Aibu to not want to move up north

[time2changeCharlieBrown]

My dh has been offered a great job opportunity a high payrise
the catch is we have to relocate up north near Leeds
so my main concerns is the weather
I hate winter, rain and snow and up there seems to get more?
also I joined a few online community groups recently to get a feel for it and learn about the areas and what’s around
all I have mainly seen is awful things about robbery’s and car theft and violent crimes! It’s really putting me off!
we have a son who is not too far off an age to go clubbing and for nights out and even though he is 6 foot 5 he’s very striking looking mixed race (Greek) and I worry about him being a target and our eldest daughter too also very striking ,but both quite naive as we currently live in a small village and don’t often go into big cities and they are at small schools.
my dh is from a different town up north not too far from Leeds still has friends there and says it’s fine and all city’s are the same and the kids will be fine as not in any gangs and unlikely to be. I am a worrier so Aibu to not want to move?

Up north? And you mean Leeds, lol. Guess it’s all relative.

it does get darker for longer during the winter months, due to Science

Really? I know we're in the summer now (technically!) but sunset today in London is at 19.59, whereas in Leeds it is 20.09. What with it being further North/away from the equator, surely?

@time2changeCharlieBrown if your DH is planning to drive into the city centre, then I'd avoid Horsforth and Kirstall, as the main route in is always really busy and slow.

Leeds is a brilliant city to live in. I miss it loads. Loads of lovely places to live. Suburbs like Horsforth, Yeadon, Guisely if you need to be near to the city. Further out Ilkley and Otley are also great. Anywhere north of the city going up to Harrogate is beautiful and lots of nice suburbs around the other sides which are great but I don't know as well. Fab, lively and diverse city with some great colleges and universities. Yorkshire dales and lake district both easily accessible. I would far rather live there than further south where we are now. Go and explore.

The only reason I wouldn't move up north is the weather. There are deprived cities in the south too - I live right by one and have had a great weekend at an event there! The point is you can't guarantee a rural idyllic lifestyle if your husband is looking to move for promotion.
Where would the kids likely want to move post 18 ? If their choice?

Yeah I'm in the North East and definitely class Leodensians as fellow Northerners.

Fo you think it's not in the North of England?

There’s a lot of “the south” that isn’t London - OP says she is in the SW. Penzance is nearly twice as far away from London as Leeds is.

If she lives in a little Cornish village I’m sure she would be equally if not more horrified at the idea of moving to London as she is about moving to Yorkshire! 😂

Another one here who lives in a village near Leeds. It's very safe. The York side of Leeds is lovely and harrogate is also a great place to live.

@time2changeCharlieBrown definitely visit Harrogate, great transport links to Leeds, great schools, much smaller than Leeds but enough going on locally. I think it might be more what you're looking for.

Why not give us your budget and essential requirements and maybe the Yorkshire folk can identify some areas which meet your requirements. Your DC will perhaps be off to Uni etc so would be getting out and about in the cities anyway and all of the opportunities that brings - culture, music, art, jobs, good transport links etc

It's a really good time to move to Yorkshire, as we are getting hot and cold running water any day now .
Bit worrying that your children are very good looking though, they may get stared at as we are all very very gnarled and ugly

Christ woman it isn't down town Baghdad. You make it sound like a hell hole. Stay in the south as the last thing anyone wants is a neighbour moaning and telling everyone that it is much better down south.

Yep, days are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter, the further you get from the equator.

So at the equator you get 12 hrs of sunlight year-round. At the North Pole, it never gets dark in summer and never gets light in winter.

I’d be surprised if Leeds was far enough north from London to make a noticeable difference, but if you head to somewhere like the Orkneys you’ll definitely notice it.

The Pennines get the wind, rain and snow. Choose a village east of Leeds and it will be warmer and drier. Leeds averages 1cm per year more rain than Exeter.

YABU to say you are dreading visiting. Go with an open mind.

Yorkshire is beautiful. The areas your h mentioned are nice, I like headingley especially. If he’s willing to take a bit more of a commute and you want posh village / small town life that feels more like the Home Counties, definitely look at ilkley and nearby villages eg burley in wharfedale. Honestly it’s a fantastic place to live. But don’t tell any of your southern friends, we like it to be a bit of a secret :)

Love this 🤣.

Also:
Its the North of England, not a drug addled favela

Honestly, I think I've heard it all on here until threads like this. 🙈

It's your attitude, OP, that'll affect you far more than anyone/ thing you may encounter in Yorkshire!

Leeds city centre is a shit hole, lots of empty shops and street drinkers/drug taking. Kirkstall and Headingley are very studenty areas and so have a fairly high crime rate. I wouldn't want to live in either tbh. If you can afford proper Roundhay, not on the Harehills border that would be considered a decent area. However, your insurance is likely to be expensive as LS8 also covers Harehills which is a very rough area. Garforth is ok, house prices are fairly reasonable and it has two train stations so good for commuting. If you can live further out, basically any of the villages on the way out to Wetherby starting from Shadwell are nice and picturesque.

Probably looking at 500-600k price range

Thank you this is helpful

I have read some ridiculous assumptions about the North on here over the years though
Some examples ,the North doesn't have pavements ,because apparently a poster has been to a northern village that didn't have pavements so assumed the whole of the North didn't
Northern people mainly eat suet puddings another poster had visited family in Blackpool and the family had a great fondness for suet puddings ,so assumed every single northerner ate them ,and was feeling sorry for those poor ignorant northerners who had never tasted fruit etc
Another poster was looking at moving out of a London ,and was advised not too because one poster had moved somewhere very rural ,in the North with about one bus a week so assumed the whole of the North was like that

Thanks I looked at ilkley it looks and sounds lovely I think we’ll try and visit this place

Thank you it sounds great I think we’re going to visit here as just looked it up and it definitely sounds really good

Dont go ona ilkely moor without your hat!

Dreading it? Good grief.