Talk to me about living in Whitby please!

[SeaDreaming]

I have just bid on a flat in Whitby with my housing association, on the offchance.

I currently live in Leeds, and have been wanting to move from my current flat for a while. I think I've only had to go into the city centre once since March, so there's nothing essential I'd miss there, and there's nothing especially tying me to here - I'm not working, no kids, no family etc. I wouldn't mind a fresh start somewhere else tbh.

I'd like to know what Whitby is like to live in. Does the tourism drive you nuts? What's public transport like, and shopping (supermarkets, and everything else)?
What's the best and worst things about living there? I visited a few times when I was a teenager but haven't been back since.

Thanks in advance!

Scarborough is quite desperately run down now. The employment situation isn't good and, again, it's quite an isolated place (although the A170 doesn't tend to close quite as readily as the Whitby road). It does have a mainline railway station which will take you direct to York though.

But I'd call Scarborough a very depressed area. Which might affect any job searching you may want to do.

I went for a weekend a couple of years ago and was shocked at how downmarket it was. I’d expected some nice restaurants and bars but it was all arcades and Wetherspoons.

@Fallowdeerhunter

I went for a weekend a couple of years ago and was shocked at how downmarket it was. I’d expected some nice restaurants and bars but it was all arcades and Wetherspoons.

The side near the Abbey steps is different to the arcade side.

Scarborough is similar TBH.

We go every year at peak time. West cliff is never rammed. You can take the cliff walk to sandsend and it won't feel busy at any point. The beach directly below is never crowded and has lifeguards for the brave swimmers (usually us and only us). We have stayed in a few holiday lets but west cliff is our fav. Fish and chips pretty much everywhere are second to none. If you check tide times the fossil beach reveals a whole new world at low tide. I love Whitby. It's good for the soul.

I think nearly all seaside towns are like this to a greater or lesser degree. There are some old, pretty bits, some charming clifftop cottages, and then some run-down, neglected parts and a lot of crappy pound shops. Employment tends to be pretty limited and seasonal, and it can get rather rough at night, especially when the stags and hens descend. It wouldn't be for me, but I do know people who live in Scarborough and love it, so clearly it depends on what sorts of places you feel happy in.

I'm taking the Wetherspoon's point to be comforting evidence that I can at least get hold of a cheap cuppa in town; i don't really eat out much and always feel horribly out of place in posh/upmarket bars.
Very much taking on board the job market stuff; had a look on indeed and it definitely is limited.

I did wonder whether there are issues with stag and hen do's, then again I'd guess they'd happen more in the centre?

I've jumped at the Whitby flat partly because I'm limited with my housing options to an extent - I want to stay in social housing, as moving to a private landlord would be madness. I've no local connection to anywhere but Leeds; however, I'm on a transfer request list with my HA, which covers properties in all their areas if they come up - that's the only way I could have a social tenancy and move away from Leeds to another HA let, unless I find an exchange - which is unlikely.
It's pretty rare for them to advertise anything outside Leeds. They do own a few places in Scarborough as well, but I've never seen any become available.

I'm also not keen on Scarborough as I've an estranged relative there, who my parents visit often, and I'm NC with my whole family - I really wouldn't want to worry about bumping into any of them in whichever town I live in.

We used to visit Scarbrough when I was a kid, before my relative moved there, and don't really have any happy or fond memories of being there. I'd consider it if a flat came up with my HA, but it's never really been somewhere I've dreamed of living. Same with Brid and Filey.

@SummerHouse
Thanks for the West Cliff info! The Sandsend walk looks gorgeous; I also like the sound of Saltwick Bay.

I found a view from the back of one of the neighbouring houses which is a hotel... it's ridiculous.

I'm going to hope for the best with my bid, and keep try an open mind about the flat's potential history; if I don't get it I'll keep an eye out in case more stuff comes up in future.

I grew up in Whitby, and still have family there. Whitby does get incredibly busy and parking and shopping can be a real issue when you want to do routine stuff and have to dodge the trippers. However if you dont drive parking wont be an issue. You will probably need to get the bus to Scarborough or train to Middlesborough for clothes as Whitby has limited options.

The job market is dead, especially in winter, and you would need to travel quite a distance for most hospital treatment.

On the good side, it's great out of season, (though can be cut off several days a year because of snow) and the local area is wonderful, coastal and moorland villages.

It used to be rather insular though, and it can be hard to get to know the locals, though that may have changed since I left, as more people move there.

Just to say there is a youth hostel in Whitby...maybe you could use it as a cheap stay to do a recce for any future move. I know the yha (youth hostels) have some limitations at the moment, such as any self catering kitchen being closed, but good luck in your search.

Great minds, @CarolNoE - I've just found a hotel with a sea view for the same price as LHA at the end of the month. I could do with a break and do have some treat money saved up, so..

Grew up there and moved to leeds ironically!! It's not the tourists that are the problem, there are few jobs, it's cliquey and drugs are rife among young people because there's nothing else to do!! It's beautiful though

Thanks @Artus , one of my next questions was going to be whether there an 'incomers v locals' issue..

If battling crowds to get to Sainsbury's is an issue, I think Tesco and Asda do delivery, so that's one less problem.

Ooh @Artus wonder if we know each other lol I bet we could pick out a fair few people we know in common. I moved our 10 years ago, my family still live there and it's still very insular

stillfeelingmad I left a lot longer ago than you, though I ve always gone back a lot. Just elderly parents left now.

I think you get far fewer raucous parties in Whitby than in Scarborough. As pps have mentioned, there's not much in the way of nightlife, so there's nothing to draw them there. I have seen occasional gangs of pissed men hanging around the bit with the arcades on it, but mostly in summer, and I rather think they're locals, not incomers.

I'm aware none of this is making it sound any more attractive! But visiting a place is completely different from living there. It totally depends on what matters to you. The real issue that I would think about is employment, but it's not a long way to Middlesbrough on the train, which might widen your options a bit.

Lived in Whitby for a few years while DH was with the RAF.
It was very nice for the short term, but I did get frustrated and my online shopping ramped up! There’s not a lot of “high street” shopping availability, have to trek to bigger towns for that. Hence why I did a lot more online shopping!
Gets rammed during tourist season, we basically avoided the town centre during the summer.
Roads out to Pickering close when it’s snowy. Luckily we didn’t get a lot of snow while we were there. I worked in Scarborough and never couldn’t get to work.
There was (assume still is) a minor injuries unit at the hospital in Whitby. Was very good when we needed it!
BUT it really is a beautiful part of the world. Many of the RAF families were choosing to settle there after their postings. The only reason we didn’t was distance from family.

I’d say it was more cheap and cheerful than naice
The goth festivals are great fun, one in March and one in October
If you get the flat, I’d definitely give it a year.
You’ll either be enamoured with it or hate it
Be sure to take a bus to Sandsend, staithes, robins hood bay, Scarborough and Filey..you might as well see as much as possible while you are there.

Yorkshire coasts and seaside towns all over are rundown. Just how it is.

To be honest, parts maybe being a bit run down makes me feel less worried about lowering the tone of the neighbourhood if I moved there

I'll be straight about the work bit - I've just had my ESA support group and PIP awards reassessed & awarded for a couple more years, so unless my health radically improves quick sharp then job availability isn't a huge factor in my immediate future. Longer term, I guess I could move again if it was an issue?

At the moment I think living almost anywhere that isn't my current flat would be better for my mental health (I've not been able to get over some bad stuff that happened here just after I moved in), and Whitby would be an added bonus. I'm definitely not as in love with Leeds as I was ten years ago .

The bidding for it ends this week, so I reckon I'll know whether or not I was successful within a few weeks - I'm going to keep everything crossed til then.

No news yet, obviously, but I saw this the other day and it looks amazing (hope the link works- it's a video of the sunset at Clara's on West Cliff)

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1195434744175421&id=541188592571381&anchor_composer=false

The view looks so so peaceful, and good for helping with mental healing. I wouldn't feel out of place just sitting out and watching it, and it seems nicely unbusy.

I've been full on running around on streetview .. the Cinder Track looks amazing.

It looks really easy to access relatively quiet outdoor spaces on foot; I am on the shielding list so if it gets unpaused I'd like to be able to not worry too much, but obviously would avoid town. At the moment I'm near a couple of parks, but very much in a city, and the view out my window ain't all that if I can't go outside... lockdown has had loads of block parties and loud music in gardens around the street I'm in now - I'm guessing Whitby is a bit more reserved with that?

Basically I'm crossing my fingers even harder and going 'eep' at sunsets. Think I might have already said, but I've booked a nights stay in a few weeks as a just in case I get a viewing/to get the actual feel of the town thing (providing it's ok Corona wise here and over there). Sorry to bump the thread, I'm just so into the idea at the minute.

Once we get out of the main holiday season, Whitby can be amazing. It's usually busy there, but there are quite a few walks along the cliffs and you can walk to Sandsend.

I do hope you get good news soon!

@Fallowdeerhunter

I went for a weekend a couple of years ago and was shocked at how downmarket it was. I’d expected some nice restaurants and bars but it was all arcades and Wetherspoons.

There are 2 arcades and 1 Wetherspoons in Whitby. There are far more pub/cafes and independent shops etc so I don't understand the last part of your comment.

Never lived there but visit lots. It does get busy but only on the Shambles, the bridge and the arcade bit. I personally don't find it that bad because its mainly people walking along slowly eating ice creams and fish and chips making it busy, its not like London busy on the tube with stress and rushing to get somewhere.
I think it would be a lovely place for you OP hope it works out

Sounds lovely, I live in Leeds and also don't drive. How are you planning on getting there from Leeds? Do you work from home

@user1471565182

Yorkshire coasts and seaside towns all over are rundown. Just how it is.

That's absolutely not true, they're definitely better than Blackpool/Morecambe, and pretty much any British coastal area apart from Devon and Cornwall