Moving to Manchester from St Albans, Hertfordshire

[Northernatheart]

My husband and I are thinking about a possible move north to South Manchester from St Albans. Whilst we love living in St Albans, I am from the Manchester area originally and would also love to be closer to family (living near Bolton), especially now that we have 2 children (aged 3 and 7.5 months). We probably don't want to be too far from the city centre due to my husband's work and are looking for somewhere very similar to St Albans, which has the feel of a very down-to-earth market town but with great facilities for families. Obviously, schools will be important for us too. Any ideas gratefully received!

Hi, if you moved to South Manchester, Chorlton, Didsbury, West Didsbury are all really good areas, with great facilities for children and mum's and Dad's alike. 15/20 min drive to City Centre but with buses every 3 minutes. The Metro is already running from Chorlton and is due to open in Didsbury in 2013. Primary schools are excellent with Secondary Schools also on their way to outstanding ofsed (Barlow RC High School, Didsbury). There is a real family feel in all of these areas with good local shops. Didsbury very near M60 which would take you to M61 Bolton approx 30 min drive.
I moved to Didsbury 2 years ago (am a Londoner) after spending 14 yrs in North Manchester, best move ever wished I'd done it years ago.

Thank you!