Moving to Oxford Guide
Appendix 2: Brief Guide to Oxford Areas
Note: getting into Oxford city centre by car is a problem from 8-9am and out again from 5-6pm. If you can cycle, take the bus or vary your hours of work to avoid rush hour, you do not have to limit yourself to city centre housing which can be very expensive.
Abingdon Road, Botley Road, Cowley Road, Iffley Road. There will be a lot of properties advertised near to these roads. They are four long main roads to the South and West of the city. Together with the smaller roads which branch off them, they provide rented accommodation for many thousands of students and many academics too. All offer easy access to the city, though with heavy traffic bikes are generally quicker than buses at peak times. Access to local shops, nurseries, parks etc varies enormously, so a visit/viewing is essential to give you an indication of local facilities.
Headington is a small town in its own right but a short bus ride (20 mins) and a 20 minute bike ride from the city centre, involving one steep hill. It's a mixed area, with some very nice housing but some less so, dominated by three large hospitals, so you are in competition with the medics for housing. It can take a while to get to the city centre from there through the traffic, say 30 minutes on the bus at rush hour but you can get larger and generally nicer properties for your money than in some of the city centre areas.
Kidlington is also small town in its own rights – a little further out but only 3 miles from the city centre, with easy access to buses (30 mins ride – 45 at peak times), and a range of properties regularly advertised here. Again, you get a lot more for your money here than in the city centre.
St Clements is a small but very interesting area - as close to the city as you can get. It is at the city end of the Cowley Road and very popular/lively - lots of cafes and several lovely large parks for the children.
Jerico is an interesting city area too. It's close to the city and full of cafes and an independent cinema. There are quite a few houses which appear for rent there. There aren't any playgrounds for children but there is easy access to Port Meadow, a large and popular flood meadow on the edge of the city.
Summertown is a very popular area with more senior academics as property prices tend to be rather higher there than other areas. There are a lot of families there and some excellent schools.
Temple Cowley is a busy area on a main route into Oxford. It is at the far end of East Oxford, one of the most popular areas for students and academics to live but is also (very) full of real people too!
Wovercote, Iffley and Old Marston are popular villages on the outskirts of the city with plenty of countryside around, but a straightforward 20/30 minute bus journey from the city centre.
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