A guide to living in East of England

The East of England sits within the curved section of land protruding above the Thames Estuary, covering the home counties above London and stretching up to the border with the East Midlands. Enjoying some of the driest weather in the country, East England is also the lowest-lying land, with parts of The Fens more than two metres below sea level. Major towns and cities include Cambridge, Norwich, Bedford, Luton and Ipswich, while its constituent counties include Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Excellent

63.2%

Very Good

25.9%

Average

8.0%

Disappointing

1.6%

Very poor

1.2%

Best places to live in East of England

How is ranking calculated?

Viewing 1-5 out of 199

Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

Cortland Cassiobury, WD18

By Cortland

Award winner 2025

4.45

(110 reviews)

Welcome to Cortland Cassiobury, a sophisticated development nestled near award-winning parks and gardens, ideally positioned for commuters with easy access to London, Watford station, and a few minutes’ drive from the A41 and M25. Our range of apartments, from studios to penthouses feature thoughtful designs and high-quality finishes tailored for modern living. Residents benefit from balconies, views, regular events, superb amenities, including a fitness centre, business lounge, and club lounge, dining suites, cinema room, along with landscaped gardens with BBQ areas, play area, and a dog park. Choose Cortland Cassiobury for a blend of convenience and contemporary living.

1st

Ranked 1st out of 93 in East of England

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Rental Only

Award Winner 2024

One Canalside, CM2

By Legal & General, VervLife

Award winner 2024

4.3

4.30

(145 reviews)

One Canalside is a residential development by Legal & General and managed by VervLife. It features 189 apartments with a mix of 1, 2 and 3 beds. Facilities include a Residents Lounge, Work Zone, Meeting Room and Private Dining Room. In addition, on-site parking is available by request as well as a free cycle storage. With a waterside location, the development is only a 10-minute walk away from Chelmsford city centre including access to the station with links to Greater Anglia trains (40-minutes to London Liverpool Street).

2nd

Ranked 2nd out of 93 in East of England

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Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

City Park West, CM1

By Notting Hill Genesis, Folio London

Award winner 2025

4.04

(64 reviews)

City Park West offers a contemporary collection of 391 one and two-bedroom apartments in the heart of Chelmsford, developed by Notting Hill Genesis and Folio London. Located adjacent to Chelmsford Station, the development provides exceptional transport links and is just a short walk from High Chelmer Shopping Centre. With its strategic positioning and modern design, City Park West delivers a dynamic living experience in one of Essex's most vibrant city centres.

3rd

Ranked 3rd out of 93 in East of England

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Rental Only

The Hawkings, PE28

By Allsop Single Family Housing

4.83

(8 reviews)

The Hawkings in Alconbury offers a range of newly built, highly energy-efficient two, three, and four-bedroom family homes, all equipped with standard solar panels. Each home is finished to a high-quality specification, featuring integrated Zanussi appliances and smart home technology, including remote-controlled heating and locking systems. This development is part of the larger Urban and Civic Alconbury Weald project, which includes mixed-tenure homes, schools, and other amenities.

4th

Ranked 4th out of 93 in East of England

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Welcombe House, AL5

By Fairview New Homes

4.83

(8 reviews)

Welcombe House hosts a range of two and three-bedroom homes with views over Harpenden Common. Harpenden station is just a seven-minute walk from Welcome House and provides links to London. There are regular direct services to Kings Cross and St Pancras International stations, which take just 26 minutes. Additionally, Luton Airport is only a 23-minute train journey away.

5th

Ranked 5th out of 93 in East of England

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Page 1 of 40

Featured developments in East of England

Latest Reviews in East of England

2001 total reviews

Write a review

Viewing 1-5 out of 2001

JustinH (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Leaf Living at Cavendish View, IP31

Apr 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

The two bed property is very well laid out.

JustinH (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Leaf Living at Cavendish View, IP31

Apr 2026

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Plenty of amenities within walking distance. Can get very busy at the top of the road at certain times because of the Primary school

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

None reported by me as of yet and hopefully I won’t have to

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Wish wheelie bins had been delivered before I moved in. It’s the little things!

・・

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Val Williams (Tenant)

Unverified

Leaf Living at Great Haddon Wood, PE7

Apr 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Great Community

Val Williams (Tenant)

Unverified

Leaf Living at Great Haddon Wood, PE7

Apr 2026

I love the design of the home, the open concept kitchen/living room is exactly what I was looking for. The rooms are large enough for American size furniture. I especially love the large floor to ceiling door and windows that lead out to the garden. The only discrepancies I’ve noticed is the walls are very thin, which makes it almost impossible to hang up pictures. As far a property management goes Nigel Cherry assisted me with viewings and answered all my questions. He was instrumental to the letting process.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Great Haddon is located conveniently close to local shops and restaurants. The neighborhood is quiet, outside of occasional construction and parking is no issue due to designated parking spots.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Since moving in Nigel Cherry has been my go to for getting any issues resolved.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I would reccomend placing an order for bins as soon as possible as they can take several weeks to arrive.

・・

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Kcxj (Tenant)

Unverified

Penny Green, PE19

Apr 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

The overall design of the house is brilliant

Kcxj (Tenant)

Unverified

Penny Green, PE19

Apr 2026

The overall design of the house is brilliant. Really nice low living room that leads to the large garden. Good hallway space to access the front door, kitchen or downstairs toilet Kitchen is a decent size with space for a dining table the other end. All 3 bedrooms are a good size with built it wardrobes which is perfect. The parking is brilliant My opinion is that the house has been really looked after since being built

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

From the drive around the area. It looks lovely. Loads of shops about. Bud branded names but also smaller shops as well We have private parking which is perfect And we are a 10-15 minute walk away from the train station which is ideal as I work in London

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

We have raised an issue and James Hayes has picked it up very quickly and has assured us it will be fixed before we move in. Megan Larkin has really helped this move swiftly and without any issues.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

All our questions were answered. And any issues/ concerns were dealt with

・・

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Caroline (Tenant)

Verified Resident

One Canalside, CM2

Apr 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 4.00 out of 5.00.

Nice flat in a great place

Caroline (Tenant)

Verified Resident

One Canalside, CM2

Apr 2026

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Lovely aera to live in. Nice to be close to the river/canal. Walking distance from city centre and bus stops nearby. Several supermarkets within walking distance.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Katie, Astrid and Ellie are always available to help us when an issue arises.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I had all information needed during the visit and after

・・

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

FD (Tenant)

Verified Resident

One Canalside, CM2

Apr 2026

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

A quiet and modern space just next to the town centre

FD (Tenant)

Verified Resident

One Canalside, CM2

Apr 2026

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The building is surrounded by green, even if it is just 5 minutes away from the town centre. At the same distance, there are also relatively large supermarkets. The train station is a bit far (roughly 20 minutes on foot), but reachable with a pleasant walk through the town centre. The area is quiet and clean

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

The building management is great: very friendly, and very quick to answer requests for support

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

to review the inventory straight away, as the time to do so expires really quickly

・・

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Page 1 of 401

These reviews are the subjective opinion of a HomeViews user and not of HomeViews

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