[Clutz]

Hey,

Anyone live near the University of Oxford? How good is the public transit to and from the University? I've heard that housing is quite expensive in the town of Oxford- but I was wondering how it would be if you were say a 30-50 minute public transit commute away from the U?

Brad

 

[apatN]

Yesterday when watching Top Gear Richard Hammond said public transport in the UK is pretty bad. Mind you, he said that while he was in Japan. Japan must have the best public transport in the world.

 

[iriverdude]

Oxford is not a town, it's a city. Yeah very expensive. It would probably be quicker on a pushbike, public buses stop every 100 yards and go the long way round. I've beaten buses on a 16 mile distance, starting off at the same time.

 

[Jaska]

I spent a week in Summertown last summer, and used public transportation heavily. Things run like clockwork, and getting around town is not much of a problem. During the morning and afternoon rush hours, the buses can be quite crowded, but it's still OK.

 

[Shambla]

Lived in or just outside of Oxford for most of my life and yes, housing is expensive especially right in the centre, which is where almost all of the University is. It isn't nearly as ridiculous as London, but it isn't a cheap place to rent or buy.

Living somewhere further out but within the ring road like Headington or Cowley (I would avoid North Oxford within the ring road if money is an issue) is likely to save you a bit and you are probably only looking at a 10-20 min journey by bus (which will be every 5 mins or so for most of the day) into the centre, depending on the traffic.

Outside of the ring road you have places like Kidlington and Botley, which will save you more in rent, but your journey is going to be longer, buses will be less frequent and run more restricted hours etc. There are a few areas you probably want to avoid, like Barton and Blackbird Leys, though they are a bit better than they used to be. Anyway, if you want any more advice just PM me or whatever. Hope that helps

 

[mark_h]

You have to look at the cost of the daily commute against the increase in rent living near the city centre, the two wont be that different.

 

[Al4x]

every in the south of england is particularly expensive, as mark_h said, commuting can be a nightmare in busy cities like oxford tho and cost alot

 

[milkweg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apatN /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yesterday when watching Top Gear Richard Hammond said public transport in the UK is pretty bad.

He is saying that from the perspective of a Brit. Compared to N.A. public transport in the UK is very good. I've been to Oxford many times because I have relatives there but I never lived there so can't comment on the public transport system. If you get diggings near the Uni you won't need to use public transport much anyway. Towns in the UK are much easier to get around by walking than in N.A. because they are not so spread out like over here. When I lived in the UK I could walk to work, walk to the pub, walk to the movies etc. Rarely needed to take a bus or train.

 

[milkweg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shambla /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lived in or just outside of Oxford for most of my life and yes, housing is expensive especially right in the centre, which is where almost all of the University is. It isn't nearly as ridiculous as London, but it isn't a cheap place to rent or buy.

What's Wolvercote Village like now? I haven't been there in years but used to love it there when visiting relatives.

 

[Shambla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkweg /img/forum/go_quote.gif What's Wolvercote Village like now? I haven't been there in years but used to love it there when visiting relatives.

Last time I went was a year or two ago to go to The Trout - it's the other side of the city from me, so I don't tend to go often.

 

[milkweg]

That's a lot more recent than me. I haven't been there since 1971.

 

[G-man]

The accommodation should be dependent on you college. Many provide it for a masters (which is what I am presuming you are going there for). If they don't, ask the college for any details about external accommodation, because I am sure they are well versed in the matter.

Plus, nobody does public transport (not regularly) for the uni. Bike is the preferred method, and for a reason (cost and ease to name a few), so i would think about that as well.

As for whether or not public transport is good, again it depends on the college and subject you are studying, because the university is pretty spread out, with each college having its own "campus" and different subject buildings being in different places.

 

[Clutz]

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll take a look into some of the suggested towns.

G-man, no- it's not for a masters- I already have my PhD. I've been asked to apply for a postdoctoral position.

Biking might be a really good idea. I imagine it's quite a bit flatter there than it is in Vancouver, BC.

I'd really like to do it, but my wife and I would like to be able to live and save money. I don't mind taking the bus up to 45-50 minutes each way everyday. I've lived in cities like Toronto, Ontario- which has pretty good transit, to Vancouver, BC which has decent transit, and now in Minneapolis, MN which has well.. not great transit. The bus I take to work only runs every 30 minutes, so missing it really sucks. There are a lot of factors to consider, including moving and leaving family, my wife having to quit her job and find another one (again), but there are also a huge number of upsides. Like, for example - having the opportunity to study at Oxford, and live in England for a while. I like living in different places, so that seems very exciting to me.

Anyway, just trying to figure out approximately how much it'd cost me to live in a decent neighborhood within a 45 minute commute of the University for a two bedroom flat.

 

[Clutz]

I just looked up the prices of houses and flats, and it doesn't seem so bad. I don't have to be able to save a lot of money while living there, I just don't want to end up spending my savings.

How difficult is the work situation there? My wife has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education? Can anyone give me an idea of what her expected salary might be, and the likelihood of finding work in a reasonable economy?

 

[G-man]

Wow, that's a lot of studying. What subject area are you going to read? And what college?
And its a good choice that you chose Oxford over cambridge (the latter is the evil village in Hot Fuzz).

Biking is definately better in Oxford than most other forms of transport, so as long as you are up for that, you will be fine. If you do want to venture outside Oxford, then the public transport is very good and you should be fine. (It is however fairly expensive, I am not sure how much it is in USA/Canada, but a single bus journey can be around 2 pounds, so a bike is definately cheaper. Trains are also very expensive, a single to London is £20)

As for the job prospect, i assume that she is a teacher (due to having a bachelor of education) so you might want to check up on the necessary requirements for being a teacher in the UK, because they are likely to be different than those in USA or Canada. But teachers do not really get high paid jobs here (as 90% of schools are state owned).

So, try and get one at a private school (I don't know if there are any in ox, but reason suggests there are bound to be some). If not that, then when going for state schools, go for grammar schools (they are selective school, and so are more likely to offer higher pay, and the children are going to be better).

Also, you and/or your wife can offer private tutoring, which is quite expensive in the UK, and you can get paid at least 20ish pounds per hour, and often more (depends on the subject/level it is being taught, and the supply/demand for it). However, as it is Oxford and so probably full of highly educated people, the supply for personal tutors may be saturated. Just put up an add on yellow pages and other websites, and see what comes.

Hope this helps.