To up sticks to Glasgow?

[MrTay]

Long term lurker, first time poster, but we are trying to make a big decision! Title says it all really, DW and I are considering moving from where we live currently in South Wales before DD is school age. We don't have an amazing support network here, and our families live a few hours away already so nothing there is going to change! I'm a remote working freelancer and DW is a SAHM so we have the flexibility to do it, but with something like this it can still feel a bit like a punt. We're pretty much set on Glasgow having been there before and loved it, so it's not so much a case of asking for opinions on places to go, more just checking that this isn't a frankly crazy idea. I'd love to hear from other people who have done the wholesale relocation thing, because I'm struggling to think of any negatives but I also want to make sure we think this through properly!

Re schools- if lived in GCC you could apply for a placement request in ER/ED but realistically VERY unlikely you would ever get it. I wouldn't go down that road if you're going to be disappointed with your local catchment school if/when your placement request is unsuccessful.

I live in a suburb just outside the city (north/west) and love it. I did live in the west end of the city for a short time but prefer where I live now as I'm not really a 'city girl'. On the whole Glasgow is great lots going on, vibrant, multicultural, has community spirit the only downside is the weather. I don't know the south side very well but others on the thread seem to.

People saying it's all grey are just forgetting summer after our long winter. This is just down the road from me, a canal that stretches through Glasgow.

The woods behind my house in Bearsden just 15 minutes by train to the city centre.

I live in Glasgow and I think it's awesome! I've never not had a visitor from another city who hasn't agreed with me.

I'm from Scotstoun originally, but recently moved from Firhill to Millerston just next to Stepps. It's fantastic here, it's so quiet, yet still close to the M8 / city centre. And we got a 4 bed semi for £144k!!!! (Although it needs a fair bit of work!)

on schools much of the west end and south side have good primaries. The differences really come out in secondary. It's much harder to get a placing request than it used to for good primaries though. You might want to look at the Gaelic School - it is the only secondary, apart from Jordanhill, that really performs highly. Catchment is city wide

darrowisred I have to agree. I lived in Dennistoun for 20 years and I moved back down to Dorset (where I'm from) a few years ago. Dennistoun was such a mixed bag.

Great in terms of location. 10 minutes to the city centre, lots of lovely parks nearby, great for kids activities and also cheap because of the location. And mostly lovely people. However, there was a man murdered in the Close next door one night (stabbed over 80 times and beheaded), there was running battles on Duke Streets at times, including during school pick up! And don't get me started on the bloody Orange Walks. I also faced anti-English comments, was spat on, had stuff thrown at me and also had endless comments about England being shit when like you say, half of them had never left the G31 area in their lives.

Mostly though I found it a good place to live. But I was sick of the dog shit, the litter and the fact that my kids deserved more meant a move back down south nearer to my family was inevitable. However, I will never be able to afford such a huge home as I had in Glasgow where I bought a 2 bed flat for £24k in the late 90's and you could hold a party in it for 60 people easily!

Dennistoun's been called the 'new West End' for as long as I can remember. I'll stick with the old West End thanks.

Coffee that's a shame you had those experiences. Glasgow has changed significantly since the 90s - although of course like anywhere there are dodgy areas.

The many Orange marches that take place throughout the summer make me gnash my teeth and curse the whole city.

Glasgow is brilliant but it rains a lot. I would go for East Ren for the schools.

Glasgow is amazing. I'd move back there in a heartbeat

Even if you get a house in Jordanhill catchment you won't get a place unless you've been on the waiting list since birth. It shouldn't be allowed to operate like that and still be state funded IMO.

Are you sure you're ready for your DD to acquire a broad Glaswegian accent and vocabulary? .

I am Scottish, from not far away from Glasgow: Stirling. English people always comment that they are surprised I am easy to understand as they had some colleague in the past whose Scotish accent was impenetrable. That person invariably turns out to have been Glaswegian. I mean, ha e you ever heard the words "Evening Times" mangled more than in Glasgow city centre?

Glaswegians, the above is meant in affectionate jest.
One question OP- you say you are far away from family already but yet are totally flexible as to where in the country you can live- any reason why you're not taking the chance to move to a city closer to any relatives? Could be handy as your DD gets older and don't underestimate the drain on your energy that is travelling a long way to visit/ look after elderly or frail parents. But as for moving in general, I'd definitely say "go for it"- I moved continents once and it was the best thing I ever did.

I was blissfully content in Glasgow and would go back in a second apart from 2 factors: the weather and the lack of jobs. I was actually fine for jobs, I work in engineering/roads/utilities. But my other half is a Web developer, and there was very little for him. I lived in Partick/Hyndland and it was just lovely. Friends now are getting places around Dennistoun which is quite up and coming. There definitely are terrible areas, but every city is like that. Just get local help when house hunting and you're golden. I'd stick closer to the city centre rather than the suburbs, too. If you're near a train station you can get by without a car, and really enjoy everything the city has to offer.

I'm Canadian, so wasn't going to suffer from any anti English prejudice, but I really think that is less of an issue than you'd think anyways. The anti English stuff is about politics and government, not about people. People are very welcoming of all kinds of people - if you've moved there and settled you are Scottish. And there was no anti Welsh sentiment!

The many Orange marches that take place throughout the summer make me gnash my teeth and curse the whole city.

This! I couldn't believe when, during our first summer in our home near Paisley, an orange march thumped past our front door! I had never seen anything like that in Edinburgh.

I'm in Glasgow. It's pissing down today. After living in the south east and further afield for quite a few years, the weather does get me down. But I wouldn't move away now as I think it is a fantastic wee city that offers everything you could want, is affordable & near proper wild countryside.

I like having a garden so wouldn't want to live in the city. I'm in one of the "good school" suburbs but can be in the trendiest of bars/ restaurants/coffeeshops in 20 mins. The suburbs are friendly too...I've made great friends from the school gates and there are lots of different nationalities around our way.

Give it a try OP!

I've from Scotland, but lived in London many years moved back for son starting school, 5 years ago. Brilliant decision. We live in Perth, central for everything between Dundee, Glasgow and the Highland's.

Do not rely on moving to a house in catchment for a Glasgow city council school and making a placing request for a school in a different local authority. You won't get it. This is why people move to East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire!

Okay, so it looks like living in one area and applying for a place in another is out! From what people who live a bit further out are saying it sounds like public transport links are pretty good; I think we're going to keep our car but it's still helpful to be able to get around without it. For those who have rented in the area before, are there any differences that we need to be aware of versus the English/Welsh system? Thanks for all the help so far!

you have a legal right to apply to send your child to any school that you wish, and local authorities are required to accept your placement request unless strict legal guidelines would be breached. East Renfrewshire secondary schools outwith Barrhead are full due to lots of house building and so your application is very likely to be declined on that basis - would need to employ an additional teacher. If you want your child to be educated in East Ren school you need to live in East Ren.

You might be best starting a thread under Scotsnet - it's in the "other stuff" section.

My fave wee pic of glasgow! Beautiful peace in the park with the city just 5 min away

I grew up in Glasgow and often ask the OH to move back, however due to DSD and jobs I know we could not.
As much as I love my "nice" Buckinghamshire village life style. I would love to sell up and by a property in a ok area of Glasgow and live mortgage free, or have DSD learning Gaelic (family reasons I want her to learn and have 100% faith in that school). My family close by, hills close by.