Living in Broadstairs for a year. Loving it. Wake up every morning to a wonderful sea view. Lots of walking. Now, how do I get to the Valley for the first match...
Living in Broadstairs for a year. Loving it. Wake up every morning to a wonderful sea view. Lots of walking. Now, how do I get to the Valley for the first match...
This is kind of our thinking, we love walking but South East London has lost its appeal over the last year. We ended up staying for a large part of last year in Lanzarote (where we aim to retire) near the sea and it just worked for us. So deciding to move out of London to have that while we are still working in London is the aim. What we can get in North Kent vers London is also far more.
Again thanks to everyone who has commented, good to know some many are in the area and enjoying it.
You have a good selection of places I wouldn't mind living down that way too. Westgate and Broadstairs are nice Margate and Birchington are up and coming/re-emerging if they haven't already been priced up as such. Faversham and Teynham are nice but the locals are less welcoming. Whitstable in my humble opinion whilst being good for an afternoon on the piss is now too full of Islington obnoxious poshos every weekend.
Good property value in Herne Bay and the surrounding area however be prepared to not return to the bright lights once you move down there. Fingers crossed this new way of working for office staff stays and you get to work from home or find something down that way and keep a good work and life balance
Agree about Whitstable lovely to visit for us but not worth the price when it's an easy walk along the coast with regular bus back!
Both our jobs will be remote, permanent for me and at worst 2 days for Mrs S. Train into London is not to bad at about 90 minutes and the few flexible season ticket if coming to the area is a bonus.
Whitstable is lovely but bloody expensive to park there, and the charges go on till 21.30. If you can take the walk, park at the station all day for about £3.50.
Moved from Barnehurst to Beltinge (Herne Bay) about six years ago. Moved mainly for my special needs Daughter as opportunities and options here for her are excellent compared to Bexley. Complete change of life and all for the better. Didn't know so many lifers lived in this area
Me neither! We'll have to have a pub meeting up for an away Sky game or something when things are all a bit more normal!
Hello Strasburger, lived in Herne Bay (the Hampden end), moved from Petts Wood about 23 years ago, love it here. I know Beltinge is very nice. Also know a few Addicks supporters who live there. Think you will be happy here, quite a few down here from Eltham, Bexley, Bexleyheath etc. Get the Valley Express for home games to save looking for a parking spot and be able to have a beer or two.
Moved from Barnehurst to Beltinge (Herne Bay) about six years ago. Moved mainly for my special needs Daughter as opportunities and options here for her are excellent compared to Bexley. Complete change of life and all for the better. Didn't know so many lifers lived in this area
Me neither! We'll have to have a pub meeting up for an away Sky game or something when things are all a bit more normal!
The micro pub in the High Street - Parkerville would be good. Mark the owner is a life long Charlton fan!
I've lived in Whitstable for 14 years now. I was brought up in Broadstairs and lived in London in between Broadstairs and Whitstable for over a decade. I agree, Whitstable is getting much busier and whilst it's great to have visitors, I'm finding it too busy. I would happily move away to somewhere quieter but the wife loves it here. Herne Bay is much improved with investment and small businesses over the last ten years. I like walking or cycling across the sea front to Herne Bay for a coffee or drink. You'll probably get a lot more for your money purchasing a house in Herne Bay than Whitstable. Beltinge is a nice quiet area.
Hi, I’ve lived on the outskirts of the town in Herne Bay for 12 years now. We love it here. Walk the dog down the front most days. Lovely local walks both ways, along the cliffs to Reculver and beyond or to Tankerton, Whitstable in the other direction. Currently HB has three micro pubs, with another on the way apparently, plus a pub on the pier!
Also I previously lived in Beltinge for a year. It’s a nice village with a couple of convenience stores, a few takeaways and a pub. Just to say there is disquiet among locals there about a large housing development proposed to be built on the edge of the village (Osborne Gardens). This may not be a factor for you but thought it worth mentioning.
I had no idea so many Addicks lived locally either! A meet up in Parkerville sometime seems a good idea.
Drive down to Beltinge every so often with the kids to collect the 54 million year old fossilised shark teeth from the beach there.
Keep meaning to head down there to look for these. Been told they are very easy to find
They are. Get there an hour or so before low tide, ideally on a super low tide but doesn't have to be. Park in the car park (postcode CT6 6QE), head down the steep walk way and there is one part of the beach straight ahead where the beach is flatter so the tide goes out further. Take a gardeners pad thing for your knees and just spend an hour or so looking and you will probably find 10 or so no problem. My kids love it and have a collection of 40-50 now.
Moved from SE9 to CT10 (Broadstairs) 9
years ago – early retirement.
It's great, would thoroughly recommend
it.
In my opinion:
Herne Bay is nice and better value
property wise to Broadstairs.
Whitstable was our initial choice but
after a couple of visits there and to Broadstairs our mind was made
up. I think Whitstable is overrated.
Westgate is nice but quiet.
Margate is Margate (not a fan)
Ramsgate is good in parts.
I like Deal and Hythe a lot
Folkestone is OK.
Why I love Broadstairs:
From where I live (fairly central and
including St Peters)) I can walk to 25+ Pubs, Micro pubs and Bars.
25+ restaurants and cafes and numerous coffee shops.
Half a dozen sandy beaches.
Good music scene (pre plague) mostly
Blues and some folk)
We have the Blues Bash 3rd
wk Feb. when most of the pubs put on acts over 2 days/3 evenings
and Folk Week 2nd wk August
when the place gets banged out and just about every pub/bar puts on
acts sometimes twice a day.
One other thing that cemented
Broadstairs as our choice is its Dog Friendly – most Pubs/Bars
allow dogs in fact it may be compulsory to own a dog !
For kids there are Gala weekends and
quite a few firework nights
There are at least 4 other lifers in Broadstairs.
Give it a try for a day or two
preferably weekdays as last year and almost certainly this year the
place is manic a weekends/
Also most kind of shop down the High
St. and Westwood Cross Shopping/Industrial Estate is 5 mins drive
away as is QEQM hospital.
Stacks more I could mention – one
downside Valley coach trip takes forever.
Moved from SE9 to CT10 (Broadstairs) 9
years ago – early retirement.
It's great, would thoroughly recommend
it.
In my opinion:
Herne Bay is nice and better value
property wise to Broadstairs.
Whitstable was our initial choice but
after a couple of visits there and to Broadstairs our mind was made
up. I think Whitstable is overrated.
Westgate is nice but quiet.
Margate is Margate (not a fan)
Ramsgate is good in parts.
I like Deal and Hythe a lot
Folkestone is OK.
Why I love Broadstairs:
From where I live (fairly central and
including St Peters)) I can walk to 25+ Pubs, Micro pubs and Bars.
25+ restaurants and cafes and numerous coffee shops.
Half a dozen sandy beaches.
Good music scene (pre plague) mostly
Blues and some folk)
We have the Blues Bash 3rd
wk Feb. when most of the pubs put on acts over 2 days/3 evenings
and Folk Week 2nd wk August
when the place gets banged out and just about every pub/bar puts on
acts sometimes twice a day.
One other thing that cemented
Broadstairs as our choice is its Dog Friendly – most Pubs/Bars
allow dogs in fact it may be compulsory to own a dog !
For kids there are Gala weekends and
quite a few firework nights
There are at least 4 other lifers in Broadstairs.
Give it a try for a day or two
preferably weekdays as last year and almost certainly this year the
place is manic a weekends/
Also most kind of shop down the High
St. and Westwood Cross Shopping/Industrial Estate is 5 mins drive
away as is QEQM hospital.
Stacks more I could mention – one
downside Valley coach trip takes forever.
Good luck in your search.
Bang on. Why we are loving Broadstairs. Though we don't have a dog... yet.
Moved from SE9 to CT10 (Broadstairs) 9
years ago – early retirement.
It's great, would thoroughly recommend
it.
In my opinion:
Herne Bay is nice and better value
property wise to Broadstairs.
Whitstable was our initial choice but
after a couple of visits there and to Broadstairs our mind was made
up. I think Whitstable is overrated.
Westgate is nice but quiet.
Margate is Margate (not a fan)
Ramsgate is good in parts.
I like Deal and Hythe a lot
Folkestone is OK.
Why I love Broadstairs:
From where I live (fairly central and
including St Peters)) I can walk to 25+ Pubs, Micro pubs and Bars.
25+ restaurants and cafes and numerous coffee shops.
Half a dozen sandy beaches.
Good music scene (pre plague) mostly
Blues and some folk)
We have the Blues Bash 3rd
wk Feb. when most of the pubs put on acts over 2 days/3 evenings
and Folk Week 2nd wk August
when the place gets banged out and just about every pub/bar puts on
acts sometimes twice a day.
One other thing that cemented
Broadstairs as our choice is its Dog Friendly – most Pubs/Bars
allow dogs in fact it may be compulsory to own a dog !
For kids there are Gala weekends and
quite a few firework nights
There are at least 4 other lifers in Broadstairs.
Give it a try for a day or two
preferably weekdays as last year and almost certainly this year the
place is manic a weekends/
Also most kind of shop down the High
St. and Westwood Cross Shopping/Industrial Estate is 5 mins drive
away as is QEQM hospital.
Stacks more I could mention – one
downside Valley coach trip takes forever.
We live in Chestfield between Whitstable and herne bay. Nice quiet area easy drive to Canterbury etc. Nice pub and golf course Valley express pick up point half a mile away iwould never move back to Bromley
We live in Chestfield between Whitstable and herne bay. Nice quiet area easy drive to Canterbury etc. Nice pub and golf course Valley express pick up point half a mile away iwould never move back to Bromley
We are having lunch in The Old Barn the week after next - great pub with decent grub ...
Still hankering after Sandgate. Have visited many times over the years. It has all we need a few pubs and places to eat. Just a shame the property is going up so much. I could settle down the road in Hythe too.
How do you cope with the crowds in Broadstairs in the summer?
When the time comes will definitely look all round but Sandgate is current favourite.
Left Sandgate off my list - was including it with Hythe as just about walkable from there. A ;little gem of a place but appears a little quiet but if we moved away from here Sandgate would be on our list. The crowds last year especially at weekends would have been acceptable if they took litter away and didnt shit in the street (which actually happened near Botany Bay) discarded used nappies as well as those little takeaway BBQs were left on the beaches. Anyway i am not a Nimby and god knows we need their revenue after the last 18 months. Broadstairs is more of a year round living resort and unlike some resorts in Kent it is not desolate in winter. Folk week packs the place out and restaurants need to be booked in advance of FW starting. We head off to Hythe (the Imperial) for a day or two during FW but we also take the opportunity to take in some acts as the vibe in the town is great during this time. The Broadies (locals) tell us DFLs (Down from London) that we have a micro climate, which is Bollocks ...
Next time you visit Sandgate Pop along to Hythe - the Taste of Katmandhu Nepalese restaurant is recommended, slightly different from Indian and nice staff.
Still hankering after Sandgate. Have visited many times over the years. It has all we need a few pubs and places to eat. Just a shame the property is going up so much. I could settle down the road in Hythe too.
How do you cope with the crowds in Broadstairs in the summer?
When the time comes will definitely look all round but Sandgate is current favourite.
Good choice Curb it, it can be a bit quite, and too many of the shops only open up at the weekend, Seabrook is a good choice as you can walk to both Sandgate and Hythe very easily, and a lot less expensive especially away from the seafront, mind you, most people want the sea front! .They are also moving the coastal road, so do your research! There is going to be a large development along 'Princes parade' and it has divided opinion among locals. There is a great area from the Great Norfolk Hotel to the lower leas park, which has a Cafe and bar, along the coastal path, and you can walk into Folkestone, plenty of bars around the harbour arm.
My question to those who have moved down the coast. Did the move turn out like you thought it would? A move to the coast is something me and the wife have thought about doing in about 10 years time. The question I ask myself is , would we top up being back up this way half the time. Both sets of parents would be around 80 then and if they were of I'll health I know the wife would be back up this way quite a lot. Did the economics of the move to the coast turn out different to what you thought it would?
Am very happy with the move, it is a good fit for us but we are retirees. Do not expect to sell a flat in Swanley and buy a 3 bed detached bungalow - it doesnt work out like that. Basically we sold our 3 bed semi in New Eltham and bought a 3 Double bed detached bungalow with garage and conservatory and had enough left over to fit a new kitchen to be fitted. I miss popping on the train and being in the West End in 28 minutes and i have only been to the valley once in the last 5 years but last summer i was grateful to be down here. Obviously you will see family less which is a big bonus but friends tend to use you as their 2nd holiday destination. Have talked to lots of people in bars down here who hail from SE London / North Kent, in fact i think 25-30 percent do. Walking on the beaches gave our elderly Arthritic Springer Spaniel a new lease of life and gave her2 or 3 more years. Cleaner air also. Many more pluses than minuses IMO but needs careful thought.
Still hankering after Sandgate. Have visited many times over the years. It has all we need a few pubs and places to eat. Just a shame the property is going up so much. I could settle down the road in Hythe too.
How do you cope with the crowds in Broadstairs in the summer?
When the time comes will definitely look all round but Sandgate is current favourite.
Good choice Curb it, it can be a bit quite, and too many of the shops only open up at the weekend, Seabrook is a good choice as you can walk to both Sandgate and Hythe very easily, and a lot less expensive especially away from the seafront, mind you, most people want the sea front! .They are also moving the coastal road, so do your research! There is going to be a large development along 'Princes parade' and it has divided opinion among locals. There is a great area from the Great Norfolk Hotel to the lower leas park, which has a Cafe and bar, along the coastal path, and you can walk into Folkestone, plenty of bars around the harbour arm.
I love the two ladies that run the Norfolk. Good fun. I’d love to live that in that part!
I’ve noticed that Seabrook is more reasonable. I like the idea of Sandgate for the quiet but have Folkestone and hythe as options for a night out. I think what they’ve done with Folkestone is fantastic.
@Broadstairs_Red I’ve got a weekend in August at the Imperial. I’ve not eaten there yet so will see if we can go there.
We live in Chestfield between Whitstable and herne bay. Nice quiet area easy drive to Canterbury etc. Nice pub and golf course Valley express pick up point half a mile away iwould never move back to Bromley
I'm a member at Chelsfield Golf Course, really nice place and course with some history to the club house.
My question to those who have moved down the coast. Did the move turn out like you thought it would? A move to the coast is something me and the wife have thought about doing in about 10 years time. The question I ask myself is , would we top up being back up this way half the time. Both sets of parents would be around 80 then and if they were of I'll health I know the wife would be back up this way quite a lot. Did the economics of the move to the coast turn out different to what you thought it would?
I did the move for my special needs Daughter as so much for her here and goes to a farm 4 days a week. She loves it as loves animals also daily visits to the beach in the summer which she rwally enjoys, literally 10 mins from my front door. It's the best thing I could of done for her and myself even though I have no one down here which can be lonely at times. My Mum stills lives in Bexleyheath and make weekly visits to her infact more lately as she has been unwell, also have to drop my Daughter at her Mums once a month and that's in Lee Green. Works out perfectly well when Charlton are at home.
Also will add my Daughter and myself now have a tradition which we could of never had if still living in Barnehurst. Christmas Day walk on the beach, before the drive to visit daily. Lovely way to start Christmas Day.
Comments
Again thanks to everyone who has commented, good to know some many are in the area and enjoying it.
23 years ago, love it here. I know Beltinge is very nice. Also know a few Addicks supporters who live there.
Think you will be happy here, quite a few down here from Eltham, Bexley, Bexleyheath etc.
Get the Valley Express for home games to save looking for a parking spot and be
able to have a beer or two.
Moved from SE9 to CT10 (Broadstairs) 9 years ago – early retirement.
It's great, would thoroughly recommend it.
In my opinion:
Herne Bay is nice and better value property wise to Broadstairs.
Whitstable was our initial choice but after a couple of visits there and to Broadstairs our mind was made up. I think Whitstable is overrated.
Westgate is nice but quiet.
Margate is Margate (not a fan)
Ramsgate is good in parts.
I like Deal and Hythe a lot
Folkestone is OK.
Why I love Broadstairs:
From where I live (fairly central and including St Peters)) I can walk to 25+ Pubs, Micro pubs and Bars. 25+ restaurants and cafes and numerous coffee shops.
Half a dozen sandy beaches.
Good music scene (pre plague) mostly Blues and some folk)
We have the Blues Bash 3rd wk Feb. when most of the pubs put on acts over 2 days/3 evenings
and Folk Week 2nd wk August when the place gets banged out and just about every pub/bar puts on acts sometimes twice a day.
One other thing that cemented Broadstairs as our choice is its Dog Friendly – most Pubs/Bars allow dogs in fact it may be compulsory to own a dog !
For kids there are Gala weekends and quite a few firework nights
There are at least 4 other lifers in Broadstairs.
Give it a try for a day or two preferably weekdays as last year and almost certainly this year the place is manic a weekends/
Also most kind of shop down the High St. and Westwood Cross Shopping/Industrial Estate is 5 mins drive away as is QEQM hospital.
Stacks more I could mention – one downside Valley coach trip takes forever.
Good luck in your search.
Bang on. Why we are loving Broadstairs. Though we don't have a dog... yet.
Dodgy knees and age mean i;m in goal. Get Strasburger in and we have a sub.
also your moniker indicates mates rate for airport runs ?
We are having lunch in The Old Barn the week after next - great pub with decent grub ...
A ;little gem of a place but appears a little quiet but if we moved away from here Sandgate would be on our list.
The crowds last year especially at weekends would have been acceptable if they took litter away and didnt shit in the street (which actually happened near Botany Bay) discarded used nappies as well as
those little takeaway BBQs were left on the beaches.
Anyway i am not a Nimby and god knows we need their revenue after the last 18 months.
Broadstairs is more of a year round living resort and unlike some resorts in Kent it is not desolate in
winter. Folk week packs the place out and restaurants need to be booked in advance of FW starting.
We head off to Hythe (the Imperial) for a day or two during FW but we also take the opportunity to take in some acts as the vibe in the town is great during this time.
The Broadies (locals) tell us DFLs (Down from London) that we have a micro climate, which is Bollocks ...
Next time you visit Sandgate Pop along to Hythe - the Taste of Katmandhu Nepalese restaurant is recommended, slightly different from Indian and nice staff.
Did the move turn out like you thought it would?
A move to the coast is something me and the wife have thought about doing in about 10 years time.
The question I ask myself is , would we top up being back up this way half the time.
Both sets of parents would be around 80 then and if they were of I'll health I know the wife would be back up this way quite a lot.
Did the economics of the move to the coast turn out different to what you thought it would?
Do not expect to sell a flat in Swanley and buy a 3 bed detached bungalow - it doesnt work out like that. Basically we sold our 3 bed semi in New Eltham and bought a 3 Double bed detached bungalow with garage and conservatory and had enough left over to fit a new kitchen to be fitted.
I miss popping on the train and being in the West End in 28 minutes and i have only been to the valley once in the last 5 years but last summer i was grateful to be down here. Obviously you will see family less which is a big bonus but friends tend to use you as their 2nd holiday destination. Have talked to lots of people in bars down here who hail from SE London / North Kent, in fact i think 25-30 percent do. Walking on the beaches gave our elderly Arthritic Springer Spaniel a new lease of life and gave her2 or 3 more years. Cleaner air also. Many more pluses than minuses IMO but needs careful thought.
For my taste, the pub and restaurant scene lacks a bit of variety and flair, so I use Broadstairs as a destination for an 'off peak' trip midweek.