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?

I can’t say I go to London either once a very long time ago
i tjink my problem is I only ever lived in small towns or villages and it’s where I also grew up in one and I’m not used to more built up places ,so I guess the idea scares me especially after the things I have seen on these communities groups people are talking about it just seems scary and not enticing at all .

My niece has just finished at Leeds Beckett and loved it, it is a brilliant, vibrant city with so much to offer. I hope she loves it.

This idea people in the south have about the north being rainier is bizarre. If you ask any geographer, It rains most in the west of the country, and slightly more in the north. So worst rain in the north west, then south west, then north east is actually pretty dry. So if you’re in the south west you’d actually be getting less rain in Leeds…

Your ideas about Leeds and ‘the north’ aren’t very accurate or fair. Yes it’s more crime than in a village but no more than any southern city.

And if you prefer villages why don’t you live in a village in yorkshire?

he’s mentioned looking at kirkstall, roundhay, headingly, and garforth that I can remember

I'd give Kirkstall and Headingly a miss. I used to live to the North West of Leeds. Dependiing on your budget anywhere on the Wharfedale Line is good - Guiseley, Menston, Burley in Wharfedale, Ben Rhydding or Ilkley. Or you could consider Otley, but I woudn't fancy the commute by car.

I don't know Roundhay or Garforth well enough to comment.

What part of the north west though?

^

East Lancs.

We moved to South Yorkshire just over 2years ago because DH was offered a great job with a decent pay rise so we jumped at the chance. I hate the cold and wet but haven’t noticed that it’s more so than anywhere else I’ve lived tbh.

DS1 lives further up in North Yorkshire and will often get heaps of snow when we don’t get any at all.

I love where we live and would only ever think about moving in the future to be nearer to the grandchildren.

It's Leeds, not the cartel controlled depths of Bolivia.

^

😂

@RampantIvy yes Ilkley is good shout, it is an easy train commute.

😆

I lived in Yorkshire for years - would not really want to live in Leeds but there are plenty of lovely areas that are easily within reaching distance of Leeds. I would move back tomorrow if practical.

It's a bit colder for sure, wouldn't say wetter. I grew up in Harrogate - moved there for my Dad's job (in Leeds) when I was 7. Its a really nice town if a bit pricey (so might make you feel like you are still down south 😂😂)

Leeds is single-handedly the worst place I’ve ever lived, except maybe Kazakhstan. But it’s close.

The places you have mentioned are very different, Headingly is very much a student area, Kirkstall is just outside the city centre and has an abbey, Roundhay has a good selection of diverse restaurants and bars, there's also the park area that is great for walks plus it has some great properties, although much more expensive than Headingly and Kirkstall. Garforth has 2 train stations with very regular trains into Leeds but I would look at the surrounding villages, Bramham, Barwick in Elmet, Linton, Shadwell, Scarcroft, Scholes and Thorner as they may be more like you are used to and are in the catchment areas for decent schools. Also, your money will buy you a better property in the north, obviously depending where you currently live in the south. Plus the people are generally very friendly.

Yep, weather is crap but try and plan as many holidays trips down south as you can x

What I was hoping too.
Ridiculous post.

I grew up in Lincolnshire so visited Leeds a fair bit. I don’t like city living at all, but as far as cities go it’s pretty ok. Much prefer it to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool etc. Don’t just look at Leeds itself though; if it’s rural life you like, then spend time exploring villages within commuting distance - and definitely look towards York, it’s lovely there.

I wouldn’t move back ‘up North’ now, but not because of a Southern bias; I’m just lucky enough to be settled in a beautiful rural area that suits me. Definitely think about area rather than North vs South when looking around. And if you do decide to make the move, don’t make a complete lifestyle change because that will make the homesickness so much harder. If you like village life, look for a village property, don’t end up in a suburb just because you don’t know much about the region.

Also, on a side note, it’s the North West that have much higher rainfall averages. North central/East is not dissimilar to many regions below the London belt.

especially after the things I have seen on these communities groups people are talking about it just seems scary and not enticing at all

I live in a village in an area with a low crime rate. If you read our local community Facebook pages you might think that the crime rate was sky high.

The fact that there is so little crime means that every little transgression gets reported on Facebook/NextDoor.

Stop reading the crime reports and open your mind.

For the record Headingly does have a high crime rate as it is heavily populated by students, which menas easy pickings for thieves.

Copied and pasted from a quick google for you:

Leeds areas with the highest crime rating

Little London & Woodhouse. Avg. weekly crimes: 219. Avg. weekly burglaries: 11. Hunslet & Riverside. Gipton & Harehills. Avg. weekly crimes: 123. Avg. weekly burglaries: 6. Killingbeck & Seacroft. Armley. Avg. weekly crimes: 101. Avg. weekly burglaries: 5. Middleton Park.

Well, I moved up to near Leeds in the hope of getting snow, and we get less than we used to get in the SE. We always seem to be in a snow-free bit in the middle when the rest of the country is getting snow.

I guess the idea scares me especially after the things I have seen on these communities groups people are talking about it just seems scary and not enticing at all .

Leeds is pretty sizeable, there's probably dozens of community groups.

What groups have you joined, out of interest?

Your DH’s friwnds live near Manchester? Much higher rainfall than Leeds. If I was you I would look at houses in Harrogate, Knaresborough or on the Leeds/York trainline, I wouldn’t live in Leeds itself. Been there, done that, great shopping but not somewhere I’d want to settle.

How's your hair under t'flat cap?...
Although I can't speak... being from even fuuurther North in that there Scotland....😬😬 apparently we're getting fancy schmancy elec-trickety I think they call it soon..

Did you mean to be so rude OP?

OP is definitely not wrong about the weather. It is rainy up here. But people are more friendly and everything is cheaper. We haven’t had much heavy snow, apart from the occasional day or two (Beast from the East excluded) since the 1980s, and I live in a high-altitude town. Leeds is up and coming, increasingly gentrified.

If you prefer village life then just move to one of the many villages within easy commute of Leeds.

Your teens will thank you for living in Leeds though, it’s a fab place for young people.

To be fair I’d stay in the south west, not because there’s anything wrong with the north or Leeds in particular other than it being miles from the sea!