Merseygirl

I am thinking of returning to the UK, initially for a 12 month period but don't particularly want to return to my hometown of Liverpool to live.
I have always had a soft spot for Chester and am thinking of it as a possibility of somewhere to live. Is there anyone on this forum who knows Chester, the good and the bad, where to go and where to avoid??? Advantages and disadvantages?
Any advice would be helpful!

Jerseygirl

I lived in the Chester area for many years before moving to the US. Avoid Blacon...think Cantril Farm aka Stockbridge Village.

During the last couple of years I've been looking at apartments...most have been on the market for 2 to 3 years.

meols12

Why not try the Wirral. Where I'm originally from, Hoylake, is only 20 mins from Liverpool and 30 mins from Chester by car. Also only 30 mins on the train from Liverpool. So you're not in Liverpool, but close enough to visit. Lovely coastline and countryside nearby.

Merseygirl

Yes, I have thought about the Wirral (not Birkenhead). There are some nice places there. As long as I am close to reasonable bus/train connections, as I don't want to be totally car dependent.

Big D

I am selling a house in Chester if you are interested?

Seriously it is a fantastic city - great feel to the place, great nightlife shops etc and not too big. Not a cheap place to live though and it can get overbearingly busy with tourists at times. The old walls and buildings are really special too.

mattstowe

go to hollyoaks lol

Big D

They used to film outside my office at lunchtime sometimes

Merseygirl

Unfortunately, I'm not at the stage of being ready to buy a house in Chester, will probably rent initially -thanks anyway!
I had noticed that Chester is not a cheap place to live, which is why I might end up considering the Wirral, but with property prices continuing to fall in the UK, who knows what the future will hold....

Pennywell

How about Wrexham? Quite close to Chester, good public transport etc. We rented out a 2 bedroom house there for 550 pounds a month, sold it cos we needed the money. There are some really nice places just inside the Welsh/English border and a little bit cheaper than Chester.

Jerseygirl

Wrexham itself wasn't too nice but I've read that a lot of development has been done recently. I used to live in Rosset...a mile or so from the border with England. One caution is that property can be more difficult to sell if you cross the border into N Wales.

Pennywell

I know what you mean but when we left they were really pouring money in to redevelopment. I think at the upper end of the housing market it is more difficult to sell but in terms of affordable rent it is cheaper than Chester.

WelshDoll

I agree with your comment about a glut of apartments that are on the market in Wrexham at the moment and it can also be a bit rough - the areas of Caia Park ( the Old Queen's Park). However there are some lovely villages on the border that might be worth looking at. I used to avoid Chester at night as I didn't feel that safe with the 'chavs' racing round the streets in their 'max power' Corsas and I would avoid the Deeside area, I endured 10 miserable years in Connah's Quay when I worked at Chester Business Park.

Jersey Girl you must know the Pant Y Ochain? I used to go there with my friends at Christmas, but moved over to the Golden Lion - I miss a proper pub!