Reading is not a small town, nor a quaint village. It is a large town with a (to use an americanism) 'cookie cutter' shopping centre - albeit with a crummy canal.
And the OP should factor in time to get to the train station in any calculations for a commute. I've never lived in Reading, but I can imagine in rush hour, it would take a while from the 'nice bits' -- i.e. on the outskirts of town, to the station in the morning.
I loved living in London in my mid-twenties. Would not live there now unless I had seriously more cash than I actually have. So I can understand the OP, with kids, not wanting to live there -- although they can probably afford a nicer place than me! But if one goes for the commuting lifestyle, there are a whole load of compromises that go with it.
tb
Originally Posted by
stut
"Soulless" is subjective - it depends what you're looking for in a town. I don't know Reading well, but I find small market towns much more "soulful" than big cities. London can provide you with endless entertainment, and certainly has strong communities in certain areas, but can also be rather harsh and isolating.
Small towns have a nice balance between big city impersonality and village nosiness. I know my neighbours all round, we help each other out, but mind our own business. The town has a strong sense of community, without any snootiness or pretentiousness - people just get on with things. And I rather like it this way. If I want to be entertained, I can travel to get that. Others may thing this small, half-empty town of few shops and few restaurants soulless - I find it far more soulful than any city I've lived in.
Each to their own!