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?

@Hollietree but the OP lives in the SW not the SE, so she may well find it's drier in Leeds.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Admittedly that’s nothing for modern Leeds to brag about as the main safety issue in 1980 was Peter Sutcliffe still being at large 😬

I know the Leeds area and had lived in one of the villages mentioned.
The surrounding villages at genuinely lovely and the kind of crime you’re worried about doesn’t really happen but having said that, if you live near a pub, you do hear of anti social behaviour, but mostly petty. I don’t know what you’re going to do about schools? There are a few outstanding ones ie in Boston spa and Harrogate. Most people drive around the Golden Triangle area and you can take a bus into Leeds if you don’t want to drive. Lots of kids do bus rides in and back again to their home village. My own personal view is that Harrogate is snooty and overly focussed on your wealth. York is more diverse and interesting but loads of tourists visit at the weekend ie the Xmas markets is very pretty but heaving. I think Leeds is the best out of the 3. I wouldn’t live near the centre as it gets rougher ie lots of estates but chapel allerton is really nice. If you live in the middle of the golden triangle (btw this is an estate agent term, no one actually says this!) like in wetherby, you can do either York, Harrogate or Leeds in 30 mins either way (unless it’s commute time, then it’ll be an hour). The further out you go the less diverse it is but people are still friendly. I don’t think you’ll regret moving up as overall it will be a good experience. BUT the weather is worse, there’s no getting around that. When it’s hot and sunny in the south - esp the south west - it may be sunny in Leeds but will always be a few degrees cooler and it might even rain! I still think it’s a lovely life for a family with kids. Good luck!

York is lovely, but the traffic is awful. And the weekends are completely ruined by hen and stag parties.

YABU for the whole tone of your post.
We have enough people already up here to seem to think they're a cut above everyone else, so stay where you are and do us all a favour.

Also some the suggestions are really too far ie Beverly (which is nice) but will take ages to get down to Leeds. The coast is also far and colder/wetter. I think knaresborough is too far but it’s nice and property is much cheaper. You’d be surprised at how expensive some parts are ie Boston spa (also not quiet as someone says, it has restaurants, library, supermarket, pubs, French patisserie etc), Linton and Harrogate are all pricey. Again I think if you need schools, then seriously consider catchment areas so you’re not caught out.

Look at Horsforth, Farsley, Adel, Lawnswood, Alwoodley, Shadwell if they are not already on your list. They are outskirts so nearer countryside.

enough of who - southerners?

FFS! How many more times does the OP have to apologise before you stop kicking her?

I hope it was on bonfire night. Your flasher would probably have got his cock horribly burnt by a loose banger or rocket.

👍

Definitely agree with Salts Mill, it's lovely especially at Christmas!

Areas surrounding Selby and/or Pontefract both have train stations and are about 20 minutes from both Leeds and York will probably be much cheaper to live than the areas you've mentioned. The choice you have is huge OP.

That's rather spiteful, she was only asking for advice before going into a situation she was unsure about.
If you can't say something nice..........don't bother!

Now this is interesting. My knowledge of York, as someone who lives within a day's (very) energetic walk of the city, is that once it gets dark, it can get quite different and challenging, shall we say. Certainly a few years ago at least some of the pubs had bouncers.

All that Viking blood had to go somewhere. 🤣

Tadcaster is good for M62 within a few miles, so you have North-South and East-West connectivity. Great if OP's DH is travelling on a daily basis.

Oh. You'll have been there like me during the awful YR days. RIP Jaqueline Hill. 🌷

And now reading through and catching up I'm hogging the thread, so I'll shut up! 😊

I came back home to Leeds, after university, in the later days of the Yorkshire Ripper @SeatonCarew, and it was a dreadful time. We (I was on a post-grad course at the Poly that was only women) were all terrified of going out on our own. Awful.

Ye @BIWI, strange and dreadful times. I remember passing a male student in the street in Woodhouse in broad daylight, and we just looked at each other. That look said so much, I have never forgotten it. Jacqueline studied one floor down from me. 💐

We were at the Poly at the same time @BIWI!

I was in the canoing club and went to a session at the pool in Beckett Park the day after Jaqueline was murdered. I had just missed the evening news and was unaware of what had happened. I walked up to Beckett Park in the dark from the bus stop, and when I arrived everyone's mouth dropped open in surprise because I had been walking alone in the dark.

The Poly had to cancel all the late lectures and made sure that everyone left by 4pm.

It was a horrible time.

@time2changeCharlieBrown sorry to bounce but how did you get on? 😊

Oh thank you for asking
we had the most amazing time!! Everyone was so friendly and the places we visited were beautiful, we loved Yorkshire and have decided to definitely go for it! There’s much more choice for the kids in terms of education and jobs too when older.
were just a bit unsure about what area though as we liked quite a lot! although my husbands choice of Headingley and kirkstall were too studenty, but enjoyable, we liked them but not to live just to visit, so planning another trip soon and currently doing some research. Also really like likely but he thinks too far out and Harrogate but he’s worried about the commute from there, so trying to look at other places too maybe nearer with train stations or easy access.

Glad you had a good trip, OP, and that you now have a favourable view of 'the north' 😀 Wishing you success in choosing the right area and your move.

Maybe York is for me
i secretly love vikings!
is it a long commute?
we didn’t get chance to do York as run out of time on our trip