Preston Vs Edinburgh

[PrestonVsEdinburgh]

Hi NC as potentially outing. Looking for advice. I currently work in Edinburgh and absolutely love it here, trying to buy at the moment but the housing market is very active and it seems almost impossible to get anything without significant additional savings when flats are going for 20k over the home report I work in a job that I love but it is very stressful and i’m Struggling at the moment due to leadership/management problems.

I’ve been approached by another employer based in Preston and am considering a move there to improve my overall quality of life. Now I know nothing about Preston except that it rains a lot (hate wet weather). I’m going there to visit in a couple of weeks but would like your thoughts on Edinburgh vs Preston as a place to live. I have dogs so good walks/green space is important (brilliant in Edinburgh) I like beautiful architecture, big open skies, and easy access to countryside. Plus city comforts - bars, cinemas etc. I’m also quite active so a decent climbing wall, running club etc would be good.

so wise MNetters if you know Preston/Edinburgh at all can you tell me what you think? And which bits of Preston are nice?

Thanks Wenttoseainasieve and NC4Now

Yes i’ve Read a lot of similar articles - just wanted to know from ‘real people’ If it was a positive ‘spin’ or not?

Babdoc most of the activities I do are in the Leith area and I work in the South so moving West wouldn’t really work for me. I am looking at Leith, Portobello etc. It’s just that competition is fierce and very little goes anywhere near the HR value 😟. I can get a decent mortgage but don’t have a spare 20k on top of my deposit to offer over.

Re:politics tbh that’s one of the things that makes me wary about moving back to England. I’m a strong remainer and identify a lot more with some Scottish policies. I grew up in an industrial town in the North of England. I know what it’s like to be crapped over by Westminster, and how it breeds insularity and bigotry. I don’t Want to move back to that, but haven’t Lived in England since I was 18 so might be completely out of touch.

Ooh! More posts - thank you everyone. Preston sounding a bit more positive!

It would be great to have recommendations if nice areas to live - then I can have a look when I visit and see what it’s really like.

Midlothian is much cheaper than Edinburgh and very commutable to the south and east of the city. Lots of nice country parks plus the Pentlands for dog walking.

Thanks PottyPotterer
The thing I like about living in Edinburgh is living in Edinburgh. I don’t want to commute an hour on public transport to meet friends for drinks - buses to Midlothian or at least the Penicuik/West Linton areas are pretty awful at weekends and the Pentlands is full of sheep so terrible for dog walking

Nice areas in and near Preston.
South Ribble - Longton, Walton le Dale, Penwortham
Fulwood and the Docks within Preston
However there are beautiful flats within Winckley Square which is city centre

I

Preston as a city can’t compare with Edinburgh (I’d love to move to Edinburgh!) but surrounding areas such as Higher Penwortham, Longton etc good for living in. Also the little villages such as Croston and heading out towards Southport are lovely. Traffic from that side a ballache at peak times if you are working in Preston itself but the new Penwortham bypass is supposed to help with that when it’s complete early next year. Higher Walton and Hoghton heading out towards Blackburn also very nice.
Plenty of parks around, the better ones with less vandalism and antisocial behaviour the further you get from the city. For shopping, Preston centre is dire, but it’s not far to the Trafford Centre etc.
Further out but still commutable there is the Ribble Valley, with lots of little villages surrounded by countryside.

As far as dog walking goes the immediate area round Preston isn’t good unless a park. Farmers don’t like to make their land accessible and will actively block off public footpaths/ put cattle in fields to discourage walkers. Not far to the Lake District though.

Thank you Sodam and Saucery
Super helpful

Stick to your guns and hold out for somewhere in Edinburgh. We were feeling down about the cost of houses and the amount you've got to spend over the valuation price, and all the properties we lost out on because of that...but we got somewhere eventually and now live in a beautiful house in Portobello and I wouldn't move if you paid me. I'm not originally from Edinburgh, but as far as I'm concerned nothing beats it...especially if you have a dog!

In a Preston lass and Edinburgh dies offer more as it's bigger.

But Preston has improved loads. I'd look at Higher Penwortham. You can walk into Preston in 15 minutes if you stick round the Kinsgway end. The new bypass will remove lots of the through traffic and there are LOADS of little bars and restaurants popping up. There's a new one going into the old Booths for those that know it, there's a little microbrewery bar, a cocktail/gin place and lots of cafés. It's definitely a place getting trendier with 30 something's and young families as the schools are great.

Penwortham is far nicer than Fulwood mainly because it has this 'centre' whereas Fulwood is just a suburb really.

Thanks coles
Yes I know how you feel! Very torn!

But I think I need to visit Preston and my prospective new employer to make sure i’m Not ‘missing out’

This thread is really helpful at helping me identify parts of Preston to scope out.

Oh and you can access all the Riverside paths in Penwortham. Walk your dog up to the flying fish pub in longton for lunch! That links to Miller park (lovely now, nice cafe too). Plenty of open space, there's lots of parks in Penwortham.

Ooh thanks Belinda i’ll Definitely check it out! That sounds very positive!

Sorry I just don't like Preston it's a sprawling urban area with a disappointing centre. So non of the advantages of living in a small city/large town and non of the advantages of living in a decent city

I can see Penwortham would be lovely once a bypass is built! The current traffic running through it is awful but it does have a decent selection of shops/bars/food places.

I walk to work in the city centre from Penwortham most days. Through Winckley Square, Avenham Park... quick pint in the Conti if the sun’s shining. There are FAR worse commutes to be had!

OP if it’s politics you’re interested in, read up about the Preston Model. It’s not perfect (what is?) but it’s progressive and gaining a lot of interest and is doing wonders for my lovely city.

I think you need to think about your next job move too. I suspect that once you move to Preston you'll be very restricted in moving on unless you are prepared to commute, e.g. to Manchester. Although it's no guarantee history would suggest that house prices in desirable cities like Edinburgh will outstrip areas like Preston so if you're struggling now it may be even harder to return in future.

Forgot to mention the West Pennine Moors for dog walking - extensive, beautiful and accessible. Some sheep but the solid calm sort that a dog on a lead won't bother. There is Rivington too but a worrying number of cases of Alabama Rot recently so we avoid there now.

And there's always Lytham and the beach for dog walking.

TBH I'd live in Lytham. Cafe culture ahoy, sports clubs, lovely. You'll pay for it on property prices but it's gorgeous.

And 20 minutes to Preston.

Another vote for Penwortham from me. Fab bars and restaurants with another one on the way and there’s loads of lovely dog walks. Avenham/Miller Parks are both lovely and in the city centre. The centre itself is ok, there are quite a lot of nice bars and I think the shopping is pretty good. You can be in the centre of Manchester by train in just under 40 mins and there is a lot of beautiful countryside in very easy reach. I’d go for either an apartment on Winckley Square if you want city centre or a house in Penwortham (Higher Penwortham, off Liverpool Road so you can walk to the bars).

Lytham’s a great shout Belinda

Lancaster fits your bill much better. You could be at work in Preston in 20 mins on the train. It’s a University city so vibrant, has a good arts scene, great parks, v close to the countryside. Climbing wall at the uni. A much better bet than Preston.

Umm, Preston has a uni. Actually in the city too?!!

Hi! I think we must be twins...I’ve just moved from Edinburgh to start a new job in Preston!
I loved Edinburgh, but the only way that I could get a foot on the property market was to buy a new build off the plan, and that was on the edges of Pilton. I wanted something near the city because I felt the same way you do - I didn’t want a train journey if I wanted to go meet friends for drinks, and I needed fairly easy access to the airport. Buying in Edinburgh is a nightmare - the people offering £20k+ more than the asking price are developers and unfortunately there’s hundreds of them. I don’t have a single friend in Edinburgh who has put an offer in on a house and been the highest bidder (and we’re all 30-35 with decent careers so we’re talking offering reasonable amounts).
I went to Preston and met my now-manager and the vibe just felt right, so I moved. I actually live in Kendal now (renting) and take the train into Preston every day, which takes 30 minutes. I don’t know the city well and it definitely doesn’t have as many things as Edinburgh, but it’s not a bad place. You’re close to the Lakes if you want a weekend in nature. Winckley Square has some great flats available at reasonable asking prices and you’d be super close to Avenham Park which has the river running through it. A million train links and definitely cheaper to live in than Edinburgh.
Regarding the politics you mentioned, it’s a mixed bag, but I feel a much better sense of community in Preston than I ever felt in Edinburgh x

In Preston there’s a climbing wall at West View and a new bouldering place just opened up at Walton Summit.