AIBU to think about moving to Liverpool

[SauceGirl]

Hello wise Mumsnetters.
I live in London and am thinking of moving to Liverpool. I can work from anywhere and feel like I need a change. I have a cousin and a uni friend who live up there. The only thing I'm not sure about is the areas. I've been looking at Toxteth, Old Swan, Waverly and Sefton Park. Are there any other nice or up-and-coming area that I should consider?
Thanks in advance all!

I'm also in Allerton (L18 postcode) and it's a nice area. Lots of lovely restaurants, parks and a pleasant shopping area. As regards to Wavertree, it differs greatly. The part close to me is lovely, leafy and full of family homes. Going towards town it becomes a heavily populated student/HMO area and residents have had problems with noise and general antisocial behaviour.

L16 is Childwall which is nice.
L17 is Sefton Park/Aigburth which is nice too.

Do you need to know about schools?

@SauceGirl not in the slightest bit dangerous (unless you’re a school kid - there’s been some horrible stuff going on) just run down. As @Ponoka7 says (I assume you must be fairly local!) it’s got a nice little parade of shops, some decent schools and is close and easy to get to the town centre - buses run every ten minutes to town centre.

People are friendly round here, but it’s not very green or attractive. If there’s specific houses you’re interested in, feel free to DM and I’ll give you my considered response

@SausageFox

South Liverpool is nicest. I'm from Allerton and that's great. Parts of Wavertree are good, I'd avoid Lark Lane area these days tbh - it's okay but on the border of not so okay.

That said, I'm selling up and leaving Liverpool. Lived here all my life but I don't think it's the great city everyone makes it out to be. Town is horrendous as soon as it gets dark.

Where are you moving to? Is Liverpool that bad at night? I'm on the Wirral, so not often over there at night, but when I am it's been fine.

@ChiefWiggumsBoy thank you so much that is very kind. Ideally I'd like a little terrace house but s flat would be equally fine.

Anywhere around Sefton park/lark lane is lovely but expensive, all the other areas you mention have their own pluses and minuses but are cheaper to buy in. Aigburth, Woolton, Wavertree (somebody says it’s rough as I’m sure that’s true in places but a lot of it’s not from my experience) and Crosby/Formby (other direction to the others and in Sefton, not Liverpool) are all nice but again expensive. Depends what you’re looking to buy within your budget. Maybe you could consider renting short term so you get to know the areas/city better before buying.

@HollowTalk Wales! Town is pretty awful of a night. Drinks are getting worse and it's not just a case of loud tipsy students, etc. People coked up out of their heads, violence, police on high alert, fights. I have a friend who lives off Rodney Street and they say walking down Bold Street of a morning, the floor is scattered with drug paraphernalia and blood. It's not a nice place.

*drunks

I’ve lived in London (Hackney) but was born in Liverpool and have never had any issues in the city centre at night, there are a few areas I’d maybe avoid walking alone in the dark but only in the same way I would in London/any big city.

" Try Stockbridge Village."

Don't. You can touch lucky and get good neighbours, but the bad neighbours are the drug/violent types posted about on here. The violence is extreme when it kicks off and the police can do nothing. There's been five shooting just on the border of there (page Moss). You're going in the right direction with Old Swan but if you are looking at the side roads off Prescot road the parking arguments get heated.

I think over the past three years it's got worse of a night time. I used to be happy to be out of an evening, but no one I know does it these days. It just feels very unsafe. I'm not sure what's happened tbh, it's a real shame!

God luck with the house search OP, Liverpool is a cracking city (and that's coming from a Mancunian!)

Just FYI if you end up looking there, no-one pronounces the first 'l' in Childwall.

@TakeMeToProvence

God luck with the house search OP, Liverpool is a cracking city (and that's coming from a Mancunian!)

Just FYI if you end up looking there, no-one pronounces the first 'l' in Childwall.

Interesting! I don't pronounce the "d"!

That's guys. Google Maps and Rightmove getting hammere right now. Keep them coming please!

We spent a bit of time in and around New Brighton recently and it seemed lovely. Not sure what it's "officially like" but as outside visitors we liked it.

I would probably only go for Sefton park out of your list. Lark lane, Mosley hill, aigburth, cressington, Woolton. But I would also look at parts of Waterloo and crosby but I love being close to the beach

[quote SausageFox]@HollowTalk Wales! Town is pretty awful of a night. Drinks are getting worse and it's not just a case of loud tipsy students, etc. People coked up out of their heads, violence, police on high alert, fights. I have a friend who lives off Rodney Street and they say walking down Bold Street of a morning, the floor is scattered with drug paraphernalia and blood. It's not a nice place.[/quote]
This is probably typical of any big city centre, but also not representative of all Liverpool nightlife because it totally depends where you go.

Liverpool City centre a big place and whilst Slater St/Concert Square may be scary at times, there are many other areas and venues which are totally non threatening even to a softy southerner in their 40s like me

L18 is lovely (Allerton /Mossley Hill). I bought my first house in Wavertree L15, the Wavertree Garden Village bit (parts closest to Mossley Hill) is great, the closer you get to town the rougher Wavertree gets.
I would definitely avoid North Liverpool if you don't know the area, I used to live in Bootle /Litherland which was really rough. Waterloo on the way to Crosby is nice, Crosby will likely benefit of your price range. Seaforth is rough, as is Walton, Anfield, Everton. Some parts of Toxteth are fine, avoid Kensington which people have been saying is up and coming.g for 20 years and it's still very rough.
I loved Liverpool, married and had kids there, 15 years in total before moving to be near family. Would happily reccomend Liverpool to my kids for uni.

North liverpool - Maghull, Aintree, Old Roan and Melling are nice and you will get something in your price range, you could even look into Ormskirk, depends how close you want to be to the city centre!

Childwall - pronounce Chill wall!

@SausageFox me neither!

*Crosby will likely be out of your price range

Don't want to say the exact part I'm from but there's good and bad to all parts of Liverpool. I'd say in general South is better but more expensive. Certain streets of Toxteth are very rough but others are good.

I can’t believe someone recommended Stockbridge Village. I grew up in West Derby and know never to cross the border in to Stockbridge Village 😂

For £150k, I’d look at some parts of Litherland, Aintree, Orrell Park or West Derby. It’s not going to to get you much though I’m afraid.

Honestly come to Liverpool, walk around at various parts of the day and night and see how you feel.

I have experienced both London and Liverpool and walking at night through both - London is far safer in my experience - less intimidating, less violent

There are lovely parts of Liverpool but they are expensive

Over the water (The Wirral) has some lovely areas

I know someone who lives in Childwall and she says the L and the D.

Wiki says that Wavertree is pronounced Wautry - is that correct?