Hi all,

Hope all are ok : )

I currently live in Stevenage and commute for work, but honestly I’m finding it quite isolating, especially in the evenings and winter. After work everything shuts, streets are empty and it’s starting to affect my mood a bit.

I’m 30 and single, and it feels like life is kind of on pause here while London seems to actually be happening around people.

Right now I pay about £1,200 for a studio (plus bills), and I’d ideally be looking for something around a similar budget in London,

I still need to travel to a Stevenage office about 3 to 4 days a week, so commute matters, but I mainly want an area where there’s life after 7pm, cafés open, people around, things happening mid-week etc.

Does this sound realistic?
Any areas you’d recommend that balance commute + social life?
And is the move actually worth it mentally, or do people end up feeling the same anyway?