Where to live in Blackpool

[Tjit]

Hi everyone

Hope that everyone has had a restful weekend Posting here for traffic.

We live in London but My DH has recently gotten a job in one of the hospitals in Blackpool so will be based there 3 days a week and needs a base which we can visit during holidays etc

Where do you suggest? We have 2 pre teen children of the same gender and are a family of ethnic minority so we want somewhere we can feel comfortable

We visited and liked poulton de fyre which was really posh, and were also in central Blackpool near the beach which obviously is very touristy and possibly out of our price range

As this will be a 2nd property, our max budget is £120,000, though not sure of where to settle, children's school will remain in London but want a place that we can spend all school holidays etc the property will be a bit of an investment so also need somewhere that will hold it's value etc

I have looked at Layton which seems more affordable but not sure of what the area will be like eg is it diverse, nice, quiet etc?

If anyone knows the area please advise

Oh ignore me - that’s shared ownership

Agree with this.

For your budget you need to look at some areas of south shore, Bispham or Cleveleys. All within easy access to the hospital.

You can get a decent 3 bed semi in Cleveleys for around £120k.

Bispham would be a good shout too.

Poulton lovely but more expensive.

I'd look at north shore rather than south shore generally tbh.

Alright actually by the looks of it

That one is 'shared ownership' though.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135024965

This is a good option about 10 minutes from the hospital, will look for more when I get chance.

OP have you ever been to Blackpool? It’s awful…

Mumsnet hates Blackpool. Most of the comments have some grain of truth but are very exaggerated.
There was a report out this week that Blackpool has the second strongest high street in the UK. The town centre is undergoing huge redevelopment - they're relocating loads of civil servants to new offices, the conference business is taking off with the newly refurbished Winter Gardens. There's a surprising amount of inward investment right now.
Yes, some areas (Brunswick ward and Fleetwood town centre) are hotspots of trouble - and you'd do well to avoid Central Drive. And, yes, it suffers from all the problems that a large tourist influx brings - that's to be expected.
It scores highly on measures of deprivation. I suspect that the benefits system and accounting methods don't really accommodate the seasonal nature of a lot of the jobs - so it gives a skewed picture.
But if you've been there, you'll have seen what it's like. Talk to the people - they're just like anywhere else.
Have a look round South Shore. The area around Highfield Road has a decent neighbourhood feel. And Poulton and areas further out are fine. Near Stanley Park (a lovely award-winning park that most visitors never see) would be very convenient for the hospital, but a bit pricey. Lytham and St Annes (they're actually separate places) are lovely but expensive.

That’s right next to the Tony Carvery aswell! 😂

That road is definitely worth mentioning, friends have said it's made a huge difference

Yes I wouldn't live directly in Blackpool town centre but areas surrounding it aren't that bad. I live in Preston which is a hellhole according to here. I mean yeah it rains a lot but we do also have sun. And a Waitrose
parent lives in St Anne's and loves it. Feels safe walking round, finds plenty of free stuff to do

The Whitehaven suggestion is nuts. The lakes are two hours north of Blackpool?
These threads always come up with shit suggestions of places 'just outside Blackpool' which are at least an hours commute.
The Fylde Coast has lots of lovely places, Cleveleys, poulton, bispham, lytham, all of them with affluent areas.
I'd avoid Layton and Fleetwood like the plague. Blackpool centre has lots of scruffs but these are mainly people from other towns and cities who have migrated here. I live 10 mins away from Blackpool beach but rarely visit, I stick to the nicer parts. Of which there are many. If you can afford somewhere near Stanley park that's a nice area and very close to the hospital.

I grew up there. Poulton is your best option. There's a reason I don't live there anymore. But I have family and friends there. Definitely Poulton. Links are good. Easy to get in and out of town. Round Victoria Hospital isn't too bad but you might want to look at commuting from nicer parts of Lancashire inland.

Ok so Blackpool is like anywhere and has good and bad areas. I would stay away from the town centre/south shore area but near Stanley park/Layton areas are ok. Just heading out of Blackpool you have bispham, Thornton, cleveleys all nice areas. A bit further from that you have Fleetwood which has some nice areas, the larkholme and rossall areas in particular.

heading out of Blackpool the other way you have st Anne’s, lytham (super pricey and posh)

then you have the small villages/over wyre areas like st Michaels

poulton is lovely but a bit on the pricey side for what you get.

as you can probably tell I live here and am happy to give opinions on areas if you see anything you fancy.

despite what previous posters have said, I actually think it’s a lovely area with lots to do with the kids and close enough to the Lake District for days out etc.

How's that helpful though? He has the job already
Not the entire area and surrounding of Blackpool is awful, there are people that actually live there

Surely he would be better just making a long standing arrangement with a local Air BnB host? Or does the hospital have apartments for doctors?

Layton is a No. my mate lives there and she's made it work. But just no.

It’s a genuine question!

im interested if they have ever been there before they have decided to make such a big move.

and it is awful!

It's in the OP that they've been...

South shore is fine around the Highfield Rd/Squires Gate area. Stay away from the Waterloo Rd side towards town though, that’s just a bit too close to the centre for comfort. The little hump bridge over the railway line is the unofficial boundary of shit side/fine side. 😁

Don’t move to Layton it’s a bit of a dump, the area around Blackpool Victoria is nice. Near Stanley Park.
Bispham and Cleveleys are nice too
You won’t get much for 120k in Poulton.

Will he be working at Blackpool Victoria?

This moderately unattractive house and this one are within walking distance, close to Stanley Park and on the market for £130000. They are far enough from the front (promenade) and not former local authority housing, if I remember correctly but could be wrong there.

This one is a bit further away but possible.

Here’s a map of bus routes to Blackpool Victoria, but that won’t be much help if he’s working awkward hours. Does he cycle? Blackpool is fairly flat.

Let us know if it’s a different hospital as the advice will be different, especially if it has better parking.

Honestly, reconsider your plans. Blackpool is genuinely not a very nice place to live. You will not want to holiday there year after year. It’s a very deprived area.

Will your husband have access to a car? How does he intend to get to work? Will he have a parking permit? Bus routes? I would work out how he intends to commute before deciding where to purchase. Parking at BVH is a bloody nightmare and very difficult to get a parking permit.

They’ve recently opened a new junction on the M55 making areas like Cottam accessible. There are some lovely areas in Preston such as Garstang/Broughton.

Further away towns like Chorley (approx 45mins depending on time of travel) are a good option with terraced houses/apartments well within budget of £120k. These areas will give you quick access to tourist attractions like the Lake District, Formby and Cumbria. Far far more beautiful than Blackpool. Whilst being within 1-2 hours of vibrant cities such as Liverpool/Manchester/York/Chester.

Please reconsider your reasoning behind investing in Blackpool. Even the convenience of having a property near the hospital will not make you want to holiday there. It’s a true shit hole!

Rent first. It's the best option nearly anywhere but particularly if you don't know the area. Is it a permanent posting or will he be moving on in a set time. Because of economic uncertainties this isn't a time to expect properties tk retain their value

The Miners Home in Bispham has some lovely apartments for sale. It’s a grade 2 listed building with sea views.

Bispham is nice 👍

Yes, I agree with that, I was thinking of the before hump stage 🤣