Best place to live near watford?

[glazbagun]

After enduring two years in central London, my employer is moving to Bushey, near Watford, in the new year. Any advice on areas? At the moment I'm paying 800PCM for a POS zone 1 bedroom and would probably have quit had I not known it wouldn't be permanent. Coming from a small Scottish town, the cost and impersonal nature of big city living hasn't appealed, I must say.

So yeah- early 30's, single, more into pubs than clubs, enjoys driving almost anything but can't hack gridlock. A uni town with plenty going on would suit me fine, but I don't think there are any near Watford. Are there any areas I should particularly be looking at (or avoiding)? Bonus won't be that great this year, so say a salary of £25K before tax.

I really want to live in a place that will let me run a car. Sharing a flat doesn't bother me. Not being able to afford luxuries or random nights out doesn't bother me. Not being able to just jump in a car and go for a drive for the sake of it has been chipping away at my sanity for years, however, and I intend the most expensive luxury of 2014 to be my petrol bill.

[Turn7]

Try looking at some of the smaller towns between Watford and St Albans. Might find what you need.

St Albans does have a uni.

Or head out towards Harpendon.

[pidsy]

bushey itself is very nice (bushey heath and village)

i'm a couple of miles away in stanmore and ive got a place in watford (if you wanted to rent), its in nascot wood.

i;d look for rent in bushey if you want to be close - small terraced cottage around £1k pcm, plenty of decent pubs and one road into watford or down into stanmore. great links to the M1 and trains too.

give me a pm if you want to know any more or if you want a bit of a tour.