Best English city to live and work in? [Archive]

Plastic Paddy

06/05/2006, 11:02 PM

I had eleven cracking years in Birmingham. Can't recommend it highly enough. :) Like a big collection of villages stuck together. Loads of Irish from north and south and from all colours of the spectrum. Familiar enough to feel at home and big enough to lose yourself. Lovely.

:ball: PP

dcfcsteve

07/05/2006, 1:53 AM

We had a thread on this about a year ago.

I'd recommend Newcastle. About the size of Belfast, so very easy to get around. The people are great craic and very friendly, the nightlife is great, the wimmin are gorgeous, and it's the cheapest big city you'll find in the country. Plus - it's not so over-run with Irish that you wont be a relative novelty, and the accent goes down a treat

Couldn't recommend it highly enough.

thejollyrodger

07/05/2006, 8:34 AM

None ..they are all crap

Plastic Paddy

07/05/2006, 8:44 AM

None ..they are all crap

That's a judgement based on extensive experience of living in each and every one, I assume. :rolleyes:

Rodg, there's an old Confucian saying that you'd be wise to heed in this instance: "if you have nothing to say, say nothing".

:ball: PP

Conor H

07/05/2006, 8:57 AM

Dublin.;)

Peadar

07/05/2006, 9:40 AM

London - it's got everything.
Manchester would be my second choice.
Technically Reading is a city but in truth it's only a town.
Really enjoyed living there though.

Plastic Paddy

07/05/2006, 9:49 AM

Technically Reading is a city but in truth it's only a town.

Wrong Peadar... it's not a city, I'm afraid. Reading is a town within a borough although, in fairness, it is the largest urban sub-area in England not to hold city status.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading%2C_Berkshire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_status_in_the_United_Kingdom

:ball: PP

Babysis

07/05/2006, 10:53 AM

Brighton is a lovely city, I loved living there, and could see me moving back there, but it's expensive, and work can be a bit of a problem so might not be what your looking for. London isn't that bad really :)

Peadar

07/05/2006, 12:12 PM

Wrong Peadar...

I stand corrected. What confused me was when Reading went for City status. Now that I think back on it, I remember that bid being unsuccessful.

aido_b

07/05/2006, 1:33 PM

Have to agree with PP on Birmingham. Absolute cracking city, full of Irish which is always good! Bit of advice for ya, don't live in Wolverhampton, for the love of god don't do it!

dcfc_1928

07/05/2006, 4:08 PM

I have a few friends who moved to Bristol and they absolutely love it.

I have been there myself a few times and have really enjoyed it.

gustavo

07/05/2006, 4:31 PM

On a slight aside , Going to Liverpool for a little post exam break in June .Anybody got any recommendations / tips?

Dassa

07/05/2006, 4:35 PM

yeah have been looking really closely at Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester. All got cheap flights to and from Belfast.

thejollyrodger

07/05/2006, 4:45 PM

I Hate Mingerland

TheJamaicanP.M.

07/05/2006, 5:40 PM

On a slight aside , Going to Liverpool for a little post exam break in June .Anybody got any recommendations / tips?

You'll enjoy Liverpool! Foot.ie member, JoeSemi is the man to brief you on the city. From what I can remember, Concert Square is the area to go out in. Its a hive of activity! The drink and food in Liverpool is reasonably cheap also. JoeSemi brought us to a great restaurant called Ceaser's Palace. The food was top notch and very cheap in comparison to Ireland.

My one major piece of advice is stay well clear of Room 126 in the Dolby Hotel. The bed isn't in the best of shape.:D

dcfcsteve

07/05/2006, 6:06 PM

yeah have been looking really closely at Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester. All got cheap flights to and from Belfast.

Dassa - I know Manchester and Bristol very well (Liverpool less so, though I have been there a few times) and can assure that neither are a patch on Newcastle. I'm up in Manchester next weekend, for example, and spent 6 years living 12 miles away from Bristol in Bath. My girlfriend at the time was living and working in Bristol.

I'll guarantee you that the vast majority of people suggesting various cities to you simply don't know Newcastle, and the majority will not even have been there once. Conversely, you'll find that people like myself who know Newcastle are invariably familiar with the other big cities in England (on the basis that if you've made it to Newcastle, you're highly likely to have made it to the others as well) and we'd still recommend Geordieland to you above all the others.

There's also cheap flights to Belfast from the Toon, so no reason in the world why you shouldn't be considering it as well. :)

paul_oshea

07/05/2006, 7:27 PM

Mad Moose

08/05/2006, 9:17 AM

Have to say thats a difficult question.It comes down to personal choice and two places stood out for we. Chester (more town than city) and Portsmouth. Enjoyed both and having family in Portsmouth it was the the place I felt most at home.Apart from the City Ground in Nottingham the football ground I was most made welcome at was Fratton Park, they couldn't do enough for me.That didnt go down to well at St Mary's in Southampton which was a city I least liked. In terms of a place to live I couldn't see myself wanting to live anywhere other than Yorkshire, had a great time there and since scenery is important to me it had it all.Genuinely warm people. Couldn't get enough of the weather in Portsmouth mind.

Brendan

FarBeag

08/05/2006, 11:42 AM

As dcfcsteve mentions, Newcastle is an excellent city, the people are very friendly, standard of living is cheaper than most of the other cities, beer is cheaper and there are cheap flights home. I lived there for two years.

I now live in London and there is no comparison. Much of London is dirty and many parts of it are quite dangerous. There are some good bars and clubs around especially in central London but you need to have a big bank balance to go along with it, and lastly if you want to buy a house in any decent part of London, forget it.

anto eile

08/05/2006, 11:47 AM

sitting in liverpool at the moment.
great place
id recommend it
would like to visit newca-sell too though

REVIP

08/05/2006, 11:56 AM

Bristol is good. Easy connections to other places (you can get a coach to London for as little as £3), the advertised journey time of 2 hours 20 minutes to London Victoria is actually true, got there three minutes early in March. Cheap flights from Dublin. Bristol City are improving - gates up to 15,000, Rovers are good craic. Pubs are good. Big student population gives the place variety. Bus drivers there are the rudest I've met, though.

Newcastle people are probably amongst the friendliest in England. The only problem is that Tyneside is miles from anywhere, apart from Wearside! (and that the early Ryanair flight from Dublin,which I'm using next month, is at 0625 and gets into Newcastle before anything is open).

London is not as expensive as Dublin - got a half decent bottle of red wine in a wine bar on the Embankment for £11.

dcfcsteve

08/05/2006, 12:14 PM

If you haven't experienced a very big city before, then you'd enjoy London for a while. Otherwise, I wouldnt recommend it at all.

It's the weirdest large city I know. It's more a collection of numerous villages, towns and suburbs than a proper single city.

When everyone first moves here they head into the centre of town loads. After a while, they realise that central London is actually sh!t, over-priced, stupidly busy, and full of 18 year olds, so you invariably gravitate more towards going out in your local area over time - or the local areas that your friends live in. Next thing you know is you rarely actually leave your local area - in which case you may as well be living in a small town like Chippenham or Crawley, as much as Europe's biggest city.

This phenomena is common to most people I know in London. The exceptions are those who either like to feel like a Mr Big in outrageously expensive bars/clubs (the type that will charge you a tenner for a vodka red bull, and then add an additional 14% service charge on for paying with a card) or people who are into their serious clubbing.

Give London a miss.

rebs23

08/05/2006, 12:25 PM

Don't give London a miss!!It's a brilliant place spent 4 years in the place and loved evey minute of it. It has everything.

REVIP

08/05/2006, 12:25 PM

you invariably gravitate more towards going out in your local area over time - or the local areas that your friends live in. Next thing you know is you rarely actually leave your local area - in which case you may as well be living in a small town like Chippenham or Crawley, as much as Europe's biggest city.

This phenomena is common to most people I know in London.

I lived with an old uncle and aunt in Kew for three years - Kew Gardens at the end of the road, Chiswick on the opposite bank, Brentford football ground an easy walk away. I thought it was London, they said they lived in Richmond and talked about going into London, which they rarely did.

aido_b

08/05/2006, 12:57 PM

On a slight aside , Going to Liverpool for a little post exam break in June .Anybody got any recommendations / tips?

There's a lovely little spot called X in the city, check it out! bring plenty of £10 notes with ya!

Dassa

08/05/2006, 1:42 PM

The biggest City Ive ever lived in is Belfast so I think london for a culchie:) like me would scare the absolute sh.t out of me.

Hither green

08/05/2006, 1:46 PM

erm from a personal point of view, and im a very personalable and socialable person!! but london is very hard if you dont know or have anyone over here, you find that you dont really go out at the weekends with your work crowd as they all lead their own lives etc. just something to remember

That's not my experience. In fact I'd say the opposite was true. People don't mind driving to work in other big cities and so can't drink after work. Nobody drives to work in Central London so they often go out. I'm not from London but wouldn't live anywhere else now, never get bored of it, it's fantastic.

Peadar

08/05/2006, 1:53 PM

Pauro 76

08/05/2006, 2:06 PM

Have you noticed how many posts mention how friendly English people are in various parts of the country? Nice to see attitudes changing. I've had mostly positive experiences living and working with English people. Made some good friends along the way.

Part of why I love London so much is that it gives you the belief that you can achieve anything!

I think if you can get used to and live in London, it gives you the belief that you can do it anywhere. I had an extremely bad start to life here, but I hung in there, stayed positive and kept plugging away and now I can safely say im going to be here for a while. its a tough city to get used to, but when you do its great. if you think meeting people is going to be a problem when you move to a new town here, id thoroughly recommend getting a bar job. (outskirts rather than city though) People take to you being Irish and you meet loads of people that way too. But easier to get on with people from the outskirts rather than the city centre though....

Hither green

08/05/2006, 2:39 PM

Have you noticed how many posts mention how friendly English people are in various parts of the country? Nice to see attitudes changing.

Where did they say that? They said that the people in english cities are friendly, but sure aren't the cities now all full of foreigners ;) And don’t we all stick together :D

londonirish17

08/05/2006, 3:13 PM

Well basically what it says. I have to move to england next year for work most likely,not sure what city to look at. Was wondering what peoples opinion on Englands Cities are for moving to?

Canterbury.
Kent is a nice place to live and it's not that far from London. Within easy reach you also have Dover (ferry port) and Ashford Intl for Eurostar services to Brussels and Paris

dcfcsteve

08/05/2006, 4:07 PM

Canterbury.
Kent is a nice place to live and it's not that far from London. Within easy reach you also have Dover (ferry port) and Ashford Intl for Eurostar services to Brussels and Paris

"Come to Canterbury - it's easy to get away from..." :D

Reminds me of the tourism slogan they did for Birmingham about a decade ago : "Come to Birmingham - and visit Warwick". An admission that there was no other reason on god's earth for tourists to go to Birmingham....

Mad Moose

08/05/2006, 4:39 PM

Didnt make much of Leeds but its supposed to be nice, its a Yorkshire thing. Is it the only place currently that has an Irish centre?.On the other hand I liked, strangely enough Sheffield. Its something that has always come across on documentaries on the place but there is a great spirit about the place and I kinda felt that. Again I liked Yorkshire and everything to do with Yorkshire. Nottingham city centre is pretty nice and Nottingham/Mansfield has a large Irish population though because I was on my own for the time I was there I didnt get out after the games at the City Ground.I did get out in Derby mind and actually really enjoyed it.I believe I went out in the town centre but It wasnt much but i enjoyed my night out with the sheeps**aggers as Forest supporters refer to them as (The Rams and an abundance of the wolly feckers). I didnt like Gloucestershire or Worcestershire and having been to Cheltenham found it a place you would least likely find welcoming of the entire population of Ireland for one week. The kinda place where you might consider moving to with a bit of money to spare. Lovely countryside there though.

Brendan

Drumcondra Red

08/05/2006, 4:50 PM

Derby is the place in England where I spent most time, usually on holidays and stuff, my gran lived there and obviously my mam's from there, I like it, London's great too, but to live there???

dcfcsteve

08/05/2006, 9:22 PM

Didnt make much of Leeds but its supposed to be nice, its a Yorkshire thing. Is it the only place currently that has an Irish centre?.

Do you mean Irish Centre, as in a building ? If so - there's feckin loads of them across England. Newcastle, Liverpool, Coventry parts of Manchester, Camden, Hammersmith - and that's just the ones that I know. Look at the back of the Irish Post and you'll see how many there are. Leeds doesn't have a particularly strong Irish heritage as a town, so can't see why you might think they would have an Irish Centre, bit nowhere else.

If you mean a physical Irish area - like an Oirish version of Chinatown - the only city I know that planned to introduce one was Birmingham. Not sure if they ever got it to actually happen though.

Dassa

08/05/2006, 10:17 PM

when I go over would like to pick a small club to follow maybe a team below conferance keep up my tradition of watching sh.te football:)

dcfcsteve

08/05/2006, 11:37 PM

when I go over would like to pick a small club to follow maybe a team below conferance keep up my tradition of watching sh.te football:)

I'd recommend AFC Wimbledon - though that would invariably necessitate you living on the sh!tty edges of London :mad:

There's always FC United of Manc if you make it to the North West.

If you go to the North-east, I'd recommend either Blyth Spartans or Gateshead.

If you end up in the West Country, I'd suggest Bath City.

If you end-up in the Midlands - unlucky.......! :p

Mad Moose

09/05/2006, 8:24 AM

If you end-up in the Midlands - unlucky.......! :p

There's Nigel Clough's Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium!!

If your in Portsmouth theres Havant and Waterlooville F.C

Brendan

paul_oshea

09/05/2006, 8:30 AM

It's the weirdest large city I know. It's more a collection of numerous villages, towns and suburbs than a proper single city.

you have never obviouslly been to most big cities in america then!!

aido_b

09/05/2006, 11:37 AM

I'd recommend AFC Wimbledon - though that would invariably necessitate you living on the sh!tty edges of London :mad:

There's always FC United of Manc if you make it to the North West.

If you go to the North-east, I'd recommend either Blyth Spartans or Gateshead.

If you end up in the West Country, I'd suggest Bath City.

If you end-up in the Midlands - unlucky.......! :p

And ya couldn't have told me that last year! :mad:

Plastic Paddy

09/05/2006, 11:56 AM

when I go over would like to pick a small club to follow maybe a team below conferance keep up my tradition of watching sh.te football:)

Try this site for size. All you want to know about English pyramid football from steps 3 to 5. http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/

:ball: PP

Plastic Paddy

09/05/2006, 12:04 PM

And ya couldn't have told me that last year! :mad:

Don't mind him Aido. If it's non-league football you want there are plenty of clubs in and just outside Birmingham.

Tamworth - Conference (at least for the moment pending an appeal against relegation by Altrincham)
Kidderminster Harriers - Conference
Stafford Rangers - just promoted to Conference
Nuneaton Borough - Conference North
Moor Green (south Birmingham) - Conference North
Redditch United - Conference North

No need to go on any further, I presume... :)

:ball: PP

Don Vito

09/05/2006, 12:32 PM

Bristol is good. Easy connections to other places (you can get a coach to London for as little as £3), the advertised journey time of 2 hours 20 minutes to London Victoria is actually true, got there three minutes early in March. Cheap flights from Dublin. Bristol City are improving - gates up to 15,000, Rovers are good craic. Pubs are good. Big student population gives the place variety. Bus drivers there are the rudest I've met, though.

Can vouch for the Red Army's progress, decent atmosphere at Ashton Gate these days and really should be in the Championship next year. Also been to Bath numerous occasions on business and it really is a beautiful city, not too big either and you are never far away from the countryside in it.

Stuttgart88

09/05/2006, 12:40 PM

Personally I love London & am surprised by how "child friendly" it is (for my kids, not me!). Sure, parts of it are crap & dangerous, and I hate the West End but there are so many interesting places and always things to do. Green space everywhere.

It's been mentioned above, but Bath is truly beautiful and is really quite small & intimate. Architecture there is stunning - the Royal Crescent is breathtaking.

Also, mentioned above is Brighton which isn't as picturesque but is a fun town with a good quality of life.

My wife was in college in Leeds and loved it.

dcfcsteve

09/05/2006, 1:12 PM

you have never obviouslly been to most big cities in america then!!

I haven't been to most big cities in America, but I did use to live in New York City and in various cities in Florida !

New York feels much more integrated than London does, for example. Sure - you've got lots of little neighbourhoods all over Manhatten, for example, but they all still feel part and parcel of Manhatten and New York.

London literally grew out of lots of little towns and villages that joined-up, which is not true of the vast majority of cities in the US. Even ones where it is true, like Boston, still feel much more coherent. There really is a sense of separation between the centre of London and the areas from Zone 2/3 outwards - particularly when you live south of the Thames.

And let's face it - there's a reason why most people get out of London when they reach a certain age. It's fun for a few years when you're young, and that's it.

rebs23

09/05/2006, 2:32 PM

And let's face it - there's a reason why most people get out of London when they reach a certain age. It's fun for a few years when you're young, and that's it.

Definitely true but if you are planning to go to any English City for a few years when you're young(ish) then it just has to be London.

paul_oshea

09/05/2006, 2:48 PM

There really is a sense of separation between the centre of London and the areas from Zone 2/3 outwards - particularly when you live south of the Thames.

ya thats a fair point I suppose, I was basing it mainly on chicago, boston and new york which is made up of loads of dif "cities"/areas.

i would say north of the thames more so, anywhere round clapham victoria all those areas are very sorta cosmo london and considered london really. but places like finchley, wood green, palmers green are relaly their own distinct areas.

btw did you use to? :D

Strabane_Harp

09/05/2006, 3:17 PM

There's a lovely little spot called X in the city, check it out! bring plenty of £10 notes with ya!

and the drinks arent too badly priced for such an establishment :p

if ye do end up in liverpool, do not live in Kensington no matter what

liam88

09/05/2006, 5:22 PM

From my limited adn youthful experience ;)

You can do anything at anytime in London; there is always football, rugby, protests, parties, ralelys, aprades, festivals you can get a meal for £100 or £1the underground system is actually very good and you can meet people of all cultures.

I grew up in Guildford which is really a large town goign for city status -it has Cathedral, University etc. Good community feel but still good nightlife. Easy to get to London (45 mins and a tenner for a travelcard) or down to the south coast (45 mins the other way), you can walk from the South Downs to the center in about 15 mins and you can easily get to cofnerence football in Woking and Aldershot. also has the best Ice Hockey team ever (the Flames). Not v. multi-cultural though and otuside the center is v Conservative.

Reading is also a class place; bigger than Guildford, close enoguh to London but a ver decent town in its own right-good nightlife, sport, culture etc. deffinatley worth a look

Hull (where I am moving in Septemebr) is also excellent. Worse rep than it deserves, not a massive city but big enough to get lost in. Has sports, nightlife etc. and is also near to York and the Docks.

By the way Steve is there a city that you haven't dated a girl from? ;)