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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder what's so great about York?

195 replies

FartBlossom · 13/05/2012 20:00

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?

OP posts:
lunamoon · 13/05/2012 22:42

Oh I can't wait to visit again.

Original poster
FartBlossom · 13/05/2012 22:44

I dont live there, I moved away. Not as far North as Newcastle, but up the A1 and it takes over an hour to drive back so I too am wondering why someone up thread said it was an hour away to Newcastle Confused or whatever the time was, I CBA to read back

OP posts:
ThatVikRinA22 · 13/05/2012 22:45

my dsis lived in Newcastle and its a logner driver than that - the train is how i used to do it though - thats easy peasy from York.

newcastle is lovely too. and very friendly. i loved newcastle.

StealthPolarBear · 13/05/2012 22:46

Think we live fairly close!

ReallyTired · 13/05/2012 22:46

Hopefullyrecovering, would you seriously walk round manchester or London on your own on a Saturday night? York is no more dangerous than many other towns of its size.

Ofcourse York has some rough parts, but its hardly Moss side or the Bronx.

I think the the biggest problem with York is the complete lack of jobs. Other than tourism there is very little employment. If York had jobs it would rapidly turn into a large city and stop being quaint and a nice place to live.

Original poster
FartBlossom · 13/05/2012 22:49

Ofcourse York has some rough parts, but its hardly Moss side or the Bronx

Ive always agreed that York is no way near as rough as other places although some people like to think they are

I love Newcastle and always wanted to live there, Im getting closer Grin

OP posts:
DrCoconut · 13/05/2012 22:50

kaloobear, the York Waits.

www.whitecottagewebsites.co.uk/york/ .

Original poster
FartBlossom · 13/05/2012 22:51

Ive always fancied living in Leeds too, but with both Newcastle and Leeds I admit I do have my rose tinted glasses on (like some will with York) and only see the good things about them. Same with London. I quite fancy living in the suburbs and getting the tube every day to work.

OP posts:
mrscrocoduck · 13/05/2012 22:53

I've lived in York for a number of years, following a stint in south london, and it's the people who make it special. People are proud of their city and it shows.

I used to take my first child into the Art Gallery 1-2 times a week in the first 2 years of her life and know most of the staff (by sight at least). We were confined to our flat because of chicken pox when she turned 1 so didn't go anywhere for a fortnight. The day I took her back to the gallery I was told that they'd heard she'd been ill and had missed her.

It's special because it's possible to feel a genuine part of a community here.

If that's not enough for you how about...

  • The City Screen (great cinema and also music/comedy venue. No one famous? So I can't have seen Reginald D HUnter or Robin Ince there)
  • Festivals (a bajillion at last count)
  • Gray's Court (truly posh tea and cake and the tourists haven't found it yet mwahahahaha)
  • child friendly on a major scale (residents get free access to brilliant museums, the minster with their library cards)
  • you can walk anywhere and still have time to spare in your day to do stuff
  • massive number of clubs and evening classes
  • Blackbeard's Teaparty
  • The frigging pubs and beer ffs
  • green spaces which aren't desperate add ons but established mature gardens and parks
  • a healthy and encouraging promotion of cycling
  • chocolate scented air (less common now sadly but not unknown)
  • the people. The bloody lovely people.

And the fast train to London and Edinburgh.

sigh

greyhairsahead · 13/05/2012 22:53

It depends on what you want, though. I love York, I really do. But, back in the early nineties when I really looked like a student (I'm sure you all know what I mean!), I didn't feel comfortable in the centre of York on a weekend night. I could, however, walk around the part of London that my boyfriends parents lived in, that on paper was much much rougher, dressed like that and not felt as vulnerable.

Different towns and cities have different issues and all that.

TunipTheVegemal · 13/05/2012 22:57

I love York because I love history, and York is full of the stuff. If you're not interested in history then clearly the place is wasted on you and you should leave and never darken its wonky 600 year old doorways again.

Hopefullyrecovering · 13/05/2012 22:57

I regularly walk around both Manchester and London late at night :) Only in safe areas.

I am safer there than in York City Centre. There's quite an undercurrent of threat and violence IMO. It depends on lifestyle though, does it not?

40notTrendy · 13/05/2012 22:58

Greyhairs I have probably squeezed past you in Fibbers Grin
Britpop era resident too.
You could have a crap/scary/rough night out in York and assume it's always like that, but that could be said about any place. I've been lucky enough to have plenty of amazing nights out in York, plan to have many more and never felt scared or vulnerable.
And if we could we'd be back there in a flash. Perfect it's not. But for me, it's not far off.
Barnitts Grin. I bought an ironing board from their on line shop recently. It wasn't the best price but just wanted to say I'd bought it from them! Blush

mrscrocoduck · 13/05/2012 22:59

What?! You can't walk around York on a weekend night like you can in London? Yeah, it's not flippin Chelsea, granted. But, honestly?!

I have yet to feel intimidated in York on any night out and I've often walked alone in the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights alone and have not once felt vulnerable. And I speak as one who used to feel scared walking around London at night. I was effectively under house arrest as soon as night fell in London. To equate York and London in that way is laughable. What are you scared of exactly? Being shouted at by some drunk hens?

EthelredOnAGoodDay · 13/05/2012 23:02

I live in york now after having lived in Newcastle and Barnsley, although am originally from north Yorkshire. We really like it, I feel fairly safe in town on a night, the night life is alright, there's lots to do for kids. I don't think it is too safe/toryfied; in fact, isn't it a lib/lab administration?? North Yorkshire as a whole is much more traditional I would say... It has it's problems like anywhere, but on the whole, they are less of a worry to me than in some of the other places I've lived!

Original poster
FartBlossom · 13/05/2012 23:03

Actually there is one thing I like about York and I wish other places had it. Park and Ride. Im looking for work and live very rurally so need to drive to work and it would be so much easier if there was a park and ride into the towns near me.

There are more and more famous people coming to York I admit, but not when I was younger there wasnt and that is where the "no-one ever comes to York" has stemmed from as I admited earlier.

-City screen - over priced
-not a big fan of the smell when I walked past Rowntrees (sorry, but its always going to be rowntrees not Nestle).
-As I said I dont think the people are that friendly though. They are to those they know, but they are very difficult to get to know. (This is not an insult, its just the reservedness of the York folk and I am the same)
-the trains are too expensive as well, (yes I have seen the adverts of £10 to London fares, but never seen the fares)

No sorry York is nice yes, but its not the best place in the country that everybody wants to flock to. Not in my opinion anyway.

OP posts:
greyhairsahead · 13/05/2012 23:07

Mrs I lived there a long time ago, and back then there was a definite divide between "townies" and students which could (and did) turn nasty on occasions. That's all I mean. In London looking a bit different isn't so much of an issue. Maybe it's not in York anymore? There are many many areas of London I wouldn't walk around on my own at night, for sure.

It's what you feel confortable with, isn't it? The last time I went to York I was with DH having a weekend break and felt fine in the town centre at night as I wasn't in a purple velvet hat, stripey trousers and DMs! Grin

greyhairsahead · 13/05/2012 23:08

I lived across the river from the Terrys factory, lovely!

mrscrocoduck · 13/05/2012 23:09

So what is the best place FartBlossom?

ANd I don't think those of us who love it would necessarily say it is the best place in the country (for a start we wouldn't want all of you to discover that it actually is) but it is the best place for us.

Kaloobear · 14/05/2012 07:02

Ouch that's not true-a lot of the schools are brilliant. As well as excellent state schools like Fulford, Huntington and All Saints, there are v prestigious boarding schools like St Peter's, The Mount and Bootham. The only school I wouldn't necessarily want my DC to go to is York High and, to be fair, that's only because I don't know much about it.

Kaloobear · 14/05/2012 07:04

Thanks for the link to the York Waits-I had no idea!

Also the idea of not being safe on a night in York is quite funny, speaking as a Londoner. We've been here ten years and I've never had so much as a sniff of anything threatening or damaging. I think the 'rough areas' are very localised. Even when we lived in TH (on one of the numbered streets) we never saw anything untoward and I've walked home alone at night countless times.

nirvana1111 · 14/05/2012 07:33

I live in york and absolutely love it. It's a nice safe-ish place to live.
The only downside is the horrible little scumbags who stand outside mcdonalds, i got punched by one last year!

BellaVita · 14/05/2012 07:40

I live in York - love it.

I think there are darker sides to wherever you live... I work in one of these areas....Grin

I went shopping in Leeds last week (am originally from there), I got chatting to the assistant in M&S coffee shop who went into raptures over York.

AF - anywhere can be cold Grin not just York.

BellaVita · 14/05/2012 07:43

Kaloo - perhaps you ought to read up on it and find out Wink you may be pleasantly surprised.

catgirl1976 · 14/05/2012 07:53

captainbarnacle Grin we may be old uni mates :)

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