To ask anyone from Manchester...

[totaketheplunge]

Hi all,

Please can I have some advice? If you were a solo, 26yo old woman wanting to move to Manchester. Where would you look at moving to? Some things to consider:

• I'm a teacher so needs to be decent schools around

• I don't necessarily need to be in the middle of Manchester

• I like somewhere with plenty going on but also not keen on mega busy roads with loads of traffic

• somewhere I will feel safe

Thanks so much!

What subject are you and what’s your budget?

Salford Quays is a bit of a no mans land with no atmosphere in my opinion. Sale, Didsbury, Chorlton etc are nice but very expensive and money doesn't stretch far.

North Manchester, avoid Harperhay, Collyhurst, Moston and Blackley. They're cheap but grim areas. If you go further out into Rochdale there are places like Littlebrough that are lovely but the train line is shocking and the trains are often severely delayed or cancelled completely in Winter.

I'd look at Chorley or some villages on the outskirts of Bolton. Chorley is a commuter town but has developed its own community now and you could easily get to Manchester, Liverpool, Wigan or Preston for work by road or rail.

Good luck!

Denton, Prestwich, Droylsden, Audenshaw, parts of Failsworth. South Manchester/ Stockport/ Trafford are obscenely expensive. All of the above are up and coming, have good schools and have good transport links to Manchester and motorways.

The only good parts of Manchester are Didsbury and Chorlton but they border horrible areas. Levenshulme will likely be suggested but again it’s surrounded by horrible areas.

I love Knutsford. I'd live around there in a heartbeat. Or Wilmslow.

I grew up in Poynton which is East Cheshire border but pretty central to lots of places around there. Although getting home from a night out was always a bit tricky.

I was never that keen on Didsbury.

I moved to Manchester in very similar circumstances to you and I honestly hated it. Even though the school was supposed to be a nice one, it was still like working at Waterloo Road. I think if you are moving out of shared ownership, one of the really nice areas like Cheadle Hulme are going to be out of your price range, especially saying that you wouldn't be able to rent without potentially sacrificing your deposit. Are you dead set on Manchester? There are a lot of nicer areas in the suburbs outside of Manchester and over the border in West Yorkshire.

I agree. I moved from South Manchester to Bury two years ago and love it here. I feel safer here than in all the years I lived south of the city. The town centre does have busy roads at peak times just like all town/city centres. I live within walking distance of the town centre but use buses and the tram to go further afield and the transport links are excellent. There is lovely countryside close by.

@totaketheplunge but you didn't answer any of my questions. Can you even get a mortgage with no proof of income?
If you are only looking at 'good schools' you'll find turn over of staff is low and positions are sort after. So assuming that you will get the position is not guaranteed.
And you still haven't told posters your budget or if you're primary or secondary, which would help suggest areas.

Agree with pp there are some gorgeous areas north of Manchester but they are often a 30 min commute via train and longer via tram to the centre.

Some areas of north manchester are hilly, Ramsbottom is in a dip and to get out of there you have to go up a hill with a give way/stop junction at the top. The hill of doom - I literally cry if I have to stop at the top of it.

If you lived in Hebden or surrounding, you'd have Manchester, Leeds, Halifax, Bradford and grammar schools in close proximity. There are definitely hills.

This post will out me, I really don't like hills and have been known to take detours to avoid hills and turning right.

I'm a teacher of 5 years. Getting a mortgage isn't a problem.

I don't want to get in to specifics ie where I'm from, what I teach, my budget, I was just wanting to know about general areas.

And yet you recommend Whalley Range!

@totaketheplunge

sorry, I know less than nothing about Manchester, I was just interested in what people would say & how you'd choose. Hiw you'd do it all & what people thought would be best.

im looking at moving areas mid 2024 when my job ends. I've only ever lived in this area or London (and overseas a lot of years).

I can't decide whether to find an area I love or (yet again) get a job & then find a house or even to rent mine out & rent/share elsewhere.

just curious that you say getting a mortgage isn't difficult as a teacher (whilst between jobs) do you have any advice on that? As it's something I've been concerned about

I'm sat in a house in Whalley Range right now, house sitting. Been here 8 days and it's lovely so bit confused there! Right on the border of Chorlton.

Maggie’s got your back here! You better have a decent amount of cash behind you for West Dids, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, but if you have it, they’re spot on. Prestwich is nice North Manchester way, and definitely check out the Heatons. Heaton Mersey, Heaton Moor and Heaton Chapel are all excellent - great delis and cafes, independent cinema and nice area.

I’m in Stockport and it mostly fits your bill-
quite a lot of nice bits specifically Cheadle, Bramhall - the best schools are there, much cheaper to buy than Altrincham, sale (mostly due to it not being a grammar area). Very convenient for the airport and also trains from Stockport to London take under 2h. To Manchester around 12 minutes.

def quite safe. But you can’t avoid busy roads anywhere in Manchester

Where I live in Littleborough is lovely, 20ish minute train journey into Manchester but we have a lot of greenery and countryside here

I think you might be in my general area! I'm just north of Bolton and really like the area, good motorway links, getting into Manchester during rush hour is hell! However, got have the iron of Lancashire as well to apply for, there are plenty of schools in the area, a mix of qualities, housing is reasonable. Countryside is beautiful.

Salford born here. Walkden, Worsley, swinton etc all ok. Access to Motorway, trains, busses to wider areas. Do your research, it’s not for everyone. I moved away years ago, mum and family still there. my hometown always and the people are great! Obviously you get the not great bits, but it’s the same everywhere.

South Manchester really is a lot more expensive, although Didsbury, Chorlton etc are nice and have plenty going on. Some areas of North Manchester are rough but when you get further out there are some really pleasant areas. Prestwich and Whitefield are on the tram line and nice. The moors outside Rochdale, Oldham and Bolton are nice but may be a bit too far from the city cenre for you and be a bit quiet. Driving into Manchester is a nightmare. Worsley isn't far away from the centre and is nice, the rest of Salford I think is still quite rough. Urmston is popular. Rivington and Belmont near Bolton and Chorley feels rural but might be too far away from Manchester itself for you.Although it is more expensive South Manchester/ North Cheshire may suit you better.

That's rubbish. They are some of the most elite and expensive areas, there is plenty of areas around those that are just as safe busy and lovely.

DD recently bought a flat in Heaton Norris. It seems like a nice area and the transport links are good. She is not really on the tram network but the bus service is very good for the City centre.

Intrigued by people describing Whalley Range as a nice area. I lived there as a student 40 years ago and nice is not how I would have described it. I guess places change over time.

It’s the ethos and values of the school you need to consider first, then the headteacher and your mentor’s perspective and personalities - after that it’s geography. Find your tribe 🥰

Was going to suggest rawtenstall, yes a way out, but right at the end of the motorways into Manchester, and has a direct bus route in. Plus Rawtenstall is quite a lively place, loads of little pop up bars, nice houses and people etc. Yep I’m biased as was born there (don’t live there though, work in a school there). Ramsbottom, bury and Rochdale are also decent enough places. There are good and bad in every town/city. I agree with a previous poster about coming up for a little holiday and seeing what’s what maybe.

You don't think a place can change in 40 years??

Alot of Chorlton families have migrated into the area as its just next door but cheaper than the M21 Postcode.

Funny you should say that because my DN and his partner currently rent in Chorlton and are looking to buy and Whalley Range is an area they have been looking at.

Maybe my opinion is coloured by the memory of the terraced house my friends and I rented there in the early 80s, which was a bit of a s**thole

I think the problem is that Manchester is so big and you don't know where you're going to be working. There are lots of apartment blocks in the city centre. Why not rent one of those for a few months and then you can look for jobs wherever you like. The transport is pretty good from the centre outwards.

My friend's son has just bought somewhere in Salford which is really nice. £270,000 for a three bed Victorian terrace with a small garden in a leafy road. The bus takes half an hour into the centre.