Chelmsford – the first Essex town to gain city status – is the regional winner for the east of England in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
Only a 30-minute drive from Romford and a 35-minute train ride from central London, the city is described by the Sunday Times judges as the “perfect example of a modern commuter hub”.
Chelmsford is only a 35-minute train journey from central London (Image: Google Maps)
It also makes for a great day out if you live in Havering, with “something to suit all interests” according to Visit Essex.
Some top-rated attractions on TripAdvisor include Chelmsford City Racecourse – one of the UK’s newest racecourses – Chelmsford Theatre or Chelmsford Escape Rooms, which has won a Travellers’ Choice Award.
Chelmsford also has its own Bond Street, complete with some big brand names, and is described by Visit Essex as a “shopaholics dream”.
The city made it onto Muddy Stilettos’ best places to live list last year, and this was partly down to its shopping scene – including independent stores such as Number Six and Olivia & Grey.
There are also plenty of green spaces to take in, such as Grade II-listed park and house Hylands Estate, which has been used to replicate the White House in the filming of Netflix’s The Crown.
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Chelmsford Cathedral often hosts free concerts or exhibitions, while at Chelmsford Museum you can find out about the city’s heritage as the “birthplace of radio”, according to Zoopla’s area guide.
For those looking to move, Zoopla details that the current average asking price for a semi-detached property is £495,000, while for flats the average is £225,000.
Its schools – many of which are rated “Good” or “Outstanding” by Ofsted – and transport links are “highly praised” by The Sunday Times judges in the paper’s best places to live guide.
The judges said: “Its schools are excellent and transport connections impeccable, with a new station due to open this year serving the new 3,600-home Beaulieu Park development, which was named the “Great Neighbourhood” of 2024 by the Academy of Urbanism.”
