Ten reasons to move to Milton Keynes

Whatever you’re a fan of, whether that’s the arts, extreme sports, retail therapy or vegan restaurants, newly crowned city Milton Keynes has it all. With more and more buyers choosing to move to this buzzing city, we’ve asked around the Mustard office and have come up with the following list of reasons why Milton Keynes is such a fantastic place for families to live and work. Some of them may surprise you:

• Green open spaces and water. Yes, MK has over 130 roundabouts and an infamous American grid system, but two-fifths of the city is green, open space. Over 200 parks include Willen Lake Park for water sports, Campbell Park for pop-up events like food fairs, and open-air cinemas and Linford Lakes Nature Reserve. The city has 15 lakes and 11 miles of canals too so you’re never far from the water. A top tip is to take a boat ride down the Grand Union Canal and visit the country’s smallest canal lock at Fenny Stratford or have a picnic by the windmill at Caldecotte Lake.

• Best place for business. The number of start-ups in MK is second only to the number in London. Businesses including Mercedes, BP, Dominoes, Red Bull Racing, Argos and Santander are based here. With the MK:U Technology University scheduled to open in Milton Keynes in the not too distant future, and more and more fin-tech companies setting up in the city, the buzz is that MK will be a mini Silicon Valley in the next decade.

• Great transport links. Being on the M1 and with high speed train services to London, MK is a great location for travelling to and from the capital and the North. Jet setters are catered for too – there are five international airports within a 90-minute drive.

• Property prices. Property prices are a fraction of London property prices. The average property price is £327,671 in Milton Keynes. In London the average house price is £523,666.

• Good for education and further education. Over 30 schools and colleges in MK are rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED and 66 schools and colleges have been rated ‘Good’. There are also a number of independent schools in the area to choose from including Stowe, Beachborough and Akeley Wood. Milton Keynes University, which claims it will be Britain’s first “digital university” when it opens in 2023 will specialise in cyber-security, robotics and artificial intelligence. The Open University is close by, Bedfordshire University has a campus in Milton Keynes and Cranfield University is on the outskirts of the city.

• New town, rich history. Even though Milton Keynes was established as a new town in 1967, it is steeped in history. Bletchley Park was vital to winning World War II where 10,000 citizens from all walks of life helped to crack enemy codes and communication in secret. Bradwell Priory was founded in 1154 by Benedictine Monks and is listed as a nationally important scheduled monument. And for lovers of cars and James Bond, Newport Pagnell is the birthplace of Aston Martin.

• Arts and culture. MK is a thriving hub for art, theatre and music. Milton Keynes Theatre is one of the UK’s busiest theatre districts outside of London’s West End; MK Gallery is home to contemporary art, live performances and film showings and The Stables and The Bowl have attracted pop legends including Take That, Oasis and Eminem.

• Good for sports fans. Milton Keynes is proud to be the birthplace of Olympic gold medallist Greg Rutherford and footballer Dele Alli, and the city provides ample opportunity to follow in their footsteps, offering everything from skiing and skydiving at Xscape to water sports at Willen Lake.

• World class shopping centre. If you are looking for retail therapy, Milton Keynes’ has over 190 stores, cafes and restaurants all under one roof at centre:mk.

• Best of both worlds. MK offers all the benefits and convenience of life in a vibrant town but is close enough to the country that you can be sitting in a pub garden overlooking rolling hills and fields in a matter of minutes.

You’ve probably realised that here at Mustard we’re passionate about MK and if you’re thinking of buying or selling in the city, we would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch today and let us help you sort your next move.

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