Where to live up North????

[whatsthestoryinbalamorytoday]

We live in Essex and are a mixed race family. We want to move somewhere near Durham but don't know which areas are nice. I've heard there's some horrible places in Darlington and to steer clear. There's only so many times we can go to check out new areas so please help!!!

Oooh I just might be able to help you!
We're in South Yorkshire atm but have just bought in Northallerton which is virtualy the topside of Yorkshire. There is Middleton St George which is a little village outside of Darlington but it's much of a muchness tbh.
I don't like Darlington at all and really had to persuade dh not to go there.

We have looked all over at different towns. We found Eaglescliffe, Richmond, Egglescliffe and Yarm to be very nice. Also Osmotherly which is very near to Northallerton but is quite expensive. Having said that if your moving up from the south you may not find it expensive.

I can't wait to move. Northallerton is fab. Lovely little town with a little high street full of lovely shops.

Type some of the place names into Rightmove, it might give you a good idea.

The NE is provincial (lived in Newcastle for 5 years and worked around Tyneside and Teeside). It has improved significantly in the last 4 years. But, very few ethnic minorities. Plus a lot of the villages/towns are old mining/heavy industry towns where of course there are no more jobs! The Tyne Valley is lovely (more agricultural than industrial), going out towards Hexham and Haltwhistle if you want to be rural. Durham itself is beautiful (around the Cathedral and river) and has some fabulous properties (but again there are some very rough, hard drinking elements). We still have a lot of friends 'up north' (Geordies, Mackams and Sand Dancers) and joke about Neanderthal NE man! Some of the locals do still go student bashing as a late night hobby.
Hartlepool is undergoing a lot of urban regeneration. Washington is a bit like Milton Keynes or Skelmersdale - all roundabouts and 70's model town. There are places around Newcastle that are more urban and cosmopolitan. The BBC lot live around Jesmond and Gosforth - Newcastle's equivalent of Chiswick! Darras Hall and Ponteland are very 'middle class'.
The shopping is good (and I don't mean the Metro Centre) with 2 of the best Department Stores, John Lewis and Fenwicks next to each other in Newcastle. You can go further south and explore N Yorks - again more agricultural rather than industrial villages. It depends on what you're looking for; coastal vs inland; urban vs rural.
When we had to relocate and I didn't know the area, I contacted the NCT to find out where there were Post-natal groups as a way of finding out where the 'nice' areas might be.

Just a thought - check the Meets-ups section for NE MN'rs - then you can CAT them to get their opinion of good places to live. I've been in W Yorks now for nearly 8 years so lots may have changed.

Sorry, but you've really got me thinking on this one.
As I said, a lot of the towns and villages were set up around a coal mine or a steel mill and are Victorian terraces with 1960's/70's housing estates. When the industries closed in the 80's the areas fell into serious decline. You can get very cheap housing there but the facilities are poor. Personally, I'd stay clear of Peterlee, Easington, Hetton-le-Hole (it was a hole - main industry was the abbatoir!),Ferryhill, Consett, Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe. Things may have changed significantly so I apologise if they're now cosmopolitan meccas.
Chester-le-Street is OK, not sure about Seaham (old seaside town - lots of big Victorian seaside terraces - bit faded splendour) and both Sunderland and Gateshead are allegedly regenerating (a LOT of money has just been spent on Gateshead).
I know people who live in Lanchester & Sherburn Village, so I assume they're nice.
The areas around Rowlands Gill and Prudhoe are also quite nice.
I seem to remember some pretty villages/hamlets going west towards Barnard Castle and into Weardale. You are a bit in the back of beyond tho'. Good scenery but isolated.

I used to live about 3 miles from Rowlands Gill when I was a kid scarymamma .

tbh it would prob be a major culture shock after Essex - it almost feels like a different country (in the way that Scotland does from England I mean, not like it's Outer Mongolia or anything).

Are you moving for work reasons balamory?

NGB when are you moving?- I'm in northallerton! I have a DD age 6 who goes to Romanby School.. so if you ever fancy meeting up or want some info let me know!

I agree its nice round northallerton. I came from Wensleydale which is the yorkshire dales but its nice to live in a town with handy shops but not too commercialised, run down or unruly..
Yeah dont like darlington - Thirsk is quite nice and straight onto A19 from there too. Thirsk is a bit cheaper than northallerton.

Ooohh I'm moving to Romanby and I'm sending dd to Romanby Pre school in Sept.
Have baby no.2 due in August.

We've bought the house next to the Golden Lion.

How exciting!

Can second Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor not being so great.
The company I do a bit of work for is based in Bishop Auckland which is ok but very very close to these 2 places.
Also agree Barnard Castle is nice. We're still getting some emails from the estate agents and the propertys in Barnard look very nice.

Thanks for all your input, especially you scarymamma-very informative!!!

We're not moving for work reasons but for a better quality of life. Housing is cheaper, more natural surroundings.

The type of area we're looking for will have some greenery but not in the countryside. I've seen houses have a field or something at the end of their garden-definately NOT what we want!!!

We want somewhere where there's shops nearby.

I am from Teesside so this is a more Teesside POV.

Yarm, Eaglescliffe, Stokesly, Great Ayton, Hutton Rugby, Kirklevington. All v.nice!

About 40 minutes to Durham from Yarm.

What about Northumberland, in particular Morpeth. Just off the A1 but close to the countryside and not too far from the sea, about 14 miles from Newcastle. As someone else said, Ponteland is nice (I went to school there), not many shops and houses expensive - but that's relative as it depends on your budget.

njb - we live just a little bit the other side of Romanby behind the doctors surgery.

hope your move goes smoothly and you soon settle into northallerton.

Morpeth just feels so remote though. Agree Ponteland is very pretty.

Which places have you looked at Balamory?