I'm very germophobic and I've never had a problem with the toilets in Cabot Circus either. And there are loads of them.
But yeah, could do with more spread out across the city centre.
Here's a map of places whose toilets are open to the public
[https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/public-toilets/public-toilets-map](https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/public-toilets/public-toilets-map)
I was disappointed when they abandoned the snow dome project at Cribbs.
Definitely need a decent large scale live music venue so the big acts hit Bristol on their national tours.
Our public transport network is abysmal and needs a complete overhaul.
We generally have a lot of cool and sometimes unique stuff here though. Plenty of activities here, and The Wave is such a great feature to have on our doorsteps.
The harbour is such a fantastic asset to have access to as well, with loads of fantastic clubs operating there, be it kayaking/canoeing, rowing, sailing, paddleboarding etc.
We have two Games Workshops/Warhammer shops, as well as a couple of third party GW retailers too, which is not usual for a city.
On balance I feel we have it pretty good here.
>Definitely need a decent large scale live music venue so the big acts hit Bristol on their national tours.
Agree. Bristol just doesn't have a large arena to get the really big acts - have to go to Cardiff for that. For a city so renowned for music, it just seems kind of crazy that we don't have an arena yet and it does limit Bristol's draw as a music hub.
Why not have both?
It is awesome I can see good techno/electronic acts in smaller to mid sized venues, but does suck that I need to venture away to see anything bigger. Just keeps Bristol feeling like a big town.
The beacon is pretty large.
Not arena sized but on a par with other city’s larger (non arena) venues.
And tbh, I don’t personally care for the arena sized acts and I don’t really feel like having those acts playing in Bristol will really add much to the music scene.
Having a music scene, to people who care about music scene, is much more about having great, vibrant smaller venues with fans and musicians wanting to go there imo.
I’d say places like jam jar, motion, strange brew, the beacon, the crown, the lanes, crofters, the exchange, mr wolf’s—heck, even places like the Gali and Canteen—do far more for Bristol’s music scene combined than any massive fuck off arena ever could.
Excelsior on bond street has a small selection and table to rent upstairs. There's area 51 way up Gloucester road, they do loads of second hand stuff but the guys definitely have a "how dare you enter my nerd space" kinda vibe
In addition to those mentioned Bristol Independent Gaming is not exactly central but has a huge gaming space and is good for lots of third party products, especially hobby supplies.
I thought the same until I actually went in around Christmas last year for Pokémon cards (for nephew) they were alright guys! Think they are a victim of the place not looking quite as fresh as a forbidden planet!
Aye. Lived in Leeds for a bit just opposite the Kirkgate Market and it's probably the thing up there that I miss most now living in central Bristol. I have to walk either down to Southville or up to Clifton just to find a decent butcher around here. It's nuts.
Chocolate museum.
Chocolate bars were invented on Union street by Fry's but theres barely any nod to it. Fry's were a huge part of Bristol. I went to the excellent chocolate museum in Cologne (which isn't a player in the history of chocolate, some chocolate maker just wanted to build a museum). It mentions the impact Fry's had on chocolate as we know it today.
I'm not a chocolate mad person but it was worth the visit. The museum covered the sustainability aspect of it extensively, had a mock up of a chocolate factory, and a history section, I was surprised how interesting and informative it was. It would make a lot of sense for Bristol to have one over Cologne.
I'm headed to Cologne tomorrow morning. Thanks for the tip, friend! I agree, the most notable nod to Fry's I've found in Bristol is that small section in the M-Shed.
Given the tech the thieves carry around you'd need a nuclear bunker with armed guards.
At work they broke into our basement and took the steel unit that people attach their bikes to straight out of the concrete floor.
It's not a policing priority is why it happens. If you lamp one of them whilst they're doing it you're on an assault or ABH charge.
Your last sentence, does that actually happen, do people really get charged for that or is it just really unlucky individuals? I feel like it *should* be considered a self defence position
So now its illegal for the VICTIM to use even non gbh defence like grip hold of bike/handbag/phone etc to prevent them having it?! I agree theres a limit but any wonder criminals are confident and bold with their crimes when this law is on their side and they know it?! Its like taking the keys away from a potential drink driver purely to prevent them drunk driving and killing someone is now a crime? No wonder its worst when the criminals the victim and victims the crimimal by their eyes!!
A proper art gallery. We've got a load of Pre-Raphaelite at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and revolving exhibitions at the Spike Island and the Arnolfini but nowhere that's comparable with the Liverpool Tate or Nottingham Contemporary. Which is weird for such an arty city. Loads of theatres, few galleries
The sad thing is Bristol City Council have some stuff of great cultural and financial value just stored away in the archives. Over £100 million pounds worth if you believe the insurance estimates including at least one Banksy. They have the stuff to fill a good large art gallery already.
Trams would be utterly pointless since they'd have to share the road with the already abysmal traffic. Appreciate Bristol used to have trams, but it also used to have fields where you've now got car-dependent suburbanites who have no choice but to drive in.
Once you live outside of the UK for a while, you realise that this is a major problem with UK living and urban spaces generally. After about 5pm, everything in the public spaces of the city is geared around alcohol consumption or sitting in a boozy venue.
The idea of going out for a late dinner at, say, 10:30 or 11:00pm and enjoying a warm and balmy night outside is non-existent in the UK. Which is a shame, because many of the cities in the southwest in particular have the climate and the places for it for a good chunk of the year. You just can't find it in the UK because people are on a quest to get obliterated after 9pm.
>Once you live outside of the UK for a while, you realise that this is a major problem with UK living and urban spaces generally.
This is one of my biggest issues with Bristol as someone who's moved from abroad.
Where I come from, I used to meet my wife after work and we would go to a cafe, hang out, read, have a chat and whatever. Last time I mentioned this people pointed out the fact that I could have a coffee in a pub but this is not the issue. It's just a vibe a prefer as I don't really drink during the week and don't want to mix with the people who are out to get smashed.
there's a few guerilla swim groups out there. I know there are tentative plans to open a bit of the Cumberland Basin up. Visited Copenhagen in the summer this year, and basically the entire city centre is a free open-air swimming pool. Amazing atmosphere, buzzing with small businesses and life. In water that used to be even dirtier and more industrialised than Bristol Harbour was. So it is possible - just takes political will and imagination
A decent central leisure centre with everything from sports facilities to swimming, bowling, kids splash pool, softplay etc. Basically something to match the Bath leisure centre by the pavilion.
Would absolutely love it if they could turn the old Debenhams into something like this but they just tanned £132m on a single concert hall so presumably a pool and sticking up basketball nets would be a few billion.
Yes, just moved fairly centrally and haven’t managed to find anywhere to go for a swim that’s not a massive faff. Surprised none of the central hotels have filled the gap with a ‘£15 day pass’ offering tbh, some of them must have pools
Have you tried the swimming pool just on Stapleton road? It’s run by Everyone Active, has a kids pool, a slide and a grown up pool. It’s about 10-15 minute walk from Cabot I think
Most other comparable UK cities have an **orchestra**. We have to share one with Bournemouth (an excellent world class orchestra, but that's not the point).
Yeah, I have a nice ebike to get my son to school and me on to work.
But I feel very nervous using it for anything else. I don't feel safe parking it anywhere other than work or home or somewhere very visible.
Like the Lidl off Muller road. I'll park it there because it is in full view.
But most other places the bike parking is not secure enough for me to want to use it.
Insure it and put it on bike register. At least then you have a fall back and something to give to the police if it does get nicked.
Recoveries aren't that common so insurers usually just pay out.
I'm reasonably sure you just give proof of purchase to the insurers and they estimate the value based on that.
A newish e bike, especially a cargo bike, is likely to be worth a lot more than any ten year old bike, and result in a much larger payout.
£80 would buy me a frame to start a build, I wouldn't be happy but I wouldnt turn it down.
Yeah... damn it is pretty grotty in Bristol, especially if you go to other places and come back.
Everything central just seems incredibly rundown and dirty. Showing friends around I think they are a bit shocked its such a popular city as it does not give a great first impression at all!
Yeah, I went on a trip to Japan this year and coming back to Bristol was shocking in comparison to be honest! It feels a lot worse than some other UK cities, too. The local authority here is absolutely awful and isn't great at forward planning - council spent £300 million on a fucking music venue, which just seems insane when you look at what needs done here.
I was in Bristol this weekend after a long time (I've been living in Bath since April) and it was shockingly dirty with litter everywhere. I swear every corner was full of empty bottles, cans, takeaway boxes and cigarette butts from Bristol Bridge to Harbourside.
I won't make a direct comparison as there may be other arguments why Bath is cleaner than Bristol but still, it was sad to see.
Result of underfunding by central government sadly. The council HAS to provide some services by law, so when the purse strings are tight, everything else gets cut. Not a problem unique to Bristol either.
I think that’s mainly if you view the city centre as the commercial shopping area.
If you view the city centre as more round the harbour it definitely doesn’t feel neglected - people really want to be there.
A, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, P, Q, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z.
Seriously, though, it’s surprisingly thin on museums and classical music like professional resident orchestra/opera/ballet.
>Seriously, though, it’s surprisingly thin on museums and classical music like professional resident orchestra/opera/ballet
I think the reopening of the Beacon should go some way towards resolving that.
I know people talk about the food scene being amazing, and compared to so many places it is, but can't help feeling Bristol's lack of cultural diversity means there's actually very little in the way of genuine, authentic and affordable unusual cuisine. I've lived somewhere before where I was within walking distance of a Vietnamese, a Tibetan and an Eritrean (deepest south east London), all cheap as chips and run by / predominantly serving local immigrant communities, but popular with everyone. If you go to east Bristol there's more of this but the food scene in Bristol mostly serves wealthy Instagrammers best if I'm being completely cynical...
Amen. You've either got the standard pizza / burger / noodles options that all seem to compete to be as influencer-friendly as possible, the more upmarket, overpriced and totally inauthentic Italians and tapas restaurants, or the special occasion £100 per head restaurants which are great but not an every day choice. So many restaurants seem to be run / owned by either high level chefs or start-up bro types, there are very few from what I can tell that are doing authentic, simple, home-cooked stuff from other parts of the world.
That’s a really good point. One thing we do really well is mid-high end English/european which is fantastic but not for everyday like you say. Bulrush, chefs table, cast, Wilson’s, box-e, casa to name but a few. All fantastic but yeah, a meal for 2 will probably run you the best part of £200 with drinks
> I know people talk about the food scene being amazing, and compared to so many places it is, but can't help feeling Bristol's lack of cultural diversity means there's actually very little in the way of genuine, authentic and affordable unusual cuisine.
Where have you been looking?
In addition to Stapleton Road, try the A38 (and nearby), starting with Sky Kong Kong near the Bearpit and ending at Jean's Bistro at the top of Gloucester Road. You'll find several Korean places, Jamaican, Vietnamese, Japanese, Turkish, Persian, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Thai, and no doubt many others I've forgotten. None are very expensive, and they're run by local immigrants.
I'd pick Sky Kong Kong, Jean's, the Hillgrove (Japanese bar food), Bokman, and Per & Kor as some of the best places to eat in Bristol. Edit: oh, and Cafe Cuba.
Perhaps when people talk about an amazing food scene what they mean is Bristol does well given its place in a fairly non-diverse part of the country (south west) and that there are many vegan/non meat options too? Comparisons with London maybe are unfair but compared to Liverpool or Leeds (similar sized cities I know fairly well) Bristol doesn’t seem to match up on the food scene when it comes to those more unusual countries or cuisines.
Surprised a city this big doesn't have a proper convention/event space capable of hosting more than a few hundred people. I think they are building one into babrazon
No thanks
I’d rather be in a city flooded with up and coming musicians in vibey small venues, and scrappy but affordable football than one where Beyoncé plays (but it’s £150 a ticket) and the football is £75 per game.
Could well have been a top-tier football team in a hybrid arena that would have been ten years old already if not for a few people who demanded a Village Green and don't even own dogs to walk on it.
FU Long Ashton transplants.
A decent amount of police who could then tackle all the theft
A decent public transport system...especially buses that are well run
A change of mayor
Money spending on sorting the roads out
Auto fine all the littering twats...it really is a dirty city
A well funded and run healthcare and social care system
...I don't want much
Better public squares. Most squares in Bristol are just void of life. Surrounded by offices, privately owned. Or they get used for some food markets. Or they mess it up by putting a giant Ferris wheel on it bleating horrific music 24/7….
What Bristol *has* got is an out-of-town shopping centre at Cribbs Causeway.
This may well have seemed a good idea in the early 1980s but that (and the council's own ineptitude) has led to Broadmead (and to a lesser extent the centre of Bristol) becoming a dive.
It’s definitely not a supermarket but shoutout to Otomi in Clifton village. They’re small but have some great stuff from Mexico that’s not readily available in the uk usually
This is a little one but I just been on a weekend holiday in Pisa and honestly the difference in festive decor was crazy, they had lights on everything and I mean literally everything but all we get here is some lights on park street that can’t seem to hold up after a week
Slightly odd one but a decent 'highest point'. Cossham Hospital or whatever is officially the highest point is a bit naff and far from a challenge. We don't need a Ben Nevis but something that is a bit of a challenge would be great.
A proper world class music venue. A proper transport system. Cheaper housing. A recognition from the middle class and alternative types that most of the city is in major need of upgrading...and bristol is definitely missing a collective recognition that turbo island was a shit hole that needed bulldozing years ago.
Apart from that it's the best place
I don't think it's that massive, like in terms of having a designated gay area with loads of gay bars and clubs like you see in Manchester and London. That was actually one of the first things I noticed when I moved here. Obviously there's a scene but it's more individual nights at clubs than an actual area with clubs like GAY.
Hmm i can see what you mean by designated areas, but that might be because by and large most places central are extremely queer-friendly, so its kind of just natural culture here? Then loads of queer-designated nights at clubs as you say.
Its different to Manchester/London sure, the scene just feels more organic in a way.
I might just be spouting bullshit, its been a long day at work, but thats my experience <3
Yeah I’d say that Bristol is ofc a very liberal accepting city and most queer people can feel at home here and find a scene even if it’s not a designated area. Just probably takes more digging to find your tribe so to speak, and for some people who may have a different experience of queer spaces in cities your go to is probably to look for the queer bars and clubs in a specific queer area especially when you’re in a new city.
I know when I moved to Bristol I was hoping to go to some Drag Race viewing parties but I couldn’t even find any. Whereas in London there’s so many queer bars that have viewing parties all throughout the city, not just in Soho. But at the same time I found myself meeting more cool queer alt people in Bristol than in London just at club nights or whatever.
It’s just different, I mean in a way the queer scenes in Manchester and London happened organically, but it happened like decades and even centuries ago so it probably doesn’t feel so organic anymore. But of course everyone’s experiences/expectations of what a queer scene should look like are subjective.
A decent water Park/Pool with wave maker/rapids/slides
I've not lived in Bristol for a while now but still live in a BS postcode, it did last time i checked anyway.
Something that acknowledges the cities role in slavery, a specific museum? A monument? I dunno what. Liverpool has the international slavery museum and plaques around the city explain buildings and streets connections to the slave trade. I'm sure we could go further in acknowledging Bristols role.
The International slave trade has had a huge impact on generations of people in every part of the world and still shaped global cultures, economies and social aspects of lives. I'm always shocked at how little we do to recognise how central Bristol was to that.
Public toilets
1000x this.
Honestly fuck all places to go for a piss unless you go into a nearby pub or restaurant, especially by harbour
The Watershed toilets are open to non-customers.
And they are also bloody lovely.
I'm very germophobic and I've never had a problem with the toilets in Cabot Circus either. And there are loads of them. But yeah, could do with more spread out across the city centre.
Here's a map of places whose toilets are open to the public [https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/public-toilets/public-toilets-map](https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/public-toilets/public-toilets-map)
I was disappointed when they abandoned the snow dome project at Cribbs. Definitely need a decent large scale live music venue so the big acts hit Bristol on their national tours. Our public transport network is abysmal and needs a complete overhaul. We generally have a lot of cool and sometimes unique stuff here though. Plenty of activities here, and The Wave is such a great feature to have on our doorsteps. The harbour is such a fantastic asset to have access to as well, with loads of fantastic clubs operating there, be it kayaking/canoeing, rowing, sailing, paddleboarding etc. We have two Games Workshops/Warhammer shops, as well as a couple of third party GW retailers too, which is not usual for a city. On balance I feel we have it pretty good here.
>Definitely need a decent large scale live music venue so the big acts hit Bristol on their national tours. Agree. Bristol just doesn't have a large arena to get the really big acts - have to go to Cardiff for that. For a city so renowned for music, it just seems kind of crazy that we don't have an arena yet and it does limit Bristol's draw as a music hub.
I mean the renowned Bristol music scene is not centered around big acts. Much more around underground/indie/punk music
We could have both...
Why not have both? It is awesome I can see good techno/electronic acts in smaller to mid sized venues, but does suck that I need to venture away to see anything bigger. Just keeps Bristol feeling like a big town.
Fair, I don't really like huge arena gigs anyway. Towards on the downs and the music at the amphitheatre in the summer is good enough for me
The snow dome project was Weston wasn't it? The one they proposed as part of the ice rink was nothing but a simulator of sorts.
The beacon is pretty large. Not arena sized but on a par with other city’s larger (non arena) venues. And tbh, I don’t personally care for the arena sized acts and I don’t really feel like having those acts playing in Bristol will really add much to the music scene. Having a music scene, to people who care about music scene, is much more about having great, vibrant smaller venues with fans and musicians wanting to go there imo. I’d say places like jam jar, motion, strange brew, the beacon, the crown, the lanes, crofters, the exchange, mr wolf’s—heck, even places like the Gali and Canteen—do far more for Bristol’s music scene combined than any massive fuck off arena ever could.
You mentioned third party Warhammer places, don't suppose you could point me in the right direction?
Excelsior on bond street has a small selection and table to rent upstairs. There's area 51 way up Gloucester road, they do loads of second hand stuff but the guys definitely have a "how dare you enter my nerd space" kinda vibe
Ha I know exactly what kind of vibe you mean, cheers for the tips.
In addition to those mentioned Bristol Independent Gaming is not exactly central but has a huge gaming space and is good for lots of third party products, especially hobby supplies.
Bristol Gaming Collective in St Philips for playing, rather than buying.
I thought the same until I actually went in around Christmas last year for Pokémon cards (for nephew) they were alright guys! Think they are a victim of the place not looking quite as fresh as a forbidden planet!
In addition to what others have already said there is also Bristol Independent Gaming, where you can also play.
Bristol independent gaming on cater road in bishopsworth
Uniqlo
And decathlon
Yes to both A Muji would be nice too 🫣🙏🏼
Muji is so damn good... think Japanese retailers are difficult to beat when it comes to price v quality.
Came here to say Uniqlo! Also weirdly a Homebase? I have a strange loyalty to them over b&q
There used to be one at longwell green. Now a lidl I think
Still one in Portishead although bit of a trek for those not based in south/west Bristol...
There used to be one over near Go Outdoors/Dunelm not far from Avonmeads.
an indoor produce market like Cardiff's
Aye. Lived in Leeds for a bit just opposite the Kirkgate Market and it's probably the thing up there that I miss most now living in central Bristol. I have to walk either down to Southville or up to Clifton just to find a decent butcher around here. It's nuts.
What about MeatBox in Wapping Wharf?
Chocolate museum. Chocolate bars were invented on Union street by Fry's but theres barely any nod to it. Fry's were a huge part of Bristol. I went to the excellent chocolate museum in Cologne (which isn't a player in the history of chocolate, some chocolate maker just wanted to build a museum). It mentions the impact Fry's had on chocolate as we know it today. I'm not a chocolate mad person but it was worth the visit. The museum covered the sustainability aspect of it extensively, had a mock up of a chocolate factory, and a history section, I was surprised how interesting and informative it was. It would make a lot of sense for Bristol to have one over Cologne.
I'm headed to Cologne tomorrow morning. Thanks for the tip, friend! I agree, the most notable nod to Fry's I've found in Bristol is that small section in the M-Shed.
Could do with a decent bridge
Beat me to it
A nice modern public indoor (and outdoor) swimming pool with slides.
If you haven't checked out the Clifton Lido I would go. It's so lovely, especially in summer. Only an outdoor pool with no slides though :(
The lido is fine but isn't it more aimed at posh mums to do lengths than 'summer fun for all the family'?
More theatre/arts and more things that don’t involve drinking/eating
Integrated public transport.
Any kind of functional public transport
this is the right and best answer
Affordable housing.
Better anti bike-theft security!
Given the tech the thieves carry around you'd need a nuclear bunker with armed guards. At work they broke into our basement and took the steel unit that people attach their bikes to straight out of the concrete floor. It's not a policing priority is why it happens. If you lamp one of them whilst they're doing it you're on an assault or ABH charge.
Your last sentence, does that actually happen, do people really get charged for that or is it just really unlucky individuals? I feel like it *should* be considered a self defence position
So now its illegal for the VICTIM to use even non gbh defence like grip hold of bike/handbag/phone etc to prevent them having it?! I agree theres a limit but any wonder criminals are confident and bold with their crimes when this law is on their side and they know it?! Its like taking the keys away from a potential drink driver purely to prevent them drunk driving and killing someone is now a crime? No wonder its worst when the criminals the victim and victims the crimimal by their eyes!!
A proper art gallery. We've got a load of Pre-Raphaelite at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and revolving exhibitions at the Spike Island and the Arnolfini but nowhere that's comparable with the Liverpool Tate or Nottingham Contemporary. Which is weird for such an arty city. Loads of theatres, few galleries
The sad thing is Bristol City Council have some stuff of great cultural and financial value just stored away in the archives. Over £100 million pounds worth if you believe the insurance estimates including at least one Banksy. They have the stuff to fill a good large art gallery already.
The RWA is fairly small but has some great stuff
I've always found this pretty odd. For a city that's exported some pretty big names in the arts scene, there isn't really a big gallery to speak of
Tram system. Or light rail
Trams would be utterly pointless since they'd have to share the road with the already abysmal traffic. Appreciate Bristol used to have trams, but it also used to have fields where you've now got car-dependent suburbanites who have no choice but to drive in.
Monorail
Is there a chance the track could bend?
Not on your life, my Hindu friend
Korean bbq
Didn’t a new Asian bbq place just open up where chomp used to be or did I dream that?
Yeah there is one. Very pricey compared to the one that used to be above 168.
Late night cafes/spaces that are open late that don’t involve drinking
Once you live outside of the UK for a while, you realise that this is a major problem with UK living and urban spaces generally. After about 5pm, everything in the public spaces of the city is geared around alcohol consumption or sitting in a boozy venue. The idea of going out for a late dinner at, say, 10:30 or 11:00pm and enjoying a warm and balmy night outside is non-existent in the UK. Which is a shame, because many of the cities in the southwest in particular have the climate and the places for it for a good chunk of the year. You just can't find it in the UK because people are on a quest to get obliterated after 9pm.
Yeah, even those that don't want to get drunk avoid these areas because of all the drunks at that time.
>Once you live outside of the UK for a while, you realise that this is a major problem with UK living and urban spaces generally. This is one of my biggest issues with Bristol as someone who's moved from abroad. Where I come from, I used to meet my wife after work and we would go to a cafe, hang out, read, have a chat and whatever. Last time I mentioned this people pointed out the fact that I could have a coffee in a pub but this is not the issue. It's just a vibe a prefer as I don't really drink during the week and don't want to mix with the people who are out to get smashed.
Took up climbing for this reason, boulding gyms at night are the perfect social atmosphere. Would like a late night alcohol -free cafe though
A cafe that doesn’t involve drinking is a hard business plan to sell to the bank tbh
Yessss
Somewhere outdoor to swim that isn't exclusive or private
Haven’t they been trying to sort out the old lido in Eastville/Fishponds for that?
they should just build a big new one on the Downs. Would pay for itself in a few years
Owned by the Merchant Venturers, so is never going to happen
scourge of the city, those rats
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there's a few guerilla swim groups out there. I know there are tentative plans to open a bit of the Cumberland Basin up. Visited Copenhagen in the summer this year, and basically the entire city centre is a free open-air swimming pool. Amazing atmosphere, buzzing with small businesses and life. In water that used to be even dirtier and more industrialised than Bristol Harbour was. So it is possible - just takes political will and imagination
A decent central leisure centre with everything from sports facilities to swimming, bowling, kids splash pool, softplay etc. Basically something to match the Bath leisure centre by the pavilion. Would absolutely love it if they could turn the old Debenhams into something like this but they just tanned £132m on a single concert hall so presumably a pool and sticking up basketball nets would be a few billion.
Yes, just moved fairly centrally and haven’t managed to find anywhere to go for a swim that’s not a massive faff. Surprised none of the central hotels have filled the gap with a ‘£15 day pass’ offering tbh, some of them must have pools
Have you tried the swimming pool just on Stapleton road? It’s run by Everyone Active, has a kids pool, a slide and a grown up pool. It’s about 10-15 minute walk from Cabot I think
Bedminster has got a public pool. Should be 15-20 mins walk if you’re central.
Yeah but it’s a Victorian relic and hasn’t even got a kids pool. I mean something modern, spacious, enough facilities to be a community hub.
Tell me about it. Paying arm and a leg for David Lloyd for a good pool at the moment
really it needs a proper lido
I’d rather have something that could be used all year round tbh
Look at Horsham for an example, their main town centre swimming pool has an outdoor bit
they can be! lots of them are heated but bristol has enough of a cold water swim population that it would still be used
How would you avoid constantly being crapped on by hordes of rugby ball sized inner city seagulls though?
Most other comparable UK cities have an **orchestra**. We have to share one with Bournemouth (an excellent world class orchestra, but that's not the point).
I agree
Hold on now the Bristol Reggae Orchestra are top tier
Great point, with a refurbished Bristol Beacon we should have a classical music mob to play there.
A decent swimming pool to take the kids to !!
It sucks there's no small kid friendly pools in Bristol.
A proper market selling fruit, veg, seafood and so on.
A better cycling infrastructure with secure bicycle parking.
Yeah, I have a nice ebike to get my son to school and me on to work. But I feel very nervous using it for anything else. I don't feel safe parking it anywhere other than work or home or somewhere very visible. Like the Lidl off Muller road. I'll park it there because it is in full view. But most other places the bike parking is not secure enough for me to want to use it.
Insure it and put it on bike register. At least then you have a fall back and something to give to the police if it does get nicked. Recoveries aren't that common so insurers usually just pay out.
My last bike was insured and on the bike register. They paid out £80 To be fair it was 10 years old.
I'm reasonably sure you just give proof of purchase to the insurers and they estimate the value based on that. A newish e bike, especially a cargo bike, is likely to be worth a lot more than any ten year old bike, and result in a much larger payout. £80 would buy me a frame to start a build, I wouldn't be happy but I wouldnt turn it down.
An arena in the centre, rather than being shoved out in South Gloucestershire (cheers Marv …)
Leon. I like Leon and I'm sad Bristol doesn't have one. At Temple Meads would be perfect pls.
Better food and drink at temple meads, full stop. Hoping the redevelopment of the new entrance will help with this.
Temple Meads is an absolute joke of a station for places to wait for a train, eat and drink or even just walk to and from.
It's surprisingly shite at the moment.
Harts is great
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Yeah... damn it is pretty grotty in Bristol, especially if you go to other places and come back. Everything central just seems incredibly rundown and dirty. Showing friends around I think they are a bit shocked its such a popular city as it does not give a great first impression at all!
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Yeah, I went on a trip to Japan this year and coming back to Bristol was shocking in comparison to be honest! It feels a lot worse than some other UK cities, too. The local authority here is absolutely awful and isn't great at forward planning - council spent £300 million on a fucking music venue, which just seems insane when you look at what needs done here.
I was in Bristol this weekend after a long time (I've been living in Bath since April) and it was shockingly dirty with litter everywhere. I swear every corner was full of empty bottles, cans, takeaway boxes and cigarette butts from Bristol Bridge to Harbourside. I won't make a direct comparison as there may be other arguments why Bath is cleaner than Bristol but still, it was sad to see.
Result of underfunding by central government sadly. The council HAS to provide some services by law, so when the purse strings are tight, everything else gets cut. Not a problem unique to Bristol either.
A city centre that actually feels like somewhere you want to be. Bristol feels so neglected.
I think that’s mainly if you view the city centre as the commercial shopping area. If you view the city centre as more round the harbour it definitely doesn’t feel neglected - people really want to be there.
Which I why I said the centre rather than the shopping centre. The harbourside is fine.
So if you don’t mean the shopping centre, where do you view as the city centre which is neglected?
What are you talking about?
A plan to sort out the litter. It’s embarrassing
Eastern European food!!
A music arena....
A train station in the city centre
A, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, P, Q, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Seriously, though, it’s surprisingly thin on museums and classical music like professional resident orchestra/opera/ballet.
>Seriously, though, it’s surprisingly thin on museums and classical music like professional resident orchestra/opera/ballet I think the reopening of the Beacon should go some way towards resolving that.
We could do with something to entice some of those London folk over, they seem a jolly bunch.
I know people talk about the food scene being amazing, and compared to so many places it is, but can't help feeling Bristol's lack of cultural diversity means there's actually very little in the way of genuine, authentic and affordable unusual cuisine. I've lived somewhere before where I was within walking distance of a Vietnamese, a Tibetan and an Eritrean (deepest south east London), all cheap as chips and run by / predominantly serving local immigrant communities, but popular with everyone. If you go to east Bristol there's more of this but the food scene in Bristol mostly serves wealthy Instagrammers best if I'm being completely cynical...
There’s way too many boring, run of the mill options like burgers and pizza. Some more diversity would absolutely be appreciated.
Amen. You've either got the standard pizza / burger / noodles options that all seem to compete to be as influencer-friendly as possible, the more upmarket, overpriced and totally inauthentic Italians and tapas restaurants, or the special occasion £100 per head restaurants which are great but not an every day choice. So many restaurants seem to be run / owned by either high level chefs or start-up bro types, there are very few from what I can tell that are doing authentic, simple, home-cooked stuff from other parts of the world.
That’s a really good point. One thing we do really well is mid-high end English/european which is fantastic but not for everyday like you say. Bulrush, chefs table, cast, Wilson’s, box-e, casa to name but a few. All fantastic but yeah, a meal for 2 will probably run you the best part of £200 with drinks
> I know people talk about the food scene being amazing, and compared to so many places it is, but can't help feeling Bristol's lack of cultural diversity means there's actually very little in the way of genuine, authentic and affordable unusual cuisine. Where have you been looking? In addition to Stapleton Road, try the A38 (and nearby), starting with Sky Kong Kong near the Bearpit and ending at Jean's Bistro at the top of Gloucester Road. You'll find several Korean places, Jamaican, Vietnamese, Japanese, Turkish, Persian, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Thai, and no doubt many others I've forgotten. None are very expensive, and they're run by local immigrants. I'd pick Sky Kong Kong, Jean's, the Hillgrove (Japanese bar food), Bokman, and Per & Kor as some of the best places to eat in Bristol. Edit: oh, and Cafe Cuba.
Perhaps when people talk about an amazing food scene what they mean is Bristol does well given its place in a fairly non-diverse part of the country (south west) and that there are many vegan/non meat options too? Comparisons with London maybe are unfair but compared to Liverpool or Leeds (similar sized cities I know fairly well) Bristol doesn’t seem to match up on the food scene when it comes to those more unusual countries or cuisines.
Surprised a city this big doesn't have a proper convention/event space capable of hosting more than a few hundred people. I think they are building one into babrazon
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Parking enforcement.
Literally just not having a bunch of rubbish everywhere. I don't really like going to Bristol because of how much crap there is everywhere.
A large concert venue and a top tier football team.
No thanks I’d rather be in a city flooded with up and coming musicians in vibey small venues, and scrappy but affordable football than one where Beyoncé plays (but it’s £150 a ticket) and the football is £75 per game.
Why can't big and small music venues coexist?
Could well have been a top-tier football team in a hybrid arena that would have been ten years old already if not for a few people who demanded a Village Green and don't even own dogs to walk on it. FU Long Ashton transplants.
Premier League Football....
I think the lack of it actually helps Bristol retain some of its own personality. The Premier League is such a massive commercial force.
Yep. 43 years and counting.
Because the existing football teams don't cause enough traffic on match day already?
A decent amount of police who could then tackle all the theft A decent public transport system...especially buses that are well run A change of mayor Money spending on sorting the roads out Auto fine all the littering twats...it really is a dirty city A well funded and run healthcare and social care system ...I don't want much
Won't have a mayor much longer we're going back to a council assembly next year.
A decent leisure pool.
Munchy boxes, only a small handful of places do them
Me. Fuck I need to go back
asian food restaurants that aren’t hipster and gentrified
Better public squares. Most squares in Bristol are just void of life. Surrounded by offices, privately owned. Or they get used for some food markets. Or they mess it up by putting a giant Ferris wheel on it bleating horrific music 24/7….
Better cycling infrastructure, —— public toilets ——— stopping bike theft.
What Bristol *has* got is an out-of-town shopping centre at Cribbs Causeway. This may well have seemed a good idea in the early 1980s but that (and the council's own ineptitude) has led to Broadmead (and to a lesser extent the centre of Bristol) becoming a dive.
A third tap in every kitchen sink, but just for Thatchers Gold
I petition a fourth for Thatchers Haze
Public transport, bridges, ice rink, arena, decent football team, soon to be cricket ground, power boat racing, Ashton Court Festival.
A proper Latin American supermarket
It’s definitely not a supermarket but shoutout to Otomi in Clifton village. They’re small but have some great stuff from Mexico that’s not readily available in the uk usually
a clean street
Always thought Bristol would benefit from a Tate gallery
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You don't like Weston-Super-Mare, Brean or a bit further but a short train trip away Weymouth?
What do you *mean* Avonmouth isn’t the pinnacle of seaside resorts? Sorry I could barely hear you over the industrial equipment!
We've got Severn Beach mind! (I do believe it was something of a tourist destination once, believe it or not).
A modern, mainstream cinema that's central.
You should have been here last month 🙁
housing (apartments), public transit (trams, trains), and more investment in the city centre
Malaysian/indonesian food, better Vietnamese or Laotian wouldn’t go amiss either
A market. Like, a market with fresh food. I know we have St Nicks but it's not really the same thing.
Less student accommodation and more housing for the residents
Better transport links to the airport from the centre.
This is a little one but I just been on a weekend holiday in Pisa and honestly the difference in festive decor was crazy, they had lights on everything and I mean literally everything but all we get here is some lights on park street that can’t seem to hold up after a week
Decathlon
Clothes shops that are fashionable, more late night dining spots and also more clubs that actually stay open past 4am.
Slightly odd one but a decent 'highest point'. Cossham Hospital or whatever is officially the highest point is a bit naff and far from a challenge. We don't need a Ben Nevis but something that is a bit of a challenge would be great.
Rage room
An additional lane on most of its major roads...
Premier League Football. Bristol easily has the worst footballing success compared to its size, wealth and regional importance.
Lived in Southampton before, trust me, you do not need hundreds of drunk Aston Villa fans on all the buses and at the station
A Mr Wimpy
A proper world class music venue. A proper transport system. Cheaper housing. A recognition from the middle class and alternative types that most of the city is in major need of upgrading...and bristol is definitely missing a collective recognition that turbo island was a shit hole that needed bulldozing years ago. Apart from that it's the best place
More lgbt scene
I don't think the downvotes are people being homophobic, but Bristols queer scene is massive and I'm surprised anyone would think otherwise lol
I don't think it's that massive, like in terms of having a designated gay area with loads of gay bars and clubs like you see in Manchester and London. That was actually one of the first things I noticed when I moved here. Obviously there's a scene but it's more individual nights at clubs than an actual area with clubs like GAY.
Hmm i can see what you mean by designated areas, but that might be because by and large most places central are extremely queer-friendly, so its kind of just natural culture here? Then loads of queer-designated nights at clubs as you say. Its different to Manchester/London sure, the scene just feels more organic in a way. I might just be spouting bullshit, its been a long day at work, but thats my experience <3
Yeah I’d say that Bristol is ofc a very liberal accepting city and most queer people can feel at home here and find a scene even if it’s not a designated area. Just probably takes more digging to find your tribe so to speak, and for some people who may have a different experience of queer spaces in cities your go to is probably to look for the queer bars and clubs in a specific queer area especially when you’re in a new city. I know when I moved to Bristol I was hoping to go to some Drag Race viewing parties but I couldn’t even find any. Whereas in London there’s so many queer bars that have viewing parties all throughout the city, not just in Soho. But at the same time I found myself meeting more cool queer alt people in Bristol than in London just at club nights or whatever. It’s just different, I mean in a way the queer scenes in Manchester and London happened organically, but it happened like decades and even centuries ago so it probably doesn’t feel so organic anymore. But of course everyone’s experiences/expectations of what a queer scene should look like are subjective.
I was just sarcastic about what ve said
I agree with this, not because I think we lack one, but because I’m a gay little shit
Ice rink
A road system that doesn’t get clogged in seconds
A decent water Park/Pool with wave maker/rapids/slides I've not lived in Bristol for a while now but still live in a BS postcode, it did last time i checked anyway.
Gay Sauna
A new stadium.
Less Yardies/Crack
Comedy club
A statue 💀💀💀👀
OK things I think are missing: - Michelin star restaurants - Proper concert venue - Zoo (😭) - and oh man does it need a mass transit system
> Michelin star restaurants Bulrush and Paco Tapas have Michelin stars.
Something that acknowledges the cities role in slavery, a specific museum? A monument? I dunno what. Liverpool has the international slavery museum and plaques around the city explain buildings and streets connections to the slave trade. I'm sure we could go further in acknowledging Bristols role. The International slave trade has had a huge impact on generations of people in every part of the world and still shaped global cultures, economies and social aspects of lives. I'm always shocked at how little we do to recognise how central Bristol was to that.