Is there anywhere in the UK, that has a lovely sandy beach and is also a buzzy city.?

[JennyTals]

It has to be sandy beach only

Edinburgh
Crammond and portobello beaches easily accessible from the city

Scarborough

We recently went to Exeter for a weekend- live in Bath so it's quite an easy drive - liked Exeter a lot , loved Topsham, I honestly thought though all the other coastal places we dropped in at -Exmouth, Teignmouth and certainly Torquay were awful depressing places- not what I imagined at all - I honestly preferred Weymouth and I used to moan about that - and that's a bit down at heel too - lovely beach though.

My own view is the Wirral is good and Liverpool very close and places like Tynemouth and Whitley Bay are good with Newcastle on doorstep - down south it's slim pickings if you want city and sandy beaches- maybe west wittering and Chichester or Norwich and Norfolk coast ( 20 minute drive though) Canterbury and broadstairs a good combo ( close but still not on doorstep)

Broughty ferry has a great beach and is part of Dundee which is a city. Portobello or south Queensferry in Edinburgh or anywhere in east Lothian for some of the nicest beaches. Aberdeen has a beach but is a very grey city.

Another vote for Newcastle/ Tynemouth/ Whitley Bay. Love my home town!

The only place that springs to mind is Barcelona.

It's 13 minutes on the train from Liverpool Central to Waterloo station/crosby beach. That's pretty close in my book!!

I mean even Bondi Beach which is a world-renowned city beach requires a train and bus to get to it from the CBD and is actually 5 miles outside of the city centre itself.

I've just remembered Santander has a lovely city beach. It's in northern Spain though?!

Margate is quite 'buzzy' and has good beaches.

Is Southend worth a mention? It has to be better than Margit.

If the English weather makes you consider moving abroad at some point, absolutely don't move to Scotland. People talk about 'British summers' as though they're equally awful in Aberdeen and Cambridge. After moving to England, I discovered just how far from the truth this is. For about a decade, I was blown away by all the days of sunshine down here, even in years English people consider that we've had a bad summer.

Totally agree. I moved back to scotland and just absolutely hate the lack of summer here. We’re moving back next year.

I really don't think that now is a good time to move. Particularly for your eldest. You can't move when they are in the middle of 6th form. And your ignorance about Scotland does not bode well for your ability to research areas properly.

For anyone else looking for a beach and city then Newcastle is the best option.

Falmouth- though it’s a town it’s absolutely stunning as is the rest of Cornwall

Swansea

Holywood, NI has a gorgeous beach and ten mins into Belfast

Bournemouth has plenty of shops. The town centre is looking a bit bare because it used to have all the big department stores that went bust. But plenty of shops there including independents. And then there are lots of district with their own shops, including independents, and ever a huge out of town Mall. And it's joined to Poole and Christchurch for even more options.

Aberdeen.

Same in the north of England. A lot of nice beaches on Merseyside/Tyneside (near big city life) but you won't get the same weather as you would on the south coast/south east. Temps are colder and less sunshine on average.

Although this can be a good thing when temps get too hot. I find anything over 30 overbearing in UK.

Margate has become very popular and has a very quirky community now days. Renamed Shoreditch on sea as in lockdown anyone remotely funky moved here. House prices have really taken off and rentals are pretty hard to come by.

Exeter is a city but but not a huge one, has a nice vibe with lots of shops, restaurants, cafes etc.
Exeter quay is lovely, full of swans, ducks etc. There are also cafes, craft shops, You can kayak at the quay too.
It doesn't have its own beach, but Exmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth are all about a 15/20 min drive by car. You can also catch the train if you don't drive.
Exeter has many schools and also has a university which makes it very popular.
Topsham is a town on the outer skirts of Exeter which is very picturesque and has a harbour and wildlife walks.
If you have any questions please feel free to DM me....

I'd have to agree that Exeter/Topsham and the surrounding area tick both the beach box and the city angle. I've lived in the area a long time, and I prefer Plymouth personally. It's a bit grittier, and a lot poorer, but infinitely more picturesquely situated. There aren't any beaches within the city itself because it's a deepwater port but there's lots of diving, kayaking, rowing and sailing. From a practical point of view (which may not bother you) Topsham is very expensive, the nicer parts of Exeter are too, but most of Plymouth is quite affordable. However, the city centre was badly bombed and the rebuilding is not a visual triumph. But because it remains relatively cheap, surrounded by fabulous coast and moorland, it is quite appealing to people in creative professions. The Theatre Royal gets a lot of shows and plays trialling before going to the West End, it's a rare week when there isn't a film or TV crew in the area, and there are some excellent restaurants. The shopping is pants though.

Bournemouth / Poole / Christchurch - so much to do in Dorset, and New Forest is right on the door step too

Thanks for all the ace ideas, exeter is my starting point now

Exeter is lovely, and the surrounding countryside and coast is gorgeous. I am sure you will enjoy living in the area. You will breathe clean air and find great food without massive food miles. There are also awesome surfing beaches on the North Devon coast when your small kids turn into teens!