When a place goes to hell?

[SaccharineDream]

Has anyone experienced this? I do feel quite alone.
I moved in with DP, was a quiet area although a bit unsettled with new developments, etc. Had not previously lived near so had little experience of the town.

In the past 5 years the area has plummeted, most houses sold off to HMO's and the remaining owners seem apathetic. The area is now fairly crime riddled with waste everywhere and frequent cannabis farm raids. There is a sense of danger, particularly in previously nice parts such as the canal, walkways and nature spots.
DP and I decided to split 6 months ago and I have been sorting things in preparation to move out, the place was at least some part of how our relationship crumbled - he hates the changes but is happy to ignore and carry on.

I am different in that it is so alien and troubling to me my nerves are shattered. We recently had a raid next door after arson, although we never even saw anyone living in there. There is also a vehicle garage 2 doors down now, which has ear numbing noise coming and going under my window, extreme exhaust/engine noise like i have never heard in my life. No idea how this is legal, but on it goes.

I use 4 fans to try to sleep to cut the noise of local industry and issues out, we can't enjoy outside space due to neglected dogs and smell of poop that is never cleaned up. Attempts to galvanise neighbours to report with us has fallen on deaf ears.
I have never lived like this before and feel a strong urge to run. The violence of some of the noise is so overpowering to me that it is having a bad effect on my work and nervous system.

Has anyone else ever witnessed something like this? People here act like it is entirely normal. As i type there is a revving engine so loud my furniture is shaking. It has been isolating as DP doesn't want to know.

I am going to move, it can't go on, and will head back to an area near my home town, which i at least know well. Iso wish it cold happen quickly but things will take a few months. How to cope in the mean time?
The cars are the worst, it is so bloody loud and shocking, it feels so insanely aggressive and weird. It just seemed to explode all at once a few years ago and I guess I am still in shock.

Can I ask what area or where abouts in the country this is?

We are in Cheshire, obviously not currently a nice part! I am after moving back to Shrewsbury.
It sounds odd to say it out loud but i am traumatised by it, but it's true. I don't know whether to feel ashamed of that or not.

Don't feel ashamed. A friend told me about when this happened in her previously nice part of Liverpool during the Thatcher years. Sadly you may need to lower your expectations of the value of your home to sell it.

I dont own.
rent prices here are shockingly high compared to much nicer places. That is at least one consolation to move on with.

If you're renting I'd be out of there like a shot (assume you're tied into a contract?).

When is your contract up with your landlord? I am so relieved. You haven't bought that place!

Noise definitely has an impact on the nervous system, I personally think the north west is one of the most difficult parts of the country to live in until you're north of about Blackpool. It's all the discordant noise and dirt and congestion of many parts of say London or Birmingham but without the culture or job opportunities or other compensations. Don't feel bad about moving back to lovely Shropshire, I hope it happens as quickly as possible for you.

We sold our previous house because of that. Used to be a lovely area, felt safe, nice community and then it just wasn't so we sold up.

Don't feel ashamed. Some people are more sensitive to noise than others, and on top of that, once the noise becomes associated with wider anxieties - which seem entirely justified where you are - you are even more sensitised.

We get those stupid loud cars a few times a day - not my road,but the road at the end - but even then it's extremely annoying and unpleasant, and I always say "oh fuck off and grow up" when one goes by.

So I absolutely sympathise.

Brilliant you don’t own op- can you not move home or something in the interim as in live with parents perhaps?

Thanks everyone.
Parents are passed away now sadly.

It happened so suddenly years back, it still feels like a shock. The house belongs to ex DP (he inherited it) so he has no intention of selling up or moving on. Ive lived in many places on and off, and dont have issues with noise generally. This place is really something else.

There are stunning areas in the north west, but little infrastructure unless you are in an urban town, and many of those are becoming more problematic with anti social issues and so on. A lot of addicts here now and it used to be unheard of even 6 years ago.

I only have a sister left, family wise, and her area, whilst quite close, is unfathomably expensive so no wish to head there either. I will be quite alone when i go but see it as a fresh start that I intend to make the best of. I am financially stable for the near future so no worries there. My small friend group are quite scattered around now and some dealing with bereavement and elderly care stuff so am feeling a bit isolated. Hopefully things will improve as i move on.

It is sad to see a place decay this way. I was never fond but it used to be full of lots of elderly lovely people, small families, cared for homes. Now everything is falling apart, animals are neglected and trash piles up. There are even issues with rats and arson. The local council fill the place with skips, and have sold nearby land off to noisy businesses that are probably illegal in terms of environmental noise. Some are so loud the houses vibrate from squealing machinery and the constant slamming of heavy goods. There's a dark, unsettled atmosphere here, a sense of deep unrest. Very very depressing.

The people never leave and no one comes in. Everyone even looks similar, as if the place has marked them.

Why on earth would you stay there?!? Sounds awful

Move back to Shrewsbury

Well, life and love are rarely simple! I came here to be with exDP when we were together 8 years ago. The plan was to eventually move and get our own place together somewhere nice. The relationship ended, quite slowly and painfully through the pandemic, and it has taken a bit of time to get my head around it all. I would go tomorrow if possible!

I haven't experienced an area going downhill, but experienced all of the issues you refer to in an inner city area which was described as one of the 'coolest' and most desirable places to live, and we were constantly told how lucky we were to live there.
The area was a hole and severely impacted my mental health over the 3 years that we lived there.
On a daily basis I saw:

• dog and human poo on the pavements
• public urination
• littering and fly tipping (someone even fly tipped an entire kitchen on our road)
• drug dealing in broad daylight
• prostitution (including our drug-addled prostitute neighbour being thrown naked into the street by her pimp)
• so many abused and neglected dogs roaming the streets (and one neighbour's dog was poisoned to death)
• people stealing plants and soil from our front garden

We left and moved to a little market town and it's like another world. Sorry OP, I don't have any advice. I can just relate to the impact it has living in these areas, and your post bought it all back.