where would you live?

[dangerousjules]

i'm at the cross roads of life and i need advice from some friendly strangers...i work in central london and live in canary wharf, a new work position has presented itself that would have me pack up my stuff leave my friends and family and move to harrogate for a job in leeds...i have never lived outside london although i'm well travelled i have called london home...however in the last couple of years i have become increasingly put off london for many a varied reason, do any of you live oop in yorkshire or have lived there and perhaps give me some pearls of wisdom that may sway my deceision. thanks everyone.

 

[Cathryn]

I moved to Leeds from leafy Muswell Hill about three years ago so might be able to help.

I honestly think it depends on where your mind is. I LOVED living in London and really wasn't ready to leave. I only moved because my boyfriend (now husband) was headhunted and I knew I loved him more than living in London. (Sorry for the slushy bit). However it was really tough and I really disliked Leeds for about two years until we moved from the suburbs into the centre of Leeds where things have picked up enormously for me. But the crux was that I was still in love with London when I left. From what you said, the golden streets may not be so golden any more and you might be more up for moving on?

Harrogate is lovely, but quite small. Leeds isn't big, but it's bigger...if that makes sense. It might be less of a culture shock. I know lots of ex Londoners who really love it so maybe it's just me. But I'd move back to London tomorrow if I got the chance.

Things I love about Yorkshire:
* Access to the great outdoors. The Dales and the Peaks are close and are absolutely gorgeous and are my favourite things about Yorkshire. I can't say enough what a bonus Yorkshire's countryside is.
* Leeds city centre is coming on nicely.
* Yorkshire accent - it's fab.
* Talking to people in queues and on the bus again.It's allowed up here,
* Some lovely people.
* A return to reality. You suddenly realise how poncey so much of London life is, how London-centric the media is and how actually so little of that stuff matters.
* More spare time, cheaper cost of living.

Things I don't like so much:
*Appalling road surfaces. Seriously. Try cycling on them.
* Limited culture (I used to go to the Royal Ballet on a monthly basis, I'm ballet starved here. Might be less of an issue for you).
* Limited cheap flights (but improving all the time). I miss Stansted.
* Not so many job opportunities (but clearly not an issue for you)
* Leeds calling itself 'the London of the North'. It's not.

The big thing though was leaving friends and family, and starting again. I noticed that people of our age (30 ish at the time) don't need new friends, they have their circle, and it took a while for me to make good friends. I miss my old friends and my family (down south) badly, and that's the main reason I'd move back. However as I said, I met a couple a week or so ago who'd moved up and they adored it and would never go back down south.

 

[stevenb]

I would move from London for the more peaceful quality of life. After all, your only a couple of hours away by train so the family can still easily visit.

 

[dangerousjules]

cathryn, i have been travelling up to york(then onto harrogate) on the weekends for three years so have a limited knowledge of what it would be like to live there, i guess my concerns are that there is sooo much to do in london and don't want to end up a bored, single, mad cycling fool with nowt to do...

 

[vernon]

i'm at the cross roads of life and i need advice from some friendly strangers...i work in central london and live in canary wharf, a new work position has presented itself that would have me pack up my stuff leave my friends and family and move to harrogate for a job in leeds...i have never lived outside london although i'm well travelled i have called london home...however in the last couple of years i have become increasingly put off london for many a varied reason, do any of you live oop in yorkshire or have lived there and perhaps give me some pearls of wisdom that may sway my deceision. thanks everyone.

I moved 55 miles south to Leeds from Darlington thirty years ago to attend university and have never left the place. Leeds is a great place:

Friendly
Great access to the countryside.
Decent sized green spaces
Cheap restaurants
Access to a wide range of concert venues though sadly lacking one in Leeds itself
Lack of pretension
Access to great cycling and walking - I've walked to the Lake district from the centre of Leeds along a 'green corridor' I regularly doo 100km Audax rides starting from Meanwood in leeds and radiating out into the Wolds, Dales and Vale of York. Yorkshire is a vast county if one considers N,S,E and W.Yorks as a single entity with lots of amazing scenery.

Harrogate is fine but I'd recommend getting the train into Leeds as the commute is horrendous along the A61
Harrogate has the conference centre as a concert venue but is rather staid in its list of gigs
Harrogate has a great Turkish baths and Betty's tea rooms.

 

[graham56]

Head north young man, Harrogate is a great town.

 

[bonj2]

Why live in harrogate if you're going to work in leeds - why not live in leeds?
It's probably more similar to london than a lot of places up north, as it's more cosmopolitan and mixed culture, etc than a lot of places.

Leeds isn't big

Leeds isn't big? It's quite big! only the 3rd biggest city in the country...

 

[bonj2]

* A return to reality. You suddenly realise how poncey so much of London life is, how London-centric the media is and how actually so little of that stuff matters.

But you're right there though. London is damn poncey.

 

[Melvil]

Don't stop halfway, come to Scotland where the air is clean, the hills are bigg(ish), the whisky is fine and, on occasion, people actually smile at you and don't walk over you if you fall over (not that I hate london, obviously!)

 

[laurence]

Don't stop halfway, come to Scotland where the air is clean, the hills are bigg(ish), the whisky is fine and, on occasion, people actually smile at you and don't walk over you if you fall over (not that I hate london, obviously!)

but i thought you were in Edinburgh?

L

 

[Melvil]

but i thought you were in Edinburgh?

L

LOL

 

[starseven]

Hi DJ

I'm from Leeds , Born and bred as they say.

Its a great city and growing fast.

The remaining people that speak English are as friendly as youll find, when I go back with colleagues they often comment on the novelty of speaking to people in pubs, queues etc.

My wife moved from the south to live with me in Leeds.

She lasted about 5 years and tried really hard to settle but after a while she'd had enough of the weather (cold and grey) the city (noisy and dirty) and wanted to return south.
Leeds is a lot cleaner than most of London though and both places have more culture than where we live now. So for her, it was the weather and Leeds often is a bit grim. Utimately though I think she was just homesick.

North Leeds is a very wealthy sort of area,Harrogate is a spa town and considers itself posh, if you like all that kind of thing it could be for you,
Dreadful commute into Leeds though.

Personally, wild horses couldnt drag me back to live, but then twice as many wildhorses couldnt get me into London.

You might like it. You can always go back if you dont, but unless you give it a go youll never know!!

All the best


Sorry DJ and C, I am a doink!!!

 

[dangerousjules]

i think cathryn is pleased with leeds already...

 

[Cathryn]

Been out, sorry!

I DO like Leeds, I'm not saying I don't, it's grown on me, but Bonj, it ISN'T big, it's really quite small. I can't believe it's the 3rd biggest city, but even if it is, it doesn't feel it, especially after London.

Actually the weather is a good point raised earlier. The sky IS greyer and the weather is noticeably crapper than down South. I had to join a gym as my running got more and more sporadic and shorter as the weather was so horrid.

Jules, I was thinking about your post in church tonight. I honestly think it's about your mindset. If you're ready to embrace a new place and throw yourself into what makes it different, I think you'll be fine. My problem was that I didn't want to go, and probably didn't approach it with the right spirit, even though I honestly did try.

Good countryside for cyling though....I can assure you of that!

 

[got-to-get-fit]

i moved from bang in the middle of the lake district to Yarm in Cleveland which is nrth Yorkshire bout 35 miles from York. The lakes was fantastic if you like sheep and walking ...oh and london tourists.

Having moved to north yorks i love it ...lots to do, near to Newcastle and York, people are so friendly, shopping is ok, gig venues fairly near by, some excellent restraunts.

I think the hardest thing about moving away was losing familly and friends but as Cathryn said when you are 30ish it does'nt seem so important to make new friends and going home is great ....you appreciate your friends and your home town much more.

I would love to have a crack at living in london and would relish the cosmopolitan lifestyle (actually after holidaying in new york - thats the city i would really love to live in)

Im sure if you decide to move it will be the right decision, people just adapt to their environment and learn to love it.