Harrogate or York??!

[Absofrigginlootly]

DH is hopefully going to be working just south of Leeds and we will be relocating from the states back to the uk this summer,

Nothing finalized yet so it may all fall through but anyway we need to be researching and deciding on potential areas to live.

We are wanting a picturesque village just outside (maybe up to 10 miles) out of the city. With access to good primary and secondary schools. We have a sizable housing budget so that's probably not a concern either.

We are southerners so don't know the area well....

Northern MNers... would you vote for harrogate or York??

Do you know of any beautiful country villages in either area (I like the look of Sutton on the forest outside york for example)

Any advice MUCH appreciated... Thanks!

I would look at Tadcaster or Wetherby and the villages around there. Sutton on the Forest is lovely but the commute would be a nightmare. Not Boston Spa, the secondary schools there are going through a lot of upheaval.

No way would you get there in 55 minutes assuming you are driving in peak times

Bishopthorpe is a good call tbh.

Are you actually looking at the route planners during the rush hour? My most common commute is from just south of Leeds to and from just north of Leeds. On a good day it's half an hour. With any delays it's up to twice that.

How do you get route planner to factor in rush hour?

I think on google maps you can tell it what time you're leaving... So just put in 8am

Just use google maps throughout the day - so at 5pm, 5:30pm, whenever you realistically think he will be travelling.

Both are lovely towns, but Harrogate is touristy and York is very, very touristy so you need to decide how much touristy you can live with.

York has it's black spots of height crime like any city, considering this I think it's over priced.
Harrogate is very posh and expensive, but nice.

clivey it's says 50-60 minutes no matter what time I put in??

I'm sure they can't be any worse than the tourists when we lived in bath I actually liked the busyness and cosmopolitan feel of lots of foreign tourists

You're making the move we made a few years ago. :-) York and Harrogate are both very expensive, touristy and busy but as others have said, there are many other small villages en route. Good luck with it all. Transatlantic moves are challenging.

Megs... where did you end up?

Having lived in both, it would be York for me.

Agree commute to Leeds would be a pain though, especially on a race day.

Sounds like you would enjoy living in the 'golden triangle' villages between Leeds and Harrogate. East Keswick, Thorner, North Rigton etc. All pretty places in nice countryside. The commute does depend on when he's leaving. If he's setting off at 7am then it shouldn't be too bad.

Ilkley or Burleyin Wharfedale. Beautiful places!

He'd probably set off between 5-6.30am tbh (workaholic)

Just asked DH who used to work south of Leeds and he said definitely York as the ring road traffic is awful from Harrogate (where he used to live).

Harrogate tourists are SO much more prolific than Bath. If there are any events at the showground then the whole town grinds to a halt. But it is a nicer place to live than York. Some villages near York can be nice but many are not too welcoming to outsiders. I grew up there and looking back realise how insular it was. Ilkley and Otley are nice.

I would choose York! Harrogate is lovely, but there are few roads in and out, I've there is an accident or sonething then you are in trouble. However, York house prices are sky high, so, I would also think about investigating villages just outside of York, possibly encroaching into East Yorkshire, the difference in the amount of property you get for your money is astounding! You don't even need to be that far out either! But like anything it all comes down to compromise, you might prefer the bigger house further from York, but on a sat morning if you want to be in the city centre, it won't be as easy. so it depends on lots of other variables such as how close would you like to be to the city. I have commuted to York, hull and Harrogate from various bases, they all have their issues. York to Leeds isn't that bad (Harrogate isn't usually, unless there is a crash). I would suggest lots of visits, lots of pros and con lists, trial runs and really examine what you want aside from the commute. I think this is really important. You are not just your work, and your downtime needs to be given equal (if not more) consideration).York and Harrogate are quite different in terms of culture and demographic. I prefer York. But I am not you. Also, one thing to consider is that if you need to be in the centre of Leeds - getting the train from with York or Harrogate is much preferable to driving.

If you're looking at the Harrogate area & want picturesque, look at Knaresborough, lovely little town.

You will be fine commuting south of Leeds from York as long as you live on the south side of the city or villages just south of York near a64. Escrick, Copmanthorpe, Bishopthorpe all lovely with good schools.

Harrogate would be a bit too far in my opinion as the traffic is worse.

My husband commuted to Leeds from york for a while and now does york to Manchester twice a week.

I would say York . Much more to do and see , easy commute to Leeds if you live a64 side. Bishopthorpw and copmanthorpe lively villages just on the outskirts with great schools . Catchment for Tadcaster grammar too. Also right on the A64.

Traffic in Harrogate is a nightmare , lovely place but hideously overpriced and not great train links.

Tadcaster as mentioned about is worth considering easy to get to leeds or York aand beautiful town .

Good luck with the move :)

How important are train links? If they are then York, though I reckon Harrogate is more like Bath. Both are nuts for a south Leeds commute. I heard somewhere that the Leeds-Bradford conurbation is the largest in the country without a mass rapid transit system. As a result, the roads are packed.

Thorner is lovely, bear in mind it's on the doorstep of Leeds festival so you may want to plan to go away for your August bank holiday weekends!

Lovely not lively villages!