Norwich or Cardiff?

[Florriebo]

Hello mums,Looks like my husband is getting a promotion this year and we may have to choose between moving to Cardiff or Norwich.Please could you let me know your opinions on bringing up a young family in these cities? Our priorities are:affordable housing,culture and activities for children,green spaces and I would really like our children (3,6,8) to meet some friendly children in a good school.Any advice appreciated.I have started some research but would love to know what others think.TIA

Hi. I live in norwich with kids and it certainly ticks all those boxes - but, it's a long way from anywhere like London and the rest of the country, it can feel quite....insular to outsiders (I am one) and the secondary schools aren't great at the moment. But most big cities suffer from the last issue.

Pluses - it's close to beautiful coastline, it's small and friendly, nice city centre and nice countryside surrounding it. I'd also say it depends on what you both do for work as it's often said east Anglia is a career graveyard...and if it's mental health than avoid Norfolk and Suffolk like the plague!

Good luck

Cardiff, by a mile. Norwich is very isolated. It's affluent, lovely buildings and road names "Unthank Road" I'm looking at you.

But Norwich is also as flat as a table top. You literally cant see anything in the distance. It's just flat, flat, flat and flat.

Cardiff is beautiful, incredible scenery and Bristol is less than an hour away. Same with Swansea and the Gower. Ditto the valleys. A drive up to Monmouth is gorgeous on a summers evening.

Honestly OP, I'd fo for cardiff all the way. Property is also cheaper than Norwich

Another vote for Cardiff here 🙋

Cardiff by a mile.

ha! @ "flat". I have a hilly cycle ride to & from work most days in Norwich. Tell me that this looks flat.

Never been to Cardiff. It's wetter & warmer from what I gather.

Another vote for Cardiff. Near everything - coast, mountains, countryside, city centre, airports. Great shopping, restaurants, theatres, tons of family activities.

I agree with everything Misty said above.

Norwich is lovely if you don't have a choice but to be there...but it feels a long way from anywhere else. The coast is great but so too is the coast not too far from Cardiff. I live in Norfolk because of family reasons and work in Norwich (an hour away) but I would rather do the hour commute each way and be closer to Cambridge and London than live in Norwich.

Having said that, parts of Norfolk and East Anglia in general have a lovely feel to them and this feels like a pretty safe place to bring up children, but the flip side is that we have to travel to give them opportunities that would be available in a bigger city. Pros and cons.

Cardiff! Loads of lovely green space close to the town centre - Bute Park, Llandaff/Pontcanna fields etc., Roath Park on the other side, plus easy access to the Vale of Glamorgan. There's always lots for children to do in the museums, Techniquest plus lots of other activities in the Bay, and you're only an hour from Gower with all the fabulous beaches you could ever want.

Grew up in Norfolk and MiL still lives there and will never move. It's a slower pace of life. It takes a long time to get out of Norfolk and there is not a lot there.

It's great for the very young or elderly but there is no real job opportunities or bit industry.

Saying that it is beautiful. Loads of National trust places and walks so worth the membership. Your close to the sea and the Norfolk broads. City is nice has two malls but a lot of history.

When do you have to make the decision by? Maybe worth spending a couple of weekends visiting each?

And i agree with lljkk that Norwich is not flat! Gas hill anyone?!

Norwich! I love it so so much and I’ve lived in Bristol and Brighton in my time.

@lljkk totally outing myself here but your last photo is the view from my office window!

Cardiff
Norwich although beautiful feels very isolated Cardiff though you could travel to many more places

Cardiff everytime. Coast, hills, scenery, castles. Wales is lovely.

Thanks for all your responses.We’ve got until around September to consider both places so I think visits are in order.Have been to Cardiff and loved it but didn’t want to discount Norwich as it does look very pretty and house prices so much more affordable than here (Hampshire).The Gower is beautiful but so is the Norfolk coast.I don’t like the idea of feeling isolated though...

Norwich. But then I lived there for 6 years. Lovely accent, lovely street names (Labour in Vain Yard, Catherine Wheel Opening, St John Maddermarket etc), gorgeous countryside.

However, you can get stuck there. I left when I realised I'd spent half a decade doing nothing, albeit in a cheerfully hedonistic way. On the other hand, nowhere in Norwich approaches the roughness of some parts of Cardiff.

Cardiff - I was brought up there and would never want to live there again unless told to choose between there or Norwich! Btw - nothing against Cardiff - was a good place to grow up - but not sure I ever want to live in the U.K. again!

I am from the north of England but have lived in Norwich for over 20 years. It does have all the plusses mentioned in previous posts.... but also agree that it takes ages to get anywhere, it’s very insular, the people are very difficult to get to know, and to be frank many are a little odd. But I have never been to Cardiff. I think I would move back north if it was an option, for the people.

Norwich. Cardiff is a nice city, but nothing would get me near the M4 in South Wales if I could avoid it.