To think Norwich is overrated?

[MissManda]

I hope I don't cause offence to anyone with this post. However, I visited Norwich for the first time today after people telling me it was lovely and worth the visit. I expected it to be similar to York...but..it just wasn't. It seemed quite rundown and dirty, difficult to navigate, and literally the only nice bit was near the cathedral. However, even that was still not anywhere near as nice as somewhere like York...

I spent 6 hours there exploring. Am I missing something or is Norwich hugely overrated?

Yep! over rated. The Council has ruined it over the last couple of decades. Squandered millions on vanity projects, with no substance.

@LubaLuca > "Norwich: the city the never comes up in conversation. Great tourism tagline." And, @Somethingscoming > It's a 'Fine City' - just glad I don't live there anymore.

@Lessthanaballpark > If you don't mind loud music in a small bar, get yourself to the 'Wild Man'. It's generally soul music when we've been, and the pub is great.

Norwich hasn't been rated since about the twelth century.

You want Lincoln. Best kept secret in England.

@BrozTito

Did you visit the spice museum?

Where on earth is the Spice museum? I live here and have never heard of it! Norwich is lovely btw. Did you come out of the station and go the wrong way?

Well I lived in Bath for 5 years before we moved abroad and I love Norwich too— in fact if it was a bit more convenient it’s a city I could definitely live in- tons of lovely bits, terrific market, great pubs, good shopping and quite cheap on housing too — quite similar to York I thought except maybe less theme park , less ‘grand’ -

We’ve just got back and whilst I enjoyed it, so many things were closed, pre-book only or lacking in staff that we didn’t get to do as much as we’d hoped. I think I’ll go back though.

@Angrycat2768
Oh angry. Deary me

Alan partridge!

We visited Norwich last year. First time in that part of the country - I had no expectations at all. We loved it and yes thought it reminiscent of York (although TBF I haven't been to York for years).

It's a great place to live. Not too big but everything you need and the market is awesome!

And Norfolk itself is great although be careful- Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth are very different to Blakeney/ the Burnhams. The best places are cromer/Sheringham as they are nice seaside towns and not as posh as the Burnhams.

To be honest a lot of places look run down and the high street is struggling- covid and brexit haven't helped

I dont know if the spice museum is real or not, it was on alan partridge. They do a fantastic cup of beans in Norwich

Norwich city hall. Truly chilling.

@BrozTito
Ha that’s so funny

We went to Cromer for the day when we were staying there but didn't rate that at all. This was last October though so it might be nice in the Summer.

In Norwich we went to a really good Italian restaurant (no idea what it was called so not very helpful) and somewhere called something like The Farmyard.

Was it The Junkyard @shinynewapple21?

I did laugh at the idea of not moving to a place because there's a single person there whose opinions you don't agree with. You'd never live anywhere with that attitude.

I had a v lovely chat with Glinner in Norwich. Helps that I like his work immensely and he's v pro-women which is inordinately pleasing.

I've travelled all over the country and Norwich is my favourite English city. IMO it beats York, Cambridge, Bath, Oxford...I'd move there tomorrow if I could!

As this thread has been resurrected I'm commenting as someone who's lived in both Norwich and York. I have a fondness for Norwich, but it is quite boring. York and Norwich are not at all alike. A big bug bear about living in York is people treating it as a theme park (somebody used this analogy above). The residents don't think of it as a 'theme park'; it's the tourists than turn it into that. The people who live there are trying to get about their daily business in what is a pretty small city overrun by visitors.

But has Norwich ever been rated enough to be overrated? I'd imagine most visitors going to Norfolk are heading for the Broads, which are lovely.

I live in the east and visited Norwich for the first time recently - I did find it quite dull and not very clean, however I think that is the case for many UK high streets right now - overall lack of vitality. We live closer to Colchester and I much prefer there for historical buildings and that type of thing - love walking through St Botolphs to get the train.

Norwich is boring and ugly.

Ahhh, the "Norwich is great" thread is back again! I see I commented a couple of years ago.

Sadly, DD1 is graduating from UEA in a couple of weeks, and it will be the last time we have an excuse to go up to Norwich. I shall shed a tear. 😥

Well I live in Bath but I love both Norwich and York- could live in any of them easily - also love winchester, Chester, Guildford

I wouldn't pick Norwich - not because I don't love the city but because it's a fag to get in and out of if driving and a fag for airports- but lovely to visit

Thats at Long Stanton