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?

catgirl 1976? York Uni? Lendal Cellars? I fear we may have bumped into each other ;)

TH is Tang hall and most of the area is fine, its just one or two streets that give the whole area a bad name and we lived down one of those streets. In fact if I told anybody from Tang Hall which street we lived down even they would say its not one they'd like to live. Id go into the council offices and have a look at the exchange notices and a lot would say that they want TH, but not my street. Also just before we moved someone else moved out of the street and they lived in TH all their lives and the street was getting too rough even for them.

babs the willow it was and it does.

police raids??? They raided the house 2 doors down from us often.

Next doors car got paint stripper poured on it and the community support officer told our neighbours that the police don't like walking down the street.

I'd agree with that, fart. I know several people who live in the area (are you one of them?!), and they say the same

But, on the whole, the area is not as bad as is often made out, I think.

It isnt notjustamummythankyou, its just a couple of streets. I would have loved to moved to a different street, but it wasn't going to happen so had to move out of York. And yes I do like York, but Im not bothered if I never live there again.

'No-one famous ever goes there'????
Sign me up immediately!

(I am speaking as someone who has lived in Werneth, Moss Side, and Hockley)

I went to uni in York and had a fab time, but that was down to the uni campus, not the city, I think. It's a beautifu place, and I loved meandering round the streets, along the river, round Museum Gardens etc. And I really really miss Lendal Cellars and the Handsome Cab.

But, I didn't like the "darker side". Quite a few of my male friends got beaten up for having the cheek to be students out in town on a friday or saturday night. I also found the lack of diversity wierd. I come from a Lancs town with nearly 50% of the population being from ethnic minorities. To end up in York where even the university was pretty much all white was just, well, odd. I seem to remember that when I was a student a jewish "ban" (not the right word at all but I just can't remember the term that was used) on jews living in the city was lifted afted many many years, as there had been a Jewish massacre at one of the monuments in the city centre centuries before. It felt like a place were outsiders (including students) were most defintely not welcome. It's good to hear that this is changing now.

It was also quite annoying that the Barbican Centre didn't attract that many good bands, even though I was at uni at the height of the Britpop era! (I had some very good nights out in Fibbers, though .

I did write this next bit a couple of times then deleted it as it wasnt relevant though not sure if I have said it so I apologise if I repeated anything but when I was younger and into smash hits and the pop charts I would have loved to see some of my favourite acts in concert, but they never came to York hence why I said no-one famous ever goes to York.

I just dont think York is all that TBH and Im not itching to move back ever. I was just wondering why people thought it was brilliant. Suppose its just a difference of opinion thing.

YANBU to wonder anything.

But you would be being unreasonable to think York's not special. Because it is.

I rest my case.

here This is what I meant about the Jewish Massacre. There was a fair bit of BNP v ANL stuff going on when I was there.

Just to clarify though, I lived there a good few years ago now so I'm not saying it's the centre of the racist world or anything, honest (please don't flame me!).

Can't be bothered to read to see if someone else has already said this, sorry.

It has a grand old duke.

Apparently the schools are mostly pretty dire in York

its not the most cosmopolitan of places but i never found it to be racist particularly.

and the massacre is taught very openly - i learned about that when i first went to cliffords tower with school in the infants. its part of the history of York, and its a historic city.

ermm beepbeep how fast do you drive? I live 25 mins south of Newcastle and commute to York - it takes me an hour 25 at best!

I have two friends from York who say exactly the same as you - would never move back. So boringly middle/tory and on the other side of the coin it has a rough 'like any other city' side to it that the toursits don't see.

York 'rough'? Hilarious!

no loopy it hasn't been said

No its not a place for outsiders grey. I think I said earlier that people tend to be quite reserved from York (that includes shy old me) and I think that its a difficult place to get to know people. Nobody really makes an effort with new people and they all just talk to those who they know. People who have moved to York from outside have told me that it takes a while to make friends in York and I have to agree Im afraid. Obviously there will be exeptions to this, but its been observed by a couple of people Ive spoken to who have moved into York from elsewhere.

I dont remember any Jewish thing though. Although apparently you are legally allowed to kill a scots man with a bow and arrow from the wall if they are entering by one of the bars (bootham I think)

IvanaNap you have put your 3 lines so much better than my whole thread.

it's got i's more than fair share of ropey areas mrscroc. Don't judge a book by it's posh city streets!

York is a lovely place to live IF you can find a job.

I don't think its particularly rough compared to a lot of other towns. I found living in salford far scarier than York.

I think my dream would be live in st albans. Its just as quaint and isn't quite so cold.

York's a place for tourists, I reckon. I love the architecture and the walls and the Minster.

In practical living terms though, it wouldn't be for me. It's got a lack of diversity for a reason - bit of a destination place for those who pride themselves on being WASPS etc. No cultural life to speak of - one fairly lame theatre doing what you would imagine a provincial theatre would do, only doing it badly. It's on a floodplain so you have to be careful where you live and you can't walk around York city centre on your own on Saturday night in the way that you can in Edinburgh, London or Manchester. It wouldn't be safe.

i suppose for me its just the older i get the more i want to go "home". nothing more than that.

there are nicer cities i grant you. i grew up just out side of York on a council estate.

there are rough bits. there are nice bits. if you dont like it, dont live there!