sile

I am getting closer to moving and am narrowing down areas to look at...from a distance right now.

So many here mention Yorkshire as being beautiful and affordable, so it's on my list. Sally (Louise) has talked a lot about the area and it sounds lovely.

There have been a few mentions of people moving to the Scottish Borders and I have looked at rental houses on rightmove and can hardly believe how beautiful, large, and reasonable they are! But I have no idea what I am looking at in terms of location, proximity to shopping, medical care, entertainment. The ones I have seem look to be out in the middle of nowhere.

Can anyone here tell me about the Scottish Borders in some detail, including comparison between there, Glasgow and Edinburgh?

Thanks in advance.

abi31

No but I can tell you about Yorkshire

Say if there's anything you want to know about that

sile

Yes, I would like to know what towns and villages would be a bit on the larger side, with shopping, music and art venues, hospital and local doctors all nearby. I also need good Internet connections and nice places to walk my little dog.

abi31

I'm prejudiced but...York.

Fits every bill - gorgeous historic small city. Excellent shopping in a really nice location plus a couple of out of town shopping centres (plus 30 minutes drive from Leeds for more major shopping), music venues (plus Leeds again), free art gallery plus other well regarded museums etc (reduced costs/free for York residents), good hospital, literally hundreds of drs surgeries! plus I had no problem getting in with an NHS dentist after only a couple of months on the waiting list and have had excellent treatment with them. Loads of lovely dog walks - racecourse, river, fields, woods. Plus direct train line to London or Edinburgh - only a couple of hours either way.

No problems with internet!

Otherwise maybe Harrogate - but I personally find it a little insular and snobby. But it really does look nice and has plenty of things to do (though think you'd be visiting more expensive art gallery shops than normal galleries!)

Other places in North Yorkshire are probably a little small - though very nice to visit. (Whitby, Skipton, Knaresborough etc) I'm sure there'll be someone along to give me some examples but I can't think of any horrible towns!

South, West and East are far more industrial and built up so there are far more good sized towns to choose from and many of them are really nice (Beverley, Ilkley, Otley, Wetherby, Howden) but the problem is they're often right next door to a total ****hole because of being built up. Bradford has some really lovely areas but no-one wants to admit they live in Bradford cos most of it is Hell plus the city centre is just horrible. You could say the same for Hull and even Sheffield.

nun

Look at Hawick, Coldstream, Galashiels. you'll be an hour from Edinburgh and 2 from Newcastle

sile

Thanks, abi31 and nun, for,your responses.

Abi31, can you suggest neighborhoods or areas within the city of York that are good to look into? Are there any that I should avoid?

Nun, could you tell me some specifics about the towns you mentioned?

curleytops

We're looking for a place in or around Scarborough right now, still getting familiar with the area, we've been told to avoid Eastfield by the locals but no shortage of other small places & there seems to be regular bus service into Scarborough. Housing's a lot cheaper than here in Kent & hubby was saying he noticed groceries are a lot cheaper there than here too.

abi31

Thing about York is it's such a small city that there isn't really anywhere to fully avoid - but I wouldn't want to live in Tang Hall or Clifton or some parts of Acomb (I actually live in one so know what I'm talking about )

Depends what you're looking for property wise - if you don't want something too big then anything within or close to the city walls would be really nice and convenient. Suburbs - Fulford is nice (excellent high school), as is most of Acomb (though local high school is not great), Woodthorpe, Heworth, Dringhouses. New(ish) builds in places like Clifton Moor. Really nice close villages - Copmanthorpe (catchment area for Tadcaster grammar - not a grammar school but very well thought of), Bishopthorpe, Haxby, Strensall - village life but very close to the city (practically suburbs).

Cost wise - to buy a bog standard 3 bed (or 4 bed extended) semi in a nice area will cost about £250k+, a 4 bed detatched would be min £300k. For anything 'special' add £50k and £100k respectively to those prices.

If you're loaded go to Tadcaster Road or just off - that's where I'd go if I was minted.

I've mentioned schools but don't think you needed to know about them? If you're a couple then definitely go for the city!

I like tea

Thank you for your information about York city and surrounding areas. I will be moving back to the UK when I have finished some renovations and then sold my house.

If you wouldn't mind answering a few questions I have about these areas it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

How easy is it to get from the surrounding villages ( eg. the ones you suggested Copmanthrope, Hexby etc. ) into York city bus routes or would you need a car ?

Do the villages have shops and facilities - Dr's, banks, dentists in them or would you have to go into York ?

Do you know if there is a thriving over 60's population and associated events, U3A, social happenings ?

Helen

abi31

Helen,

There is a very prolific local bus system - I couldn't comment on how regular the buses are but there are certainly routes from all of the villages (and all the suburbs) to the city. Alternatively, there are (off the top of my head) 5 park and ride stations with another one just been granted permission so it's very easy to get into town.

For example, Acomb has buses every 10 minutes that run to the city and out to the University (Fulford/Heslington), plus at least 2 other bus routes (a local round-the-houses one and one that goes through town to one of the 'out of town' shopping places, that includes 2 big supermarkets). That mentioned, there are 6 massive supermarkets too (bit crazy considering the size of the place, but you'll never run out of groceries!)

The villages and the bigger suburbs all have Drs/Dentists/Banks and shops in mini 'high street' forms.

If you're 60+ and don't drive I would recommend Acomb. As mentioned, the bus services are excellent and there are lots of areas within in that a properly lovely. It used to be a village in it's own right and basically covers the majority of 'West York' and it has a totally self contained shopping 'town centre', with a decent sized Morrisons, grocers, pharmacies, hair salons, cafes and other shops. There is a library and society centre which has things going on (coffee mornings and other social events) - don't really know much more for the 60+ cos I'm a ways off yet!

sallysimmons

Very easy to get in by bus and in some cases by train. Large villages have shops and doctors and if you're in a smaller village, you'd just go to the nearest larger one.

I don't really want to live around York because it's too flat for me, but if I was going to live there, I'd choose the outer villages - Nun Monkton/Moor Monkton, Whixley, Greater and Little Ouseburn etc - just because they're so pretty and friendly and still easily accessible to York. They all have good communities.

But it's all personal taste - someone mentioned they'd live on Tadcaster Road if they were wealthy but I wouldn't go there if someone paid my mortgage! The road is too busy for me.

That's what's tough about these threads that say 'tell me where to live' (not that you're saying that I Like Tea). No one knows what matters to you. My main criteria are hills, sheep, stone walls, good walks and views that I can paint, peace and quiet, but with easy access to major cities. The hills part rules out York for me (along with the need for quiet) even though I think it's easily the best city in Yorkshire. But if you don't mind traffic noise, and don't want hills, you can't do better than the York area.

Personally, I'd recommend Skipton, Knaresborough and Ilkley. All are lovely towns with great train links (Skipton has a direct line to London I think), all are pretty, all are friendly, all have great arts scenes, and all have easy access to the countryside. Ilkley is a tad snobby but not too bad.

Lorna at Vicenza

Oh what a walk down memory lane. Grew up in West Yorkshire. Went on many school and Girl Guide trips all over Yorkshire. Have friends in Knayton and remember Skipton market and Knaresborough. Who could ever forget Mother Shipton's Well after having seen it and the zoo and the river and the lovely cottages lining it.

lf1

We moved to the Scottish Borders and so far are enjoying being here. We chose the area we are in because it is in good walking country. Also, we are close to the coast which is a huge bonus for us having been landlocked for many years.

I would add Kelso and Melrose to your list of towns to explore. Peebles is also another nice town, although I haven't been there. We are near Kelso, so midway between Edinburgh and Newcastle. Both cities are over an hour away. There are plans to put in a rail connection to Edinburgh from Tweedbank, near Galashiels and Melrose. The Borders does not have good rail connections. Nearest station to us is Berwick-upon-Tweed which is on the east coast mainline.

A lot will depend on what you want from the place in which you choose to live and employment opportunities (if that applies to you)

I like tea

Thank you abi31 and Sally for your replies. Food for thought and decisions, decisions.............. which I might add I'm hopeless at making.

Helen