years and have enjoyed that so would like to do something similar but since I won't have local experience and it's not related to my degree(commerce) I imagine it would be hard a job like i've had. More than likely I will end up doing temp/admin type work.

Thanks for all the info/suggestions guys!

Hi, I'm a New Zealander moving to England around about March/April for a bit of an OE. Does anyone have any recommendation on what cities or part of the country are the best to live in? I'm mainly just looking for somewhere where it's relatively easy to find work and decent(cheapish) rental accomodation. Plus I don't drive, so somewhere that has a good public transport system would be great, a veggie friendly place would be awesome too.

Wherever you go, don't go out at night on your own unless you're very tough

Wherever you go, don't go out at night on your own unless you're very tough

probably good advice.... (unless you're very tough as Lion says, but as a "woman" that is, it has to be said).

Lion, do you mean anywhere in the UK, or were you talking about a specific place? Saying never to go out on your own seems a bit drastic to me.

Saying never to go out on your own seems a bit drastic to me.

i agree- i've lived in some really safe places, where that'd be the last thing i'd think of saying. the 'woman' comment got me too- men are not anywhere near to immune to problems from wandering around at night alone.

i agree- i've lived in some really safe places, where that'd be the last thing i'd think of saying. the 'woman' comment got me too- men are not anywhere near to immune to problems from wandering around at night alone.

I'm female, 16 and I go out alone at night. But then I'm surrounded by fields... :idea:

i agree- i've lived in some really safe places, where that'd be the last thing i'd think of saying. the 'woman' comment got me too- men are not anywhere near to immune to problems from wandering around at night alone.

And "men" too.... now everyone can go home safe (or unsafe) and as happy as pie.... (or as St Michælie.... who is this person I don't know.)

I'm 18, female, and although you have to be sensible about this stuff I think it's pretty paranoid not to leave the house by yourself at night ever.

Lion, do you mean anywhere in the UK, or were you talking about a specific place? Saying never to go out on your own seems a bit drastic to me.

I said at night, and it wasn't me who made the woman comment :)

Inner city areas: Higher chance of mugging
Rural areas: Higher chance of sexual attack

Personally I reckon whenever a sexual attacker strikes, there should be a curfew on all people of the attacker's gender until he/she is found.

I'm female, 16 and I go out alone at night. But then I'm surrounded by fields... :idea:

Which (and this isn't from experience btw, it's from reading newspapers / watching Crimewatch) are great for rapes - nobody around for miles to hear you scream.

Please be careful and above all, please trust your feelings

Apart from that welcome to the UK :D bloodyhell :lol:

I am a man that made the woman comment who then made the man comment to make the woman comment less vulnerable having been stated on its lonesome, until the man came along and then he got scared too, even though he had this woman to protect him....;) ahahaha

(the feminists ....AND sonneth.... my 'emancipated' self :D with my head in the clouds are now happy again preventing myself or the feminists from being highly strung....and threaten to self decapitate by their own self inner rage working up a storm over the juxaposition of gender comedy of errors forcing the realities of the situation to the backburner where it belongs so that the thread may continue without TOO MUCH REALITY, & btw, lovely design nature isn't it !!)

Which (and this isn't from experience btw, it's from reading newspapers / watching Crimewatch) are great for rapes - nobody around for miles to hear you scream

I have to agree with that!
I feel MUCH safer walking through a street than i do walking past fields/parks (i do both frequently! just today on the way to tescos oo ar)
loads of bushes to hide behind, or just lay flat in the grass. No lights, noone around to call for help.
gimme a brightly lit street with doors i can knock on any day! someone else to walk past and call an ambulance etc

As for the whole "never leave the house at night!" thing
I do it all the time
Im not stupid though
Theres "its 3am and Im bored, ill go for a stroll with my mp3 player in my ears full volume" and theres "I need to walk home from the bus stop. I'll walk fast along lit streets and be very aware of my surroundings"

I guess Im a bit more paranoid than some though
I live at home in a quiet town where nothing happens. A few years ago though, some lovely guy was going around smacking people over the head with a hammer. 6+ were attacked, 2 people murdered.
one of the murders happened about 100yards from my house. The girl was about a year older than me, and was doing a routine i'd done loads. She died a few feet away from her front door. The guy was never caught. I walk past both her house and the spot it happened at almost every day when I'm at home.
Its a nice reminder of how "it wont happen to me" er, happens to you.