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20 reasons to live and work in Cambridge

By Rachel Mason

10/03/2022

In Cambridge, almost 20% of the population are students, but things could be set to change as the tech industry in this historic town continues to grow thanks to its growing reputation for world-class science and innovation. Last year alone, the Cambridge Cluster (the area within a 30km radius of the city centre) saw a population increase of 9%. Here’s why:

  1. Silicon Fen (Cambridge’s answer to Silicon Valley) is home to a number of high-tech businesses such as Darktrace, Raspberry Pi Foundation, and Arm, to name just a few.
  2. Cambridge’s digital tech turnover in 2021 was double the average digital tech turnover generated in other parts of the UK.
  3. The Eastern England city was recently voted the third best place to start a business in the UK, behind, Aberdeen and Leicester.
  4. In Cambridge, the modern tech industry is dramatically juxtaposed with historical buildings, the picturesque river Cam and weeping willows dotted along the riverbank.
  5. You can spend your weekends punting, just like in the movies!
  6. Commuting is a breeze with a fast train service to London, Kings Cross. From Cambridge, you can be there in just 50 minutes.
  7. With 80 miles of Fenland-flat bike paths, you can save money, the environment, and your waistline by hopping on your bike to get around.
  8. And cycling around Cambridge will only get easier when the Chisholm Trail opens. The Chisholm Trail is a cycling superhighway which will allow cyclists to travel from Cambridge North Railway Station through to the City Centre, making cycling safer than ever and opening up increasingly environmentally friendly commuter options.
  9. Cambridge has an open-air market 7 days a week that (apparently) sells everything you could possibly want.
  10. There are regular lunchtime concerts to be enjoyed at Kettle’s Yard.
  11. The city has a vibrant pub scene with cosy, picturesque pubs offering delectable pub grub.
  12. Cambridge clearly impressed the three Nobel Prize winners who have been laid to rest in the Ascension Burial Ground in the city.
  13. Cambridge is also home to the new Papworth Heart and Lungs Hospital – a state-of-the-art 310-bed unit which has received £165 million investment.
  14. There are also plans to improve transport around the city with a tram network to help reduce congestion and pollution in the area.
  15. In fact, there’s a stack of investment in Cambridge. This includes provisions in the chancellor’s budget for a new railway station to be built in the south of the city, near to an area ear-marked for major growth.
  16. Cambridge’s industrial appeal isn’t limited to technology businesses either. It’s also home to AstraZeneca, Hilton Food Group, and Camelot among many others in pharmaceuticals, investments, and manufacturing.
  17. Cambridge’s vibrant shopping centre is packed with retail chains, independent shops, pubs, brasseries and more.
  18. You’re only 40 minutes from Stansted Airport, one of London’s best-connected airports, making it easy to jet off on a holiday or hop to the continent to make the most of your time weekends and holidays.
  19. Everything in Cambridge is within walking distance. Cambridge isn’t a sprawling city, so it’s easy to get from one part of the city to another – even if you don’t have a bike.
  20. Salaries in Cambridge are above the average salary in the UK.

There are plenty more reasons to live and work in Cambridge. If you’re even a little bit interested in moving to one of the UK’s most historic and thriving technology hubs and finding out about roles in the area that might suit you contact me rachel.mason@ic-resources.com or register your CV here.

Other sources
https://propertylistings.ft.com/propertynews/united-kingdom/5439-five-reasons-to-live-in-cambridge-uk.html 

https://www.solopress.com/blog/business-marketing/start-up-britain/
https://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/reasons-living-in-cambridge-ruins-you-for-life
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/reasons-to-live-in-cambridge-14149626
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/business/business-news/top-businesses-companies-cambridgeshire-astrazeneca-15431152