To ask the best places to live in Merseyside area?

[Relocate89]

We potentially may need to relocate to Merseyside area for my work. Would need to be able to commute to Liverpool city centre.

Aigburth has been suggested and Wallasey Village on the Wirral.

Would need a 3 bed and budget about £250,000.

Any suggestions?

Are schools a factor? Commute by train or road?

Ah sorry yes secondary school for 2 girls both year 7. Ideally commute by train as we do have a car but not sure on parking situation at new workplace.

I'm a Wallasey person (now living elsewhere) - I think Wallasey Village proper is a bit soulless - I'd be looking for the 'posher' roads around Liscard or New Brighton

Liscard is a bit sad a run down these days but New Brighton has good pubs/restaurants and a nice beach

I know people are going to urge you towards West Kirby and Greasby - which are lovely places but I like a bit more down to earth and a bit less posh.

Buses are frequent as are training to Liverpool

Weatherhead is a good all girls school - you also have Oldershaw which is mixed sex - my preference would be Weatherhead.

I spend a lot of time in Wallasey village as DP’s family are there. I’ve come to quite like it though it’s not the most exciting place! Would avoid Liscard personally, the centre there is very sad now. Kids love getting the train from Wallasey village to Liverpool for trips out, also have spent lots of happy days at New Brighton, it’s not posh but much better than when I first visited 15 years ago. The Light cinema at new Brighton is nice too. Can’t comment on schools sorry. My general impression is you could get a lot for your money in Wallasey compared to the other posher areas nearby, I’m always surprised how little the houses go for near DP’s sister and she lives on quite a nice road.

Hillside/Birkdale - Southport suburbs, local train every 15 mins to centre of Liverpool, takes 40 minutes

Oh I hadn't considered up that way! Is it nice yeah?

What about actually in Liverpool? I do like the city but would have no idea where is good to live.

Yes very nice in my opinion...some nice little restaurants and bars within walking distance in Birkdale, schools are good.
Formby is nice too but might be stretching your budget a bit more

You can only move to the Wirral if you are going to become a Tranmere supporter.

SWA!!

Formby is nice and Ainsdale village is full of bars and restaurants if that’s your thing.

I don't know about the Wirral but would recommend Childwall - decent schools, quick commute to city centre. Either that or Lark lane/Sefton Park area if house prices allow.

'Good' secondary school situation pretty difficult in Liverpool unfortunately. Not sure on odds of you finding a 'good' school with spaces for in-year transfers.

L18/L19 area nice and close to Calderstones secondary. Or L16 and parts of L15 and then close to Childwall.

Most of the 'best' schools in Liverpool are Church of England and heavily oversubscribed.

In the city, Calderstones, Mossley Hill, Grassendale, Aigburth.
On the north side, Waterloo, Ctosby.

Heswall is worth a look as well.

Aintree village. Plenty of trains/bus’s plus high schools within 2/3 mile radius. 20 min train ride from city centre.

I'd agree with this. OP, research secondary schools carefully before looking at specific areas as such. We're leaving Liverpool in part due to the dearth of decent secondary schools. :/

Childwall is nice - not sure your money would stretch to Lark Lane/Sefton Park but worth looking

Wirral is a grammar school area, which might have a bearing on where you want to be, if you're not keen on that. If your kids are academic that might be better for you, less so if not.

Wallasey Village is quite nice but nearby Liscard is not really, I have lived there before and wouldn't again. West Kirby and Greasby are very nice, West Kirby is more expensive generally and you'd probably struggle to get a three bed for £250K. Heswall is even more expensive really.

On the plus side, the trains and buses into Liverpool and Chester are good and relatively frequent, even though we have a car we usually go into town by bus because it saves on tunnel tolls and parking.

Formby, birkdale, ainsdale are all nice. Close to the beach, great for families, lots of school options.

I live near Hartford which is 30 mins from Liverpool by train (1 hour drive)

Chester and the Wirral are both commutable to Liverpool by train - all 3 areas have excellent schools

I'm in Waterloo which is north Liverpool (Sefton council) although we are almost in Crosby! I moved from London, love the area. Lots of independent shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Beach is 10 minutes walk, Rimrose valley country park at the end of the road. Transport links are great, 15 minutes into town on the train, lots of buses.

Don't know what schools are like but there's quite a few around that are supposed to be good, also two private schools as well if that's of interest. House prices have gone up a lot since I moved here but have gone down recently and you can get a 4 bed terrace for £250k

Wallasey isn't in the Grammar School system - and I wouldn't be too put off by Liscard - yes it's a typical sad, charity shop filled shopping area - like a lot of others but the areas towards New Brighton can be nice - I'd look around Earlston and Vale Parks and surrounding roads - New Brighton has a lot going for it - and they continue to develop it.

Your budget sadly wouldn't get you much in Aigburth (think more like £400k for a three bed semi even at the St Michaels/ Dingle end) and probably rules out Allerton, Woolton, West Kirby and the more Cheshire like west Wirral.

In New Brighton (Egremont end)/Wallasey (east Wirral) your budget would stretch quite far and there are good options for girls schools - Weatherhead was mentioned and there is also Birkenhead High School Academy. I wouldn't write off the Prenton/Oxton ends of Birkenhead as it is on the up and you would get a fair whack for your money.

If you don't want to relocate to the leisure peninsula then. I would suggest Crosby/ just over the border into Waterloo, or West Derby in North Liverpool and Wavertree, Garston (top end of Aigburth) and Childwall in the South. Slightly further out is Halewood or Huyton on Roby (not Huyton proper) but good big houses in your budget.

A slightly outdated rule of thumb for Liverpool postcodes is if it is a single digit eg: L7 then it is less leafy suburb, desirable and family orientated than a double digit postcode such as L17.

Liverpool is a fantastic place to live as is East Wirral. Happy hunting

South Liverpool: Childwall, Allerton, Mossley Hill, Aigburth is best but I think you’ll be priced out. A standard 3 bed semi around here starts around £300 (we sold our house for over £300 and it was a small 3 bed). You get far more for your money North I’m afraid, but it isn’t as nice and the amenities aren’t great. West Kirby, Hoylake on the Wirral are lovely but the commute isn’t great and you won’t get any more for your money.

Further out South Liverpool like Garston your money will go further.

Schools are an issue (boys secondary). Calderstones is a good school and very much on the up, but it’s catchment has narrowed considerably to a little over a mile (1.3) which is a very expensive area to buy in this part of the city.