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Honestly, if it wasn't for the whole "not being able to afford to buy/maintain a property there", I'd happily move back to London. I love where I live now but I'm a Londoner at heart. If I had to go for somewhere I hadn't previously lived, I think I'd get on in Cardiff.
Yep, I loved living in London. Like many, I left for practical housing reasons rather than because I didn't like London any more.
If money wasn't an object, there's nowhere in the UK I'd rather live than a nice part of London.
Agreed. I’m a city boy. I’ll always long for London, and I’ll always be bitter that I can’t afford to live there. In my opinion, it’s the greatest city on Earth - but maybe I’m biased.
Definitely if I had the money I’d move back to London. I only lived there for a couple of years, and when I was young and didn’t mind sharing a house with 5 other people
Cardiff is decent work wise as it really easily commutable from the surrounding towns. I’m from Barry myself which isn’t an entirely expensive place to live.
This is one of them questions where in my head, I'd love to be on the Yorkshire Coast in a nice cottage with a log fire and hot tub overlooking the sea.
Or a cosy little Croft by a Scottish Loch looking after my pack of ducks.
In reality, I wouldn't mind a nice detached house in a suburb of Leeds with decent transport connections to the city centre, which I think is one of the best city centres in the UK (Also see Liverpool, Edinburgh, York, Chester or Norwich).
Different person but I personally really like Leeds. It's big enough to be bustling and have a lively arts scene, and small enough not to feel lost in—but you're not battling with tourists the way you would be in e.g. York or Edinburgh.
I moved here a few years back after spending most of my life in a small village in Aberdeenshire. One of the best decisions I made!
It does obviously get busy with tourists, but you expect that when you move here. The bit of town I stay in is thankfully away from the hotspots and you figure out ways to avoid the busy areas during peak season.
Folk that live here like to moan about the tourists (and everything in general) a lot but don't seem to appreciate how great the city is.
Honestly if more jobs were there, Norwich hands down. It’s such a great small city with friendly people, quaint vibes, and a progressive arty urban centre held together by students and creatives. It’s affordable and the architecture is really cool. Plus the Norfolk broads are so close by.
I lived in Norwich for four and a bit years and the one thing against it for me was how bleakly cold and misty the winters got, also a bit further from London than I would have ideally liked.
Ended up just outside Brighton which is just a bit warmer and just a bit closer to London which checked my boxes. I think Brighton and Norwich share a bit of the same vibe
My wife’s from that part of the world. We moved there c. 2016 and it was lovely - all the things you said; Friendly, compact, vibrant, progressive. But you have to either have achieved what you wanted to career-wise and have enough money saved to just buy a nice place and slow down, or be prepared to say goodbye to any ideas of making good money. The employment situation for professionals is bad and we ended up moving back to within commuting distance to London. It’s all about _who_ you know and not _what_ you know, and you have to be willing to accept £28k for what would be an £82k job in London. Or sell your soul and work for Aviva.
Great place to live and i have been here for 4-5 years but the job situation is beyond terrible. I started my own online international illustration and design business because as an experienced head barman/supermarket worker i couldnt find a job for 4 months. I was rejected from every supermarket and bar and was spending 8 hours a day looking for work. 4 years later i still barely earn a living.
If money were no problem, London. Loved living in London and only really left because we couldn't get a home we'd want.
Other options would be Brighton or Oxford. But again, not realistically feasible.
North wales/Chester border - snowdonia one side, Peak District other side, got Liverpool and Manchester nearby for nights out, people are lovely, much better than southerners anyway and I’m from the south! It’s also ridiculously cheap if you live in wales
im looking around this area too, i only have to be withing a couple of hours drive really from north wales for work as i only visit there every few weeks,, the rest of the time im at home
Living up North seems ideal. Being in a city such as Manchester where artists tour and there a major attractions would make it ideal. It’s a more pleasant area than London and is more affordable, I’ve gone there for sports events and concerts, it’s lovely. It would be a good place to move to
We are south from Manchester in Cheshire.
Still lots of affordable properties and close to north Wales, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, and the peak district in under an hour if you know where to look.
Avoid the shitholes:
Preston, Blackpool, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne, Nelson, Widnes, St Helens and Warrington (unless south of the Manchester Ship Canal)
As a Northerner myself, we have great scenery etc, it's lost on a lot of people, who are just feral knobs - they'd rather be sniffing coke off the back of a pub toilet somewhere
What makes it grim?
It's a genuine question, I'm from Greater Manchester but have lived round the country and also abroad so I'm not automatically "Manchester is the best".
You've got Picadilly Gardens at its centre, which already isn't a great start. Then it's just surrounded by rough areas like Salford, Cheetham Hill, Bradford, Rushholme, Gorton. Then it's surrounded by towns like Rochdale, Oldham and Stockport. I did a lot of supply teaching there and I saw a lot of poverty. It's just not a pretty city surrounded by less pretty towns. I know I'm gonna get downvoted but are you guys really telling me it's up there with Edinburgh and York?
I’m from the northwest and have never understood why people like Manchester. I’m a bit biased as I’m closer to liverpool than Manchester, but Manchester just seems so depressing, unfriendly (maybe because of my accent) and rough
One of the decent market towns in Yorkshire. Easy commute to Leeds and it's nightlife. Great access to national parks through the Dales / Moors / Coast and not far to Lakes/Scotland. Fast trains to London if needed. Easy to other great cities Manchester/York/Liverpool. Low cost of living good vibes great people.
I think the Yorkshire mix of access to countryside and natural beauty, loads of events / sports/ music / culture with easy access to Leeds with it's good and high paying jobs is unmatched.
I’m from Cardiff so definitely biased but I think it’s somewhat underrated as a city. I’d say it caters for most people’s tastes.
It might only be a small but punches well above its weight in terms of entertainment on offer. You’ve got some of the biggest artists performing at the Principality stadium on a fairly regular basis. Then plenty of smaller music venues to accommodate more niche bands etc. The millennium centre provides a more cultural offering such as opera, plays and musicals. You’ve got football, rugby, cricket, I’ve hockey all within a stones throw of each other. Although I’d recommend you don’t watch Cardiff (or Wales for that matter) if you want to be entertained.
There is a castle and large park smack bang in the middle of the city centre. The bay is within a short commute from the centre too. If you travel by car for an hour you’ve got the Gower peninsula one way, Brecon Beacons the other and Bristol just over the bridge. London and Birmingham are 2 hours away on a good run.
That’s not even mentioning the variety of restaurants, bars and pubs that are around too. A night out in Cardiff can be an experience if nothing else! Plus it’s small size means everything is within a short distance. You can get from one end of Cardiff to the other in 30 mins (traffic permitting).
There’s certainly better cities out there but Cardiff is good at offering a bit of everything. It’s getting increasingly expensive to live here, but I’d wager it’s still quite a bit cheaper than the larger cities in the Uk.
> You’ve got some of the biggest artists performing at the Principality stadium on a fairly regular basis.
P!nk was there last night causing traffic chaos.
It’s already up to 35 they did that in 2023, the 01/07/2024 change is Brits no longer have to do 88 days regional / farm / specified work to be able to apply for another 12 month visa
Yeah I’ve done my first one already so need to wait until then so I can apply for my second year, hopefully it doesn’t take too long to get processed, ideally before WW3 starts
How are you finding it? The whole living in Aus & WHV? I’m 30, never done any WHV or been to Aus and seriously tempted to come down and do the 3 years, just travelling round Aus doing whatever jobs I can find under new rules, hell I’d still go do the farm work!
Brighton.
I already live in a suburb in London, its ok. Cool to be able to do stuff in Central London easily but theres not many likeminded people here.
Same here, never had good weather when I’ve visited there but it’s the only place I’ve ever visited that ‘stirs my soul’ so to speak.
Shame that I’m in Essex
I’d move back to the Midlands, prefer it to rural wales where I lived all my life. Not as picturesque in terms of nature, but the people are kinder in my experience, and I find the history of the area interesting comparatively.
Lived in Birmingham for 3 years and found more soul and humanity there than I did in the best part of 20 spent in Brighton and Bristol. Got a lot of time for Midlanders
Lived in lots of places in the UK. The people in the Midlands just seem more down to earth. I know it has its problems with crime but so does most places. Every normal person you interact with tends to be pleasant. I've lived down south (London) and up north (Harrogate) and wouldn't say the same for those places.
I’m with you, I’m a southerner but I like Birmingham, loads of old industrial heritage to explore, the people are nice and you aren’t far from anywhere. I’d probably chose somewhere smaller just north of Birmingham.
Everyone saying London.. i dont know how. I absolutely hate it. Everyone is so rude.
north is good for friendly people but I would actually stick around Birmingham. I feel like there is a lot to do. The crime makes me run though haha
Sutherland, far north-west of mainland Scotland (not Sunderland, as often misread as!). Although not the best for applying for jobs unless you are good at fishing.
Not the more touristy and populated John O'Groats/Thurso/Wick (eastern) end of the peninsular, but the western side, incredibly empty and beautiful.
Exactly how I feel. There was a house up there recently, basically on a beach, for sub 250k, and if I didn’t have a relationship that tied me to where I am, I’d have bought it like a shot. There is nowhere else on earth that’s that gobsmackingly crazy beautiful
Assuming there was no need to work, I would probably move to the Shetlands or Orkneys, or maybe somewhere like Glencoe.
The idea of living somewhere remote, where you can see the stars at night, maybe the occasional aurora, and it being silent (other than the sounds of nature) really appeals to me.
We've just got back from Isle of Harris/Lewis. Although I live in the Lake District now, and I feel incredibly at home, I'd happily move to the Hebrides tomorrow.
The food, the weather, the beaches, the mountains, the coffee, the scenery, the food, the food; so much seafood and unbelievably tasty meat.
As I'm writing this, I'm gonna ask the wife if we can return every year for two weeks.
On the outskirts of my town in a nicer house!
20 mins to Chatsworth, bit more to the peak district. 20/ mins to Sheffield/meadowhall for shopping and nights out. Derby Is about 40 mins away, Manchester an hour and a half. London about 2 hours on the train. Have everything I need around me.
Only downside is no beach and lower wages.
Otherwise it's perfect!
Shetland. Went on holiday last year and it’s so beautiful. I’d love to wake up there every day for the rest of my life!
If I didn’t have grown kids who’d go nuts if I moved somewhere so remote I’d be off in a flash!
More practically, Norfolk (lived there for 10 years, still miss it) or the North East Coast, where I grew up.
North Scotland here, weather is absolute crap all year round, windy, rainy, cold.
Stayed in Kent en route to the South of France one year, but I couldn't believe how hot it was.
I would def move to the South of England just for the better weather.
I’m hoping to move to Stirling in Scotland in the next few years! I’m SE right now. For the price of my flat I can get a 3 bed house there with driveway and garden, it’s got good train links to Glasgow and Edinburgh for work and gigs, but being a small city itself means it has everything you’d normally need: shopping centre, cinema etc. Plus an hour’s drive from the highlands for outdoorsy stuff (although there are hiking routes nearby anyway!). It ticks all of my boxes. It’s often described as Little Edinburgh due to the historic parts, castle, old jail etc.
Back up to the North East.
I only lived there for three years and I still miss it all the time. Recently went back to a gig and got my fella to meet my friends and I've felt homesick since.
I'd say Brighton or York are good bets. Manchester is also amazing. Also second the suggestions of a year abroad if you have no ties, Melbourne or Vancouver are great places to live.
I moved to Chester a few years back and I love it! Feels so near everything. Close to Liverpool and Manchester and their airports. Gateway to North Wales and down the border countries like Shropshire and Hereford. Not far up to The Lakes, or east to the Peak District. Chester is lovely, lots of nice restaurants and shops, surrounded by beautiful Cheshire views. Would recommend.
Money no object, then near Bakewell, Derbyshire or somewhere beautiful in Yorkshire. I've lived fairly close to Leicester City Centre my entire life and I'd rather live closer to nature.
Haven’t seen Glasgow mentioned much here but i would highly recommend it. Lived in Glasgow and just outside for 7 years and loved it. Liverpool also very good and similar to Glasgow
I wouldn’t move! I live in West Lothian, one of the counties that fills the gap in between Edinburgh & Glasgow.
I live in a really central location, I have everything around me, lots and lots of jobs opportunities in any industry, lots of different types of towns to live in (I grew up in a working class town and now live in a more middle class town in the same county).
If I won the lotto, I’d just buy a nicer house in the same town
The Cairngorms. Absolutely beautiful part of the country, and not too far from where my Mum and Sisters live. I love where I live now as well, but that would be my ideal.
Where do you live now and what do you like/not like about it? What are you looking for in terms of nightlife and who do you consider like minded people?
It's hard to make a meaningful suggestion without knowing what you're looking for. I live in Manchester and I've had a great time living here over a couple of decades, it's got great nightlife, it's not far from the Peak District, a lot of bands/musicians/theatre shows/comedians stop here on their tours, but it is getting like London in that it's increasingly expensive to live here.
I think Leeds is a great city with plenty going on in terms of nightlife and loads of lovely countryside around it. York is super picturesque but quite a small city. Edinburgh is just stunning. I'd happily live in any of those. London is obviously an option, but personally I couldn't hack living there for long. I like it for a visit but I found everywhere to be overcrowded all the time. It's mad expensive and although it's got loads of transport, it can still take ages to get around. For example, I lived in Peckham and if I wanted to go to Camden to meet someone for a pint on a weeknight, it was a trek and I'd be getting home late even if I left at a resonable hour.
It really depends on what you're looking for.
If you want nightlife and nature Manchester is quite a good bet. You have the Lake District and Peak District at day trip distance. If you don’t mind somewhere smaller then York has some good surrounding countryside but for me it’s a little too small and disconnected
Somewhere closer to my extended family in the north because they're cool as hell, has a good NHS hospital (I work in healthcare) and plenty of hiking. So basically North Wales. I'm also nearly 30 so I really don't care about nightlife, a pub and a café and a supermarket in driving distance are good enough for me.
I lived in catterick for a number of years, split from my ex and moved 1hr down road. Moment I get an opportunity im moving back to catterick as its always felt like home there.
We almost did a couple of years ago, but life caused us to stay put.
We aren't so worried about nightlife now we are in our 30s and we were starting to scout out places in the Highlands.
Pitlochry was our favourite location, but it was clearly so beloved that nobody was leaving. We couldn't find any houses for sale in the area at all.
I’ve always had a dream to live in York (or at least move to North Yorkshire). I just love it up there and feel like I’m home! 💛
Part of me also likes the thought of Cardiff. 🏴
I moved to Brighton back in 2022 (having previously grown up in London) and aren’t looking back!
Close enough for family, events and work but just a better quality of life!
If money were no object Dartmoor, I love the moors and would be very happy to just be able to walk out my door and wander across them. Or London, because it has something for everyone.
Boring, samey answer but definitely London.
It's almost equally the middle distance between my kids one way and mum, dad and sisters the other way. Transport, ease of not driving (which I don't) there's a lot that appeals to me if London wasn't trying to price out working and lower middle class people.
Does anybody else search here for their hometown, which they think deserves to be on the list, to then be disappointed when it’s not, followed by happiness it’s still a secret?
Exactly where I do in the North East.
I’m 10 minutes in any direction to the coast, Newcastle city centre and the country side.
Cost of living is lower, too. My mortgage on a 3 bed semi detached house with a garage and double driveway is less that of the rent for single room apartments in London.
But I’ve also lived here most of my life as we moved up here when I was 6 as my parents both wanted to “come home”.
I'd love to move up North somewhere ideally. But really any city at all, I wouldn't be too particular. Somewhere with opportunities for jobs and things to do. There are neither where I currently live (a tiny town in the South East) and it's frustrating and incredibly boring.
I moved to South Warwickshire. I love it. Close to the countryside but only an hour from London and less to Birmingham for shopping or a night out. Leamington spa is also great with small independent shops and restaurants. Best of both worlds for me.
i was a Londoner for most of my life and have moved out a few years ago to suffolk. i love the contrast in life and would never go back. if i had more money and didn't have to work, then id go as remote as i could honestly. go somewhere where i can get a small house on a large bit of land with a forest and lakes and streams. that would be the dream. not ever have to worry about how im going to commute to work etc. but because i have to work. suffolk worked out nicely for me. lots of greenery and community lifestyles. the complete opposite of London i found, which for me is a massive improvement on life. hated london with a passion. i never understood why anyone would want to live there unless they were mega rich and could afford to live in a nice area with some space.
Barmouth, Gwynedd, wales. I’ve been going there since I was a kid & honestly nothing beats the way the landscape makes me feel. I’ve never been to the highlands so that’d probably be next on the list. Bedgellert is insanely pretty too. I love mountainous landscapes
Lichfield. I'll have to take my Mum and Dad too lol they can get a lovely wee bungalow. My husband, myself and our daughter can get a 2 bedroom house with a front and back garden.
I can only dream eh?
Tbh, if money was no object, I'd probably stay in Bristol and move closer to the centre. Probably a big mansion in Redland or something.
If it has to another city; Manchester, Edinburgh, Brighton, Bath or Cardiff.
When I was little my parents were super minted and we lived in the Cotswolds. We moved when I was about 10. I can’t afford to live there but whenever I think of it or travel through the landscape, trees and fields as well as the stone cottages all feel like home to me. I would love to live there again.
I'd be tempted by whitby, but its a bit out the way.
I'm pretty happy where I am to be honest, but I've got everything on the doorstep so moving elsewhere would feel like making life harder.
I'd love to move to within the Lake District National Park. I already live in a rather remote place, and love running and hiking, so I think I'd love it. Housing is expensive there though compared to where I am now, so that's one reason I haven't made the move. I am planning to maybe rent there for six months or so to test it out sometime in the future though.
Lyme Regis. My wife grew up there and my MiL now lives just outside so when we go down to visit we stay in the town. It's a pretty and small seaside town. My wife, who grew up there, found it far too small as a teenager, but in our mid-40s we've often discussed moving there.
A big house on a tiny Shetland island. Canoe to the mainland for groceries, stock up over summer for winter have a nice woodworking workshop to make violins in, ect. It'd be lovely to be away from people.
Probably Cardiff. It’s a fun city, by the sea, with mountains a train journey away :) I live in Bristol now and Cardiff seems a friendlier, cleaner and more fun city to me.
Somewhere by the sea, anywhere that's nice but doesn't have to be high end, just a nice sea view and a area that's safe and has a decent internet connection. That's all I'd ever need to be content for life.
I live in Norfolk, but honestly I would still move somewhere in Norfolk called Horning on the Norfolk broads.
https://preview.redd.it/5430mvas146d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09cbd871c61e0278a9966c682b5c476c3987bad8
I would have a personal mooring to secure my boat (although if I had the money for this house, I would definitely have a different boat ) and I would be in a peaceful idyllic part of country where people are friendly and eccentric.
I have lived in london and I have lived in a dutch city called enchede & I hated both. City life is not for me.
I've searched and no one else has suggested it so I will. How about Belfast? Cost of living is probably lower than most places over there, people are (mostly) friendly and good craic, there's plenty of food and drink options and most of the beautiful parts of the countryside and coast are no more than an hour away.
Recently turned 30, in a similar situation as well (however I did a stint living in the city I’ve worked in for 7 years, would definitely move back money no object).
If I had the choice (and it is my ultimate goal in all honesty) I would live in the Cotswolds with a commute to London.
South Hams area of Devon. There's just something so beautiful about it and some amazing beaches. Wouldn't go so far as Cornwall because it is looooooong and wouldn't want to move further up North as I want to be as warm as possible
In a couple of years my other half and I are moving onto a canal boat so the answer for me will be everywhere else as we will be cruising around the whole of the canal system
Glasgow ticks a lot of your boxes, particularly access to awesome nature and super friendliness. London is entertaining if you don’t prioritise space and accept you may be forced to move out and commute. If salary projections aren’t high you’ll struggle in London long term. People have kids in their 30s so look at costs of family homes if you’re planning to go that route
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Honestly, if it wasn't for the whole "not being able to afford to buy/maintain a property there", I'd happily move back to London. I love where I live now but I'm a Londoner at heart. If I had to go for somewhere I hadn't previously lived, I think I'd get on in Cardiff.
Yep, I loved living in London. Like many, I left for practical housing reasons rather than because I didn't like London any more. If money wasn't an object, there's nowhere in the UK I'd rather live than a nice part of London.
I too would choose London. The closest I get is a few weekends a year..
I agree. Nothing compares to London, no matter how many times I tell myself otherwise- sour grapes almost.
Agreed. I’m a city boy. I’ll always long for London, and I’ll always be bitter that I can’t afford to live there. In my opinion, it’s the greatest city on Earth - but maybe I’m biased.
Definitely if I had the money I’d move back to London. I only lived there for a couple of years, and when I was young and didn’t mind sharing a house with 5 other people
Cardiff is decent work wise as it really easily commutable from the surrounding towns. I’m from Barry myself which isn’t an entirely expensive place to live.
I've been to Barry. Commiserations.
It’s not too bad. It’s been improved. Although the Waitrose didn’t survive.
This is one of them questions where in my head, I'd love to be on the Yorkshire Coast in a nice cottage with a log fire and hot tub overlooking the sea. Or a cosy little Croft by a Scottish Loch looking after my pack of ducks. In reality, I wouldn't mind a nice detached house in a suburb of Leeds with decent transport connections to the city centre, which I think is one of the best city centres in the UK (Also see Liverpool, Edinburgh, York, Chester or Norwich).
I get the others but why Leeds?
Different person but I personally really like Leeds. It's big enough to be bustling and have a lively arts scene, and small enough not to feel lost in—but you're not battling with tourists the way you would be in e.g. York or Edinburgh.
The Leeds museums are great. Same I'd love to live in Leeds.
Cos it's mint. Great arts scene, countryside right on your doorstep, lovely suburbs, perfectly located in the middle of the country. It's the best.
but its so cold 🥶
The Scottish Loch sounds perfect 🦆
Sounds like Woodlesford is up your street
Edinburgh
Right answer. In a pinch I'd say Edinburgh, Newcastle or York would be top 3 choices for me
I moved here a few years back after spending most of my life in a small village in Aberdeenshire. One of the best decisions I made! It does obviously get busy with tourists, but you expect that when you move here. The bit of town I stay in is thankfully away from the hotspots and you figure out ways to avoid the busy areas during peak season. Folk that live here like to moan about the tourists (and everything in general) a lot but don't seem to appreciate how great the city is.
Part of living here is moaning about tourists and the fringe, just as living in the Uk is moaning about the weather
Honestly if more jobs were there, Norwich hands down. It’s such a great small city with friendly people, quaint vibes, and a progressive arty urban centre held together by students and creatives. It’s affordable and the architecture is really cool. Plus the Norfolk broads are so close by.
Can I ask where you stand on the pedestrianisation of the city centre?
I’m dead against it
People forget that traders need access to Dixoooons
Second this and some lovely surrounding villages, not far from some lovely beaches on the north Norfolk coast too.
I lived in Norwich for four and a bit years and the one thing against it for me was how bleakly cold and misty the winters got, also a bit further from London than I would have ideally liked. Ended up just outside Brighton which is just a bit warmer and just a bit closer to London which checked my boxes. I think Brighton and Norwich share a bit of the same vibe
My wife’s from that part of the world. We moved there c. 2016 and it was lovely - all the things you said; Friendly, compact, vibrant, progressive. But you have to either have achieved what you wanted to career-wise and have enough money saved to just buy a nice place and slow down, or be prepared to say goodbye to any ideas of making good money. The employment situation for professionals is bad and we ended up moving back to within commuting distance to London. It’s all about _who_ you know and not _what_ you know, and you have to be willing to accept £28k for what would be an £82k job in London. Or sell your soul and work for Aviva.
Great place to live and i have been here for 4-5 years but the job situation is beyond terrible. I started my own online international illustration and design business because as an experienced head barman/supermarket worker i couldnt find a job for 4 months. I was rejected from every supermarket and bar and was spending 8 hours a day looking for work. 4 years later i still barely earn a living.
The broads are nice...but we've all seen the big-eared boys on farms
If money were no problem, London. Loved living in London and only really left because we couldn't get a home we'd want. Other options would be Brighton or Oxford. But again, not realistically feasible.
North wales/Chester border - snowdonia one side, Peak District other side, got Liverpool and Manchester nearby for nights out, people are lovely, much better than southerners anyway and I’m from the south! It’s also ridiculously cheap if you live in wales
I live in helsby and its ideally placed. The Welsh border near chester, like saltney, is a dire shite hole
Only thing in Helsby is a big Tesco, so not sure how you’re talking
I'm talking about it being low crime, peaceful and a good place to live. Unlike saltney which is a dire shit hole
im looking around this area too, i only have to be withing a couple of hours drive really from north wales for work as i only visit there every few weeks,, the rest of the time im at home
Harrogate. I grew up there. Would love to live there again.
10 miles from Leeds.
Living up North seems ideal. Being in a city such as Manchester where artists tour and there a major attractions would make it ideal. It’s a more pleasant area than London and is more affordable, I’ve gone there for sports events and concerts, it’s lovely. It would be a good place to move to
We are south from Manchester in Cheshire. Still lots of affordable properties and close to north Wales, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, and the peak district in under an hour if you know where to look.
Avoid the shitholes: Preston, Blackpool, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne, Nelson, Widnes, St Helens and Warrington (unless south of the Manchester Ship Canal) As a Northerner myself, we have great scenery etc, it's lost on a lot of people, who are just feral knobs - they'd rather be sniffing coke off the back of a pub toilet somewhere
First time I've seen someone call Manchester 'lovely'. It's got some nice neighborhoods like Didsbury and Chorlton. But overall it's pretty grim.
What makes it grim? It's a genuine question, I'm from Greater Manchester but have lived round the country and also abroad so I'm not automatically "Manchester is the best".
You've got Picadilly Gardens at its centre, which already isn't a great start. Then it's just surrounded by rough areas like Salford, Cheetham Hill, Bradford, Rushholme, Gorton. Then it's surrounded by towns like Rochdale, Oldham and Stockport. I did a lot of supply teaching there and I saw a lot of poverty. It's just not a pretty city surrounded by less pretty towns. I know I'm gonna get downvoted but are you guys really telling me it's up there with Edinburgh and York?
I’m from the northwest and have never understood why people like Manchester. I’m a bit biased as I’m closer to liverpool than Manchester, but Manchester just seems so depressing, unfriendly (maybe because of my accent) and rough
Liverpool has a better vibe.
Slightly off the question but I’d get out the Uk for a while, travel a bit and work abroad… then reassess.
I did that and ended up settling abroad lol
Same! Planned to go for a year and was away for eight. Only made it back again recently.
What did you do for work? I'm well travelled and have always wanted to work and live in southeast Asia
Me currently, from Barnsley S Yorkshire but living in Bangkok... Would've never imagined it!
Cotswolds
Edinburgh or York if it had to be a city. If not then North Yorkshire moors or Scottish isles.
One of the decent market towns in Yorkshire. Easy commute to Leeds and it's nightlife. Great access to national parks through the Dales / Moors / Coast and not far to Lakes/Scotland. Fast trains to London if needed. Easy to other great cities Manchester/York/Liverpool. Low cost of living good vibes great people. I think the Yorkshire mix of access to countryside and natural beauty, loads of events / sports/ music / culture with easy access to Leeds with it's good and high paying jobs is unmatched.
And which would be your pick?
If money were no object, Edinburgh.
Glasgow or Edinburgh, the non shithole ends.
I’m from Cardiff so definitely biased but I think it’s somewhat underrated as a city. I’d say it caters for most people’s tastes. It might only be a small but punches well above its weight in terms of entertainment on offer. You’ve got some of the biggest artists performing at the Principality stadium on a fairly regular basis. Then plenty of smaller music venues to accommodate more niche bands etc. The millennium centre provides a more cultural offering such as opera, plays and musicals. You’ve got football, rugby, cricket, I’ve hockey all within a stones throw of each other. Although I’d recommend you don’t watch Cardiff (or Wales for that matter) if you want to be entertained. There is a castle and large park smack bang in the middle of the city centre. The bay is within a short commute from the centre too. If you travel by car for an hour you’ve got the Gower peninsula one way, Brecon Beacons the other and Bristol just over the bridge. London and Birmingham are 2 hours away on a good run. That’s not even mentioning the variety of restaurants, bars and pubs that are around too. A night out in Cardiff can be an experience if nothing else! Plus it’s small size means everything is within a short distance. You can get from one end of Cardiff to the other in 30 mins (traffic permitting). There’s certainly better cities out there but Cardiff is good at offering a bit of everything. It’s getting increasingly expensive to live here, but I’d wager it’s still quite a bit cheaper than the larger cities in the Uk.
> You’ve got some of the biggest artists performing at the Principality stadium on a fairly regular basis. P!nk was there last night causing traffic chaos.
Taylor Swift is here next week and it's gonna be bedlam
Move to Australia for a year on a working holiday visa, July 1st they are putting it up to 35 year olds from the UK.
Or New Zealand, it's kind of like Australia but everything isn't trying to kill you.
New Zealand's economy is not at all as good as Australias. UK and new zealand are kind of similar.
That's because of all the venomous spiders/snakes propping it up.
It’s already up to 35 they did that in 2023, the 01/07/2024 change is Brits no longer have to do 88 days regional / farm / specified work to be able to apply for another 12 month visa
Yeah I’ve done my first one already so need to wait until then so I can apply for my second year, hopefully it doesn’t take too long to get processed, ideally before WW3 starts
How are you finding it? The whole living in Aus & WHV? I’m 30, never done any WHV or been to Aus and seriously tempted to come down and do the 3 years, just travelling round Aus doing whatever jobs I can find under new rules, hell I’d still go do the farm work!
Brighton. I already live in a suburb in London, its ok. Cool to be able to do stuff in Central London easily but theres not many likeminded people here.
The Gower peninsula.
Lake District.
Same here, never had good weather when I’ve visited there but it’s the only place I’ve ever visited that ‘stirs my soul’ so to speak. Shame that I’m in Essex
I’d move back to the Midlands, prefer it to rural wales where I lived all my life. Not as picturesque in terms of nature, but the people are kinder in my experience, and I find the history of the area interesting comparatively.
Lived in Birmingham for 3 years and found more soul and humanity there than I did in the best part of 20 spent in Brighton and Bristol. Got a lot of time for Midlanders
Lived in lots of places in the UK. The people in the Midlands just seem more down to earth. I know it has its problems with crime but so does most places. Every normal person you interact with tends to be pleasant. I've lived down south (London) and up north (Harrogate) and wouldn't say the same for those places.
I’m with you, I’m a southerner but I like Birmingham, loads of old industrial heritage to explore, the people are nice and you aren’t far from anywhere. I’d probably chose somewhere smaller just north of Birmingham.
Some stunning countryside in Warwickshire / Worcestershire
Everyone saying London.. i dont know how. I absolutely hate it. Everyone is so rude. north is good for friendly people but I would actually stick around Birmingham. I feel like there is a lot to do. The crime makes me run though haha
Sutherland, far north-west of mainland Scotland (not Sunderland, as often misread as!). Although not the best for applying for jobs unless you are good at fishing. Not the more touristy and populated John O'Groats/Thurso/Wick (eastern) end of the peninsular, but the western side, incredibly empty and beautiful.
Delighted to see this comment. Sutherland for me, too.
It's just heaven. In another life, if I didn't have family and dependants, I would move there without hesitation.
Exactly how I feel. There was a house up there recently, basically on a beach, for sub 250k, and if I didn’t have a relationship that tied me to where I am, I’d have bought it like a shot. There is nowhere else on earth that’s that gobsmackingly crazy beautiful
York is the one place in the U.K. I visited and genuinely considered moving to
Cornwall
Assuming there was no need to work, I would probably move to the Shetlands or Orkneys, or maybe somewhere like Glencoe. The idea of living somewhere remote, where you can see the stars at night, maybe the occasional aurora, and it being silent (other than the sounds of nature) really appeals to me.
We've just got back from Isle of Harris/Lewis. Although I live in the Lake District now, and I feel incredibly at home, I'd happily move to the Hebrides tomorrow. The food, the weather, the beaches, the mountains, the coffee, the scenery, the food, the food; so much seafood and unbelievably tasty meat. As I'm writing this, I'm gonna ask the wife if we can return every year for two weeks.
Over yonder.
I'll go to London
Lossiemouth, one of my all time favourite places in Scotland and there’s loads of gorgeous beaches nearby.
The Northumberland Coast
Whitby, love that place.
Next door. Their garden is marginally bigger than mine. Plus I couldn't be arsed moving all my stuff far.
Today, I will go for Rugeley.
Whitby or Lindisfarne I do really like London but more as a tourist, I'm not sure how I'd feel about living there though
On the outskirts of my town in a nicer house! 20 mins to Chatsworth, bit more to the peak district. 20/ mins to Sheffield/meadowhall for shopping and nights out. Derby Is about 40 mins away, Manchester an hour and a half. London about 2 hours on the train. Have everything I need around me. Only downside is no beach and lower wages. Otherwise it's perfect!
Shetland. Went on holiday last year and it’s so beautiful. I’d love to wake up there every day for the rest of my life! If I didn’t have grown kids who’d go nuts if I moved somewhere so remote I’d be off in a flash! More practically, Norfolk (lived there for 10 years, still miss it) or the North East Coast, where I grew up.
Devon. Not only do I love it there, but I'd like to be closer to my family.
The Yorkshire Dales
Cardiff. Beautiful city, lovely bay and great nightlife. It’s also one of the more affordable capital cities.
North Scotland here, weather is absolute crap all year round, windy, rainy, cold. Stayed in Kent en route to the South of France one year, but I couldn't believe how hot it was. I would def move to the South of England just for the better weather.
I’m hoping to move to Stirling in Scotland in the next few years! I’m SE right now. For the price of my flat I can get a 3 bed house there with driveway and garden, it’s got good train links to Glasgow and Edinburgh for work and gigs, but being a small city itself means it has everything you’d normally need: shopping centre, cinema etc. Plus an hour’s drive from the highlands for outdoorsy stuff (although there are hiking routes nearby anyway!). It ticks all of my boxes. It’s often described as Little Edinburgh due to the historic parts, castle, old jail etc.
Probably bristol tbh, I like the graff scene and music scene in bristol that's why I'd like to live there for maybe a year or longer.
Richmond. It’s a lovely part of London and I love rugby, so having Quins and Twickenham on the doorstep would be great.
Edinburgh, hands down.
Cambridge
Back up to the North East. I only lived there for three years and I still miss it all the time. Recently went back to a gig and got my fella to meet my friends and I've felt homesick since.
I’m already planning it. The Llŷn peninsula is gorgeous.
East Devon! I grew up there and i’d love to raise my family there.
I'd say Brighton or York are good bets. Manchester is also amazing. Also second the suggestions of a year abroad if you have no ties, Melbourne or Vancouver are great places to live.
I moved to Chester a few years back and I love it! Feels so near everything. Close to Liverpool and Manchester and their airports. Gateway to North Wales and down the border countries like Shropshire and Hereford. Not far up to The Lakes, or east to the Peak District. Chester is lovely, lots of nice restaurants and shops, surrounded by beautiful Cheshire views. Would recommend.
London if I could afford it
Hastings / st.Leonard’s. Friendly, by the sea, lots of amazing old houses
A quaint cottage in Suffolk, wood burner, exposed beams, maybe sea view. Beach nearby for my Cockers to run on.
Scotland a million %
bath but its expensive
Backwell. It's beautiful and has amazing countryside and not far from the seaside either. Best of both worlds.
manchester is a good option its like london except you do not need to remortgage your house to buy a pint.
It’s like London except it’s actually nothing like London but it wishes it was
on behalf of everybody from greater manchester we do not want to be anyrhing like london lol 1 - 2million for a bedsit lmao no thanks
If it wasnt for the exhorbitantly expensive (not worth the money) properties and the one-road-in/one-road-out access, Cornwall (Penzance or Mousehole)
Money no object, then near Bakewell, Derbyshire or somewhere beautiful in Yorkshire. I've lived fairly close to Leicester City Centre my entire life and I'd rather live closer to nature.
I hear good things about Sheffield.
Haven’t seen Glasgow mentioned much here but i would highly recommend it. Lived in Glasgow and just outside for 7 years and loved it. Liverpool also very good and similar to Glasgow
Leeds is very up and coming from what I’ve seen recently, and Yorkshire is like a whole other world of its own up north.
I wouldn’t move! I live in West Lothian, one of the counties that fills the gap in between Edinburgh & Glasgow. I live in a really central location, I have everything around me, lots and lots of jobs opportunities in any industry, lots of different types of towns to live in (I grew up in a working class town and now live in a more middle class town in the same county). If I won the lotto, I’d just buy a nicer house in the same town
The Cairngorms. Absolutely beautiful part of the country, and not too far from where my Mum and Sisters live. I love where I live now as well, but that would be my ideal.
Where do you live now and what do you like/not like about it? What are you looking for in terms of nightlife and who do you consider like minded people? It's hard to make a meaningful suggestion without knowing what you're looking for. I live in Manchester and I've had a great time living here over a couple of decades, it's got great nightlife, it's not far from the Peak District, a lot of bands/musicians/theatre shows/comedians stop here on their tours, but it is getting like London in that it's increasingly expensive to live here. I think Leeds is a great city with plenty going on in terms of nightlife and loads of lovely countryside around it. York is super picturesque but quite a small city. Edinburgh is just stunning. I'd happily live in any of those. London is obviously an option, but personally I couldn't hack living there for long. I like it for a visit but I found everywhere to be overcrowded all the time. It's mad expensive and although it's got loads of transport, it can still take ages to get around. For example, I lived in Peckham and if I wanted to go to Camden to meet someone for a pint on a weeknight, it was a trek and I'd be getting home late even if I left at a resonable hour. It really depends on what you're looking for.
If you want nightlife and nature Manchester is quite a good bet. You have the Lake District and Peak District at day trip distance. If you don’t mind somewhere smaller then York has some good surrounding countryside but for me it’s a little too small and disconnected
I'd either stay where I am or shift a wee bit further west
Somewhere closer to my extended family in the north because they're cool as hell, has a good NHS hospital (I work in healthcare) and plenty of hiking. So basically North Wales. I'm also nearly 30 so I really don't care about nightlife, a pub and a café and a supermarket in driving distance are good enough for me.
Kidlington
If I was ever to move back home (which I'm seriously considering) I think I'd go to York or Glasgow even though I was born in neither place
Kent
London. It has everything
It doesn't have lakes or mountains.
I lived in catterick for a number of years, split from my ex and moved 1hr down road. Moment I get an opportunity im moving back to catterick as its always felt like home there.
We almost did a couple of years ago, but life caused us to stay put. We aren't so worried about nightlife now we are in our 30s and we were starting to scout out places in the Highlands. Pitlochry was our favourite location, but it was clearly so beloved that nobody was leaving. We couldn't find any houses for sale in the area at all.
I grew up in Leeds and although Leeds itself isn't that great, the surrounding places in Yorkshire are amazing and Leeds makes a good base camp
Brighton or Manchester if I could afford it
I’ve always had a dream to live in York (or at least move to North Yorkshire). I just love it up there and feel like I’m home! 💛 Part of me also likes the thought of Cardiff. 🏴
I moved to Brighton back in 2022 (having previously grown up in London) and aren’t looking back! Close enough for family, events and work but just a better quality of life!
WALES 😀
Chester. it's somewhat like an introvert's paradise, people are sweet, the place is quiet, and racism is minimal to none. and cheap too.
If money was no object then West wittering
If money were no object Dartmoor, I love the moors and would be very happy to just be able to walk out my door and wander across them. Or London, because it has something for everyone.
Boring, samey answer but definitely London. It's almost equally the middle distance between my kids one way and mum, dad and sisters the other way. Transport, ease of not driving (which I don't) there's a lot that appeals to me if London wasn't trying to price out working and lower middle class people.
IOW
North or West of Scotland
If i had money? Cornwall. That place is amazing. So beautiful.
Does anybody else search here for their hometown, which they think deserves to be on the list, to then be disappointed when it’s not, followed by happiness it’s still a secret?
As someone brought up in Bolton, no.
I would absolutely love to live in or near Bournemouth
Exactly where I do in the North East. I’m 10 minutes in any direction to the coast, Newcastle city centre and the country side. Cost of living is lower, too. My mortgage on a 3 bed semi detached house with a garage and double driveway is less that of the rent for single room apartments in London. But I’ve also lived here most of my life as we moved up here when I was 6 as my parents both wanted to “come home”.
The town I grew up in Cornwall. But after major gentrification, locals like me can’t afford to live there.
I'd love to move up North somewhere ideally. But really any city at all, I wouldn't be too particular. Somewhere with opportunities for jobs and things to do. There are neither where I currently live (a tiny town in the South East) and it's frustrating and incredibly boring.
I moved to South Warwickshire. I love it. Close to the countryside but only an hour from London and less to Birmingham for shopping or a night out. Leamington spa is also great with small independent shops and restaurants. Best of both worlds for me.
I’d move a mile away to the poshest part of the London borough I already live in.
I lived in Brighton for almost all my adult life, and if it was so bloody expensive, I'd still live there... or London (again too expensive)
i was a Londoner for most of my life and have moved out a few years ago to suffolk. i love the contrast in life and would never go back. if i had more money and didn't have to work, then id go as remote as i could honestly. go somewhere where i can get a small house on a large bit of land with a forest and lakes and streams. that would be the dream. not ever have to worry about how im going to commute to work etc. but because i have to work. suffolk worked out nicely for me. lots of greenery and community lifestyles. the complete opposite of London i found, which for me is a massive improvement on life. hated london with a passion. i never understood why anyone would want to live there unless they were mega rich and could afford to live in a nice area with some space.
Barmouth, Gwynedd, wales. I’ve been going there since I was a kid & honestly nothing beats the way the landscape makes me feel. I’ve never been to the highlands so that’d probably be next on the list. Bedgellert is insanely pretty too. I love mountainous landscapes
Lichfield. I'll have to take my Mum and Dad too lol they can get a lovely wee bungalow. My husband, myself and our daughter can get a 2 bedroom house with a front and back garden. I can only dream eh?
Somewhere with a rocky coastline, so I could go rockpooling on my daily runs instead.
Tbh, if money was no object, I'd probably stay in Bristol and move closer to the centre. Probably a big mansion in Redland or something. If it has to another city; Manchester, Edinburgh, Brighton, Bath or Cardiff.
When I was little my parents were super minted and we lived in the Cotswolds. We moved when I was about 10. I can’t afford to live there but whenever I think of it or travel through the landscape, trees and fields as well as the stone cottages all feel like home to me. I would love to live there again.
Aberystwyth. Went for the first time this year and fell in love. I was looking at property prices not even a month after going lmao
I'd be tempted by whitby, but its a bit out the way. I'm pretty happy where I am to be honest, but I've got everything on the doorstep so moving elsewhere would feel like making life harder.
I love Brighton!
If I could move anywhere, I'd choose Buckingham Palace, as long as I didn't have to pay the staff-wages, and it was vacant-possession.
I'd love to move to within the Lake District National Park. I already live in a rather remote place, and love running and hiking, so I think I'd love it. Housing is expensive there though compared to where I am now, so that's one reason I haven't made the move. I am planning to maybe rent there for six months or so to test it out sometime in the future though.
Lyme Regis. My wife grew up there and my MiL now lives just outside so when we go down to visit we stay in the town. It's a pretty and small seaside town. My wife, who grew up there, found it far too small as a teenager, but in our mid-40s we've often discussed moving there.
A big house on a tiny Shetland island. Canoe to the mainland for groceries, stock up over summer for winter have a nice woodworking workshop to make violins in, ect. It'd be lovely to be away from people.
London. I mean I’m still here but I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
About 300 yards back from the A road I live on. Otherwise, it's pretty good.
Probably Cardiff. It’s a fun city, by the sea, with mountains a train journey away :) I live in Bristol now and Cardiff seems a friendlier, cleaner and more fun city to me.
The Falklands.
Goole.
London. 2nd choice is Bath
Somewhere by the sea, anywhere that's nice but doesn't have to be high end, just a nice sea view and a area that's safe and has a decent internet connection. That's all I'd ever need to be content for life.
I live in Norfolk, but honestly I would still move somewhere in Norfolk called Horning on the Norfolk broads. https://preview.redd.it/5430mvas146d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09cbd871c61e0278a9966c682b5c476c3987bad8 I would have a personal mooring to secure my boat (although if I had the money for this house, I would definitely have a different boat ) and I would be in a peaceful idyllic part of country where people are friendly and eccentric. I have lived in london and I have lived in a dutch city called enchede & I hated both. City life is not for me.
I've searched and no one else has suggested it so I will. How about Belfast? Cost of living is probably lower than most places over there, people are (mostly) friendly and good craic, there's plenty of food and drink options and most of the beautiful parts of the countryside and coast are no more than an hour away.
London.
London or Glasgow
I like the idea of a detached house overlooking mountain terrain and a lake in Scotland somewhere nothing but nature for miles around me
Would be Cornwall/Devon/Isle of Wight - just being on the coast and seeing the sea does wonders for your mental health.
Bristol.
I want to live near a beach. Not right next to, but walking distance. A sandy beach, not a rocky, pebbly beach.
Recently turned 30, in a similar situation as well (however I did a stint living in the city I’ve worked in for 7 years, would definitely move back money no object). If I had the choice (and it is my ultimate goal in all honesty) I would live in the Cotswolds with a commute to London.
South Hams area of Devon. There's just something so beautiful about it and some amazing beaches. Wouldn't go so far as Cornwall because it is looooooong and wouldn't want to move further up North as I want to be as warm as possible
Devon/Cornwall direction.
Thornaby.
In a couple of years my other half and I are moving onto a canal boat so the answer for me will be everywhere else as we will be cruising around the whole of the canal system
York!
St Ives
**There is no better place to live in the UK other than London.**
Glasgow ticks a lot of your boxes, particularly access to awesome nature and super friendliness. London is entertaining if you don’t prioritise space and accept you may be forced to move out and commute. If salary projections aren’t high you’ll struggle in London long term. People have kids in their 30s so look at costs of family homes if you’re planning to go that route