to wonder what's so great about York?

[FartBlossom]

Everytime someone mentions going to York, living in York, visiting York there is lots and lots of people saying ooh its lovely there, wish I lived there I love it there blah blah blah. Why?

I was born and bred in York and have just moved out of York so have lived there for 33 years apart from 3 years at Uni in Manchester.

I have got nothing against it, but really don't see its wonderful appeal at all. Is it because Im so used to it I dont see what others see? Is it because I know about a slightly darker side to it? Is it because it truely is wonderful than a lot of other places, but I dont know that as I haven't lived in most other places?

Yabu. I would move back like a shot. And yes to all your questions.

The Shambles.
The Minster.
The River Ouse.
The walls.

Darker side?

York is the coldest place in the UK

end of

York is my most favourite place, I'd move there in a heartbeat.

YABU

I feel the same way about Chester. dh told me over and over again "we must go to Chester Cathedral, I sang there once, yadda, yadda". So, we went and it was shite. I hated it and it wasn't even that clean.

York is better than Chester though.

Tell us about the 'darker side'. I am intrigued!!

Agree. It's a village with no ethnic diversity.

Used to live in York, gorgeous place, would love to go back but no jobs for us.

I think all towns/cities have a 'darker side' don't they?

The tourists used to get on my nerves in the summer, but that was just part of sharing such a beautiful city.

it's fucking freezing

it is a flood plain

it's expensive

Darker side = council estates and a minute number of drug dealers (not necessarily in same place).

If you can't appreciate that places like York, Chester, Brighton etc are v v naice you have obviously never been anywhere truly grim. Like Wednesbury. Or Oldham.

or Middlesbrough

I think its like anything when its right on your doorstep you struggle to see it from a tourist POV. I live near Southport and cant for the life of me see why it would appeal to anyone for a holiday but it does!

Indeed. What I mean is that the dark side of somewhere like York is not very dark at all.

I don't see the appeal either really. Looks lovely, but that's it, and cold, and far away from EVERYWHERE!

i loved living there for the 2 and a half years i did. i miss it. yabu

Madness! We moved back to York the minute we could afford it and it was the best thing we ever did. Everywhere has a dark side I think? But not everywhere is so beautiful.

I loved in York for a couple of years as I went to York Uni (amongst others).

I loved it. I get vair nostalgic for it. Have been back a few times since I left. I would move back in a heartbeat. I miss it.

I used to cycle along the river into the city centre and then out to the uni.

I miss the river, I miss the Lendal Cellars, I miss Oscars, I miss St Marys Abbey, I miss Thomas the Baker, I miss the deli in Heslingden. I miss the people, I miss lots :)

I grew up in Durham, and said the same when I left.
I knew the bad bits, the estates with riot vans, the drug scene, the dodgy stuff that went on.
BUT, now, as a mother, if I moved back, I wouldn't see that, I'd see the gorgeous, historical city, which is really family friendly.
I'm guessing York is the same?

It's really lovely to visit. Not sure I would choose to live there. Kind of like Durham.

Just the rough areas. We've just moved from one of the roughest areas of York, well the roughest street in one of the roughest areas. It was either stay there or leave York. Though I must stress I dont think the rough areas are in anyway near as rough as other areas of the country. And like SCP said all towns/cities have a darker side. I couldnt think what else to call it in my OP.

Also nothing ever happens in York. No-one famous ever goes. The council dont even have a proper firework display on 5th November and Guy Fawkes is from York they'd rather spend money on christmas lights that are nothing special.

Those are the darker sides or reasons not to think York is great IMO.

York is beautiful!

I grew up in Oxford and feel the same about there. It is a beautiful city but it is utterly ruined by tourists and students, The shopping is poor and everything is £££££, it is surrounded but council grim estates and I realised as soon as I moved away that he majority of people who live there are middle class knobbos.. or wanna be middle class knobbos.

The only good things about Oxford are the museums and the architecture. You can keep the rest of it.

Ooh Thomas the Bakers cheese straws. Hansom Cab.
And it's not cold! Barnsley however is grim and bloody freezing.

Whoops crossed posts there a lot regarding the dark side.

i really think you need to go live in a really big city and see what a 'dark side' really is...