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I'm a Scot, currently living in Aberdeen. Moved here for work with partner 18 months ago and we're not crazy about it - lots of lovely features but doesn't really feel like 'us' - and it can feel a bit isolated and small so we fancy a change. Previously lived in Edinburgh for several years, we really liked it and may go back at some point but want to test out other places first. Between the other half and I we've also lived in Stirling, Bristol, Birmingham and Northamptonshire. Need somewhere with a proper city and bit of a cosmopolitan city feel to it - lots of art and culture, but not too far from countryside and good riding. Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow currently being considered... OH not keen on that there London.
Please offer us your expert opinions! 🙂
erm... Leeds. Closer to the Dales, Calderdale and the lakes. Bit like Manchester but smaller. Bit closer to Scotland should you be heading up North a lot (on the Edinburgh train line). Fairly cosmopolitan, but I wouldn't really know about that.
Bradford
Manchester.
You can walk from one side of the city centre to the other in a short time. There's a good choice of beer & bars.
If you live on the south side of the city you can be in the Peak District for riding within the hour. There's some gentle local riding along the Mersey and in various small wooded areas and parks if you just want a bit of urban riding. There's also easy access from the south to the M56 and Wales.
If you live on the north side of the city you can be in all sorts of Lancashire and Yorkshire riding within the hour (-ish). There's local riding, depending on how northerly you are, along canals, rivers and in parks & small wooded areas. And easy access to the M6 and The Lakes.
There's an international airport for those quick jaunts to Switzerland, Germany etc.
Depending on your 'industry' there might even be jobs.
Good luck choosing.
Manchester is pretty cool and surprisingly cosmopolitan but too grimy for me.
Bristol or Edinburgh FTW if you must live in a city.
Doesn't Sheffield come up regularly in these discussions?
Bristol meets your criteria and you know it, so would be an obvious choice. I live here and love it - great riding, both road and MTB, on the doorstep, and more than enough culture for most people.
Another consideration would be Leeds - my home town. Again great riding close to the city or nearby in the Dales. Loads to do on the cultural front as well, both in the city and close by - West Yorkshire Playhouse, York, Salts Mill, Haworth, Hepworth Museum, Yorkshire Sculputre Park, Royal Armouries, and the recently opened Arena to name but a few. Every time I go back it seems to have improved and IMO has a real dynamic feel to it.
Doesn't Sheffield come up regularly in these discussions?
They asked for cosmopolitan though (this also puts Leeds out of the running). 😉
Cardiff is a great place, small city but everything you would want. Loads of riding close by, good transport links to the wider world
Bath, my home city so a bit biased but it is a fantastic city with lots of history, shopping restauraunts etc..
Within a hour you can be in the Forest of Dean, Cotswolds or over the bridge to Wales with the likes of Bike Park Wales easily accessible.
Reading 😉
Newcastle is a lovely city though.
If Aberdeen is a bit small, then Bath will feel like a village
Bath will feel like a village
Lovely as it is with all those buildings an' stuff...it's only a large town really.
Great responses folks - thanks. Hadn't considered Leeds or Cardiff in any depth so will look into those now. Manchester and Bristol definitely contenders. I've been told manchester can feel a bit industrial, perhaps grimy (?) but in a similar way to glasgow... So think I need to visit again (haven't been to manchester in years) to get a better feel for it. Any views from those in the know about which cities may have a similar feel to Edinburgh?
Newcastle is a lovely city though.
that
..I assume you are talking about Newcastle under lyme.. 🙂
If I was to move again, it would be Bristol or Cardiff, as much for the surrounding area as the cities.
Lichfield. Come to Lichfield.
[i]Then[/i] wherever you go will seem ace.
Newcastle and culture? Not quite.
I think the 'grimy and industrial' tag for Manchester is probably based on how it was quite some time ago. It certainly doesn't seem like that to me.
I'm sure if you were to deliberately seek out a grimy and industrial part it wouldn't take long but you could say that about any city.
Then again I've lived here for about 15 years so maybe I've just got used to it?!
Newcastle and culture? Not quite.
In what regard? It has at least as much of an arts, theatre and music scene as some of the others mentioned above.
Newcastle and culture? Not quite.
Have you even been there ! ?
EDIT: Beaten to it by Sam.
I've lived in London, Cambridge, Bournemouth & Edinburgh. Of those I'd take Edinburgh every time.
Lichfield. Come to Lichfield.
Then wherever you go will seem ace.
Even Tamworth?? <shudder>
Another vote for Leeds, but as a born and bred loiner I am biased.
Choose your location carefully in Leeds as its a diverse old place!
Bristol is grim. Not Northern grim, but still grim.
Another vote for Bath.
I think the 'grimy and industrial' tag for Manchester is probably based on how it was quite some time ago. It certainly doesn't seem like that to me.
TBH for me these days any big city seems a bit grimy and Manchester is quite a big city. I like the place for a visit but I couldn't live there.
Newcastle (with its ugly sibling Gateshead)is a fantastic city, but I for one am grateful that it is a little under appreciated.
The arts are there is that is your bag ( http://www.northernstage.co.uk/,
http://www.sagegateshead.com/,
https://www.balticmill.com/
the hills and riding areas are plentiful and under utilised, transport is great (15min from and international airport)with direct quick trains to London and up to Inverness in the other direction.
I moved here in 95 from the South West and although for periods have worked overseas and elsewhere in the UK it is now home (although I am still not a geordie).
Newcastle.
Really is a cracking city.
I agree that Newcastle is a great city. I used to go there for work quite a bit and always looked forward to it - embarrassed to say I was pleasantly surprised at first, but always bad a cracking time there. If I had to love up north, it would be between there and Manchester - but anywhere is too close to hora really.
If I had to love up north, it would be hora.
FTFY.
embarrassed to say I was pleasantly surprised at first
Seems quite common I'm not sure why people are. I must agree I quite like Manchester on my flying visit years back had a nice vibe.
GeordieLand 😀
Liking this debate on Newcastle! Very interesting indeed 😉 I think I'll need to do some more fieldwork
Newcastle has a rep for being pretty mental of an evening - Bigg Market etc. Only ever been to Gateshead which seemed quite nice.
Newcastle has a rep for being pretty mental of an evening
It's undoubtedly an experience but personally I've never found it threatening or uncomfortable (not true of some cities I've lived in) and for all the shit clubs* there are great bars and restaraunts, gig venues and boozers.
*which exist in every city.
I can't afford to go out much these days, the "mental" places are there but also supported by a few more cultured evenings; this one has just started up and seems to be gaining some good support http://www.theboilershopsteamer.com/
Is that the same crowd as the Urban Night Feast? That was great!
+1 Bath
great place and right next to Bristol if you get bored
Manchester is great ! That is a fact, if its grimy then grime is also great !
Manchester is great !
In fairness, that's also true.
York.
Newcastle has a rep for being pretty mental of an evening - Bigg Market etc.
It's not the 90s anymore and the Bigg Market is only a very small part of the night life.
I'm from Durham, Newcastle is just up the road & it is awesome for everything.
St Davids. It's beautiful...
It's not the 90s anymore
Not in the rest of the country anyway. 😛
Manchester is great ! That is a fact, if its grimy then grime is also great !
Don't get me wrong - I like Manchester and it's pretty trendy and cosmopolitan these days - it's just not for me.
York.
Another place that's only technically a city. If we're including them then Lancaster is quite nice, but it's not really what the OP is looking for.
I would also consider if you can ride from your doorstep in any of the cities
From many parts of Sheffield you can ride to Parkwood springs, grenoside and warncliff woods, Bolehill and rivelin valley, stanage, blackamoor and houndkirk etc etc
Most of my midweeks rides are either from my or a mates house meaning that I'm not driving for 1\2hour either way to get somewhere.
If I were going to live in a city, it'd be Manchester or Newcastle I reckon.
Leeds and York are nice though.
Cardiff, for the reasons mentioned above, plus I know for a fact there's already one Scot living here already.
I hated living in Aberdeen.
Do you need to live in a city ot just ne near enough one to get the city vibe? I left Aberdeeen for Stonehaven and loved it. Ok, way not a city, but a short train or bus trip (weekend last bus back was 2AM), and even a taxi back wasn't too bad
Loved Glasgow though
"Gateshead seemed nice" - honestly i've never seen or heard those words before, even from the locals.
I only went to the Sage TBF.
Ha. Pains me to say it, as I'm bred to hate the mere mention of the place, Newcastle is a canny city. Not too sure about the bike riding to be honest. Plenty of good stuff within reasonable driving/train time, but wouldnt want to ride from there.
Mackem........Grrrrrrr 👿
As much as I love Newcastle and especially Gateshead.
If I was looking for a city to Live in that I had no ties to,Edinburgh would be top of my list
Well all the controversy has made me definitely wanna take another look at Newcastle. Seems like the north of England getting a fair few shouts in general. Interestingly nobody's mentioned Liverpool or Brighton which I'd heard are worth a look.
But fantastic responses folks, genuine thanks!
Liverpool is a horrendous hole. Brighton has a better choice of hole, but would not be a city of choice for me.
I've never found the appeal for Edinburgh every time I've gone found it a bit of a dump.
I've never found the appeal for Edinburgh every time I've gone found it a bit of a dump.
😕
I've never found the appeal for Edinburgh every time I've gone found it a bit of a dump.
You could get this impression from any city you visit, depending on which part you are in.
I'm with Kayak, St Davids is my kind of city.
Possibly not the cultural attraction the OP is after though.
You could get this impression from any city you visit, depending on which part you are in.
True but I really did find it very dirt and scruffy. My wife loves Edinburgh and seems very popular but I didn't think it's up to much myself.
I moved from Cheshire in 1991 for London and been here ever since, except for a short stint about 3 years ago when I moved to Manchester.
The main thing which hit me was the weather. I wasn't expecting it to be great in comparison to London but it rained almost every day at some point (I was there from Sept-May)... maybe this wasn't typical but it meant I didn't ride anything like as often as I wanted to... (maybe I've just gone soft!)
I have just re read the Op's Brief so Edinburgh is out (Drac will be pleased)
You really do need to give Newcastle at least a try.
EDIT: OP.... I am with you on Aberdeen, I have spent a lot of time there and just could not make myself like it. I have got a lot of good friends who live there who love it, so what do I know ?
Bristol is grim. Not Northern grim, but still grim.
Rather depends where you are. Sure, there are bits you really wouldn't want to live, like St Paul's, Montpelier or parts of St Werberghs, but it's a big city.
I would say Bath, it's compact, easy to get around on foot, and close enough to all the major road networks, plus it's on the main rail line to and from London and Bristol. You can easily cycle from Bath to Bristol on the Sustrans path...
Or there are places between the two cities which give you all the advantages, without actually living in a city, like Keynsham, Bitton, Saltford.
Another vote for Cardiff.
Manchester.
It's got the largest brick built structure in Europe; Stockport Viaduct.
Accept no substitutes.
Manchester has everything that you say you like.
There's art, lots of music, theatre, independent cinema, a great university that keeps the whole place alive and on its toes, a just-out-of-the-city trail centre, Dark Peak riding from Marple or New Mills within 45 mins if you don't live to the north of the city, great night life, s****y restaurants, China town, great pubs etc. The weather's not brilliant and commuting can be a pain the neck.
But yeah, Hora lives here, so ...
It's got the largest brick built structure in Europe; Stockport Viaduct.
Well that's all well and good but Newcastle (well tyneside anyway...) has the largest wooden structure in Europe - Dunston Staithes.
As anyone who's ever watched a McMoonter shed build thread knows, wood beats brick every time.
I was born and raised in Leeds and loved the city. We moved to Newcastle upon Tyne 10 years ago. Absolutely love it. If you do move to England move anywhere north of the Pennines. Newcastle has everything you need. Close to beaches, Hour and half from lakes, Kielder, Hamsterley on your doorstep and the seven stanes are close enough for a day trip. Cracking night life and if the arts and culture thing floats your boat then the Baltic, Sage, Northern Stage, Theatres.And theres the Metro centre if you still do the shopping thing.And of course there is the Geordie factor, Friendly helpful funny canny people. You don't get that south of pennines. Fact.
+1 Bath
great place and right next to Bristol if you get bored
And only £6.80 return on the train offpeak
Brighton! It's brilliant. I've lived in Reading, Newbury and Bristol and none of them come close. Loads of culture, great pubs, great food, night life and lovely countryside and good cycling scene. Only downside is it's ba long way to travel to proper mountains and it's expensive for accommodation.
I moved from Manchester to Cardiff. Don't do it. There is nothing to see here. Move along.
A very biased vote for EDINBURGH here. Fantastic place to live - and you can be in the hills, on the beach or on the trails in 30 mins...by bike!
A couple of hours on the train to Newcastle if you ever need reminded of why you moved to Edinburgh!
Manchester.It's got the largest brick built structure in Europe; Stockport Viaduct.
Accept no substitutes.
It's provincially quaint though and tiny. The bit in the middle made of shops and offices that isn't grim housing would fit inside Hyde park.
If it's not London then it has to be St David's, everything else in between is grim apart from Bath which is a nice place and plenty of money but not in a gauche northern way.
When you say St David's I assume you mean the "city" of ~1800 people in Wales
As opposed to the Train Station in Exeter?
😛
Btw.. what is Exeter like to live in anyway?
If it's not London then it has to be St David's, everything else in between is grim apart from Bath which is a nice place and plenty of money but not in a gauche northern way.
Do you affect a snobbish self-obsessed London media ****er persona on here for effect or is that genuinely what you are like?
OP out of interest what do you do? There are not many professions where you can live any where.
Anyway if you like the outdoors how about Bangor?
If I could live anywhere it would probably be San Francisco
I'm in Leeds, it's great for so many reasons and I'm going nowhere else any time soon.
Having said that I would also consider Sheffield, Bristol, Cardif, Edinburgh. Probably not Manchester, simply for the reason it rains A LOT (was raised to the south of Manx)
Do you affect a snobbish self-obsessed London media **** persona on here for effect or is that genuinely what you are like?
Purely for giggles.
Fair enough. You do it well. 🙂