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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask the best places to live in Merseyside area?

111 replies

Relocate89 · 07/05/2024 14:47

We potentially may need to relocate to Merseyside area for my work. Would need to be able to commute to Liverpool city centre.

Aigburth has been suggested and Wallasey Village on the Wirral.

Would need a 3 bed and budget about £250,000.

Any suggestions?

OP posts:
PrincessTeaSet · 07/05/2024 20:47

Big drug problems in Liverpool for young people, even "nice" south Liverpool areas. Plus it isn't very safe for teenagers to go out - common for them to get phones, bikes etc stolen in the parks. Depends where you live now and what they're used to of course but if you're coming from suburbia they might find it restrictive as realistically you aren't going to want a 12 year old going out alone even in the day apart from in certain specific areas. I'd go for somewhere outside the city personally. Merseyrail is pretty reliable and frequent services.

Housewife2010 · 07/05/2024 20:42

NCJD · 07/05/2024 20:26

I’m shocked people suggesting Crosby/Formby/Ainsdale. 250K would not stretch very far in these places at all, especially Formby. Might be just about okay in the other 2 if you are happy with a project.

Earlier in the thread someone suggested Grassendale!

BlueMum16 · 07/05/2024 20:41

Widnes Runcorn and Frodsham are all short train rides from Liverpool, less than 30 mins.

All have decent high schools.

Frodsham is a likely to be more expensive than the other two but is a nice village type place with good pubs, restaurants and small shops.

Blahdymcblahdyface · 07/05/2024 20:36

And they’re just a suggestion of what is in budget

Blahdymcblahdyface · 07/05/2024 20:35

If you can get a decent house within budget and good schools then it’s worth it

Blahdymcblahdyface · 07/05/2024 20:34

NCJD · 07/05/2024 20:33

Sure, but they are all over 1.5 miles away from Southport station which is notoriously bad for parking and not hugely well served by buses , and then it’s what…another 45 minutes on the train in if you time it right?That would be pretty rotten to do day in day out. If getting to Liverpool by train is a must I would want to live within a short walk of a merseyrail stop, personally.

Edited to add: sorry, realise the middle one is 0.8 miles away from Southport station which is better.

Edited
Show quote history

Second one isn’t

NCJD · 07/05/2024 20:33

Blahdymcblahdyface · 07/05/2024 20:30

Southport line goes straight to Central

Show quote history

Sure, but they are all over 1.5 miles away from Southport station which is notoriously bad for parking and not hugely well served by buses , and then it’s what…another 45 minutes on the train in if you time it right?That would be pretty rotten to do day in day out. If getting to Liverpool by train is a must I would want to live within a short walk of a merseyrail stop, personally.

Edited to add: sorry, realise the middle one is 0.8 miles away from Southport station which is better.

DazedandConcerned · 07/05/2024 20:33

Have you had a look at Garswood, Bryn or Ashton-in-Makerfield? About 40mins into Lime Street on the train. A lot of great secondary schools (with an outstanding in Golborne).

Ashton town centre has an Aldi, Lidl and Iceland. Booming high street. These places have their problems - mostly idle kids - but have a lot of green space and good transit links (station, A580 and M6).

Blahdymcblahdyface · 07/05/2024 20:30

NCJD · 07/05/2024 20:28

None of these are particularly useful for commuting by train to Liverpool city centre at all.

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Southport line goes straight to Central

NCJD · 07/05/2024 20:28

Blahdymcblahdyface · 07/05/2024 20:24

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145201259#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146576750#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145638929#/?channel=RES_BUY

None of these are particularly useful for commuting by train to Liverpool city centre at all.

NCJD · 07/05/2024 20:26

I’m shocked people suggesting Crosby/Formby/Ainsdale. 250K would not stretch very far in these places at all, especially Formby. Might be just about okay in the other 2 if you are happy with a project.

Notawool · 07/05/2024 20:26

@Relocate89 Ah, so might work for you then! As I say, it’s a great place to live - as a small town it’s got real community and I think we’re well served in terms of amenities - for example we get the use of the Uni facilities at Edge Hill. When we lived in Liverpool my lads waited in the Scouts waiting list without ever getting a place - not a problem when we moved out to Ormskirk.

Original poster
Relocate89 · 07/05/2024 20:26

Blahdymcblahdyface · 07/05/2024 20:24

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145201259#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146576750#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145638929#/?channel=RES_BUY

Wow you can get some stunning houses in my budget in that area!

OP posts:
Original poster
Relocate89 · 07/05/2024 20:20

Notawool · 07/05/2024 20:19

Ormskirk is a lovely place to live, and only 35 mins on the train into Liverpool- and lots commute in. But the secondary school situation is not ideal. Ormskirk School has really gone downhill (although it has positives like a brilliant drama department), and you have to be a baptised Catholic to get into St Bede’s because it’s so oversubscribed.

Kids are Catholic but I'm reading that most of the decent liverpool schools are CofE so that's another consideration.

I Will look at Ormskirk though thanks.

OP posts:
Notawool · 07/05/2024 20:19

Ormskirk is a lovely place to live, and only 35 mins on the train into Liverpool- and lots commute in. But the secondary school situation is not ideal. Ormskirk School has really gone downhill (although it has positives like a brilliant drama department), and you have to be a baptised Catholic to get into St Bede’s because it’s so oversubscribed.

VanilleFraise · 07/05/2024 20:19

@Tooshytoshine

Kids also get the bus from the end of my road to the Grammar schools in New Brighton. Including my child.

Original poster
Relocate89 · 07/05/2024 20:13

ghostyslovesheets · 07/05/2024 18:36

anyway op -some examples of houses in Wallasey in your price bracket in reasonable areas:

4 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Malpas Road, Wallasey, CH45 (rightmove.co.uk)

4 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Queensway, Wallasey, Wirral, CH45 (rightmove.co.uk)

3 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Prospect Vale, Wallasey, Wirral, CH45 (rightmove.co.uk)

Love that first one!

OP posts:
Original poster
Relocate89 · 07/05/2024 20:11

Yes the big thing is schools so I need to do a lot of research!

OP posts:
Snowdropsarelovely · 07/05/2024 20:06

Southport / Ainsdale / Birkdale area would be worth looking at. You can get a train to Liverpool and there are some decent schools in Southport. I have several friends with daughters at Greenbank High School who speak very highly of it – that's an all girls school.

Shortbread49 · 07/05/2024 20:03

Don’t judge the school by its area grammar schools have their own issues and all schools are struggling to recruit good teachers these days , how about Crosby Waterloo and blundellsands

FrodisCapering · 07/05/2024 20:01

This reply has been withdrawn

Post withdrawn at author's request

Shortbread49 · 07/05/2024 20:01

Th Calder stones catchment area is not necessarily near the school it covers other areas my other half used to teach there was interesting

Tooshytoshine · 07/05/2024 20:00

Ps. I absolutely love New Brighton - I used to live round lark lane in Aigburth and it has all the same atmosphere without the hefty price tag.

Tooshytoshine · 07/05/2024 19:59

VanilleFraise · 07/05/2024 19:02

A more informative comment yo have made would have been "there are no grammar schools in wallasey any more".

Show quote history

Kids get the bus from the end of my road (in New Brighton) to the grammar schools.

Wirral used to be a split authority with East Wirral opting out of the system, however it is now a united single authority and both parts are in the grammar school system. There are no grammar schools in East Wirral now but some did used to be grammar schools, such as Oldershaw.

My daughter will sit the 11 plus and got to a grammar if she passes. However it is personal choice. There are non grammar schools in west Wirral too.