More of a WWYD re relocating...

[fancyamove]

More of a WWYD really.

Our house is on the market and DP, DS (18 mths) and I are pooling resources with my mum and looking for a 4/5 bed in Ashtead/Epsom, primarily because of good schools etc. Even with our combined budget, there isn?t a great deal of choice although that is partly because we are quite particular with what we want (separate living rooms etc).

We have just returned from visting my sister and (gorgeous new baby) in Nottingham - on the way home we starting discussing relocating there.

There are lots of advantages, mainly:

• getting to see more of sis and my darling niece. I'd love her and DS to grow up seeing a lot of each other. I also know my mum is going to find it hard to be so far away from her and baby. She has been a fabulous support to me since DS was born and sees my DS everyday and I know she will find it difficult not to be able to do the same with her granddaughter.
• there is is the obvious advantage that our money would go a lot further there. Because of the difference in house prices, even in one of the very nicest bit of Nottingham (with apparently good schools etc) we could still probably nearly half our share of the mortage which would mean I could afford to work a lot less and spend more time with DS which I would love.

On the otherhand it would mean leaving our friends and in particular for me, my (step) sister and niece whom I am very close to. I know we would never lose touch but it wouldn?t be the same as being 5 minutes round the corner.

My other big concern really is that I know that some areas of Nottingham are not so nice, quite high crime levels etc. I apologise in advance if I sound snobbish/patronising etc, I certainly don?t mean to. If it was just me and DP I wouldn't hesitate, as I know there are rough areas everywhere and in general you are fine as long as you avoid them, but when it comes to my precious little boy I tend to always imagine the worse. My main priority has always been to bring DS (and hopefully any future DC) up in as nice and safe area as possible and I worry I wouldn?t be doing that with this move, especially as we are lucky enough to live in a relatively nice/safe area at the moment.

So I would live to know what anyone else thinks, especially anyone who has lived in Nottingham?

[compo]

I would go for it
west bridgford is a nice place to live
especially gamston
good schools there

[2kids2dogsandahorse]

I would go for it too

[Lilymaid]

DS1 has lived in Nottingham for 5 years - first at university, then work. He says that there are some dodgy areas, but he has only once seen any real violence and that was in an area of town he wouldn't generally want to go to.
There are lots of nice areas in and around Nottingham where crime is unlikely to be significantly higher than in Surrey and there are lots of advantages of not living in the endless London suburbia.

[laloue]

Come and live in West Bridgford, it's wonderful!I can't vouch for the schools but we have everything on the doorstep and then more of everything in the city itself. Look at West Bridgford itself, not the outlying newbuilds, if you want a bit of character and to be able to walk to everything. Great sport, good walks, National Watersports Centre.Loads always going on in Nottingham,have a look at the city council website... I live here in WB but work in the city centre, 10 mins by bus or half an hour's walk .(I walk it both ways every day and in 4 years of doing so have never had any bother). Like any big city , you just have to be sensible, things do go wrong, but equally we walk home from nights out in town quite safely in summer.Nottingham's a fantastic place to live,eat and drink, be green.

[fancyamove]

Ah thanks ladies, you have really made me feel a lot more positive about it. As usual I am probably worrying over nothing and thinking too far ahead considering DS is only 18 months!

I spoke to a colleague who comes from Nottingham and he raved about it and said he wouldnt have hesitated to bring his kids up there (he had to relocate for work).

Compo - West Bridgford is exactly where I've been looking at

[fancyamove]

Thanks laloue, that is great to hear. I've only been to West Bridgford once (for a curry!) but everyone I've spoken to speaks very highly about it.

[UndomesticHousewife]

Never been to Nottingham, but there are dodgy, crime ridden areas in most towns/cities - I've never been to Ashtead/Epsom either but I would imagine there are a few places you may not choose to live in too. Just do what you would have done had you been going there, and choose the area. Good Luck with the move.

[lucky1979]

There seem to be a lot of us in West Bridgford! We relocated here from central London four years ago, and in terms of a place to bring up a child it's fantastic, the schools are good and it feels like you live in a village, even though you're only 10 minutes from the centre of Nottingam.

As long as you're not in the Meadows or St Anns Nottingham really isn't too bad for crime. The city centre can be a bit of a drunken warzone with hen nights and fights but you can avoid it.

[fancyamove]

Thanks Lucky - think that confirms its definately West Bridgford for us if we make the move. Are there any particular areas to aim for with regard to good schools?

Thanks again everyone

[Lonnie]

We moved out of Epsom 3 years ago it si to cramped no green areas anywhere. our children went to "the" school to get your child into and we had to move dd2 out of it to be able to cope with her dyslexia I certainly found out how they have such high scores they squeeze out the underachievers. To ensure their precious scores are good.

We moved out further (kent) and havent regreted it. My friend moved to Birmingham a year prior and hey love it there.

It is a trade of isnt it yoru sister or your step sister friends larger house and lower costs of living is possible

Can you both get jobs up there? if so I would go for it
it was the best thing we choose to do I do not regret the move.

[lucky1979]

Rushcliffe School and West Bridgford School are both very good are pretty much of a muchness from everything I can find (DH went to Rushcliffe and says that it's infinitely superior but he's biased ). Most of the parents I know happen to have children at Greythorn Primary (feeder for West Bridgford School) which they all rate very highly.

So as long as you stay in the main Bridgford area you're in the catchment for one or the other.

[Mibby]

We've lived in various areas of Nottingham, both singly and as a couple and love it. St Anns and the Meadows are a bit dodgy (although the Meadows borders West Bridgford, which is lovely) so its mostly a case of using common sense and doing a bit of research before you buy

Do let us know how you get on/ where you choose

[fancyamove]

Will look into the schools you mention.

Thanks again everyone. Feel quite excited about it all now

Will let you know what/where we decide x

[tyler80]

Go for it, went to Uni in Nottingham, left for a while and ended up back a while later, although I live north of the city now.

I wouldn't worry about the crime thing, it's largely to do with the way the statistics are drawn up, the city of Nottingham is a very small geographical area, with quite a few 'inner city' type areas. The nicer suburbs which normally dilute the crime statistics are outside the city limits, e.g West Bridgford isn't Nottingham it's Rushcliffe and various other nicer suburbs are spread over Gedling, Erewash and Broxtowe.

Do you want to live somewhere central or more out in the countryside? If I was living that side of the Trent I'd live a bit further out e.g. Bingham. I think Toot Hill's meant to be a reasonable school

[Mima1]

Bit late but would suggest also looking at Wollaton for Fernwood school or Southwell for Minster school.

Wollaton is a suburb near the city, popular for good secondary school but maybe a bit dull compared to West Bridgford. Nothing bad to say about WB - perfect for families - lovely schools, cafes, park,farmers market, delis etc etc ...endless stuff to do for children, sports, activities, language clubs, baby music classes, toddler yoga - all that stuff - you either love it or it drives you mad! Ok - it's obvious, WB wins hands down -everyone in Notts would probably want to live there at some point if they could, just for convenience factor. Leisure centre very run down but lots of other gyms and tennis facilities nearby). Because there are so many professionals moving in and out, very easy for children and adults to make friends quickly. Great transport links so children can be more indep. as get older. Oh, and an 'M&S Food' for those too tired to cook days!

The Park is the poshest residential part of Nottingham (very central 'private estate' with huge rambling Victorian/Edwardian houses - like a film set!) but is surrounded by more deprived areas. Parents in The Park stuggle for a good state school at secondary but typically can afford private anyway.

Southwell is further out but a great little market town with beautiful main street, Minster and Prebend mansions, quaint local shops and fantastic and much sought after secondary school. House prices very high, quality of life seems great if quieter than WB. Lots of lovely villages round about.

Crime stories about Nottingham are a bit of a red herring. Like everywhere, most of the violent crime is in the most deprived areas and happens among those local to that area and if you lived in any of the above you would probably never go to anywhere worrying. City centre is compact with good mix of shops bars and restaurants. Lots of interesting events and fairs put on in the Market Square and I have never seen any major crime. Also the excellent Broadway arts cinema.

Hope you are happy wherever you ended up.

[CaveMum]

Tut, tut tomgribby - no advertising!

[Whatmeworry]

Would work be a problem or can you live anywhere?

[ShoutyHamster]

I went to Uni there, loved it. Thumbs up from me to the city, just move to a nice suburb - WB great, also Woollaton - I don't know the suburbs very well though as I was only there as a student. But it was FAB.

[ShoutyHamster]

Mima1, I lived in the Park in a student house!

It's a funny old mix

[ViviPru]

Another West Bridgford advocate here. Before I even read the responses, that was going to be my first suggestion. I was born and bred in the borough of Rushcliffe and even though I've hopped over the border now, its still my stomping ground. And as your family/needs mature, you'll find some fabulous villages south of the city.

My DP grew up in Ashsted, and latterly Kent, and has no desire whatsoever to return. Many of his friends and my PiLs are in the South East but our proximity to the M1 means that travel is always straightforward. In fact travel everywhere is straightforward being slap bang in the middle. I commute to Welwyn Garden City once a fortnight, and we often hop over to Wales, 2.5 hours and you're in the mountains - lovely!

Our friends in the south east lament that they could never ever afford the kind of properties in such nice locations that we live in up here.

Nottingham shopping is on a par with most similar sized towns, but Birmingham is only 45 mins or so away if you desperately crave a Selfridges/Urban Outfitters fix. And East Midlands airport is literally on the doorstep.

Go for it, OP!

[CaveMum]

To point out, this thread is over a year old. A rogue advertiser bumped it, hence the deleted post.

[ViviPru]

ha thanks, CaveMum - wonder if she moved in the end?!