Is Durham a nice place to live?

[Mrshermit]

We are desperate to move due to how expensive it is to live in the midlands. We are currently paying 1k in rent which gives us no chance of saving to get on the property ladder.

We have found lovely properties in Durham for around 6-700 much bigger than what we are living in now.

scared to make the move but seems like our only option!

Can't believe the Durham hate here, and I say that as a Southerner.

I would agree that the town gets overly busy with students, and sadly there are shops shutting here and there in the city itself, due to new retail parks being built.

I live about 30 minutes walk from city centre and where I am is lovely. Certainly wouldn't be described as a deprived area.

There are plenty of decent takeaways to choose from. The city itself also boasts a wide range of international cuisine to suit all budgets.

With a local arsonist livening things up every week? 😂

Lots of Durham haters here but I wouldn't live anywhere else. I moved up here from the midlands in my late teens and apart from it taking a while to understand everyone I loved it from day one. It's a big county, it has its affluent parts (the city itself, Barnard Castle, Teesdale as examples) and it's deprived parts ( a lot of East Durham) as people have already said. The villages surrounding Durham City are generally nice with reasonably priced housing, contrary to belief their aren't working men's clubs on every corner and I couldn't tell you where the nearest bookies is! Belmont is very near to the A1M and also near to the city for amenities, the city (really the size of a small town) is like any comparable town and doesn't have much of a high street anymore but we do have loads of restaurants and cafes. The out of town shopping centres are good (big Tesco, Sainsbury's, tkmaxx, next, the range, M&S etc) Newcastle is half an hour up the road for better shopping and eats. Weather wise, I remember there being more rain in the midlands than up here and it can be a couple of degrees colder but unless you are up in Consett (where it has been known to snow in May) you won't notice the difference. Job wise, it will depend on what industry you are in as to whether it will be easy ti find work.

My point is Durham is steeped in culture. Yes, there are high levels of deprivation and unemployment but I really don’t think you can argue there is a lack of culture or activities.

Asides from the Cathedral and associated museums, there’s the Oriental Museum, the Botanical Gardens, Crook Hall Gardens, the annual Durham Regatta and Durham Book festival, Lumiere… And that’s just Durham City. Further afield there’s Ushaw College (Historic Buildings), Bishop Auckland Castle, The Spanish Gallery (which houses the largest collection of 16th and 17th century Spanish paintings in the UK outside London), Mining Art Gallery, Raby Castle and Deer Park, Barnard Castle and the magnificent Bowes museum. Not to mention Beamish… I could go on.

Out of curiosity, why Durham and not Newcastle? I grew up there and still visit family regularly, it's a decent sized city, much better for job and education opportunities (both Northumbria and Newcastle universities have good reputations although different kinds of universities), decent transport, and in my opinion much friendlier people. There are some dodgy areas but far more really nice ones although rents are soaring everywhere. I always thought Durham was nice for a day trip but wouldn't want to live there thanks!

I like Durham. However I've only ever gone for short breaks away and either stayed around the Arnison centre or the city centre. My OH has lived there for years and he thinks the entire place is a massive shit hole. He said the city centre now is just literally awash with hairdressers and charity shops. For me though the gorgeous cathedral and the view of the viaduct when coming in on the train is what makes Durham for me. If it wasn't so expensive on the train I'd be up there as much I could.

It's like the roughest parts of Edinburgh were 30 years ago, you have to go up and down loads of steps all the time, and getting out of the train station is weird. In the middle of it all are some very posh students. Nobody knows why. Personally I think you're better off staying in the Midlands. At least you can walk in a goddamn straight line if you want to go anywhere there.

I went to university there (and hated it - but that's a different story). The city is nice enough but very small. I disagree that the surrounding countryside is particularly nice. Northumberland is, but that's not Durham.

My OH has lived there for years and he thinks the entire place is a massive shit hole. He said the city centre now is just literally awash with hairdressers and charity shops.

Has your IH been to the city recently?
That is just North Road. There has been loads of new developments in the city centre., unfortunately delayed by COVID. Bars and places to eat by River walk, Everyman Cinema which hasn't opened yet, there are still plenty of independent shops in Saddler Street.

FWIW, if I wanted to do some serious shopping, I'd be heading to Newcastle or York rather than Durham. It is however, a good place to meet for a coffee, lunch or an evening meal out. The walk along the river is also a pleasant way if passing an hour or so.

It's a shame the shopping has gone downhill in Durham, with so many affluent students and their parents i definitely think there's a place for some higher end shops in the city centre (white company etc) but the food offer is great. I've had some brilliant meals recently, tomahawk steak house, estabulo and rio steakhouses, the rabbit hole, turtle bay, gusto, the cellar door (this is over the last year or so I should add!) I've recently had great meals in the new tgi Friday and pizza express. Plenty of places to get a lovely cup of coffee too, not just the chains (flat white, st Leonard's etc).

But this is not uncommon, I moved from a nice part of London that is regularly mentioned as somewhere to move to for a villagey feel and all people do on the Facebook group is complain about the new coffee shop that has opened.

Jobs is something to think about though, I am job hunting and have had to look far afield (down to York and up to Newcastle)

Once you've visited these things then that's it. I'm talking about ongoing activities that can be attended regularly according to a person's interests. Hobbies, interests etc. We've been to all the places you've listed, but I'm still stuck for how to make friends and find relevant interests whilst living in an ex pit village with a WMC and a couple of takeaways. University clubs are just for the students. I'm bored.

We go to Bowes at least once a month, same for Raby and Bishop Auckland castles, Ushaw - there's plenty of exhibitions, music events etc. Lots of festivals, shows on throughout the year, much of it really cheap/heavily subsidised, jazz and brass festivals, the galas.

I'm a member of a choir, book group, walking group, DH does orienteering and climbing and plays ukelele
TBH I've never lived anywhere where there's been more stuff going on.....

What are your interests? I'm sure if you look hard enough, you'll find something.

There are plenty of things to do in the Durham area: Exercise and dance classes including ballroom and Lindy Jazz; There are choirs, book clubs, sewing club, pub quizzes, running clubs, walking groups, Facebook meet up groups for women, cinema etc...

If your particular interest hasn't been catered for then you can see whether you can start one with others who have the same interest.

Xpost with @Pollythesheep .

Look I towards Newcastle, I really like it there, better job prospects. If you are permanently wfh teeside is a good bet housing wise, there's a decent music scene too

This thread has given me a good chuckle. Who knew Durham was such a bad place to live, or that the Dragonville Tesco was a complete dive. 😂
I hope no one shops at the Adsa at Peterlee! (No offense to Peterlee, I live round there myself).

This thread has made me laugh more than most 'is this a nice place to live' threads. It's a place that stirs lots of strong feelings, but also maybe lots of funny (ha ha) people live/have lived there?

I grew up in Belmont. In all honesty I look back on Durham having moved away with rose tinted spectacles but it is a lovely city I really enjoy going back to visit.
Having said that I was bored to death growing up as a teenager there with so little to do. The school I believe in Belmont has vastly improved but was a dump when I went there!
I'm assuming there is more happening these days than when I was a kid and if I wasn't tied to where I am now family and job wise I would move back in a heartbeat to the city or at least some of the more countryside villages.
I found it boring but there are MUCH worse places to grow up!

Beautiful city. But other than the Cathedral, very little to do.

I went to same school... Yes, wasn't great in the 80s but has improved for sure. They have a very active social media presence and all looks very good now.

I grew up in Durham and I feel very homesick. I would move back if I could. It's a large county. Belmont is a decent suburb. Park n ride or short drive in to city. City is always a bit town v gown as they say. I think the university has taken over too much in recent years.

It's all about your jobs though I guess.

I'd agree with wheeltrims. I spent a lot of time in Newcastle when I was an older teen and eventually moved there for a while.

I bet the asda at washington galleries is worse 😂

Hmm, no as an ASDA afficiando.. er-hem. I will say the Peterlee one is the most, urm, like a scene from a zombie movie post apocalypse.

Washington at least has a proper, (and weirdly efficient), click and collect area so you can dodge the ASDA itself if you don't enjoy a cruise around the non George aisles.

I love all the ASDAs really. Nothing like an Friday night Asda make your own pizza eh.

I used to rent out that way years and years and years ago back when Blair was still PM in one of the villages out toward Sedgfield but a bit cheaper. Lovely place but definitely still an ex pit village - never found it not welcoming though.

The city centre and band of areas out about as far as Gilesgate, Nevilles Cross and creeping into Bowburn are very much student central though - and Durham does attract an unfortunately loud proportion of obnoxious fuckwits who didn't get into Oxbridge and really really hate the North and all those who live in it (and I went to the uni and do have an immense fondness for the place, but the fuckwit brigade have bloody loud mouths). Also... not a place if you're looking for nightlife - no one in their right, sober mind, really loves Klute.

@jollypostwoman I live in Co Durham and can assure you it's not a 'pit' village! How bloody ignorant

I've lived abroad but came home to settle in Co Durham (Durham is the city). We have lovely lives here in the NW of the County and feel like we have the best of all worlds being on the Northumberland border (but not having Northumberland Council!) We aren't far from the coast, takes me about 40 mins to get to Seaham. We go often.

Also go to Durham and Newcastle frequently as both are half an hour away. Sunderland is really improving too and that's not too far either. The coast in Sunderland is especially nice with lots going on.

We're also on the edge of the North Pennines which are breathtakingly beautiful. Places like Stanhope, Wolsingham etc are such lovely villages surrounded by beautiful countryside.

My H is from Newcastle and everytime we visit he always says how happy he feels to come home. There's just too many people crammed in to me. I love having the fields and cows to look out onto.

We don't mind if people slag us off though, Co Durham isn't for everyone and we enjoy some of the most affordable house prices.

The city of Durham is far better than it's ever been. There's things on nearly every weekend. There's so much to do in the North East that we never run out of activities with or without the kids.