Moving from London to Liverpool or Chester

[ALyons]

Hi everyone,
I’m currently living in London, working 40 hours a week in an admin role, and I’m just… done. I’m 52, right in the thick of menopause (even though I have recently started HRT), and I’ve reached the point where I feel I’m working just to exist.
My husband and I are seriously looking at the North West. He absolutely loves Chester (the history, the vibe), but I’m worried it might be a bit small for us long-term. On the flip side, Liverpool ticks so many boxes for culture and energy, but I worry it feels a bit "new" or even "rough" in places compared to the South.
I’m a writer (I’ve published 3 books), but the London grind and hormonal exhaustion have completely killed my creativity. We’re looking for "Old Soul" neighborhoods—think historic, grand, leafy, and quiet enough to eventually get back to my writing. My husband would prefer the docks but I worry it may get too windy!
The Plan: We want to rent out our London place, move up, and rent for a year to see if it fits. I’m hoping to find a part-time admin role to buy myself some "writing time."
A few specifics I’d love your "Mumsnet honesty" on:

1. Neighborhoods: Is the Georgian Quarter in Liverpool actually a nice place to live, or is it just a movie set for tourists? And the docks?
2. Safety & ‘Roughness’: Coming from London, is Liverpool actually "rougher," or is that just an old stereotype? Are there areas that feel truly safe and established?
3. The Dog: We have a Coton de Tulear . She’s our world. How dog-friendly is the city? Chester was very friendly!
4. Menopause Support: Any recommendations for great GPs or specialists in the area? I need someone who actually listens!
5. The Move: We don't drive. Is it feasible to live in these "historic" pockets and still get around easily via public transport?
6. Bars & restaurants: we don't have kids, and enjoy a good meal and a drink. My husband loved Chester because of this, but I worry it is too small for us.

Am I being demanding, or is this the "Great Reset" I think it is? Would love to hear from anyone who has made the London-to-Liverpool jump! I absolutely Love London, it's my home! But we got overpriced and are not prepared to pay crazy money to move to a nicer area while still being in a shoe box! Thanks in advance! x

I grew up 12 miles from Chester and it’s lovely for a day out, but if you want somewhere with more life, Liverpool is definitely streets ahead.

1. We moved to Liverpool a few years ago. Like you, I wanted a period property in an ‘old’ neighbourhood. I looked at a few in the Georgian Quarter but most properties have been converted to flats and only have on-street parking which put us off. My preferred area was Sefton Park but there were similar issues (don’t know if you’re looking for a flat or house). Calderstones and Woolton are also good historic contenders, especially if you’ve got a ‘London’ deposit.
2. Check out the crime figures. Liverpool has an outdated reputation for being a hotbed of crime. The stats show it has less crime than many UK cities.
3. There are loads of lovely areas in Liverpool and the parks are spectacular, so you’ll be spoiled for choice for dog walking. Sefton and Calderstones are my favourites. Most pubs and shops are dog friendly now too.
4. For menopause care, I’ve had good and bad experiences. My GP was pretty useless but referred me to the menopause clinic at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital. My specialist there is fantastic (Paula Briggs, one of the most highly-regarded names in menopause care) and I’ve had first class treatment since.
5. In terms of public transport, train stations can be hit and miss outside the city centre (our nearest station is a 1hr walk away). There are buses into town every ten minutes though. It has good mainline rail links and it’s about 2hr 10m from Lime St to Euston.
6. Liverpool was ranked the #1 city in the UK for food by Time Out in 2025.

My advice would be to come and spend a few days here and try it out. It’s obviously a big move so you need to experience it for yourself. I wouldn’t live anywhere else. There’s so much more I could say about it. The friendliness of the people, the music, the history, it’s an amazing place to live.

Another vote for Liverpool and PP’s advice!

I’ve lived in both places (and London) whilst Chester is very ‘nice’ it is quiet and quaint. I think you might get bored living there. Nice restaurants and a theatre / cinema and it’s lovely to walk around- but not much more, it’s very small. Also public transport is not as good as Liverpool, where you have far more trains and buses eg to go up the coast, get the ferry over the water etc.

I never had a problem with crime in Liverpool, people are kind and friendly, much more so than in London!

chester is a great place to raise a family but I’d pick Liverpool for adult life. Chester is only 40 mins on the train so you can visit often!

Thank you so much @DreamyJade , how lovely! Is the weather really that bad? It's the one thing that worries me as I feel that London never experiences anything too severe! We will be renting for at least a year, and my husband is really keen on the flats in the Docks, while I like the sound of the georgian Quarter. As you said, it's best to spend a few days there, although I must admit I am extremely nervous. I have lived in London 28 years, most of my adult life, and got to London with hardly anything. So this is more than just relocating...however although I have never been to Liverpool, something is pulling me there!

The are both great cities, but very different!

I probably wouldn’t live in the Georgian Quarter or Docks in Liverpool, I would live in a suburb and travel in to the city. Woolton and Mossley hill are nice, and some areas in Aigburth near Sefton Park (although some areas are studenty). Otters pool parade area is nice too.

No Liverpool isn’t that rough if you’re used to London. Some areas are obviously but same with London. The city centre doesn’t feel rough.

There are many green spaces in Liverpool for the dog, wouldn’t say it’s more or less dog friendly than any other city.

Don’t really know about the health questions

Public transport is good in both cities, buses and trains to various places around the country. Liverpool probably has more places to go on public transport just because it’s bigger

I would choose Chester for bars and restaurants hands down

Chester to Liverpool on the train is a quick journey and direct so you could realistically live in either and visit the other regularly

Oh and for your husband there’s loads of history in Liverpool- the Williamson tunnels, the whole dock area, western Approaches, St George’s hall, the cathedrals, so many museums (that are all much better than Chester’s Grosvenor museum!).

Liverpool is windy to be fair! Especially the docks.
Anywhere “up north” will have worse weather than London though (or better for me as I hate heatwaves)

I would pick Chester personally having lived in both. Just nicer. But not driving could be tricky. For a "small London" experience if that's what you want, I'd pick Manchester over Liverpool.There is more going on than Liverpool, better connected, lots of Victorian houses and it has trams.. though no coast of course. You definitely need to visit Liverpool and see how you feel.

I agree. I don’t think anywhere in the UK has good weather particularly, but it has seemed unusually windy here for the past few years. The sun is out this week though!