Pretty, clean, safe place to live commutable to Manchester?

[GotMooMilk]

We currently live in a desirable suburb of Manchester close to the city but recently it’s lost its shine. So much litter everywhere, so so busy with cars, it feels scruffy and run down. We would like to be near somewhere with more green space that’s generally well kept and pleasant to live in. We have small kids so need to consider schools.
Any suggestions or anyone live somewhere lovely they would recommend?

Romiley / Marple. Good schools, independent shops and 20 mins into Piccadilly. Romiley has 2 train lines coming through it as well so rare you have to wait more than 20 minutes for a train

Lots of engineering work has been done in Hebden Bridge to alleviate flooding in the future. It didn't affect everywhere either - some streets badly affected but most were not. It's a resilient community

Hebden Bridge, 30 mins train.

I live in Altrincham and enjoy living here.

However, I think if I wanted country living, I'd look towards Clitheroe. It's gorgeous with good schools.

I grew up near Hebden. It's at the bottom of a steep valley so if you want to avoid floods, just live slightly up a hill (on the sunny side as it can get dark in the winter).

Was just going to suggest rossendale ☺️

There is a dedicated bus service from rossendale into Manchester. Runs all hours and like every 15 mins (think there is a direct one that’s pretty quick as well). Close to Rochdale and bury for tram links. We have everything here apart from a KFC. But we are getting one soon…….(a bit like winter is coming in GOT, running joke in this valley!!). House prices are also ok. You’ll get a LOT of house for your money!!!

Cheadle Hulme, rail splits here, to Macclesfield, or wilmslow Alderley Edge the other line, north to Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, 5 miles to Manchester Airport, good schools, high speed trains to London, a great family village.

Heaton moor - you get the train @ Heaton Chapel into Mcr
or
drive to Parrs Wood 5 mins get tram into Mcr

some lovely houses and good schools
primary - Tithe Barn
secondary - Prestinall

45 minutes is unlikely to the city centre unfortunately. I work near the airport.

Pop over to Didsbury. All the schools are great. Train to town in 12 mins

Not sure why so many people said Bolton after reading your op, if you consider chorlton to be no longer desirable! Chorlton is one of the safest places to live in the Manchester area. Bolton is not. Yes there are nice parts, like edgworth, but youre still in bolton schools and shops etc.

clitheroe is the end of the line on the train to manchester. It is a long train journey too at an hour and 20-ish mins. And that is if it is not a replacement bus.

Knutsford has an appalling train service and the congestion in the town is horrendous. It's also in the flight path of Manchester airport so is extremely noisy at all times of the day and night.

Appalling train service yes.
Flight path issues yes.

Traffic? Fucking hell, you need to get out more. It really isn't even comparable to a whole bunch of places on rush hour.

Chorlton really is a bit shit and I never know why it gets recommended so much. I think it's because Londoners moving north LIKE litter.

I also echo comments up thread about travel times. There's a lot of suggestions on this thread that just make me laugh for that reason tbh. It's clearly people who went somewhere once on a quiet Sunday Afternoon.

I love Hebden bridge to visit but feels maybe a bit far? A colleague lived there and had issues with trains. Never been to Clitheroe so think we will plan a trip there and definitely to Marple which sounds great. And Rossendale which we haven’t been to! We have friends in Poynton which is nice but not much for our budget at the moment. Didsbury is nice but fancy somewhere with more green space (eg fields not just nice parks!)

Wow Rossendale does look gorgeous! @Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould and any other locals- where would you recommend? When you search it’s the whole valley but where would be the most convenient parts for commuting/most going on?

Lived in Helmshore, very insular. Beautiful though and schools were good, in grammar catchment.

Saddleworth.....

We live in congleton which is an hour from Manchester. Loads of people commute, by train or car. Ticks all your boxes although the town is growing rapidly. Excellent schools, loads of green space, loads of town activities. Very safe.

Rawtenstall has a direct bus service straight into Manchester, then the smaller towns around it have decent services into Rawtenstall.
I can't remember what you said your budget was (if you mentioned it) but I live in one of the smaller towns and have just sold my enormous 3 bed terrace for about 170K, you get a lot of house for your money around here!

Greenfield, Saddleworth. Has a direct train to Manchester.

Oh and one last thing about Rossendale (I promise I don't work for the council etc, I have no vested interest in you moving here🤣) if you like greenery and outdoor space it's amazing, every window I look out of I can see something green. Even at work, my office looks directly onto a field with horses grazing.
There are endless walks for the dogs, 10 mins from me in the car and we are in a huge nature reserve, or a lovely little reservoir, or the old quarry or the big playing fields, alternatively we can go up to the moors and walk for miles and not see another soul!! There are plenty of beautiful little parks for young children to burn some energy off in, all covered with trees and flowers (unlike some of the more urban parks I have seen that just look like concrete jungles to me!)
The last time we went to Manchester my teens couldn't wait to come home, they both felt hemmed in because you can only see buildings and no fields (god, we sound like country bumpkins). Personally I love Manchester for a day/night out but I get what they mean, we are definitely used to the countryside around here!!

Helmshore, changed a lot in recent years, not insular at all, a lot of commuters live there now. You'll get a lot of house for 600k, even there (it's one of the more expensive parts of Rossendale). I also like Crawshawbooth, but given your budget would pick Helmshore. Couple of nice bars (The Cotton House and The Loom, traditional pubs The Robin Hood and the Station) and a thriving farmers market once a month.

If you don’t want to go far, I recommend Monton or Worsley. It’s very easy to commute in from this side of Manchester and it’s full of green areas to walk in.
If you want to go further afield, I like Clitheroe and Ramsbottom. I also like parts of Bolton especially near Bolton School.

This one on Monton is next to walls across golf course, along the canal, through the woods and close to lots of restaurants and shops.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138248051

i LOVED living in Worsley and regret not buying there at the time, long priced out.

Hebden is pretty tedious on a summer weekend - absolutely rammed. And that train line while better, isn’t great, and likely will be very unreliable/disrupted for a while with some of the planned works on the trans pennine route upgrade.

Clithroe is lovely but if hebden feels far out I think clitheroe will feel even further.

Cheadle Hulme and Bramhall are nice and you’d get something decent with your budget