What is Gloucester like to live? any areas of the city to avoid? why are houses so cheap?

[MentholLoad]

live fairly local-ish but never been I don't think. looking for somewhere I can move to to reduce my mortgage. is it a nice place to live? TIA 😘

I have realised that I like working class areas, not middle class hippy places. so whilst I liked Stroud when I was younger, maybe I wouldn't so much, now. I want easy access to walking but don't want to be really remote. I don't want to have to get into my car everytime I need a shop or whatever

Based on those criteria I'd say any of the forest towns ie cinderford, coleford, lydney, or on the south east side of Gloucester bordering the Cotswold AONB ie brockworth

but also I don't like White Nationalist vibe! 🤣

I'd happily live in Brockworth or Newent. Especially like Newent.

Quite a few Gloucester videos on here -

https://youtube.com/@ukexplored?si=ZSSe4ts39EzD90Rh

@MentholLoad I like Stroud, not keen on Gloucester

Try Birdlip very very quiet

Visit Gloucester and make your own judgement. I've learned NEVER to place a blanket judgement on any area especially coming from London and experiencing the slander, regeneration and exponential growth of places like, Hackney, Camberwell, Brixton, Notting Hill, Dulwich, Peckham, Harlsden, Southgate (to name a few).

There's always going to be good and bad close by. Find the best you can with your budget but make sure you visit and make your own judgement because in my experience, what suits one person, can be a massive deal-breaker for another.

I think that gloucester very much suffers from being the poor relation to cheltenham. Cheltenham has both very rich and really sketchy areas though.

I'd move to cheltenham or a satellite village, if budget allowed. Churchdown is perfectly between the two, which gives you double amount of "town". Strange no-one has mentioned cheltenham. There's only 8 miles between them.

I've lived in Gloucester and have family still there so I visit regularly. Never ever seen anyone openly taking drugs in the day, never seen anti social behaviour (I saw both drug takers and an open brawl between drunks at lunchtime in Birmingham City centre recently - that felt far rougher than anything I've ever seen in Gloucester). I wouldn't wander the centre alone at night but I wouldn't do that anywhere. Based on where I and my relatives live/ have lived - Churchdown, Abbeymead and Abbeydale, Quedgeley and Upton St Leonards are all fine / nice. The Quays is a nicer alternative to the centre for shopping, food, coffee and it has the cinema. Quedgeley also has loads of its own shops - it's quite self-contained in that sense. I often hear people saying how awful Gloucester is but I think it's a bit unfair- it's not wonderful but it's not dreadful. For example, I was told to avoid Gloucester park (one in the centre) "at all costs" by a colleague recently as it's "full of drugs and you'll get stabbed"...I mean, maybe at 11pm but on a sunny Saturday morning it's full of families with young kids, dog walkers and people cutting through to the centre clutching their takeaway coffees as I know from my own experience...really not the hotbed of vice it's made out to be!

Why is Gloucester so rough? In my ignorance, I had thought of it as being along the lines of a prosperous West Country City. I know it has a beautiful cathedral. Did it suffer heavily from bombing in WW2 due to the docks and industry? Did it then suffer from poor design and materials in the 50 and 60s rebuild? Has it lost big industry and jobs over the last few decades? Has it been used as a cheap and easy dumping ground for people with social problems and addictions which has lead to it becoming an unofficial hub? I'm ashamed to say the City and its problems have been off my radar.

I live in Brockworth which is nice, a good mix of people. I wouldn't rule out Gloucester, I spend a lot of time there and you'll see some people drinking etc down Eastgate st but haven't seen any trouble.

I’d avoid Gloucester. I’m fairly local and hear terrible things about it.

Not at all prosperous. A lot of social deprivation and drug addiction. Lots of very rough people sadly. Depends on the area, but the town has an unpleasant vibe in my opinion.

We live fairly close to Gloucester and there's no way we would consider it unless we had to. Cheap for a reason! Clearly drug users and drunks on streets, it feels rough and centre is a dump with little to offer. It is undergoing regeneration, so hopefully will improve. Best parts are the docks and cathedral for something to do. As others have said areas on the outskirts are better, Churchdown, Quedgeley. Please do not consider areas others have said to avoid, unless you're already living in similar areas. Churchdown in particular for give you good access to jobs in Cheltenham and Gloucester - short drive from Cheltenham and on a very regular bus route to Cheltenham and Gloucester.

If you're considering somewhere in the Forest of Dean, then I'd be going there for the scenery and walks (which are lovely) rather than anything a particular town or village has to offer. You won't get too many offices and large stores in the area, so do consider that if they're your area of work.

Why is Gloucester so rough?

People with money move to cheltenham. Cheltenham is the prosperous one with the fancy wine bars and private schools. Gloucester is where you live if can't afford Cheltenham (or don't mind the roughness and think that Cheltenham is poncey).

When we go back for visits I like visiting Gloucester, but mainly for nostalgic reasons. There are some nice pubs around the cathedral. But you can tell there are big social problems, just by walking around on a Tuesday at 11 am. I wouldn't live in Gloucester.

The villages around stroud are lovely.

I agree with what many others posters have said about areas to live/avoid and the fact it's not a very nice place with it's fair share of drug users, drunks and noticeably rough people on the street.

I was offered my first covid jab very early on and had to go to Gloucester. First appointment I could get was in the evening and DH didn't want me going on my own due to safely. Rather than him come with me, I opted for a daylight appointment - didn't think I faired any better, no one approached me but there were groups of people in the streets clearly off their heads and I felt quite uncomfortable walking past one lot.

I've lived in Gloucester all my life (nearly 40years) apart from a couple of years spent in London. I don't think it's that terrible, in fact it has the Cathedral and Docks/ Quays, Robinswood Hill etc which are all lovely. I love a mile from the centre and have never had a problem walking in at different times of day. I take my children to Gloucester Park regularly too, and it has good links through public transport or driving. There are rougher areas but I have family and friends living happily in Matson and just outside of Tredworth. I work in Quedgeley and through my job have visited Kingsway and Huntsgrove too, as well as Hempstead etc. It's definitely worth visiting, and if you do find a property you like make sure you go back to the area at different times of day so that you get a good feel of the location.

Visited the city centre in the Summer. Very odd vibe, weird looking people, a bit menacing, was glad to leave. Seemed very run down not what we were expecting.