Moving to the area advice needed please

[Lisaloulop]

Hi I am a single mum looking at moving into plymouth later on in the year! My son is 3 and will be starting school next September. I don't know plymouth at all and was looking for advice on nice areas to live and advice on decent schools in the area.
Many thanks in advance

Do you want to be right in the city or would you consider towns a short distance away too?

I would rather be just outside the city really, but not miles out as will be attending college full time.
Thankyou

I live in Ivybridge - about 11 miles out of the centre. Moved here a few years ago and like it better with each year that passes. Lots of buses, park and ride etc. Plenty of people live here and work there. It's got some nice parks, good schools and nurseries, various kids' groups, good children's centre, library services etc. Worth considering?

Certainly worth considering where I live now is 15 miles from the nearest town centre. Brilliant thankyou.
Are there any areas in ur opinion I should avoid? Being on my own with a young child I'm worried about ending up in a rough area where I don't feel safe.

I don't know the city well enough to be able to answer that to be honest - I would only be doing what you would and Googling it! But I prefer being in a town to being in the city - I have a sense that with a small child I would always rather be somewhere that is (or seems) more friendly.

With that in mind, you could also look at Plymstock - I have friends there who love it and have young families.

But Ivybridge feels less 'part of the city' to me than Plymstock does. Obviously I can only recommend what I know personally, so you will get a totally different opinion from others I'm sure! Also, you and I could be very different in terms of what is important to us. I have a two year old and these are the things I like about being here:

Easy driving distance to the beach and walking distance to the moor.

Easy to get into the city if I need to.

Enough shops in the town that I don't need to go into the city much at all (but bear in mind I am not a big window shopper/clothes shopper)

Great children's centre

Cinema

Library services are good

Big (i.e. huge) Tesco very nearby (five mins by car) if I need it, but also three smaller supermarkets in walking distance

Garden centre and farm shop in walking distance

Several parks and well-kept play areas

A couple of nice cafes where I sometimes meet with friends

There's an OFSTED outstanding rated nursery very near my house and two primary schools that I have heard good things about. There are other primary schools in the town but I don't know anything about them.

Although we live on an estate, it doesn't feel cramped - space around the houses and wide road

House prices are lower here than a lot of places in Devon - we moved here from a town about 15 minutes' drive further north because we could get so much more for our money

Lots of community stuff going on if you choose to get involved, and about three free magazines that pop through your door each month telling you about them

Interesting things for children to visit like the fishing lake and the donkey sanctuary

Feels close to the countryside because you can see the hills rising up around the area, even when in the town.

You could also look at Lee Mill as a possibility, but you would be more reliant on your car/buses if you were based there as it is a sort of extension of Ivybridge.

The best thing you could do is come down for a few days and have a look around the general area to get a feel for it. Is that a possibility?

Thank you so much for all that info! Yes certainly would be a good idea to come down and have a look around, there don't seem to be many 2 bed houses for rent in ivybridge or plymstock, do houses come up very often in these areas? I have Hurd some lovely things about both areas and some good primary schools in both areas! I can't thank you enough for your help and advice it is very much appreciated! :)

Glad it is helpful!

I'm afraid I don't really notice what is available now, as we're happy where we are. I'd imagine that, like in most places, it's worth putting 'wanted' ads in local papers and shop windows, as well as looking in those places for private ads that don't appear on Rightmove.

Have you seen the 2-bed properties that are on Rightmove at the moment in Ivybridge and Plymstock? If it's in your price range, there's one here that seems nice.

That is slightly above my price range but defiantly worth a look I will contact the agent. Thank you I don't no how I missed that one on right move but I don't remember seeing it. I think it definatly worth coming down and putting some edverts about and see what comes up.
Thank you so much

Plymouth City is great, I would probably avoid north prospect, but tbh most of the 'rougher' areas of the city are actually fine, some a bit run down but overall Plymouth is a safe city. I would not want to live right in the centre on Union street or stonehouse perhaps but St Judes is nice enough and close to all amenities Salisbury road school is lovely, nicer areas such as plympton Plymstock and mannamead hartley elburton are possibly a bit pricey, but devonport which used to be run down is now up and coming with lots of new facilites and nice housing,, close to water etc. good luck. Mutley area is very studenty but Hyde park schools are fab and there are lots of facilities too. Compton school very nice too but very sought after.