So let me explain my situation. I’m an American PhD student doing quantitative and qualitative research at King’s College London.

While I do enjoy some things about London, I’ve lived in big cities (NYC, London) for the last few years now and I’m curious about having a change of pace. I can do my research remotely but I will need to commute into campus two days per week to teach.

From my perspective, the biggest pros for moving to Kent are as follows….

• Easier access to nature. I’m not an avid hiker or anything but I do enjoy it as a nice break.

• Small(er) town atmosphere. I want to find a local pub, some local high street stores, and a local church where I can get to know some locals. It’s very hard for me to meet locals in London for some reason.

• Access to golf courses. Grew up playing golf but haven’t been able to play much since I’ve lived in big cities.

• Cheaper cost of living? I currently pay £1800 a month for one bedroom in Waterloo so maybe I can get something similar for less in a Kent commuter town?

However, I am a little concerned about my social life. I actually find London to be fairly lonely and my only friends are other PhD students. If you are in my age range and you live in Kent, how difficult do you find it to meet young people? What towns do you recommend living in given my criteria? I will also consider other Home Counties but I know that Kent has services into Charing Cross which is very convenient to campus for me.