To be sick of people looking down on the town I live in?

I’m with you. We live in a very beautiful north west area but live in the industrial town nearby now. We are the scum of the earth apparently.
For 20 years we lived in the beautiful national park part and met the most horrendous people. Drugs, crime and dodgy stuff all going on behind nicely closed front doors.
Moved back to the “rough” area and it’s been so much better.

You missed off Harpenden.

😀

I feel your pain. I come from (& still have family in) the South Wales Valleys

I completely agree. Based on my own experience of this, the likelihood is that if you look critically at the town with the “naice” reputation there are quite a few things about it that aren’t quite so “naice” and get downplayed or suggest the town’s reputation is overhyped.

I went to school in a “naice” town and still have some family living there.
The property prices are absurdly high for what you actually get living there. It is one of the dullest places imaginable. The fact one of the first positive things people will cite about living there is it’s only a short bus or train journey to a city says it all.
There is in reality very little to do in the town itself. You can’t even say it has many independent shops to draw visitors in. The tiny town centre is full of charity shops and convenience stores. Quite possibly this is one of the reasons it’s had longstanding substance abuse issues at all ages, why shoplifting is rife and for things like cars parked in drives being regularly vandalised. Oh but all the horrible people and the crimes happen in the other towns of course…😆

Good point!

Is it

Bruton
Frome
Dartmouth
St Albans
Bath
Richmond
Kensington?

sorry, I’m making myself laugh here 😂

Me three!

It happens to me a lot too. I live in Coventry. The school my children went to/go to is fab, and we live in a nice part of town. Just brush it off, I do.

Ha that was my immediate thought too. Or Hemel Hempstead?

Do you think it’s likely or unlikely that Luton has 3 cafes? 😂

I came here to ask that! 😂

This is just something parochial dullards say. Every town / city/ county has got some area that everyone looks down on, often for spurious reasons.

nah. My area has a reputation from when there was a high rise block of flats with drug dealers in
those were knocked down 22 years ago and people still insist it’s an awful place to live. It’s not

Is it Luton?

Relocation due to work but it was brilliantly laid out for non car use.

I wonder if you live in my town😜😂 South coast….. not Bognor Regis (I am ashamed to say I turn my nose up at Bognor)🫣

We moved here 20+ years ago because it was all we could afford and it really was quite embarrassing to say I lived here!

I’ve always enjoyed living here though and it’s improved over the years so people don’t look down on it the same as they used to although there will always be people who are negative about the place!

Newport?

I raise you living in Swindon! It gets slated, particularly on here, but I live in an area with a massive network of well-lit shared cycle and footpaths. In 10 mins driving you can be in open countryside. My kids went to the decent local schools. It’s safe, I’m a runner and I run mostly alone all year round even in the dark. It’s quiet with loads of open green spaces.

The thread earlier today about moving to the Cotswolds is a prime example, people suggesting beautiful (expensive) market towns and villages and the OP was like but I don’t want Swindon as my big town! Swindon suits us and has some lovely hidden gems. I get you OP.

I feel your pain!

I often think these sort of places tend to be 'new towns' nearby lovely expensive market towns and pretty villages. I'm comparison are they as charming? No. But I can afford to live there, in one of the nicest streets. Like you I can work part time. We have excellent parks, transport, leisure park, lots of restaurants. And very close to all the fancy villages.

I think people just like to compare to make themselves feel better.

Are there some areas of the town I wouldn't live in, yes, but I don't live in them.

There are rougher streets in every town.

It's a snobbery thing.

But yes, I also get that look from colleagues like 'you live there?!' I do feel a little embarrassed even though I know logically I shouldn't!

Corby?

I think all of those have more than three cafes and 'several supermarkets'!

I live in a small town with a shocking reputation!
We live on the outskirts of said town and are surrounded by hills, a little dell with a stream is directly opposite my house which is lovely to hear in the summer. My view from the living room window is just trees....
I admittedly avoid the town centre at night but our neighbouring towns are good for a night out!
We are happy here and I don't mind the gentle ribbing from friends and colleagues about the town, I am secure enough in myself to know I am not one of the problem residents and in the 20 years I have been here things are slowly getting better as more people from out of the area are moving in squeezing the problem families out.

Barnsley

According to my local fb my town where I’m raising my dc is full of druggies. It’s a small town in the south west with 2 country parks, cinema, loads of cafes, 2 theatres with lots of amateur dramatics (at an incredibly high standard) but it’s not a tourist place so we don’t have weekend Londoners and empty holiday homes. Apparently it’s a dive. I grew up in the south east and feel so much safer here. We’re off kayaking on our local river tomorrow. Hearing people slag off the place you’ve chosen to live (property prices are lower here than across the border in Dorset) is frustrating because it’s like someone saying you’re stupid and make bad choices. I’m happy with my choices but I hear you op.