Other UK cities? Newcastle, Nottingham, Cardiff, Bristol etc?

seachto7 · 31-01-2015 9:12pm #1

Anyone living in these cities? Say outside of London and Manchester, I wouldn't really know the lie of the land of the smaller cities (but still quite big by Irish standards?)

Cardiff would be a reasonable size, and as a "capital" city, is thee much going on there?

Newcastle? I'd say it's obviously the biggest city in the north east? Much a doing there?

What about down the south coast. Places like Southampton, Brighton etc?

I haven't heard much good things about Plymouth or Exeter, but that's just one person's opinion.

Still planning the move...

ancapailldorcha · 31-01-2015 11:54pm

What are you hoping to get out of moving to the UK, ie what is your line of work. That might help narrow your search.

Regardless, I'll just post my thoughts and some of what I've heard.

Cardiff, while somewhat run down has had undergone regeneration quite recently and seems to be a fairly decent city.

I've not lived in Plymouth but it'd likely be quite pricey given the proximity to Cornwall.

Southampton is a very student orientated city, not unlike Brighton & Hove. The southeast is by far the most expensive part of the UK. I'm living in Hove at the moment and I love it. It is probably one of the least affordable parts of the country. It's famous for it's gay scene but there's little reason to actually move here given the insane cost of living and relatively poor standards of accommodation. Southampton would likely be a better bet.

Newcastle? I've an old acquaintance there. He once told me that it's like being back in University. I don't know much else about it save for the fact that the "Geordie Shore" aspects of the place seem quite exaggerated. It's near Sunderland which seems to be a fairly notorious hole.

Nottingham had a fairly bad reputation but I think it's improved in recent years. Pinch of salt with these things I suppose. I knew someone from there and she never said anything bad about the place....

Can't really help you regarding Exeter... Is there a specific reason you want to avoid London and Manchester?

I suppose that would leave Scotland, Birmingham and Liverpool. Liverpool seems quite rough but I love it. Great atmosphere and a fantastic night out. Taxi drivers seem intent on driving lads to brothels though.... Birmingham seems to have an undeserved reputation for being drab and grey.

Once you go north of London, the cost of living drops like a stone. For the price of the matchbox bedroom I'm in at the moment, I'd could get a decent flat in Manchester/Bolton/Liverpool/Leeds/Sheffield/etc... and likely a fair bit of the council tax as well. Would you consider Sheffield? One of my favourite spots. The Uni has a good reputation and it's a solid night out. It's got my favourite pub as well....

snowey07 · 01-02-2015 12:04am

Id second Sheffield , great city but only downside is no direct flight from Ireland for popping home. Some great pubs and nice areas to live in

ancapailldorcha · 01-02-2015 12:05am

snowey07 wrote: »

Id second Sheffield , great city but only downside is no direct flight from Ireland for popping home. Some great pubs and nice areas to live in

Manchester airport is huge and only an hour on the train away.

seachto7 · 01-02-2015 5:08pm

The area I'm looking at is digital media/new media/online editing etc

While most of it is centered in London, there are some jobs in it in other cities. As in lots of digital marketing companies would fall into the category, and I have seen some jobs in other cities.

I thought Manchester would have had more than it seems to have currently.

I suppose the one thing that would put me off London is the time spent commuting, the expense, things like that. (But yes, it also has lots more opportunities due to its size)

As someone in their late 30s, I wouldn't be one for going on the razz every weekend. In theory I could go to several places in the UK!

I guess the smaller cities have the advantages like being able to get out to the countryside quite easily if you want to.

Cardiff, you'd be near the sea if you wanted it, etc and so on.

ancapailldorcha · 01-02-2015 5:12pm

Funnily enough, there seem to be a fair amount of that in Brighton. Would Scotland be an option for you?

seachto7 · 03-02-2015 9:07pm

Yeah, Scotland would appeal to me. Edinburgh is a beautiful city.
I'll have a look at Brighton, though I'd imagine it's a pricey place, maybe as pricey as that there Londinium....

ancapailldorcha · 03-02-2015 9:18pm

seachto7 wrote: »

Yeah, Scotland would appeal to me. Edinburgh is a beautiful city.
I'll have a look at Brighton, though I'd imagine it's a pricey place, maybe as pricey as that there Londinium....

I have a Scottish mate who works in marketing. He said his options were basically London, Brighton or Edinburgh.

It's expensive, mate. Very. And there is a lot of poor quality accommodation and poorer areas. The town was very poorly planned out. For the matchbox I'm in at the moment, I could get a place in a middle class part of Manchester with a fair chunk of the council tax as well. On the flip side, it's got a bohemian feel to it and it's one of the coolest places I've ever been.

YouTookMyName · 03-02-2015 9:56pm

Bristol is a great city, but good reasonable accommodation is hard to find.

Plenty of work depending on your sector.

Airports easy to get to and plenty flights to dublin all year and knock march-october.

zweton · 03-02-2015 10:06pm

Was just going to mention bristol myself, read good things about it. Havnt been though. How about Leeds also? The four i have in mind are london, edinburgh, bristol and leeds.

ancapailldorcha · 03-02-2015 10:10pm

zweton wrote: »

Was just going to mention bristol myself, read good things about it. Havnt been though. How about Leeds also? The four i have in mind are london, edinburgh, bristol and leeds.

Leeds has a fairly dodgy reputation. I was there once. A lot of it seems quite run down.

seachto7 · 03-02-2015 10:19pm

I was under the impression Leeds was decent enough. I was there once, and it seemed fine. Is it southerners spreading rumours!

I applied for a job in the Republic of Mancunia today, and used a UK address

so will see how that goes...

ancapailldorcha · 03-02-2015 10:28pm

seachto7 wrote: »

I was under the impression Leeds was decent enough. I was there once, and it seemed fine. Is it southerners spreading rumours!

I applied for a job in the Republic of Mancunia today, and used a UK address so will see how that goes...

I've lived in Manchester, Oxford and Brighton. I've no bias but as I said, I was there but once.

I would use your Irish address and stress that moving isn't a problem.

seachto7 · 03-02-2015 10:33pm

I used the Manc address, but my Irish number, told them I'd relocate no hassle.

If they ring me, I'll just tell them I'm back in Ireland at the moment, but am based out of adress ABC in Manchester.

I also have a UK number too, just to cover myself in case they ask.

I may not ever hear back from them of course, but it would be a good job if I got it. It would be right down my street.

ancapailldorcha · 03-02-2015 10:38pm

seachto7 wrote: »

I used the Manc address, but my Irish number, told them I'd relocate no hassle.

If they ring me, I'll just tell them I'm back in Ireland at the moment, but am based out of adress ABC in Manchester.

I also have a UK number too, just to cover myself in case they ask.

I may not ever hear back from them of course, but it would be a good job if I got it. It would be right down my street.

Fair enough. Generally, as long as you say moving is absolutely no problem then there shouldn't be any worries. I booked a one-way flight and sorted accommodation from a hostel when I landed.

marmurr1916 · 03-02-2015 10:40pm

seachto7 wrote: »

The area I'm looking at is digital media/new media/online editing etc

While most of it is centered in London, there are some jobs in it in other cities. As in lots of digital marketing companies would fall into the category, and I have seen some jobs in other cities.

I thought Manchester would have had more than it seems to have currently.

I suppose the one thing that would put me off London is the time spent commuting, the expense, things like that. (But yes, it also has lots more opportunities due to its size)

As someone in their late 30s, I wouldn't be one for going on the razz every weekend. In theory I could go to several places in the UK!

I guess the smaller cities have the advantages like being able to get out to the countryside quite easily if you want to.

Cardiff, you'd be near the sea if you wanted it, etc and so on.

Newcastle is just part of a nearly continuous urban sprawl that stretches from Darlington/Stockton to Ashington, about 50 miles of coastline that's almost all built up, and which stretches a good 10 miles inland at its widest points.

Newcastle and surrounds would be much cheaper for rents than London but unemployment in the North-East of England isn't much lower than in Ireland (9.9% in the North-East of England, 10.6% in Ireland) and salaries are obviously lower than in London (and probably Dublin for the areas you're looking at).

Geordies are friendly (except to Mackems, who hail from Sunderland

).

Newcastle is a big, lively city, fairly scruffy but with some 'posh' bits, some great countryside to the west and northwest, all the way to the west coast of England at Cumbria and the Lake District, with Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland National Park and the scenery of the mainly rural Scottish Borders/Southern Uplands between Newcastle and Scotland's Central Belt (the greater Glasgow/greater Edinburgh regions); easy enough train or drive to Edinburgh; weather on the east coast of England is generally a bit drier and colder than in most of Ireland (Newcastle is as far north as Belfast); direct flights to Dublin (or fly from Edinburgh) and a ferry from North Shields (just to the south of the River Tyne) to Amsterdam...

Decent night life (you'll have to hunt out the less studenty/skangery pubs) and cheaper than Ireland generally, much cheaper than Dublin.

Not many Irish up in the north-east of England.

A great place if you're into football obviously, but there's a whole range of indoor and outdoor sports and activities available from cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries, restaurants, golf, fishing, horse riding, star gazing, etc, etc, etc.

Lot's to visit in the region too from Hadrian's Wall to Durham Cathedral to football stadiums, and only a short drive (about 65 miles) to Carlisle which isn't a particularly nice town (it's about the size of Limerick but feels smaller) but is a handy stop on your way to the Cumbrian Coast and Lake District National Park. To the south of the Co. Durham, you've got the North York Moors National Park and the city of York, with a nicely preserved medieval town centre.

Overall, if you're comfortable in a big city (bigger than Dublin when you consider the total population of the conurbation, including neighbouring towns and cities), but which has a city centre that's even more compact than Dublin's, with decent public transport (the Metro is great for getting around reasonably quickly), good nightlife, and with a huge amount of activities and some great scenery on your doorstep (or within a 90-minute drive), then Newcastle should fit the bill.

Jaysus! The local tourist board should give me a job!

zweton · 03-02-2015 11:56pm

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Newcastle is just part of a nearly continuous urban sprawl that stretches from Darlington/Stockton to Ashington, about 50 miles of coastline that's almost all built up, and which stretches a good 10 miles inland at its widest points.

Newcastle and surrounds would be much cheaper for rents than London but unemployment in the North-East of England isn't much lower than in Ireland (9.9% in the North-East of England, 10.6% in Ireland) and salaries are obviously lower than in London (and probably Dublin for the areas you're looking at).

Geordies are friendly (except to Mackems, who hail from Sunderland ).

Newcastle is a big, lively city, fairly scruffy but with some 'posh' bits, some great countryside to the west and northwest, all the way to the west coast of England at Cumbria and the Lake District, with Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland National Park and the scenery of the mainly rural Scottish Borders/Southern Uplands between Newcastle and Scotland's Central Belt (the greater Glasgow/greater Edinburgh regions); easy enough train or drive to Edinburgh; weather on the east coast of England is generally a bit drier and colder than in most of Ireland (Newcastle is as far north as Belfast); direct flights to Dublin (or fly from Edinburgh) and a ferry from North Shields (just to the south of the River Tyne) to Amsterdam...

Decent night life (you'll have to hunt out the less studenty/skangery pubs) and cheaper than Ireland generally, much cheaper than Dublin.

Not many Irish up in the north-east of England.

A great place if you're into football obviously, but there's a whole range of indoor and outdoor sports and activities available from cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries, restaurants, golf, fishing, horse riding, star gazing, etc, etc, etc.

Lot's to visit in the region too from Hadrian's Wall to Durham Cathedral to football stadiums, and only a short drive (about 65 miles) to Carlisle which isn't a particularly nice town (it's about the size of Limerick but feels smaller) but is a handy stop on your way to the Cumbrian Coast and Lake District National Park. To the south of the Co. Durham, you've got the North York Moors National Park and the city of York, with a nicely preserved medieval town centre.

Overall, if you're comfortable in a big city (bigger than Dublin when you consider the total population of the conurbation, including neighbouring towns and cities), but which has a city centre that's even more compact than Dublin's, with decent public transport (the Metro is great for getting around reasonably quickly), good nightlife, and with a huge amount of activities and some great scenery on your doorstep (or within a 90-minute drive), then Newcastle should fit the bill.

Jaysus! The local tourist board should give me a job!

Lol fair play man

seachto7 · 04-02-2015 3:57pm

Nice one!

by the seaside · 17-02-2015 11:39pm

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I've lived in Manchester, Oxford and Brighton. I've no bias but as I said, I was there but once.

I would use your Irish address and stress that moving isn't a problem.

I would use a UK address if possible. The job market is competitive and recruiters are looking to than out applicants before interviewing so don't put any doubts in their mind. Get a cheap UK SIM card and phone and out the number on applications.

Outside of London, I think your best bet is to cast your net wide and see where you end up. All of the cities mentioned in this thread have their good spots (although I don't know Plymouth - used to have a bit of a naval garrison town reputation but it's meant to have improved). Generally British cities have had a renaissance over the last 10 to 20 years. Even Birmingham had a good vibe to it when I was there in December. I do have a soft spot for Brizzle (Bristol). A kind of large scale Galway.

EDIT: forgot to add. Bournemouth is a nice big seaside town with a reasonable job market, and Cambridge is a lovely city and booming (but expensive).

zweton · 19-02-2015 12:25am

by the seaside wrote: »

I would use a UK address if possible. The job market is competitive and recruiters are looking to than out applicants before interviewing so don't put any doubts in their mind. Get a cheap UK SIM card and phone and out the number on applications.

Outside of London, I think your best bet is to cast your net wide and see where you end up. All of the cities mentioned in this thread have their good spots (although I don't know Plymouth - used to have a bit of a naval garrison town reputation but it's meant to have improved). Generally British cities have had a renaissance over the last 10 to 20 years. Even Birmingham had a good vibe to it when I was there in December. I do have a soft spot for Brizzle (Bristol). A kind of large scale Galway.

EDIT: forgot to add. Bournemouth is a nice big seaside town with a reasonable job market, and Cambridge is a lovely city and booming (but expensive).

Interesting that you refer to Bristol as a large scale galway. That would be right up my street and sounds like a good place to live. Is there a good atmosphere there?

by the seaside · 19-02-2015 12:39pm

Bristol is a great place with a good music and art scene if that's your thing, and a good big university. Bits of it are very posh and bits quite run down and it is quite expensive, but there are jobs around.

My kids love the rock slide which is a run down a rock face poohed by over 100 years of kids' bums sliding down it, overlooking the incredible Clifton suspension bridge. If you ever visit, Clifton is a good spot to look round but you'll be lucky if yoh can afford to live there.

zweton · 19-02-2015 2:33pm

thanks, what other areas besides clifton are nice and safe?

YouTookMyName · 22-02-2015 8:15pm

zweton wrote: »

thanks, what other areas besides clifton are nice and safe?

Anywhere but, st.pauls,st,philips,easton, knowle/knowle west and hartcliffe.

Everywhere else is more or less spot on. Some more expensive then others.

by the seaside · 22-02-2015 9:09pm

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Anywhere but, st.pauls,st,philips,easton, knowle/knowle west and hartcliffe.

Everywhere else is more or less spot on. Some more expensive then others.

You know the city better than I do. The area around Gloucester Road / Zetland Road seems nice enough. I visit from time to time.

zweton · 22-02-2015 10:14pm

Any good websites where I can check out rentals for Bristol?

by the seaside · 22-02-2015 10:52pm

Most UK rentals are on rightmove, but it doesn't have the same near 100% domination that it does for sales.

questionmark? · 23-02-2015 12:10am

Having lived in Bristol for a number of years I can testify that its a great city to live in. I always say if someone cant find something to do in Bristol there is something wrong with the person not the city!! Lots of jobs here too OP, the place is booming. Couple of flights a day to Dublin plus Cork and Knock for the trips home plus good rail & road links.

I do hold a soft spot for Exeter though, small city but I just think its really pretty and friendly. However the jobs market is a lot smaller.

doopa · 23-02-2015 12:24am

seachto7 wrote: »

Anyone living in these cities? Say outside of London and Manchester, I wouldn't really know the lie of the land of the smaller cities (but still quite big by Irish standards?)

Cardiff would be a reasonable size, and as a "capital" city, is thee much going on there?

Newcastle? I'd say it's obviously the biggest city in the north east? Much a doing there?

What about down the south coast. Places like Southampton, Brighton etc?

I haven't heard much good things about Plymouth or Exeter, but that's just one person's opinion.

Still planning the move...

Can echo responses so far about Bristol/Southwest. Always enjoyed visiting it. Close to Cornnwall - which is great. Used to live in Exeter which I enjoyed - but mostly because of the proximity to Cornwall. Wasn't a big fan of Plymouth when visiting it. Seemed a bit bleak.

I loved Nottingham when I was there - loads of great pubs, generally good vibe about the place. Plus easy to get to other nearby towns - Derby, Leicester etc. And a decent connection to London.

Southampton on the other hand... whilst near to some nice places was a bit of a kip. Not much going on, and whilst close to London it invariably meant any interesting was on in London and people would head up there for the weekend which left it feeling a little overlooked. If you want to live on the southcoast - go for Brighton. Much more going on.

by the seaside · 23-02-2015 11:03am

questionmark? wrote: »

Having lived in Bristol for a number of years I can testify that its a great city to live in. I always say if someone cant find something to do in Bristol there is something wrong with the person not the city!! Lots of jobs here too OP, the place is booming. Couple of flights a day to Dublin plus Cork and Knock for the trips home plus good rail & road links.

I do hold a soft spot for Exeter though, small city but I just think its really pretty and friendly. However the jobs market is a lot smaller.

+1 for Exeter - a lovely little city.

zweton · 23-02-2015 1:43pm

doopa wrote: »

Can echo responses so far about Bristol/Southwest. Always enjoyed visiting it. Close to Cornnwall - which is great. Used to live in Exeter which I enjoyed - but mostly because of the proximity to Cornwall. Wasn't a big fan of Plymouth when visiting it. Seemed a bit bleak.

I loved Nottingham when I was there - loads of great pubs, generally good vibe about the place. Plus easy to get to other nearby towns - Derby, Leicester etc. And a decent connection to London.

Southampton on the other hand... whilst near to some nice places was a bit of a kip. Not much going on, and whilst close to London it invariably meant any interesting was on in London and people would head up there for the weekend which left it feeling a little overlooked. If you want to live on the southcoast - go for Brighton. Much more going on.

Job market in Brighton prob not as good as Bristol though would it? Im working in i.t so though bristol would be better, maybe i am wrong.
Is there a good vibe about bristol? Never though of nottingham it sounds nice too.:)

by the seaside · 23-02-2015 2:37pm

zweton wrote: »

Job market in Brighton prob not as good as Bristol though would it? Im working in i.t so though bristol would be better, maybe i am wrong.
Is there a good vibe about bristol? Never though of nottingham it sounds nice too.:)

Bristol has a fair amount of financial services as well. It's a great vibe.

I went to uni in Nottingham and it's another fun city. I used to have a fairm amount of violent crime but this was 20 years ago, so you'd want more up to date info.

I would choose Bristol any day.

Other UK cities? Newcastle, Nottingham, Cardiff, Bristol etc?

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