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I am a 23 year young professional that is currently working for an international pharmaceutical company based of of the Raleigh-Durham area in the United States. I have been offered a promotion which I plan to take but will be required to relocate to one of a few European cities that I can choose from. Reading is the only one in the UK and being that I don't know much about the UK to begin with I figured I would come here for some info.
Basically my biggest question is if there is a large number of young professionals living and working in Reading/is a popular destination for young people. I would prefer to be in a city around people my own age in similar situations. I.E. young, working for at least a decent company, social, etc. What is the nightlife/entertainment situation like in Reading?
Thanks for the replies as any insight will be extremely helpful!
I grew up just outside Reading and have spent a lot of time there over the years.
It is home to many European/World HQ's for tech companies. The town is in the Thames Valley (the Thames runs through the town) & the area has been nicknamed Silicon Valley. It's fairly affluent compared to the national average and housing is quite expensive as a result.
There are a lot of people similar to your profile in the town, so you would feel at home from that perspective. Very good shopping too.
There are a large number of pubs/clubs/bars that cater to the relatively affluent younger customer. The annual Reading festival is one of the biggest music festivals of the year in the UK.
Overall Reading is a mix of professional and working class areas. A bit of a bland town some may say, no architectural beauty so to speak. Some would tell you the town centre can be a bit rough at night but no more so than any other town of its size (around 140,000 people)
It's within 30-40 mins of London by train or car. Traffic can be a problem as well.
By and large it's a fine place to live and work I'd say.
What are your other options? Reading is OK but I wouldn't call it 'desirable'. I lived there for 2 years after leaving London for a cheaper place to live before ending up in Windsor. Reading has good transport links to other places as it has a large train station.
Honestly, Reading is full of bars and restaurants, has a large shopping mall but really not much else. Don't expect anything in the way of culture or the more 'stereotypical' things you might expect by moving to England. It is bland, as Sewart pointed out, and it is rough in the evenings. Street fights are not uncommon and crime is an issue.
Thanks for the help! My other options are Hellerup in Denmark, Manheim in Germany, Uppsala in Sweden, and Singapore. At the moment I'm leaning towards Singapore.
Street fights are not uncommon and crime is an issue.
That's a bit misleading. Street fights are not 'uncommon' in any large town. Windsor gets plenty of that and it's one of the most expensive places to live in England. Liquid nightclub on William St can be pretty much guaranteed to produce a street fight every weekend. And all this within earshot of Her Majesty in the castle! Scandalous. Seriously though, crime is no more of an issue in Reading than in any other comparably large English town. Less than a few I can think of, in fact. Some of the pubs have a bit of a rep but what town can't you say that of?
Reading is a perfectly safe, pleasant place to live so long as you can afford to live in one of the better areas, of which there are plenty. The average salary is well above the national average and for the most part it comes across as a thriving, prosperous place. Sure it has its dodgy areas but so does everywhere.
Thanks for the help! My other options are Hellerup in Denmark, Manheim in Germany, Uppsala in Sweden, and Singapore. At the moment I'm leaning towards Singapore.
The only one of those I know is Manheim. Actually quite similar to Reading, i.e. a fairly bland but prosperous industrial/commercial centre. Heidelberg nearby is a beautiful place though.
Thanks for the help! My other options are Hellerup in Denmark, Manheim in Germany, Uppsala in Sweden, and Singapore. At the moment I'm leaning towards Singapore.
I wouldn't even consider Reading over Singapore. But that's me..
That's a bit misleading. Street fights are not 'uncommon' in any large town. Windsor gets plenty of that and it's one of the most expensive places to live in England. Liquid nightclub on William St can be pretty much guaranteed to produce a street fight every weekend. And all this within earshot of Her Majesty in the castle! Scandalous. Seriously though, crime is no more of an issue in Reading than in any other comparably large English town. Less than a few I can think of, in fact. Some of the pubs have a bit of a rep but what town can't you say that of?
Reading is a perfectly safe, pleasant place to live so long as you can afford to live in one of the better areas, of which there are plenty. The average salary is well above the national average and for the most part it comes across as a thriving, prosperous place. Sure it has its dodgy areas but so does everywhere.
I think the fact that's its not uncommon in any town is indicative of life in England in general. You're right that Windsor had its issues: I lived a block from the castle right next to the army barracks, which would provide some pretty violent, a albeit entertainment at the weekends.
I remember Reading as a dump. It's bearable for an English town but I would never move there for an experience from another country, and I doubt anyone being honest would either.
Thanks for the help! My other options are Hellerup in Denmark, Manheim in Germany, Uppsala in Sweden, and Singapore. At the moment I'm leaning towards Singapore.
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