To think Bournemouth might be a s***hole?

[SoOriginal]

Sorry! Posted in chat but need opinions fast and hoping for some traffic 🙏

Help. We’re moving for husbands work and found a place we like in Lilliput Poole (near bournmouth but I know no technically Bournmouth). Everything seemed fine until I started to read threads on mumsnet and found some less than favourable reviews!

Apparently lots of homelessness, lots of violent crime, on the other hand people say is all elderly residents and boring… Is Lilliput a bad area, or is it just the proximity to Poole centre / Bournemouth centre that people think is bad? I’m so confused, thinking of pulling out or moving to surrounding areas. I live about 200 miles from the location and don’t know much about it.
If you know the area what are your thoughts please?

YABU - it’s nice, don’t worry
YANBU - it’s really not very nice. Don’t buy!

Lilliput is one of the posher areas so you will be fine.

Yes homeless people are an issue in central Bournemouth, not helped by the amount of rehab centres open in Boscombe that had people sent from all over the country to them (Gazza included).

Violent crime is everywhere and I don't see it being any worse than other parts of the country.

We live in Poole and we like it. Is it worth the current extortionate house prices to local wages? No, but when you have lived here all your life you don't want to move too far away.

The local council are an absolute shambles though, the roads are carnage with traffic and road works everywhere (mainly for fibre broadband and cycle lanes that no one uses).

Tourists will drive you mad in the summer but yoy get used to it.

@LuckysDadsHat thank you so much, that’s reassuring :)

If you love going to the beach it is the perfect place to live. So many miles of beautiful sandy beaches. You will love having it right on your doorstep.

When the sun is out the beach is the best place to be.

Lilliput is lovely - in fact we nearly moved there

My son is there for uni, seems like a mix of stag/hen parties, students and retired folks but not in a bad way! Nice vibes generally ime.

Have you ever been there, is there a Premier Inn or similar you could stay in and have a look around the area before you commit?

It sounds fairly typical of most seaside towns, aging population and quiet out of season, busy and lots of drugs and fights in season. If you've never lived in a seaside town before don't underestimate the impact of holiday makers on the infrastructure it has taken me over an hour to do a journey into town which out of season takes 5 minutes, roads often become gridlocked. Supermarkets are emptied on a Saturday like locusts have been, you need to get up earlier before changeover day starts properly. Being in a more residential area slightly further from the main attractions is best which it sounds like you will be.

Bonuses are that you live by the sea, plenty of students jobs in the summer season for DC and plenty to do with them when they are younger.

Would it be possible for you to rent for six months before you decide?

I brew up in the area and can confirm Bournemouth town centre is a shit hole, along with poole. Lilliput is fine though. It's all quite a boring and depressing area though

Christchurch can be nice

Lilliput is a lovely area. Doesn't suffer too much from tourist traffic and is far enough away from Bournemouth that the issues associated with there don't impact this area at all. Please don't panic, you have chosen well!

Lilliput is a world away from Bournemouth town centre. Near beautiful beaches, a great patisserie and coffee shop at PMB ( Patisserie Mark Bennett) and you are a stones throw from the Purbecks and lots of beautiful countryside.

These responses are amazing, so helpful thank you 🙏
To pp who suggested renting, I think it’s a good idea and something to consider. We have a found a nice home for sale though and we’re a little worried that once interest rates drop house prices might creep up again.
Its all a bit of a gamble isn’t it.

Out of interest where do you live now? I have lived loads of places and really can't get my head around how you can call such a lovely area with such beautiful beaches and chines as boring or depressing.

Bournemouth is our nearest sandy beach so I've gone there a lot over the years both in summer and winter as they do a lovely Christmas event.

I was shocked when I took DC on the train last year and walked in through the town centre how run down things were. Lots of shops closed down for quite some time, a lot of homeless people etc.

The seafront etc was fine, lots going on and people about. I don't think it would be as nice out of season though.

@Bumpitybumper I live in sw London and feel much safer walking about late here than in Bournemouth and it's not a posh area. Some of the beaches are nice yes, but apart from that it can be quite a deprived area and doesn't have a particularly friendly vibe. When I moved there as a young child I remembered hating it as a many people seemed quite rude and unfriendly compared to where I lived up north. My nan said they can still be a bit weird about her being from London even though she's lived there decades. Houses are really overpriced compared to employment

Unless you've lived there it's hard to explain it. I moved 10 years ago and it's got worse since

Lots of drug use and homeless people in pool and Bournemouth town centres, and boscombe beach and town. Adds to crime. Lots of rehab centres where people travel all across the country to go to and often relapse.

Interesting. I have found the opposite that people there are really friendly and open. As an outsider I was expecting it to be more difficult but I found that lots of people were in a similar situation so were keen to make friends. I also feel very safe when I'm there although I admittedly don't go to Bournemouth town centre a lot.

I have lived there hence my confusion. It just goes to show we all experience places differently.

One of my children goes to school in Bournemouth and its fine. Not really different to a lot of other places in terms of homelessness imo and Ive never seen any violence and spent a lot of time there. Maybe Ive been lucky. I will say it has detoriared, a lot of shops have shut due to costs but generally its okay. In summer I think it has a nice busy vibe with good beaches etc.

I lived in Christchurch for a few years recently. Tourists and traffic to get anywhere in and around the Bournemouth area both negatively affect the area. Poole is ok but not my cup of tea, I liked Christchurch/Mudeford better.
If I was moving back I'd be more tempted to live in the new forest or possibly Ringwood area. Easy enough to get to the coast if you want to but away from the hordes and the traffic. Totally depends exactly where the job is though and how much time spent commuting.

Lilliput is nice, very close to the dead posh Sandbanks. However I agree with pp. BCP local authority is on the brink of bankruptcy, congestion on the roads is dire, bloody cycle lanes, drug problems, over riding stench of weed being smoked on the beach, bail hostels galore, run down town centres, vibrant (?? ) night economy, etc etc etc.
So if you stay put in Lilliput and never go far it will be fine.
Where is your husband's new job? If possible move to outside BCP, the Purbecks and West are lovely.
I've lived here for nearly 40 years and have witnessed its decline.

Yes there are lots of homeless people around the town centre and like many towns too many empty shops. On the plus side Bournemouth has beautiful gardens and miles of Sandy beach. Southbourne and Westbourne are lovely as is nearby Christchurch. Lilliput is super posh and very near to the lovely beach at Sandbanks. Surely a whole lot nicer than most of the UK.

I live/ grew up in Lymington and Bournemouth does have a reputation for being a bit rough. Like I would only go there for a night out. Lilliput is in a better area though. Personally I would want to live in one of the villages near Bournemouth and not part of the conurbation. Depending on the commute you might want to look at Avon beach or Lymington for coastal or burley/ brockenhurst/ beaulieu if you like the forest. Renting is a good shout x

@OttersAreMySpiritAnimal I just find the whole area horrific for traffic. It matches or even exceeds the traffic and aggressiveness of London drivers. I experience so many cars up by backside when I drive back home.