What do you think is the worst city centre in the UK and why?

[OneLilacHedgehog]

So many cities have gone downhill since COVID. But which is the worst?

Derby is pretty hideous.

Hounslow is not a city but it is most definitely a town - and a largeish town with a big shopping area, underground and overground trains and high residential populations. There is also the London Borough of Hounslow, which covers Hounslow town and a wide area of west London and large parts of the Heathrow Airport area.

Swansea is prettty bleak. The Marina and SA1 are great but the actual centre is grim. So many shops closing.

I agree with PP about Leicester, the city centre is frightening even in the daytime and I can't even comment on the night now; my last night out there was about 3 years ago and was so ropey I now wouldn't go anywhere near it after dark.

The retail parks around the city are not much better - I visited one over the weekend and was actually embarrassed to have to admit that this was my nearest city. A family passed me that honestly looked like the adult offspring of Wayne and Waynetta Slob, all talking up the whole pavement, swearing, grandmother was smoking, parents both vaping, and the thing that made me most disgusted was that their children were jumping up behind them trying to swallow the vapour blowing back on them. This family wasn't even an outlier, it seemed fairly typical for the area.
I've tried for a long time not to be judgemental about people, (and it could be perimeno making me less forgiving!) but actually, why is it more acceptable to behave like an scumbag than it is to name it when you see it?

I would say Corby. There is nothing nice about the whole place.

Lately I’ve been to London and Manchester and have loved both but admittedly haven’t been to the “dodgy ends”.
Daughter is at uni in Lincoln and totally loves the city, I quite like going there.

I was born and raised in Birmingham. In the 80s and 90s, I used to go 'up town' to the city centre regularly and thought it was a fantastic city. Always something going on there, a great vibe great shops, some lovely buildings, nice restaurants. There were areas that were terrible and you avoided, but generally it was a great place to live. I moved away about 30 years ago. Reading about how bad it is nowadays I find heartbreaking. I'd like to know how did this happen? Things are getting progressively worse in this country.

SA1 around the river and Marina are lovely. Town is ok though. And lovely walk along the sea front. Mumbles is lovely too.

I actually dont mind Leicester. Went to uni there, though obviously it was a while back.

I think it must depend on when you go. I loved Hull, but it was during the Freedom Festival. I really like what they have done with the marina part of the city too - lots of restaurants and nice bars.

I quite liked Birmingham )) I must be a perv

It's not a city

I would not live there but come on, its not that bad.

Nottingham. It’s a shit holt

Birmingham feels so sketchy to me and I live in a dodgy part of London. They’ve ruined Bournemouth somehow too. It’s a total shit hole now.

I don't know Bournemouth Council but I think these issues are blighting many towns and cities nationally at present - high street shops have been taken out by online shopping and swallowed up by multinationals (so nothing's owned locally and profits go to offshore multi billionaires instead of staying in the country/being reinvested in the high street and jobs); at the same time local councils have been stripped to the bone and had their central funding from government effectively reduced continuously since the 2007 crash, whilst at the same time being required to do more to pick up the pieces in terms of social care, homelessness etc.

Some high streets are managing to do well but I think it's often having a critical mass of shops and businesses, and then an affluent population or volume of visitors to sustain it

High streets and city centres have taken a massive hit over recent years. Finding one that still feels vibrant is getting harder and harder.

List of cities in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

Yes I would agree. M&S closed in the city centre recently and other shops are following. Police often activate special powers to stop people congregating. The Marina is usually included in these restrictions. Yobs wizzing round on ebikes/ electric scooters too.

Retail parks and large garden centres like mini department stores are doing well. I don't think councils understand who actually uses retail.

OP, they haven't gone downhill since covid, but since Brexit. It wasn't covid the cause of UK's decline.

Hmmm...I find it a city of two halves. Some lovely bits around the edges, but the central shopping area is beyond grim.

What a ridiculously sneery comment

I nearly married a chap who worked there on the submarines - and moved there. Lucky escape on both tbh! Not even a nice beach now with the electric wind things.

Portsmouth is a shit place.