dboy....maybe you should change your aviator to something less British and more Canadian....are there not any good Canadian comedies you can watch?...seems very un Canadian to have such a British "icon" for your aviator.....

Born in Beswick, moved during slum clearance to Newton Heath.

If I'm being honest about Manchester then any/all of the old estates around the city are hard, tough, places to live. You need to develop a certain way about you to get by on those estates and I wouldn't recommend anybody to live there by choice.

There are some excellent places to live South and East of the city but you will quite deep pockets to buy there.

Having said that, there is still definitely something about the old girl that's still appealing. Yes, its a big, old, ugly brute of a city at times, but its still got 'something'. Perhaps because I will always think of it as home, despite not having lived there for over 15 years now, I've still got a soft spot for the place. Perhaps its because as soon as I open my mouth its obvious I'm a Manc ...who knows what it is. It probably wouldn't be my first choice of a place to live anymore... but its always going to be a close second.

Aviator - i think you mean avatar

Besides I like the UK just think Manchester - at least Manchester proper - has very little going for it. But hey, don't mind me it's your opinion that counts. Sticks and stones and all that.

Yes I too have experienced much of the ugliness of the place. Despite my rumblings about the place, I do agree that the people are sound.

You summarized it up perfectly. If I had to live back in the UK and the NW in particular I'd stick to the rural or semi-rural areas to the SE. Once you are within the confines of the Mway there isn't much that is nice unless you have loads of money and want to live in a shoebox in the sky.

Irlam, Cadishead, Eccles are also very grim. Sale, Altringham, Hale have some nice areas as does Wilmslow.

For a long commute, Chapel en le Frith or Buxton are nice.

Have to laugh really I would feel exactly the same had I been brough up in the areas you have mentioned.....it has shown me really that it all depends where your are brought up.....I have never been to Beswick or Newton Health.....would never want to...but there are nice places to live in Manchester also near to Manchester as my OH said the other day...a new guy walked into the office...heard my accent and said "your from near Manchester"..my Oh replied "yes" the new guy said "what a s-it hole"....my Oh said "it depends on where you are from"....the reply was...."I'm from Hattersley"....I could say "say no more"..but my ex sister in law lived in Hattersley for a couple of years after being moved out of Manchester for housing clearance and she still has friends she visits there and a couple of aunties still live there they also could of moved and brought elsewhere like my sister in laws family did but they are very happy where they live...so each to their own....all depends on where you are happy

Always remember that places like Beswick and Newton Heath are the REAL Manchester... not Marple, Cheadle, Hale Barns and the like.

Couldnt agree more. Marple, Hale Barns and Cheadle are all Cheshire. The border between the cultured folk of Cheshire and the dross of Manchester with their Wivvy accents has been blurred in recent years. The 0161 telephone code comes out as far as Ashley which is real cheshire

If you want a reasonable quality of life away from the dross then rent an apartment in either Wilmslow, Alderley Edge or Prestbury. Trains to Manchester are frequent and at least you Can relax with some decent conversation of an evening in a decent pub and not feel like you are on the set of Shameless.

By the way if you want to remember how shite the inner city of Manchester is then get hold of Shameless on DVD. Highly amusing comedy from Channel 4 with a hit of realism

As someone who is born and bred Salford and I'm back here again from living in the USA I can honestly say that I'm looking at the old place with new eyes. Yes its depressing to look at (especially the precinct) but I can definately agree with the above poster who said you can't fault the people, I made the same assumption as many others and thought everyone was miserable and the place full of hoodies....but do you know what I judged the book by its cover...

whilst waiting for a bus the other day, a lady was trying to get on with her child in a buggy..the first person to offer her assistance was a young lad that was the epitimy of a scroat...tracky bottoms, trainers and a big hoodies and shaved head..yet he was the only one that said do you need any help there luv...and I've seen many others offering old people help whether it be helping them bag their shopping or helping them cross the road...so it just goes to show they may look like shits..but they actually do have manners.

scary hey..

so yes you could move to some where nicer around Manchester, but it'll just be the scenery that changes, the people I hope will still be the same..salt of the earth..and for me thats enough..

Nice to here. I lived in Whalley Range for years right next door to the infamous Moss Side. Never had a problem and often left my door unlocked. I had my bag stolen out of my car in years of living there. The people on my street were the best......Asian, gay, caucasian, elderly and young families....everyone got on great and still do. I regularly go back and envy what they. There's an amazing sense of community and REAL friendships. Nice peeps up north me thinks!

your right its these real friendship that makes where ever you live feel like a home ..

For what its worth

I was raised in Glossop lived there until I moved to Canada 4 years ago.

I was raised in Whitfield, a rougher part of the glossop Area and didnt do to bad, the occational petty theft etc,

Then moved to a nicer part of Glossop near the swimming baths, fanstastic house and some nice grean space to go to.

My one sister lives in Hyde, near the DVLA test centre, she really likes where she lives and has no troubles whatsoever.

My other sister lives in Cadishead in Irlam. She never has any trouble either. There are some hoodies wandering around in all places but the nice thing with Cadishead is that there is a lot to do there, trafford centre is very close as is the rest of the motorway network.

For a comute, I know people who comute to Manchester from all these places and they all do ok. My sister in Cadishead sometimes takes nearly an hour to go 10 miles if she leaves work at the wrong time.

Let me knwo if you have any qustions

I dont find England/Manchester any different to many places I have lived. If you want to find seedy parts you can and if you want to find nice areas you can. The one stand out for me is the people, they are the best I have met anywhere in the world. I am slightly biased though.

This is very true, we can all find things we like dislike....and I must admit we are a very friend bunch of people....stylish....good looking..witty intelligent...lol...

I'll second that.