thinking of moving to Norwich (NR3) anyone know the area?

[SweetBeadieRussell]

We're looking to move from the sticks to the city next year, to be closer to the amenities/ schools/ pubs/ etc. I think Norwich is great, generally speaking, (we tend to go there mainly for shopping etc at the moment) but have no idea what its like to live in.

After consulting Rightmove, NR3 seems to be our best bet; lots of smallish terraced houses within our budget/ walking distance to the city, some good primary schools nearby. Reminds me a bit of the area I grew up in, so I'm hoping it'll be the right place to raise our growing brood!

In fact it seems so right for us i'm wondering what the catch is. Anyone around who can fill me in on what it's really like round there? Is it very studenty? Are lots of the houses empty, cos I'm hoping to get away from that (we live in a very touristy, second homey bit of Norfolk) is it the kind of place young families tend to settle, or is it very transient? cos we're hoping to find somewhere with a bit of community spirit really...

i agree it aint pretty but then i grew up near Stratford (not Upon Avon) before it was Olympicised, so i'm kinda immune from such things.

Fimbo - was it the people? or atmosphere or summat?

anyway i'm off to pick up dd2, thanks everyone, i'll be back

dd1 even (dd2 is eating paper nearby)

Anglia Square is weird. We like the cinema, because it is cheap and never even half full. There are a mixture of discount shops (Poundstretcher and QD) and charity shops, along with Boots, a jewellers and a nice greengrocers, but you are so close to the city centre it is no wonder no-one shops there.

Waterloo Park is lovely. Don't know Wensum Park. There are lots of little parks dotted all over this area. Some nicer than others of course.

I've found the area very friendly and there seems to be lots going on in terms of play and toddler groups.

SOH: my MIL loves Aldiss in Fakenham. I think she lives there. She probably knows your Mum.

She didn't like the street/atmosphere.

Tbh when we moved and lived in Magdalen Street, dd was only 2.5 and I went to a different toddler group everyday as there are so many churches around. It was a great way of getting out to meet people without having to travel any distance. The Salvation Army used to do a great one on a Friday in Bull Close there was craft, a separate room with trampoline etc then singing at the end. There was another one in a church which was run by old ladies with a rod of iron can't remember the name of the street it was on but it has Travelodge at the other end of it and council carpark.

SOH I live near Swaffham :)

Churchill Road is on my school run. I'll have a nosy this afternoon when I go and pick up. There are always lots of little ones around. The Nursery at Magdalen Gates is said to be very good and there is another one at the church on Silver Road which always seems very busy.

I'll ask DD's friend's mum where her little one goes.

I'm in Lakenham at the moment although about to move to Suffolk! Despite our imminent departure, I really like this area. It's close enough to walk into town and to bus station, decent shops, friendly people. I live on a council estate at the moment and the neighbours are all (with ONE exception) delightful, I have made friends with several other mums in the area and I will be sorry to leave. The Red Roaster is an ace coffee shop just near Sainsburys and Pat's Cafe on City Road does awesome greasy spoon fry-ups. Decent fish shop over the road from there and a posh but good butchers next to the Tesco Express. There's also a Steiner School as well as a newly re-built primary if you're into that sort of thing :)
Oooh I'm beginning to not want to move now :*(
We'll be here for a few more weeks, if you want me to give you the tour and in exchange give me some tips about village life, let me know!

I have a v posh friend who insists on pronouncing Magdalen St, 'Maudlin' St, in manner of Cambridge University of same name. Think she is trying to Raise The Tone.

Doh. Oxford. Meant Oxford. Obviously. (I rally aren't NFN. Honest.)

Actually out here in the sticks Broadland High School is considered the Bees Knees (best high school). Gossip is that Aylsham HS has gangs, North Walsham produces pathetic self-deluded underachievers and the only things going for Cromer and Stalham is that they aren't North Walsham...

(These gossipy assessments are all a load of pants, btw).

I think the Anglia Square are is quite urban and gritty, SBR. Would be quite a change from where you are now. I am well fed up with small town life this week, though, so I'm kind of thinking I'd like Anglia Square area myself ( Big City Girl at Heart).

Wow things have changed since I was young - Broadland High was positively scary! though it is where I learned to swim. That was a long time ago now though ...

Hahaha I have a friend who pronounces it Maudlin as well! Surely this is the first sign of gentrification (unless they are same person!)

thanks FW - definitely sounds encouraging from what you've said. ive seen few moneypits affordable places up for auction round there for about 3/4 the price as well so i have my hopes up

ragged -is NW getting you down these days? wassamatter?
the thing is, i miss gritty and urban big time. i miss it just enough to want to move to Norwich, but not enough to want to go back to East London

Rofl at Maudlin

I should have called it Maudlin and pretended I was posh!

Isn't it strange we live in places we don't want to be? I am in Norwich and can take it or leave it, would prefer to be back in Scotland.

it is weird, I tend to think it's just me and my negligable gypsy ancestry

I can understand the appeal of scotland. definitely. the only thing that puts me off is my memory of being attacked in a pub loo in Edinburgh by a crazy lady (but you get those anywhere)

systemsaddict - are you stalking my stalker?

GANGS? IN AYLSHAM??? I don't think so

I expect the gang members must be the riffraff overflow imports from Walsham, naturally.

--

Seriously, the gangs mention comes from a current teacher there . Knives... I think it was knives I heard about at Broadland. Rather more 3rd hand source on that one, though.

We're a right rough lot out in the sticks of Norfolk .

I live in a Norfolk village - we have druggies living in a £1200 per month privately owned house across the street. We used to have trouble on Friday nights with rival teenagers coming in from other villages to cause trouble, it seems to have calmed down now.

I'm an Aylsham alumni - it was rough 20 something years ago. But it's terriby naice around here now.

It must be that rough lot from Walsham. I ASBOed one of them a couple of years ago -used to do nasty things in Sainsbury's