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the old seaside towns like whitstable are dying and full of homeless, been that way for decades. The locals tend to avoid.
further round like broadstairs is ‘nicer’ if you are spending your own money. Rams gate has some nice areas but is small and out on a limb as far as fast access is concerned. If you like the buzz of York have you considered Canterbury, it’s not dissimilar as a vibe and has some nice areas.
get yourself a long weekend visiting and see how you feel.
Not sure I understand wanting to be closer to London. I did that 3 years ago and now can't wait to get away from the place.
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
Given the choice, and the cash, I would happily live in SW1, SW3, SW7 or W1. Maybe even NW1. Love the place. It's home to me.
Whitstable is very upmarket nowadays, rammed full of yuppies or whatever the latest term is and most definitely not dying. It’s been known as Soho-on-Sea for a while .
My brief summery of the different towns.
Margate - Arty, bit hipster, lots of Londoners moved over hence the Shoreditch by the sea nickame. You do see every single type of person around which I like. Great food options. Does get a little more edgy as you head towards Cliftonville.
Broadstairs - Feels more upmarket and family orientated than Margate. Bit more traditional.
Ramsgate - Few mates who have been priced out of Margate have move there, I've never got a feel for it, always felt like the poorer cousin to the others.
Deal - Bit further down the coast but a very nice 'Middle class" small seaside town. Lots of posh delis etc.
Probably fifteen years ago now we went into Dover before going to the ferry just for a look around and a coffee. It was unpleasantly rough and we never got a coffee. The combination of COVID and Brexit has made most town centres seem more run down these days so gawd knows what Dover is like now.
East to west: The Medway towns are all pants. Sheppey has some nice spots and property is cheap - but for a reason. Faversham is a pretty little market town with a surprisingly active live music scene but it’s inland from the coast. Whitstable is a gem of a town with lots of character and always bustling but the beaches are meh. Property is very expensive. Nearby Tankerton and Swaylcliffe are retirement land. Herne bay is a pleasant resort that sadly lost its pier. It doesn’t have the bustle and character of Whitstable. Birchington is OK-ish, having a reasonable town centre and nearby beaches. It’s one of the less expensive places property-wise. Westgate-on-Sea (retirement land) leads you into Margit (as it’s pronounced locally). Since the Turner Gallery opened there some years ago the council has tried its best to improve the town’s down-market image, with limited success. The beach is great but gets very busy. @chillidoggy lives there so you could ask his opinion. Cliftonville is, again, retirement/bungalow land but does have some excellent beaches nearby. Broadstairs is another gem with a decent town centre, great beaches, lots of restaurants, plenty of live music but, inevitably, expensive property. Ramsgate is really quite nice down by the harbour area and has some decent beaches but the town is meh. Sandwich is a lovely olde worlde town but is inland from the sea. Deal is OK: A pleasant coastal resort with nice strolls along the prom and some history to it. I like Deal. Dover is the pits. Folkestone is OK down by the harbour but the town centre is meh, but with some nice areas around it.
Transport links from all those resorts vary so should be researched to see if they meet your needs. Don’t rule out Canterbury unless you really must have a sea view. It’s within easy drive of many of the resorts I’ve mentioned, has an excellent town centre with lots happening (it’s a university town), restaurants and theatres, and has a high-speed rail link to London.
Transport links - except to London and Edinburgh - from York are total shite. And I've waited on the platform at Bromley South long enough to see that east Kent is well connected.
As for the OP, not sure if you’re restricted to north Kent, but my mother-in-law has just moved to Hythe. Good range of small independent shops and bigger Waitrose style stores.