To ask Black MNers where to move if I leave London?

[IMissVino]

We are a mid 30’s Black couple, expecting our first DC (yay)! We want to move out of London, for all the usual reasons (better life for kids, bigger house, access to countryside) but the bits of the South East that we’ve liked and looked at haven’t seemed particularly diverse and we’re not looking to be the village oddities.

If you’re a Black person and you don’t live in London or another big city, where do you live, are you happy there, and would you recommend it to young Black families?

We’re not from the U.K., so no particular ties to any area (although the SE is what we know, so will probably stay round here), we can both mostly wfh and money isn’t really a factor. So, please, all suggestions are welcome.

Not really looking for non-Black posters to assure me of how welcoming their particular areas are or tell me where their Black friends live. I’m hoping to get firsthand lived experiences from other BW, please.

Hi OP
Im in Southampton and I have lived here for 22years and no issues at all. It is very diversity, lots of lovely shops to buy African food and hair salons as well. My children goes to a lovely school that is very diversity and love it.

Brighton

Hastings. Lovely seafront and scenery, chilled vibe (which Brighton no longer has), good schools, good diverse music nightlife, some African/Caribbean restaurants and enough of us there so you'll feel fine, definitely not the village oddities.

I've several friends there so visit a few times a year. I'm considering moving there and just coming back to London when I need to for work. Hastings is less than 2 hours away.

*better life for kids, bigger house, access to countryside" you'll have all that.

That's strange . I've never seen a black face in Hastings and have lived there .

I’ve heard good things about Southampton, but never visited. Thank you.

One of the few places already on the list. 😊

That sounds like exactly what we’re looking for.

Scotland.

Im from Glasgow and have found it to be pretty multi cultural and a fun city. Plus you get a lot more bang for your buck.

Ah, interesting. How long ago did you live there and are you Black (or other POC) yourself?

Wouldnt recommend Hastings - the schools are not great and terrible problems with racism in the education system. Tunbridge Wells?

I wouldn't bother with east anglia, massively racist, openly so. Very shocking and no one seems to care. Very odd for a place that welcomes so many International students each year.

@IMissVino do you know that MN recently added a Black Mumsnetters board?
www.mumsnet.com/talk/black_mumsnetters

AIBU might be better for traffic, and I’m not suggesting you have to use that section! But you posting in AIBU made me wonder if you were aware of that section and a quick search didn’t many posts from you. Might be worth posting in both? Good luck with your search!

Really? Scotland is rather notorious for racism towards Black people, so that’s interesting. I really enjoyed Glasgow, but I was very much the lone Black person walking down Byres Road. There was much staring at my ‘fro. A great place to visit, but I don’t think living there would work for us.

Whereabouts in the city did you grow up? I’ve checked and it’s currently only circa 2% Black (compared to 1% for the rest of the country). Were you the only Black kid in your class or were there a few of you? Did you feel accepted or were there unpleasant experiences?

Noted. Thanks for the heads up.

Ah, grand. Thank you.

My sister is really happy in tumbridge wells
my nephew is thriving at his primary school

Sorry, I know you don't want white opinions, but my mixed race niece dropped out of her uni course in Hastings as she said she barely saw another non-white face, and was treated appallingly at her part time job. She couldn't wait to get out of there. Hastings is where old white people go to retire.

Bristol
I used to live there and grew up there and go back to visit family
very multicultural with a well established black community . It’s a big city but it never feels that big.

if your selling in London then Bristol house prices will seem cheap ( they aren’t )

no problem with getting hair products for black hair and black hairdressers 😂

Shops that sell Caribbean African food and takeaways and restaurants
Caribbean Croft restaurant is fab

Traffic is horrendous

Bath is nice as well if you want something smaller but easy access to Bristol

Portsmouth and the surrounding (nicer) areas. Cheaper, more for your money, diverse and lots to do. Just over an hour to Brighton, train to London 1.5 hours, it has it all.

Or maybe Richmond? And the surrounding areas. Depends how much you want to spend or save on a home.

I studied at the University of East Anglia and left after a year to continue my studies in London. Other posters are right in that you may experience racism there. I’m mixed race and had some awful experiences that I’ve never encountered anywhere else. In one of the shopping malls there, a young girl of about 4/5, started yelling and pointing “she’s a n**r” repeatedly and nobody said anything - just stood gawping at the spectacle.

Anyway, I’ve spent a lot of time in Southampton and yes it is very diverse and is quite a lovely place. I love Scotland and go regularly but it’s not very diverse!

Some very different opinions on Hastings, then! Thank you.

Edgbaston in Birmingham.

We like Bristol very much, but we’re not looking to move to another big city (we’d just stay in London before we did that). But, totally agree, lovely place!

Are you Black and do you live/have you lived in any of those areas?

Christ, that sounds horrendous! I am so so sorry that you had to experience that.