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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Leaving London

314 replies

siwel123 · 19/05/2018 23:21

Hi all, don't shoot I know there's life outside of London Grin.
Me, my wife and 2 kids currently live in London and the wife has finally agreed to start looking at other places to live but as were both civil servants we have a limited range of places to choose from.

The options we've been given are Leeds or Manchester. AIBU to ask which would you choose and Why? And also what areas would you live in. We would have a 500k budget for the house so any suggestions appreciated.

OP posts:
foodtime · 20/05/2018 19:54

OP I was in a pretty similar position to you last year. I made the jump and moved to Manchester. It was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. We are moving back down to the south in a few weeks time.
Leeds is a lovely place, but Manchester is just truly awful.
Don’t do it especially if you have/plan on having children.

Original poster
siwel123 · 20/05/2018 19:57

@foodtime. Why is Manchester awful?

OP posts:
OrcinusOrca · 20/05/2018 20:22

Leeds. It's a lovely place, it looks it and it feels it. Manchester just doesn't feel nice to me, it's always been grey and miserable. I'm in Suffolk but if I was to move a great distance Leeds would be top of my list.

Dozer · 20/05/2018 20:28

Love both cities, but like Leeds best. Smaller, greener. Manchester is obviously much bigger and more urban. Rains much more there!

Traffic/pollution is bad on the main bottlenecks in both cities so would check out the route to work in rush hour before buying a house.

Schools can be poor in Leeds, or you pay a big housing premium, but you’ll be able to afford that on your budget.

Original poster
siwel123 · 20/05/2018 20:28

@OrcinusOrca.
Thanks for your input. I've been to machester and leeds before, but next weekend, we're going to go explore leeds and the dales and have a look round.

Someone i know mentioned huddersfield?

OP posts:
Original poster
siwel123 · 20/05/2018 20:29

@Dozer.
Thanks for the input.

We're looking for a more personal and compact city, and leeds seems to fit the bill there.

OP posts:
Dozer · 20/05/2018 20:30

On transport leeds buses are good but slow in rush hours.

Dozer · 20/05/2018 20:31

Huddersfield would not be for me. Loads of nice “burbs” in both leeds and manchester, no need to lengthen the commute and live outside IMO.

CuntinuousMingeprovement · 20/05/2018 20:33

I must admit it mystifies me that anyone would recommend one of outer London's cheaper and thus less attractive suburbs over the sort of lifestyle OP is going to be able to enjoy if he moves.

The more you post OP the more I think it's got to be Leeds, and I'm from the other side of the Pennines. It seems to tick a lot more of your boxes, especially with the family in Hull too. Manchester to Hull train journey is actually a fucking nightmare. The big downside to Leeds is the transport, so in your shoes I'd want to make sure I was definitely in a well connected area- suppose you will pay a premium for this.

Furano · 20/05/2018 20:33

Leeds. It rains too much in Manchester and it’s too much urban sprawl.

KenDoddsDadsDogIsDead · 20/05/2018 20:35

You lost me at the wife.

CuntinuousMingeprovement · 20/05/2018 20:36

Greater Manchester geographically is not massively smaller than Greater London, about 80% of the size I think. It's quite a lot bigger than Leeds.

Furano · 20/05/2018 20:36

£500k will get you a nice house in Roundhay

ScrubTheDecks · 20/05/2018 20:45

I’m a London Dweller and like Leeds. Headingly, Horsforth, Roundhay.

Great city centre, lovely countryside v close by, easy short rail journeys to other great places.

southeastdweller · 20/05/2018 20:55

I'm (pleasantly) surprised more of us are saying Leeds instead of Manchester. Manchester has the 'cool' factor and more media exposure that Leeds lacks but for overall quality of life Leeds is much better.

SalsaLala · 20/05/2018 20:59

I live in Leeds. The suburbs and towns that are north west of the city are particularly nice with good schools and gorgeous countryside. Harrogate is commutable distance from Leeds and lovely too.

Original poster
siwel123 · 20/05/2018 21:03

I think it will be Leeds Grin. Just got to go and investigate the area now.

Sorry if anyone takes offence to the wife Hmm, me and my wife. My wife and i. My partner and i.
Basically me and the person I am married to have decided...

OP posts:
Southwest12 · 20/05/2018 21:03

I do get that not everyone can imagine not living in London, that was me until I spent a lot of time in Liverpool and then I realised I wanted to live here instead.

I earn half of what I did in London but have a much better quality of life here. There’s about 30 restaurants/bars within a 15 minute walk of my house. I can walk to the beach in 10 minutes, yet it’s only 15 minutes on the train to the city centre. There are so many amazing bars and restaurants in the city centre, it’s a great place to go out and it’s £10 home in a taxi, as opposed to the £40-50 it used to cost me in London. There’s a great community feel where I live, the local shopping street is full of independent shops, the people in the shops know me, they notice if I don’t go in on a Saturday. I never had that where I lived in London.

I like London for the day but I’m always glad to get on the train home again.

Original poster
siwel123 · 20/05/2018 21:06

@Southwest12. Glad to hear.

OP posts:
ocelot41 · 20/05/2018 21:06

Yay! I really like Leeds and the countryside round it (dribble at Ilkley but vair, vair expensive)

Original poster
siwel123 · 20/05/2018 21:15

@ocelot41. I dream over Ilkley Blush

OP posts:
CuntinuousMingeprovement · 20/05/2018 21:20

Manchester is cooler, yes. It just isn't as good a fit for what OP wants.

lindyhopy · 20/05/2018 21:24

Leeds is far nicer with better weather. I used to commute to manchester for a year, set off from yorkshire with nice weather get to manchester and it would be raining all the time.

SylvieBelle · 20/05/2018 21:29

I've lived in and around leeds for 10 years. In rough areas and very nice areas (renting so moved a lot!).

Where abouts in the city would you be working?

I've more recently move just outside of the Leeds postcode nearer Bradford, and live in a beautiful place called Saltaire (it's a world heritage site. Look it up, even if you just come for a day trip!) and there's a few places nearby which might be worth looking at. Check out Baildon (the top part near the moor), Menston, Burley in Wharfedale, Otley (if you don't need a train station). I have friends who live in Horsforth and Rawdon who really like it there.

This side of Leeds is great as you're still close enough to the city (15 minutes direct train from me), but within walking distance of the moors which are breathtaking.

Original poster
siwel123 · 20/05/2018 21:33

Will be working 5 to 10 minutes from train station.
Saltaire sounds lovely will look it up Smile

OP posts: