lumines

Hi everyone, can anyone give me any advice about living in Bristol? Which parts are good, which parts to avoid etc. I've been told Clifton is nice, but I'd appreciate any other information anyone can give. We'll be working in the city centre.

Thanks!

BristolUK

Clifton is nice (if a bit trendy) if you can afford it. Cotham/Redland similar but less expensive.

Lots of yuppy style apartments built over the last few years very close to town.

Avoid Easton, St Pauls.

Stoke Gifford is a nice village with a nearby Sainsburys and right next to Bristol Parkway station for commuting. Not far to motorway too.


Keep your eye on the Bristol Evening Post for a bit. It's a bit Daily Mail(ish) - mainly coz it's owned by them - but it would still give you some ideas.

bananahammock

Clifton, Frenchay, Henleaze & Westbury are nice, but very expensive, as are a lot of areas just outside of Bristol eg: Thornbury, Hambrook, Winterbourne ... personally (& just MHO, although I've lived in two af these places for 40yrs before emigrating ) I'd avoid Bedminster, Knowle West, Henbury, Southmead, Easton/Eastville, St Pauls, St Werburghs & Kingswood

You're headed to a great part of the west country though

quoll

We used to live in Kingsdown - down at heel but very convenient (and the houses arent cheap) and I would happily go back there again. Otherwise I would love one of the villages outside the city - always rather fancied Nempnett Thrubwell, if only for the name.

bananahammock

How about a T-shirt? ... some of these are great http://www.beast-clothing.com/

BristolUK

Quite a bit to avoid.

Also, beware that some people say Westbury On Trym (nice) when it's really Southmead (not nice) while others add a 'lower' or 'upper' to a name to make it sound not as bad.

bananahammock

As well as 'upper' or 'lower' there's also 'down' ... I know this to be true coz I'm from Bedminster (Bemmy) down ... I moved from there to 'upper' Eastville Duh!!

rugbymad

Steady on, I'm a Kingswood Boy Just been back for a visit after 3 years away, yes it's changed, some parts are worse I agree but Kingswood is a big place and like everywhere there is good and bad.
We're looking to move back to either Hanham, longwell green, keynsham, Bitton, Bridgeyate, Oldland or North Common areas but will not discount kingswood if the right place came up.
I was in St Werburgh's just over a week ago visiting mates and they love it down there, very laid back area, older style houses ...again, not a bad area but not for us.
Where ever you go you'll not be far from a pub selling Thatchers cider.....nice

bananahammock

Oops, sorry, twas only my opinion & you know what they say ... 'opinions are like a**eholes' etc etc I lived between St Werburghs & Stapleton ~ had mates in both areas that both loved it ... I was walking/crawling distance from the Merchants Arms (Hungry Horse) so had a happy medium

rugbymad

No offence taken.
I know the area well, again, nice houses round that way, great school ( colston ) close to the M32 ( bit to close if you live by the merchants !! ) but all up through Stapleton by the masons arms and towards Frenchay Village is nice...perhaps we should consider Frenchay........

So your from Bemmy down then ? Used to use the kings head ( ?? ) on the roundabout years ago...knew a family up that way very well and spent a bit of my youth that way......
I saw the link you posted for beast clothes as well, they're brilliant.
I've got 4 of them myself, my wife has 3 and the kids have about 3 each...so simple an idea but a great business that's still going well after a few years now.

Gert lush innit
Cheerzen
Ian

BristolUK

I missed that! I liked this one

For some reason it's showing as an url rather than an image.

bananahammock

I would def consider Frenchay ... the White Lion on the common is an old haunt of mine
Yep, I know the Kings Head, but from waaaay back when ~ I actually worked there for a while.
I'm beginning to sound like a bit of a (gert) lush!!

Yep, it's pretty funny

lumines

Thanks very much everyone, lots of really useful information there! We're going for a visit next week so I'll have lots of questions after that

Two places seem to come up often on my house searches - Brislington and Bishopston - does anyone have any thoughts about these places?

Thanks again

bananahammock

Parts of Bishopston & St Andrews are lovely, it has some huge old houses & a nice feel to it ... It used to have a lot of students living there but I left 5yrs ago so that may have changed .... St Pauls/werburghs border Bishopston at Ashley Rd though.

Brislington? I'm not keen but can't really put my finger on why, hopefully another Bristolian will come along & add there thoughts

BristolUK

I lived in Brislington from 67 to 84 and my mum still lives there. I'm familiar with it up to 2004 when I came here.

The only real problem with Briz that I know is the car parks behind the shops in the village. It's a gathering point for bored youth whether on foot or in their cars, which they sometimes race around in.

Most of those shops being closed doesn't help either.

Kids hanging around might be a factor in my mum being broken into three times and the car being broken into in the driveway.

Most of the houses are pretty good on both sides of the village and off Wick Road. Along West Town Lane too.

There's a Tesco there and a Sainsburys just on the edge of Briz. Victoria Park is a good place for kids to play. Cinema complex by Sainsburys and I think there's Bowling there too.

Quite well served by buses into Town and to Bath.