Moving to Liverpool advice... should I?

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I've been wanting to move to Liverpool for some time now, but covid and relationship got in the way. That relationship has ended now and I'm free to move. I'm an LFC fan who visits regularly (nearly every month) and always have a good time there, and I love scousers. I've been back in my home town since moving back from uni 10 years ago and don't particularly like it here (small market town in Co Durham)- nothing to do and boring people who live very insular lives.

The problem is this: I'm scared. I went to uni in Manchester and never settled properly at all- everyone seemed to be preoccupied with looks and money, full of hipsters wasting their money on £9 beers, and if you weren't in the "in" crowd you might as well have not bothered. I felt very insignificant. Over half of the the city seemed very middle class (I'm WC), but the rough parts were absolutely soul destroying (I didnt live far from Cheetham Hill and Collyhurst). Huge class/wealth divide. It seemed that if you didn't have money or look a certain way, people ignored you no matter how hard you tried (I was briefly part of the music scene and got nowhere, and everyone, apart from Blossoms who are WC background, seemed to be very MC and wealthy).

I never get that vibe at all when I'm in Liverpool- I know it has rough parts and a rough rep, but I actually prefer that to the huge divide I saw in MCR. People seem to actually take interest in you, no one seems to judge you, they give you a chance. Everyone seems more easygoing and friendly here rather than posing and pretending. People clap and cheer when i sing or play music, not ignore me, keep on chatting and give a brief, unenthusiastic clap.

What I'm worried about is that, because i havent actually lived in Liverpool for a period of time, i havent gotten to know the city properly and it may turn out to be the same shit as in Manchester (I very, very much hope not). I also cant really afford to rent in the "nice" places that people mention at the moment, so I've been looking at cheaper places near the city centre such as Wavertree. Would it be a mistake to move there, or should I go for it and make the best of it? Nothing here for me where I am now! TIA x

No advice but I’m sooo jealous. I would love to move to Liverpool. My best friend was promoted and moved there 11 years ago. And I’ve gained hugely from him being there. It’s a wonderful city. The people are lovely. If it wasn’t for work, I’d be there tomorrow!

Don’t overthink it, just do it. You already know the city well. South Liverpool is lovely. Aigbirth, Sefton Park, Cressington etc.

My daughter lives in Woolton and loves it. Do it.

i think it’ll always be an itch you’ll want to scratch so I’d say go for it. As you said, there’s nothing for you where you are now so you’ve got nothing to lose. Maybe plan some groups/interests you might want to get involved with before you go so you have some plans?

Ahhhh Lark Lane! Love it!

My ex lived in Liverpool and I never felt more alive than when I was in that city! Definitely do it - we only do this life once!

Go for it ! I’ve lived in both cities . There is definitely still a wealth divide in Liverpool and always has been - there are examples of both extremes of wealth. Liverpool is smaller so you can feel a bit more ‘at home’ there. Manchester rent costs are crazy now , Liverpool should be slightly better.

I've lived in both and Liverpool is much much friendlier! I moved a lot in my 20s and Liverpool was by far the easiest place to settle. Go for it!

@PerfectPennyKilledMyHusband yes you're absolutely right about it being much friendlier- you wouldn't get a random person at 11am smiling and saying "alright girl?" in Manchester (you'd instead probably get the police called on you by some uptight hipster wanker or an aggressive "u wot?!"...)

From my understanding from those I have known who come from the area, there are some lovely parts and those to avoid. So some proper research beyond probably what anyone on MN could tell you might be an idea.

Also given your experience in Manchester, perhaps have a plan B should you move there and it ends up not being what you hope for.

I know both cities quite well and I must say if you're scared of the rough areas of Manchester, not sure you're going to find the similarly deprived areas of Liverpool any more salubrious.

That said, I don't think that's a reason not to go for it. Wavertree will likely be a different type of run down to Cheetham Hill, if that makes sense? Albeit I don't know anyone who's lived there in the past couple of decades so will defer to anyone whose knowledge of that specific area is more up to date than mine.

Would you be in a position to go and stay there for a few days, or a week, and see what it's like on a wet Monday morning, a Saturday after the pubs chuck out etc?

Me too. There is nowhere like it near me

@LlynTegid yes I'm very aware there's some rough as toast bits there and I've been doing my research- I did zero research on MCR, just upped and moved, and that's where I went badly wrong! This has been 4 years in the making and I've worked out that i'd like to live somewhere with a mix of people- affordable but not really rough (I can handle somewhere rough around the edges as I grew up on a CE, but I'm also a bit green/naive and definately couldnt cope somewhere with loads of crime, fighting etc).

Wavertree’s nice. I was there yesterday as it happens.
Liverpool and Manchester have totally different vibes. Manchester has more ‘swagger’.
Liverpool is a fun, friendly city to live in. I’d go for it OP. You don’t have to stay forever if it turns out not to be for you.

Liverpool is a great place to live! There are definitely bits you won’t like and people you will disagree with, buts that’s life, isn’t!

@Yatuway see my last post above, and yes I know what you mean. Wavertree is more livable day to day than Cheetham Hill. It seems to have a mix of people eg. Students, families etc wheras cheetham Hill was mostly families on their bare bones and crime 😔 (I didnt live there myself, but near it and used to get the bus through there)

@BarneyRonson no different to my hometown, except they are mostly ignorant twats who vote reform here so of course I'll disagree with them!

No need for the negativity and generalisations about people who live in Manchester!

Both are great cities IMO.

If you can get good work in Liverpool (or work remotely of course) renting there could inde d be good - or even lodging / sharing if that’d enable you to be in a naicer bit.

lol, live and let live eh?!

@Dozer people make generalisations about people in Liverpool as well, which are mostly not true. Despite my experience in Manchester, I did meet some very nice people 🩷 Just not the place for me.

Yes, I think the presence of students in or close to the area makes a big difference to the feel, even when both have high levels of deprivation. So Longsight or pre gentrification Levvy never felt quite the same to me as Cheetham Hill or Crumpsall, for example. I think Wavertree is more akin to the rougher areas of south Manchester than north.

That being said, students can also be a pain in the arse in their own right so you might want to factor that in. People who know Wavertree better than I do will probably be able to advise on whether they're likely to be much of a nuisance there and if there's particular bits that might happen.

Liverpool and Manchester are very different culturally. And yes Manchester does have a 'too look for skool' thing going on in some quarters and this doesn't exist in Liverpool in the same way. Liverpool is much more down to earth across the board, but can have a bit of a scally vibe (that differs to the Manchester scally).

It's something I've talked about with many friends on numerous occasions, who all live between the two and for various reasons have to 'pick a side' to a certain extent.

You are not imagining it.

Fwiw I actually prefer Manchester. So I don't see it as being negative about Manchester. Just an observation that's grounded in something and difficult to articulate without pissing off both!

@Yatuway I lived in Crumpsall actually! Didn't like it at all- all it had going for it was the met/135 into town! But I was very young, naive and didn't do my reasesrch.

I agree that Liverpool is friendlier generally speaking.