Located on the outskirts of London, Watford is a special place in its own right. In addition to its colourful history, this Hertfordshire town is now thriving and attracts plenty of businesses and people, who recognise that Watford is an amazing place to live and work.

1. What Makes Watford Unique?
2. Things To See In Watford
3. Nightlife In Watford
4. Sport In Watford
5. Food In Watford
6. Shopping In Watford
7. Cultural Life In Watford
8. Cost of Living In Watford
9. Transportation In Watford
10. Explore The UK From Watford

1. What Makes Watford Unique?

Location

Located only 17 miles away, London is easily accessible for residents of Watford. This town is also a major transport hub, where you can take a train and arrive at the capital in just 20 minutes.

Major investments in Watford

Watford has attracted plenty of businesses who want to take advantage of its proximity to London without paying exorbitant operating costs. This leads to some big transformational projects amounting to over £1.5bn.

A lot of green spaces

While more and more people are moving to Watford for various reasons, this town still retains its green spaces and natural environment. Public parks such as Cassiobury Park help Watford keep its appeal and charm, even though this park itself has benefited from a £6.5m investment.

Photo credit: Dom Crossley via Flickr

2. Things To See In Watford

• Cassiobury Park: the principal public park of this town, a place for all the family with a ringing bandstand, water features, and a splash pool.
• Watford Market: the town's main market with traditional stalls sellings a wide array of products.
• Watford Museum: Opened in 1982, this museum has a collection of displays about local sport, industry, and heritage.
• Cheslyn House and Gardens: a 3.5-arce park with exotic plants, a pond, an aviary, sculptures, and dog-friendly paths.
• St Mary's Church: 800 year-old church where many local nobility were buried.

3. Nightlife In Watford

Due to its proximity to London, going to the capital for a night out is of course a popular choice among people living Watford, but if you decide to stay in this town, you won't be disappointed either. Watford has plenty of night clubs and bars, providing an enjoyable night for everyone, even though you may not see the glamour and glitz of some bustling areas in London.

High Street is where you can have fun in Watford at night. The Walkabout bar on this street has an Australian theme and shows some sport matches. The Parade area nearby is brimming with both pubs and bars, such as Oceana. This themed bard features many rooms with different music, including separate VIP areas.

Photo credit: Watford Borough Council via Flickr

While the High Street is the mainstay of night activities in Watford, there are still other places to visit across the town. Load of Hay in Pinner Road is a cosy place serving both cold and hot drinks. Sometimes at weekends you may have a chance to watch some live acts here as well. For people seeking a drink after a show at the Watford Colosseum, Bar Bodega is a great place. Advertised as the haven for anyone who can't find a decent bar, it looks unique with a jazz-club decor.

Head to Watford Junction and some of Watford's best pubs will welcome you. Estcourt Tavern will take you only a short walk from the Palace Theatre. This venue consists of a family-friendly pub serving food late at night, a pool table, and a traditional pub featuring a big beer garden.

The Flag, another popular place, is also round the corner from the Estcourt Tavern. It's a Victorian-era pub with some table football tables, outdoor seating, and live bands at weekends.

Other places you may want to check out at night:

• Nascot Arms on Stamford Road: a traditional pub with guest beers, cask ales, Thai Food, and live sports.
• Pryzm: a large pub with a huge main stage and multiple bars. Young crowds here usually bustle their move to RnB and dance music until the early morning.
• Reflex: next door to the Pryzm, giving a retro vibe with 80s and 90s music.

Photo credit: dan_ol via Flickr

4. Sport In Watford

The most famous sports club and also the pride of this town is Watford FC. They are currently battling in the EFL Championship for a slot back to the Premier League after spending four seasons in the top flight.

In the 1987 FA Cup, Watford FC had a historic win over Arsenal, and it still remains in the memory of residents of Watford. The history of this football team is also revealed in its home ground, Vicarage Road. This is one of the few places in top English football that still keeps its true character despite the fact that the club shared its ground with the Saracens Rugby Football Club between 1997 and 2013.

If you want to take up a new sport beside football, the town has some other sport team to offer. There is even an American football club named Watford Cheetahs Cheetahs if you came from the States. Formed in 1986, their senior team is the third-longest serving team in the whole country, only next to the Glasgow Tigers and Birmingham Bulls.

For a place to practice some swings while enjoying a few drinks with friends, head to Top Golf in Bushey Mill Lane. As the venue is for all skill levels, you can tag along your kids to teach them the first hits in life.

Photo credit: BEST WESTERN White House Hotel via Flickr

5. Food In Watford

Watford may not be crowded with tourists and professionals, but it still has many great places to eat out, more than what you could imagine.

The famous St James Restaurant lies on the Bushey High Street, serving a light menu during the day, and several special menus for dinner and on Sunday. This simple brickwork restaurant is one of the longest-running venues in the whole town. You can choose any Italian, French, and traditional English dishes, or go to Betsy's Tea Room launched in 2018.

Located on The Parade, Barracuda is a highly-regarded Mediterranean restaurant (and lively cafe during the day). When the night comes, the transformation into a classy restaurant begins with a wide range of two or three-course menus, including salads, pasta, and fresh fish.

Some other places to eat out in Watford:

• Vanchinos: another Italia restaurant on St Albans Road.
• Nana's: a family-run Lebanese restaurant on the same street that has been serving up grilled halloumi, baba ghanoush and hummus since 2001.
• Middletons Steakhouse & Grill: great steaks with the meat coming daily from the owner's farm.

Photo credit: Vilmos Zoltan Galyo via Flickr

6. Shopping In Watford

Intu Watford is the main shopping centre in Watford. With a glass roof and symmetrical malls, it's a great place for fans of big chains and flagship stores. Just a short walk away from the Watford Central hotel, it's home to more than 140 stores, restaurants, bars, and cafes. It covers everything residents of this town need, from electronics, cosmetics to high-end fashion with many department stores from John Lewis and Debenhams.

This place also features several restaurants and cafes such as Cafe Giardino, Pizza Express, and Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Opened in 1992, Intu Watford has just gone through a major £180 million renovation project that added plenty of new leisure, food, beauty, and fashion stores in addition to a cinema complex.

Watford High Street runs along the back of this shopping centre, featuring many busy and buzzing retailers such as bookshops and clothing. Walk past the Palace Theatre and you will run into the Watford market, the ideal choice if street food, fresh vegetables, and vintage goods are what you're after.

This market is the most special of small towns like Watford. One can argue that it is another great way to celebrate the rich heritage of the town while keeping up with modern life. The Watford Market is a mixture of street stalls and inside units, offering a broad range of food and products.

Photo credit: Clive Griffin via Flickr

7. Cultural Life In Watford

Watford Colosseum is the most popular entertainment complex in town. Built in 1938 and getting extended in 2011, it is where you can enjoy live music and other top performances. Oasis, Robbie Williams, The Who and BBC's Concert Orchestra have all played here. Perhaps this venue attracts performers and artists for its high-class sound quality thanks to its shoebox-shaped architecture. According to an acoustics company’ analysis in 2009, the clarity of sound in Watford Colosseum was among the best in Europe.

Watford Palace Theatre is another historical place where you can get to see both classic and contemporary works. Its foundation dates back to 1908, and after a two-year refurbishment between 2002 and 2004, the theatre now has larger public spaces, new seating, a daytime cafe and two bars. Thankfully, Watford Palace Theatre is still the place that launches homegrown talent and locally produced shows into the national and global stage, with a diverse audience base.

Other places and festivals you shouldn't miss:

• Warner Bros. Studio Tour: a must-see tour for fans of Harry Potter franchise.
• Watford Festival: one of the most respected drama and musical competitive festivals in the UK.
• Watford Short Film Festival: the organisers of this event want to showcase some of the best talents in the short film circle, from both national and international levels.

8. Cost of Living In Watford

Located right outside of London, the cost of living in this town is slightly lower than the capital. Compared to London:

• Consumer prices (without rent): 10.25% lower
• Consumer prices (rent included): 24.36% lower
• Restaurant prices: 1.28% lower
• Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course: £50.00
• Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught): £3.80
• Monthly pass: £99.00
• Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment: £142.33
• Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult: £29.00

Photo credit: Julian Walker via Flickr

9. Transportation In Watford

Bus

Bus services in this small town are served by many different companies, including Tiger Line, Redline Buses, Mullany's Buses, Carousel, Red Rose Travel, Uno, London Sovereign, and Arriva Shires & Essex. If you have an Oyster card, you can use it on TfL routes 258 (towards Harrow) and 142 (towards Brent Cross) into London. Other tickets like Hertfordshire SaverCard and Intalink Explorer can be used on all but London Bus routes.

Train

The town is served by a London Underground station and three railway stations. The main Watford Junction station is 16 minutes from London with routes to Birmingham, Northampton and Milton Keynes. This major hub consists of 11 platforms with plenty of parking spaces, shops and toilets. The London Overground service runs south to Bushey before continuing its route to London Euston.

Air Travel

Luton Airport, the fifth-busiest airport in the country, is merely 20 miles away. You can drive there in about 20 minutes or catch a train or bus (including one change), which takes about 70 minutes. Heathrow Airport is around 22 miles away and you can jump on bus 724 to get here during weekdays.

Photo credit: Stewart Marsden via Flickr

10. Explore The UK From Watford

Hitchin

This market town in the North Hertfordshire district is a great place to soak up the local atmosphere. If you visit Hitchin during its flowering season, you will have a chance to feast your eyes on beautiful blooms. There are also outdoor film screenings at dusk in Hitchin, especially in August.

Oxford

This city features more appealing destinations than its famous university. Oxford is one of those cities that will always have a special place in your memory, urging you to go back to it whenever you have a chance, thanks to its world-renowned architecture and rich history.

Chiltern Hills

There is nothing like spending a whole day on exploration and outdoor activities at Chiltern. You even have plenty of options for indulgence and entertainment at this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The lovely countryside lies right on London's doorstep, making it an obvious choice for residents of Watford when they want to have a field day and enjoy its quiet.