To hate living in Manchester (and North in general)

[ILikeMilk]

Moved here four years ago to be with DH, and I still cannot get used to it. We are in a nicest area of Manchester, and it is still feels very provincial and boring. I dream about living in London, but DH does not want to look for a new job. I feel like there is no point and don?t want to decorate the house, make friends, etc, I just fantasise about being in London every single day. There is not much to do here, no nice streets or galleries, not much to do on the weekends as a family. I went to London this weekend, it was so painful to come back. Does anybody else feel this way?

Visited Hebden last week as possibly re-locating that way and thought it was lovely. Accio pinot - any other nice areas that way but not too pricey and commutable to Halifax?

Dame As an ex Haligonian (from Halifax) now living in Manchester (best city in the World as far as I'm concerned!!) have you looked at the Rishworth area??? Easy commute to Halifax and also not a million miles form the motorway (M62) taking you down to Manchester or up to Leeds

Okee - not heard of Rishworth before so will do some research. Don't drive so would that be a problem?

well Gabby Logan is staying in London when her mates go to manchester

Dame Possibly it depends. Some parts are very rural so that possibly would be a problem but there are lots of buses running through the area. They go to Halifax plus the other way to Rochdale and Oldham.

I used to live up north. I didn't like it.nothing fun to do plus the people are really cheap. My mate wouldn't go to a barbers. He was too cheap. His dad cut his hair.

I've got to say, even though I've lived in Leeds almost my entire life (apart from a brief stint in Blackburn), I'd move to Manchester in a heartbeat as a result of this thread

i too moved from central london to hale, partner comming from there when my boy was 4 mths.... at first i too was sad, sad that i had left the security, comfort of knowing london like the back of my hand, friends, work family etc for a much quiter part of england.

i could have gone one of two ways, sat in and moaned a hell of alot about how great london is or gone out, did all the baby groups and so forth. i chose to do the latter. life is def what you make it, yes it is quieter, yes there's not the galleries, cosmopolitan side of the bright lights big city but what i have found is that there is lots to do and good friends that you will make. We're npw en route back to london for work reasons, half of me is happy the other half sad.

i'm more than happy to meet up for a walk, cheeky glass of wine to pass on the places i found, groups i went to etc.....as i know what you are feeling and hope i can help. let me know......

one last thing - the grass isnt always greener, london is great if your single, i struggled with buggies on the bus, not tp mention the tube and the pollution is vile! pros and cons with everything in life......

galleries - check out Knutsford?
visit 'Home; and the footballers wifey garden centres and reclamation yards all round Mere
Altrincham and Sale and dont forget the marvellous Trafford centre, and the winter sports centre, let alone shopping in the city, the shoppingggggg I miss manchester so much now we've moved to the Midlands

I have family in Manchester - I live in SE. Manchester is FAB - there is masses to do - plently of cultural things. Go to the toursit information centre.

I would kill to live in Mcr or the Norht (being from there originally) but DHs business is firmly based down here, so it won't happen.

Manchester is central to so many great places. The city centre is one big ugly concrete jungle but 45 mins drive and you're in the beautiful Peak District. Lovely! :)

Where are you now - Ilikemilk?

Lordy Lordy, another Zombie thread rises from the grave.
Or could it just be Rochdale on a Saturday night?

Tatton Park, Dunham Massey, Styal Country Park, Lyme Park, the Chestnut Otter Sanctuary, Joddrel Bank, the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester Art Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, the Lowry, Bridgewater Hall, MEN Arena, theOpera House, Royal Exchange Theatre, Altrincham Garrick, Blue Planet, Eureka!, Altrincham Ice Rink, Legoland at the Trafford Centre, Top Premiership football, cricket at Old Trafford, rugby at Sale Sharks, the Lake District, Peak District, Yorkshire Moors, Welsh coast, umpteen cinemas, leisure centres, horseriding, canal boats..........apologies to all I've missed.
I feel desperately sorry for your children.

Ooh, remember this thread. Hope OP has settled in more now to fabulous manchester!

London is nice for a visit, but get real who in their right mind would actually want to live there?

Even if you are a millionaire with a chauffeur to park for you, you can only go anywhere at midday or midnight.

It's a dump and you know it is.

Please look hard at your life, work and relationships Manchester is not the only problem.

Oh and the road past the cat and fiddle pub near Buxton is just Fucking amazing!

Sorry for the thread hijack, but any mancunians who want an excuse to get out more, there is a MN meet-up on Thursday 1st March at Knott Bar near Deansgate station from about 7.30ish
We're up to at least 9 or 10 so far, the more the merrier though.

I know this is an old thread but can we top with the London bashing please.... Why is it considered offensive and rude to slag off Manchester but London is fair game? Have some respect people.

stop with the London bashing that is...

headfairy I think folk just get carried away trying to counter the London-centric attitudes (I was guilty of it when I grew up in London). Londoners tend not to insult e.g. Manchester because they never even consider it. All regions have good and bad points. I love where I live now (Greater Manchester) because of the community spirit and neighbourly attitudes, but I have lived in other Greater Manchester areas that were unsavoury to say the least!
What I like about the North is the lower cost of living, and the nice beer.
What do you like about where you live?

Sephreina
I live in blackburn! aahh, its nice to know their are other people that live/d here other than alcoholic waif's and strays.
On a daily basis i get offered drugs and alcohol...

I love manchester, I'm not too far away. Their are some places in manchester that are shit-holes, but its the same everywhere.

Deffo a manchester fan, but people always slag off the midlands, I'm at university in Derby and i love it, its no manchester but i like it all the same!

inmysparetime well I live in Surrey, which I'm sure will be slagged off on here for being snobby and too expensive, but I love it. It's where I was born and bred, the rolling Surrey Hills are really beautiful, it's the most wooded county in England and yet in 30mins I can be in central London. In 45 mins I can be on the south coast. The best of all worlds I think.

Each to their own I say. London is one of the few 'world' cities like Tokyo and New York and consequently has a scale and dynamic which is very different to the rest of the UK. A comparison is therefore a bit meaningless. I'm from the North but can appreciate the good and bad points of London and other areas of the UK. I'm not sure it's some where that I'd want to live full-time though as I think I'd want to escape all the hustle and bustle in the end as I would crave some space, peace and tranquility. Others will no doubt think differently which is fine.