What is Welwyn Garden City like?

[Greenbeanmcgee]

A friend is moving there and it isn’t somewhere that you hear about much, at least I haven’t. My only associations are with Tesco. I’m curious to know if any Mumsnetters have lived there?

TIA

I worked there years ago, when the Shredded Wheat factory was still going, and Welwyn Department Store was yet to be taken over by John Lewis.

The town seemed like a rather nice place, on the whole.

It’s about a million times nicer than Hatfield.

I live nearby and love Welwyn garden city, nice town centre, stanborough lakes is nice and easy to get to other nice places- Hertford, Hitchin etc. Hatfield to King’s Cross is 30 mins direct train. It’s a good location

It's ok and I lived there for a few years. It's a bit of a town of two halves. Near the centre (on one side of the train tracks) it is fancy. On the other side there are lots of new flat developments but still gets ropey the closer to the hospital you get. Some roads are pretty grim. Also, the schools (especially secondary) are generally not great....or at least they weren't when I lived there. It's an interesting place!

Nice arts centre and sports centre. Few empty shops. But mostly well looked after and safe. Bit sleepy?

I was born there and lived there until I was about 30 but that was 30 years ago so no idea what it's like now. Thanks for the nostalgia.

Ah, Welwyn Department Store. RIP.

Its not the worst place and there are some nice places North and West of the town. The Howard Centre shopping centre is on its last legs but the lovely John Lewis makes up for it. Bit of an issue with youngsters causing trouble around various shopping parades and in the Howard Centre sometimes. It is nicer than Hatfield and very well connected, transport wise. Just pick your area carefully

It’s not the nicest place, but it’s ok. It has a nice John Lewis.

Howard centre should come down now or be halved in size. The shops could go in the nicer streets nearby. I’m sure they could put flats there instead. Wonder if it will go?

I grew up there and still work there. It's OK - parts of the town have some lovely houses. There are some hideous areas also (Woodhall and Broadwater) but I guess everywhere has good and bad bits. The town centre seems to be being taken over by gyms and all the best shops have gone (except for John Lewis). It's much, much nicer than Hatfield.

I still miss it, all these years later.

I'm really fond of WGC, but I don't live there. The town centre is decent enough, lovely JL and florist, Waterstones, and a brilliant little charity bookshop. The library is fab, and there is a Waitrose close by. I always think it'd be a good place to retire to, if you have the money for one of the lovely properties that run along opposite the shops by the fountain.

My "auntie" Joyce (our neighbour) was the receptionist in the hair salon in WDS. I had my first brand new bike a Raleigh Shopper from there when I was 12.

Spent nearly 35 years of my life there and moving to Somerset is one of the best things I did lol
I bought up 2 daughters there and can honestly say there is very little for kids and teenagers to do. The schools are okay but bullying is rife in all 3 senior schools. The "west side" is much more expensive and quite snobby. I grew up there in the 70's 80's and my mum still lives there.
The other side of the tracks Broadwater / Peartree / Woodall are all quite rough. I lived there for 20 years 1995-2015 and more than a few murders in that time including 3 within 1/4 mile of where we lived. There is a lot of small crime and associated poverty and the drug dealing that comes out of North London
The town is dead on its feet shopping wise unless you want to get coffee or a restaurant ( caters to the wealthy side of town ) it's has a John Lewis but very very little else. A small Sainsbury and a small Waitrose with a large Tesco on the edge of town between WGC and Hatfield.
Job opportunities due to Tesco head office and a fast but expensive train link to London

Happy to answer other questions via PM or on here

I would say pretty dull but acceptable- I remember there were very few pubs or bars at all- maybe that's changed.my in laws lived there till 2007

My oldest friend moved there a few years ago and they love.it. Agree it is a bit sleepy, as PP said above, few bars etc. Lovely big John Lewis and has a Waitrose. They can walk to the train station from their house which takes them into London. A big plus.

I live there, after living in London it feels safe if not a bit dull. Even the more rough areas don’t compare to rough areas in London.

It’s a shame that WGC doesn’t have good secondary schools. Many girls go to Bishops Hatfield in Hatfield which is a lovely school.

There's Rollercity and Campus West Theatre, with a little cinema. I have never understood why people get excited by John Lewis.

There are two libraries too.

I live in a different place but regularly go to wgc with my little ones. I agree that the Howard centre feels like it’s dying a death but it’s also fab for kids to run about (never crowded!) the H&M, Entertainer and Hotel Chocolat are what keeps us coming to the centre. It used to have a big M&S at one end which is now gone in the last couple of years, it really feels like that’s sucked the life out of the place!

Love the JL and have had a few chats with other shoppers to say that we hope it never goes! Some fab “London” restaurants such as Cote, it’s great to have these things close by as it feels like a bit London of without the crowds. The Xmas lights trail is great too.

It does feel a little …. Empty though. I think decisions need to be made very carefully about what happens next. It feels fairly upmarket in some ways and in other ways it doesn’t with the cheaper shops, gyms, etc. it’s a funny mix!!

Over Xmas the Howard centre was playing some very eerie piped music in the car park.. it felt like a bit of a time warp and my friend and I joked that maybe we’d been transported back in time 😂

I use to live in wgc but have moved to a small village 10 mins outside a couple of months ago. There are things at weekends that are arranged such as a world food festival, vintage festival, a big screen to watch films in the summer and they do have a Christmas light switch on that has stalls and rides for the kids. Outside of these times I feel wgc is 'vanilla.' It doesn't have much character and the shopping area has really been hit with closures. There seems to be so many coffee and charity shops. There are lots of villages close by that have a bit more character

Thanks all. I appreciate your responses and it’s interesting to learn more about it.

The Sex Pistols played the Campus West in their early days, which is probably about as exciting as WGC ever got. Oh, and Kim Wilde wandering around.

Thinking about it, it was probably the Mid Herts Campus rather than Campus West, but still.

Yes it is. Know someone that went.