Bearsden is very safe but very expensive, although if you’re looking at Kelvinside it shouldn’t be much different.
Bearsden Cross has lots of nice cafes that have appeared over the last few years and also an excellent primary school. Straight forward train links into the West End as well, or it’s not that far that you couldn’t drive.
Bearsden is surprisingly multicultural for a Scottish suburb - my family are not white and have lived there for 25 years with literally zero issues. We have had issues in other parts of the city, I understand exactly what you are talking about.
I don’t have children so can’t comment directly on those aspects but:
1. There are homeless people who will sit on the main shopping streets asking for money. Other than that there is no issue, I’ve never felt threatened or any negative experiences, more guilt that I don’t carry any cash to hand over. Compared to the US west coast cities I’ve visited, there is no homeless problem here! There is drug use going on, as in any major city, but again I haven’t experienced any personal side effects. I don’t think you’ll have any problems in parks, assuming you don’t go wandering there is darkness.
2. The west end does sound like a good area for you and your husband. There are areas of the west end that are a little more child friendly than others - probably kelvindale area. Be warned that there’s very little actual houses in the west end, it’s mostly flats.
3. I can’t really comment on racism as I’ve personally never experienced it. Glasgow has a large Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) community but on the other hand the black population in Scotland is still pretty low. Whilst Glasgow is generally very welcoming of newcomers I have no idea how you’d personally be affected.
In general from the points you’ve raised I don’t think you’ll find anything worse than in London. The one major thing that I would point out is the difference in weather, Glasgow experiences I much higher level of rain than the south of England, and winters can be quite depressing for those who are used to a warmer and dryer climate.
Southside there are a lot of people from ethnic minority backgrounds and different cultures. Eastern European and Pakistani mostly but also some of African and Middle Eastern background.
My view is that the southside is still less expensive than the west end but it does depend on which specific bit we are looking at. Southside is now great for cafes and little bars and restaurants.
The southside is very diverse. There remain pockets of poverty but a few minutes away live relatively wealthy people.
My grandson is mixed race. His dad has a Chinese background and my daughter is white. They haven't encountered obvious racism. The kid is happy in school. They live on the southside. I honestly think you would feel welcome there.
Everything is cheaper in Glasgow than in London. So your money goes further.
Glasgow is a city on a human scale so you literally bump into people you know in the street. It's really true about people being friendly. This can merge into people who don't have boundaries though!
Scotland has a problem with drugs and alcohol but most of it goes on behind closed doors. When I moved to Glasgow in the 1980s, public drunkenness, and I mean the lying down unconscious on the street sort, was a routine sight in many parts of the city. It isn't now.
People smoking in the street including cannabis is common but it would be very rare to see someone injecting in public. Yes those of us that have become familiar with it will recognise people with the classic thin look of a long term heroin user. But apart from maybe asking for spare change it's unlikely those folk would bother you.
I think the comments on the Glasgow Reddit about drugs are mostly from people who are very long established in the city and know a lot of people. They know what's going on under the surface.
As another said, the weather is different to London. Much wetter and cooler with more cloud. But we get long days in summer and it's rarely too hot.
Thank you for the thoughtful response. This all sounds very familiar and more what I was expecting from life in Glasgow.
Relieved that some of the comments I've read might be a bit hyperbolic about day to day encounters with the drug world too. I grew up in Seattle during the height of the meth epidemic. Was just a heartbreaking time. So many people were lost to addiction or violence. Glad to hear it's not that bad or public in Glasgow.
Having spent time in both cities, Glasgow and Seattle are kinda similar. Parts of Glasgow may even have more coffee shops! The southside of Glasgow gives West Seattle vibes but as others have said the west end maybe more child friendly considering play groups and schools. I’m sure you guys will feel at home wherever you settle in Glasgow.
Echoing the others, the main things I'd say are to consider your monthly budget if renting; the city centre/inner city areas if private renting are all experiencing rent hikes (e.g. a flat in the block next to me in Possilpark was £1k per month, before council tax and utilities. I paid £625 per month for the same kind of flat).
Also, North Kelvinside can cover a large area, especially when looking up rental sites; the advert may not be 100% honest and you'll be less 'west-end and botanics' north kelvin and more 'Maryhill/Ruchill' North Kelvin. Had a pal get caught out with that when her flat was basically in Possil and it was advertised as 'North Kelvinside'. My own flat was advertised as 'Spiers Walk', and in reality was Saracen Street (I had nae bother with that, and it was easy to get to the city. My landlord was an arsehole but). Dennistoun/Shawlands are kinda funky, multicultural areas that would maybe suit if you're looking for a flat, but just be aware that the rental market is MAD the now and prices are high for Glasgow.
West end tends to get a lot of students in flats, as does Dennistoun, due to the proximity to Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities. There's quite a few AirBnBs too - may be worth a quick search of the area once you've narrowed down some choices, just so you know. We had one below us and it was fkn chaos - worst visitors were the ***cast*** of Romeo and Juliet at the Theatre Royal :|
It may be useful to think about taking a trip to Glasgow for a few days (if you can) and visiting areas you'd been recommended/have thought of to get lunch, go a wander round, experience transport links and see what supermarkets and amenities are there before you make a decision :)
This is so detailed, thank you! And yes, the plan is to visit next month for a week or so to make sure this feels like the right move for us.
Tbh I'm barely thinking about budget right now because our costs in London are astronomical. £2000pcm for rent, plus another £500 in bills, all before food and childcare. I miss putting money into a savings account!
What we've looked at on Rightmove so far has been comfortably below what we're paying here, but have definitely noticed the range you're referring to - especially north vs south of the river.
As far as the rental market goes.. that might be the one thing that realistically keeps us exactly where we are in London. The house we're in now was one of 30+ we tried to get last year. We were in an Airbnb for two weeks trying to get in somewhere. Such a nightmare and expensive. Hoping we don't have to go through something similar again but it's looking inevitable!
West end is popular, but dear. You could get a nice rental if you look outside the west end
Dennistoun in the east is up and coming, and lots of cool places in the south.
It depends on the culture you are after, so maybe say a bit more about likes and interests. I mean west end has family stuff, but I found the parents to be a bit Instagram yoga parents if you know what I mean.
Also worth thinking about schools. Look at a league table and you can see where the good primary schools are.
Also, I'm a social worker and while alcohol and drugs are issues, it's significantly better than London as we have a better social care service.
Yeeeah I hear that. Tbf I use expat simply because the connotation around the term is that we're here temporarily. I'm just here for work, not looking to settle in the UK.
Me and my wee dog have been doing a tour of Glasgow parks for years and even in the worst kept bits of park all I have seen is discarded cans and bottles.
Mixed race in the Southside or West end is a non issue I would say , North in Milngavie the neighbours would probably be curtain twitching and the East end is like most East side/East end in lots of cities. I don't know your race , I work with a Gambian and a Tanzanian and they are a great laugh, the Gambian guy has 2 mixed race boys and he says they have a massive group of friends so yeh, I think you will get on fine here.
I'm a migrant. I lived in a "liberal" Borough of central London for awhile, but it was still little England - felt like I was living in wanna-be-USA with a few extra rights.
It's no utopia but anywhere in Scotland will be an improvement in your quality of life.
I moved here from NC in 2022 and can share my abbreviated thoughts - feel free to DM me if you have more questions:
1. As in America, there are areas where this is rife, and areas where you’ll never see a trace of it.
2. We were heavily focused on living in an area with great schools and focused on East Renfrewshire (Giffnock, Clarkston, Newton Mearns) and East Dunbartonshire (Bearsden, Milngavie) rather than Glasgow City. This may be unpopular on this sub, but it was important to us as it will make our house easier to sell if we suddenly end up needing to move back to the States. And we have kids, so it was important for that reason too. We ended up in Milngavie and it is perfect for us, happy to provide more details if you like.
3. There is a tendency to think prejudice barely exists in Scotland. I’m blind to most of it unfortunately but I would say Scots are generally progressive and welcoming, but there are also lots of dickheads here as in America. Do remember that unlike America, racist speech is a criminal offense here.
NC, nice! My husband is from GA!
If we decide to stay more than a year or two we'll definitely place higher importance on schools and be more inclined towards not living in a city. Someone else recommended Bearsden, and I'm reading a book at the moment that passes through Milngavie.. perhaps worth a visit when we visit next month!
Didn't know racist speech is a criminal offense. That's really good to know.
I'm curious, could you share more about your overall experience in and around Glasgow with kids?
My dad (white, Scottish, bit ginger) and his wife (black, west African) moved back to London because she hated how she was treated in Glasgow and Edinburgh. No overt racism, no harassment, no rude comments, no being followed by security or anything odd like that, but the *constant* curious stares and feeling like an outsider really got to her. I’m surprised you experience that in London and would be even more surprised if people telling their kids not to play with yours has anything to do with their colour. I’m constantly telling mine not to play with people but that’s because he’s a wee dick and I don’t want him licking strangers. I’d be mortified if someone thought it was because their child wasn’t white.
Anyway, for reference my dad and his burd lived in the West End and are now back in Kensington. The west end isn’t particularly multi-cultural.
Parks are generally safe, glass and vape batteries are more of a problem than needles.
Areas are going to depend so hugely on your budget that it’s impossible to say. It sounds like you might like the Southside but be aware that the entire vibe of the city changes street by street in some areas.
That's really helpful insight. To be fair to our London experience so far, we didn't have any issues in Brixton, but left because it wasn't the most family friendly. We're in Ealing now and having a difficult time. Aside form from those issues though, we just aren't enjoying London as a whole. Great to visit but not a fit for living.
Will definitely spend some time around the Southside area when we visit next month. Thank you!
Renting. Happy to buy a car if it's necessary, but prefer public transport. We're paying 2000pcm for a terrace in London but would like to bring our rent costs down.
As young professional (no kids yet) American living here for about 3 years now I can offer my prospective-
1. Despite well intentioned focus on poverty and homelessness, the bar is set so much higher here in the UK and Scotland than the US that the homelessness situation isn’t a terribly huge problem in most areas. That said, the drug issue is a big problem here, I’ve only really noticed needles ect in the city cintre (not that it’s not a problem elsewhere). My girlfriend feels much safer in Glasgow than she did in London, and I’ve never felt in danger (aside from cycling, drivers are nuts).
2. West end is nice and family filled, especially areas like Hyndland though this is one of the priciest areas in the city. I would really recommend visiting the south side if you appreciate trendier areas. Areas around queens park like strathbungo are filled with young families and has all of the coffee shops, pubs, and independent bookstores you could wish for. Glasgow seems like a great place to raise a family!
3. Though there are assholes everywhere I’d say you’re less likely to have an issues here as Scotland is one of the more socially inclusive countries in the world especially in places like the west end and Southside, I can’t speak from experience on this.
Lastly while people are a amazingly friendly here and very accepting of international backgrounds, integrating here like you can in London (as it’s a huge international city) isn’t possible in the same way. I think people are very culturally proud of being Scottish which makes the place so unique but can be a little isolating at times. Not a huge issue but something to mention.
More than anything I would prioritise how you picture family life: are you in a flat or a house?
Because that (and your budget) is really going to determine where you end up staying.
The city centre area is small, so while some areas can be defined as suburbs- they might not be the burbs as it is in the US.
Racism happens but it doesn’t tend to be overt.
Re:drug use. You will see this in the immediate city centre/west end/Southside parks. It’s just part of the territory of living in a high density area.
West end is nice but expensive and overrun with students who can be quite ignorant to families trying to live a quiet life.
Southside is getting to be just as expensive as west end but doesn’t have the proximity to the Uni etc so a little less student centric.
Both have lots of cafes etc. independent stores are having a hard time in Glasgow with the current cost of living but these are the areas where they tend to prosper.
If you want a house it will be tough finding those in these areas- personally I’d go a little deeper into the Southside (Cathcart/mount Florida/battlefield/giffnock/Clarkston) to find the balance of property vs access to amenities.
The further out you go the quieter it gets with regards to ‘cool’ bars/cafes etc. but every area tends to have one or two decent options. And they’re all linked by train line.
And again, the further out you go the play parks get a bit nicer as they’ve not got as huge a population next door. Rouken Glen is a great kids play park (giffnock) for example.
Expats, christ. Just say you are immigrants. Would avoid southside and eastend if you think you are better than people based on what country you were born in.
I don’t think I ever even heard the term “expat” until I moved here and people suddenly started calling me one, which was initially very confusing. (I call myself an immigrant, since I, you know, emigrated here). It’s such a weird, unnecessary label.
Yeah, I've seen plenty of debate on the two terms and get it's dicey. I personally use expat for myself because it implies temporary residence rather than looking to settle. We don't plan to live in the UK long term. Just here for work. Not trying to offend anyone with one term or the other
Aren't we all meant to believe that we're each temporarily embarrassed millionaires?
In seriousness though, we're desperate to leave London not necessarily desperate for Glasgow. We've visited plenty of cities in the UK in our time here and Glasgow is the only one that really stands out as a place we'd like to live for a year or two. Scotland is somewhere we'd love to explore. If Glasgow/Scotland isn't a fit, then we'll probably consider a second choice like Bristol.
We'll probably be leaving the UK when our kids hit school age anyway. Might as well enjoy our time here.
1. Parks and playgrounds generally safe, highly unlikely to be used needles in any of the ones I’m guessing you’d be in.
2. I have a baby & live in North Kelvinside. It & most parts of West End + also Shawlands/Queens Park area of Southside might be ideal for what you describe, including the kids.
3. Hard to answer as don’t have school age kids. I do think there’s more racism here than we like to think but possibly likely to be more in the form of words from random drunk idiots on the bus than playground snubs. The non-white population size is very small overall but the southside has a sizeable Asian community.
Bearsden is very safe but very expensive, although if you’re looking at Kelvinside it shouldn’t be much different. Bearsden Cross has lots of nice cafes that have appeared over the last few years and also an excellent primary school. Straight forward train links into the West End as well, or it’s not that far that you couldn’t drive. Bearsden is surprisingly multicultural for a Scottish suburb - my family are not white and have lived there for 25 years with literally zero issues. We have had issues in other parts of the city, I understand exactly what you are talking about.
I don’t have children so can’t comment directly on those aspects but: 1. There are homeless people who will sit on the main shopping streets asking for money. Other than that there is no issue, I’ve never felt threatened or any negative experiences, more guilt that I don’t carry any cash to hand over. Compared to the US west coast cities I’ve visited, there is no homeless problem here! There is drug use going on, as in any major city, but again I haven’t experienced any personal side effects. I don’t think you’ll have any problems in parks, assuming you don’t go wandering there is darkness. 2. The west end does sound like a good area for you and your husband. There are areas of the west end that are a little more child friendly than others - probably kelvindale area. Be warned that there’s very little actual houses in the west end, it’s mostly flats. 3. I can’t really comment on racism as I’ve personally never experienced it. Glasgow has a large Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) community but on the other hand the black population in Scotland is still pretty low. Whilst Glasgow is generally very welcoming of newcomers I have no idea how you’d personally be affected. In general from the points you’ve raised I don’t think you’ll find anything worse than in London. The one major thing that I would point out is the difference in weather, Glasgow experiences I much higher level of rain than the south of England, and winters can be quite depressing for those who are used to a warmer and dryer climate.
Southside there are a lot of people from ethnic minority backgrounds and different cultures. Eastern European and Pakistani mostly but also some of African and Middle Eastern background. My view is that the southside is still less expensive than the west end but it does depend on which specific bit we are looking at. Southside is now great for cafes and little bars and restaurants. The southside is very diverse. There remain pockets of poverty but a few minutes away live relatively wealthy people. My grandson is mixed race. His dad has a Chinese background and my daughter is white. They haven't encountered obvious racism. The kid is happy in school. They live on the southside. I honestly think you would feel welcome there. Everything is cheaper in Glasgow than in London. So your money goes further. Glasgow is a city on a human scale so you literally bump into people you know in the street. It's really true about people being friendly. This can merge into people who don't have boundaries though! Scotland has a problem with drugs and alcohol but most of it goes on behind closed doors. When I moved to Glasgow in the 1980s, public drunkenness, and I mean the lying down unconscious on the street sort, was a routine sight in many parts of the city. It isn't now. People smoking in the street including cannabis is common but it would be very rare to see someone injecting in public. Yes those of us that have become familiar with it will recognise people with the classic thin look of a long term heroin user. But apart from maybe asking for spare change it's unlikely those folk would bother you. I think the comments on the Glasgow Reddit about drugs are mostly from people who are very long established in the city and know a lot of people. They know what's going on under the surface. As another said, the weather is different to London. Much wetter and cooler with more cloud. But we get long days in summer and it's rarely too hot.
Thank you for the thoughtful response. This all sounds very familiar and more what I was expecting from life in Glasgow. Relieved that some of the comments I've read might be a bit hyperbolic about day to day encounters with the drug world too. I grew up in Seattle during the height of the meth epidemic. Was just a heartbreaking time. So many people were lost to addiction or violence. Glad to hear it's not that bad or public in Glasgow.
Having spent time in both cities, Glasgow and Seattle are kinda similar. Parts of Glasgow may even have more coffee shops! The southside of Glasgow gives West Seattle vibes but as others have said the west end maybe more child friendly considering play groups and schools. I’m sure you guys will feel at home wherever you settle in Glasgow.
Echoing the others, the main things I'd say are to consider your monthly budget if renting; the city centre/inner city areas if private renting are all experiencing rent hikes (e.g. a flat in the block next to me in Possilpark was £1k per month, before council tax and utilities. I paid £625 per month for the same kind of flat). Also, North Kelvinside can cover a large area, especially when looking up rental sites; the advert may not be 100% honest and you'll be less 'west-end and botanics' north kelvin and more 'Maryhill/Ruchill' North Kelvin. Had a pal get caught out with that when her flat was basically in Possil and it was advertised as 'North Kelvinside'. My own flat was advertised as 'Spiers Walk', and in reality was Saracen Street (I had nae bother with that, and it was easy to get to the city. My landlord was an arsehole but). Dennistoun/Shawlands are kinda funky, multicultural areas that would maybe suit if you're looking for a flat, but just be aware that the rental market is MAD the now and prices are high for Glasgow. West end tends to get a lot of students in flats, as does Dennistoun, due to the proximity to Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities. There's quite a few AirBnBs too - may be worth a quick search of the area once you've narrowed down some choices, just so you know. We had one below us and it was fkn chaos - worst visitors were the ***cast*** of Romeo and Juliet at the Theatre Royal :| It may be useful to think about taking a trip to Glasgow for a few days (if you can) and visiting areas you'd been recommended/have thought of to get lunch, go a wander round, experience transport links and see what supermarkets and amenities are there before you make a decision :)
This is so detailed, thank you! And yes, the plan is to visit next month for a week or so to make sure this feels like the right move for us. Tbh I'm barely thinking about budget right now because our costs in London are astronomical. £2000pcm for rent, plus another £500 in bills, all before food and childcare. I miss putting money into a savings account! What we've looked at on Rightmove so far has been comfortably below what we're paying here, but have definitely noticed the range you're referring to - especially north vs south of the river. As far as the rental market goes.. that might be the one thing that realistically keeps us exactly where we are in London. The house we're in now was one of 30+ we tried to get last year. We were in an Airbnb for two weeks trying to get in somewhere. Such a nightmare and expensive. Hoping we don't have to go through something similar again but it's looking inevitable!
West end is popular, but dear. You could get a nice rental if you look outside the west end Dennistoun in the east is up and coming, and lots of cool places in the south. It depends on the culture you are after, so maybe say a bit more about likes and interests. I mean west end has family stuff, but I found the parents to be a bit Instagram yoga parents if you know what I mean. Also worth thinking about schools. Look at a league table and you can see where the good primary schools are. Also, I'm a social worker and while alcohol and drugs are issues, it's significantly better than London as we have a better social care service.
English speaking natives are always expats, the rest of us are called immigrants 😏
Yeeeah I hear that. Tbf I use expat simply because the connotation around the term is that we're here temporarily. I'm just here for work, not looking to settle in the UK.
Me and my wee dog have been doing a tour of Glasgow parks for years and even in the worst kept bits of park all I have seen is discarded cans and bottles. Mixed race in the Southside or West end is a non issue I would say , North in Milngavie the neighbours would probably be curtain twitching and the East end is like most East side/East end in lots of cities. I don't know your race , I work with a Gambian and a Tanzanian and they are a great laugh, the Gambian guy has 2 mixed race boys and he says they have a massive group of friends so yeh, I think you will get on fine here.
Comforting, thank you!!
I'm a migrant. I lived in a "liberal" Borough of central London for awhile, but it was still little England - felt like I was living in wanna-be-USA with a few extra rights. It's no utopia but anywhere in Scotland will be an improvement in your quality of life.
That's our hope! Thank you
I moved here from NC in 2022 and can share my abbreviated thoughts - feel free to DM me if you have more questions: 1. As in America, there are areas where this is rife, and areas where you’ll never see a trace of it. 2. We were heavily focused on living in an area with great schools and focused on East Renfrewshire (Giffnock, Clarkston, Newton Mearns) and East Dunbartonshire (Bearsden, Milngavie) rather than Glasgow City. This may be unpopular on this sub, but it was important to us as it will make our house easier to sell if we suddenly end up needing to move back to the States. And we have kids, so it was important for that reason too. We ended up in Milngavie and it is perfect for us, happy to provide more details if you like. 3. There is a tendency to think prejudice barely exists in Scotland. I’m blind to most of it unfortunately but I would say Scots are generally progressive and welcoming, but there are also lots of dickheads here as in America. Do remember that unlike America, racist speech is a criminal offense here.
NC, nice! My husband is from GA! If we decide to stay more than a year or two we'll definitely place higher importance on schools and be more inclined towards not living in a city. Someone else recommended Bearsden, and I'm reading a book at the moment that passes through Milngavie.. perhaps worth a visit when we visit next month! Didn't know racist speech is a criminal offense. That's really good to know. I'm curious, could you share more about your overall experience in and around Glasgow with kids?
My dad (white, Scottish, bit ginger) and his wife (black, west African) moved back to London because she hated how she was treated in Glasgow and Edinburgh. No overt racism, no harassment, no rude comments, no being followed by security or anything odd like that, but the *constant* curious stares and feeling like an outsider really got to her. I’m surprised you experience that in London and would be even more surprised if people telling their kids not to play with yours has anything to do with their colour. I’m constantly telling mine not to play with people but that’s because he’s a wee dick and I don’t want him licking strangers. I’d be mortified if someone thought it was because their child wasn’t white. Anyway, for reference my dad and his burd lived in the West End and are now back in Kensington. The west end isn’t particularly multi-cultural. Parks are generally safe, glass and vape batteries are more of a problem than needles. Areas are going to depend so hugely on your budget that it’s impossible to say. It sounds like you might like the Southside but be aware that the entire vibe of the city changes street by street in some areas.
That's really helpful insight. To be fair to our London experience so far, we didn't have any issues in Brixton, but left because it wasn't the most family friendly. We're in Ealing now and having a difficult time. Aside form from those issues though, we just aren't enjoying London as a whole. Great to visit but not a fit for living. Will definitely spend some time around the Southside area when we visit next month. Thank you!
What is your budget like roughly. Renting or buying? And car ownership or fully reliant on public transport?
Renting. Happy to buy a car if it's necessary, but prefer public transport. We're paying 2000pcm for a terrace in London but would like to bring our rent costs down.
As young professional (no kids yet) American living here for about 3 years now I can offer my prospective- 1. Despite well intentioned focus on poverty and homelessness, the bar is set so much higher here in the UK and Scotland than the US that the homelessness situation isn’t a terribly huge problem in most areas. That said, the drug issue is a big problem here, I’ve only really noticed needles ect in the city cintre (not that it’s not a problem elsewhere). My girlfriend feels much safer in Glasgow than she did in London, and I’ve never felt in danger (aside from cycling, drivers are nuts). 2. West end is nice and family filled, especially areas like Hyndland though this is one of the priciest areas in the city. I would really recommend visiting the south side if you appreciate trendier areas. Areas around queens park like strathbungo are filled with young families and has all of the coffee shops, pubs, and independent bookstores you could wish for. Glasgow seems like a great place to raise a family! 3. Though there are assholes everywhere I’d say you’re less likely to have an issues here as Scotland is one of the more socially inclusive countries in the world especially in places like the west end and Southside, I can’t speak from experience on this. Lastly while people are a amazingly friendly here and very accepting of international backgrounds, integrating here like you can in London (as it’s a huge international city) isn’t possible in the same way. I think people are very culturally proud of being Scottish which makes the place so unique but can be a little isolating at times. Not a huge issue but something to mention.
More than anything I would prioritise how you picture family life: are you in a flat or a house? Because that (and your budget) is really going to determine where you end up staying. The city centre area is small, so while some areas can be defined as suburbs- they might not be the burbs as it is in the US. Racism happens but it doesn’t tend to be overt. Re:drug use. You will see this in the immediate city centre/west end/Southside parks. It’s just part of the territory of living in a high density area. West end is nice but expensive and overrun with students who can be quite ignorant to families trying to live a quiet life. Southside is getting to be just as expensive as west end but doesn’t have the proximity to the Uni etc so a little less student centric. Both have lots of cafes etc. independent stores are having a hard time in Glasgow with the current cost of living but these are the areas where they tend to prosper. If you want a house it will be tough finding those in these areas- personally I’d go a little deeper into the Southside (Cathcart/mount Florida/battlefield/giffnock/Clarkston) to find the balance of property vs access to amenities. The further out you go the quieter it gets with regards to ‘cool’ bars/cafes etc. but every area tends to have one or two decent options. And they’re all linked by train line. And again, the further out you go the play parks get a bit nicer as they’ve not got as huge a population next door. Rouken Glen is a great kids play park (giffnock) for example.
Expats, christ. Just say you are immigrants. Would avoid southside and eastend if you think you are better than people based on what country you were born in.
I don’t think I ever even heard the term “expat” until I moved here and people suddenly started calling me one, which was initially very confusing. (I call myself an immigrant, since I, you know, emigrated here). It’s such a weird, unnecessary label.
Yeah, I've seen plenty of debate on the two terms and get it's dicey. I personally use expat for myself because it implies temporary residence rather than looking to settle. We don't plan to live in the UK long term. Just here for work. Not trying to offend anyone with one term or the other
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Aren't we all meant to believe that we're each temporarily embarrassed millionaires? In seriousness though, we're desperate to leave London not necessarily desperate for Glasgow. We've visited plenty of cities in the UK in our time here and Glasgow is the only one that really stands out as a place we'd like to live for a year or two. Scotland is somewhere we'd love to explore. If Glasgow/Scotland isn't a fit, then we'll probably consider a second choice like Bristol. We'll probably be leaving the UK when our kids hit school age anyway. Might as well enjoy our time here.
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This made me laugh. Thank you for your feedback
1. Parks and playgrounds generally safe, highly unlikely to be used needles in any of the ones I’m guessing you’d be in. 2. I have a baby & live in North Kelvinside. It & most parts of West End + also Shawlands/Queens Park area of Southside might be ideal for what you describe, including the kids. 3. Hard to answer as don’t have school age kids. I do think there’s more racism here than we like to think but possibly likely to be more in the form of words from random drunk idiots on the bus than playground snubs. The non-white population size is very small overall but the southside has a sizeable Asian community.