Bristol or Brighton?

[HurryUpHarriet]

We're currently in South London but keen to move before DCs (hopefully) come along. DH might have a v.good job opportunity coming up in Bristol. We're also considering a move to Brighton (DH would have to commute to London if he stays in the same job).

Can anyone shed any light on the relative merits and drawbacks of both places, preferably in comparison to each other? I've got a bit of a list of Pros and Cons gleaned mainly from the internet, and it would be great to get some first-hand perspectives.

Whimsical I was thinking of the guns and drugs angle really. It was Montpellier we looked at, where we could literally have afforded to swap our 2-3 bed Victorian flat for a 2-3 bed Victorian flat. It was quite an eye-opener, particularly as we lived in quite a 'desirable' bit of S London. (We have since swapped it for a less 'desirable' bit of S London where we now have a house for less than we would have paid in Bristol )

LadyW - prices are still slightly lower than say in Crystal Palace in london, which i was considering, but I find the commute even to CP long, it 30-40 min from Victoria but with all the bus/tubes trips to the station, and walking to your place (v.hilly) takes more than an hour from central london. I find shopping in CP much worse with less charm than in clifton (I don't mean justa large supermarket), and you can't walk anywhere interesting from there, whereas in Bristol there is variety of areas nearby. I just find good areas of Br soo un-stressful! If you move from a nice part of london, you could as well move somewhere that gives you less stress/crowds.
I also think Brighton is more expensive than Bristol house-wise, due to quick london link, so you have to definetely prefer it.

Well, the guns and drugs don't really affect us! The only shooting I know of locally was when the police shot someone.

Montpelier's a funny little place. There are about 3 streets that are super expensive, but then we live about 2 or 3 streets down the hill and it's prob a third cheaper, as well as closer to town.

Still, horses for courses and all that.

Parts of Bristol are definitely more expensive than parts of London, but I think generally if you compare like-for-like, Bristol is cheaper. I used to live in Blackheath in London, which I think is a very similar area in terms of 'niceness' to where I live now in Redland, but there is no way I would find a similar house on a similar street in Blackheath for the price I paid here. On the other hand, there are many parts of London where I could buy a similar house for less.

Re Ashton Court - yes, it's open year round, dawn to dusk (so obviously gates closed earlier in winter). Leigh Woods, or at least the more accessible bits of it, is full of dog walkers, runners & mountain bikers so I have no hesitation in walking the dog there by myself.

There is one bus that goes from Clifton to the bottom end of Ashton Court by a rather roundabout route, but nothing from Redland. You really need a car or a bike.

We moved to Bristol 2 years ago from south west London and love it. Depending upon which area you want to live house prices can be pretty similar to London. Primary school places are a problem in certain areas so I f planning on having kids I would definately try and live near a decent school as the quality can vary. Being near a good primary school should also ensure that your house holds its value. Secondary schools can be a problem with many choosing the private route but things are changing and if you don't have kids yet a lot can change so I wouldn't let that affect your decision.

Have you visited both Bristol and Brighton to get a feel for both places and the vibe? We spent a weekend in Bristol before dh applied for his job and we just loved it. Once he got the job I researched area/ schools and narrowed down areas and then spent a day in those areas visiting estate agents etc.

Good luck in your decision c

ikeatonne, before we moved to Bristol we loved it. Loads of free stuff going on through the year, plenty to do and see and great shops. Last year some of the regular free festivals weren't staged, and this year the Kite festival isn't on either. (& they've even moved Casualty out after 20 odd years).

We made the mistake of moving to an area already mentioned, very close to a major employer. Basically because of the way the roads are we can't leave the house between 3.30 and 7pm because we just can't get back :( You just sit in endless queues, and everywhere you could get directly from A to B you aren't allowed to, and have to go round in a big circle.

We didn't get into our nearest school so have to drive. If I could go straight across the junction from where school is to our road I could be home in 5 minutes. Instead I have to turn left into 2 solid lanes of stationary traffic; limp up the road at 2 mph, through 9 sets of traffic lights and a roundabout, to end up exactly opposite where I started off, sometimes 25 minutes later. It's ridiculous. We didn't know the area when we moved here and looked at the house during the Easter holidays. Didn't realise the impact of the road system until we started doing the journey.

ATM I'm looking into After School activities for my DD and basically if something isn't in this immediate area I can't do it because we just can't get there. Negates the benefits of being in a city.

GladysLeap - I think if I lived round Filton/Patchway, I'd hate Bristol too. If the school is only five minutes by car, can't you walk? But if I were trapped in your situation, I think I'd be looking to move house.

The Kite Festival isn't happening this year, but there are still lots of events around Millennium Square, including the Harbour Festival, and the Ashton Court Festival (BrisFest) is back this year. Also the St Paul's Carnival, which is fun, and lots of smaller offbeat/cultural festivals and events going on.

OP - I think if you are just TTC, so primary school is at least 5 years off, you needn't worry too much about it now, as a huge amount can change in the space of five years, except perhaps if you get to the stage of choosing between two houses you like, it's always best to go for the one which is closest to a good school.

exexpat - so you go to Cardiff for the best of shopping, can you explain why is it much better? how long does it take by train?

Cardiff wasn't me. I shop mainly in Bristol or sometimes Bath (or online) depending on what I'm looking for.

oops, sorry ex, that was WetAugust!WA, can you expand on Cardiff shopping?

Gladys - yes, Filton is a different kettle of fish, sadly.

I love Cardiff shopping too! I travel there from Exeter for a full days shopping. They have just finished a huge new shopping centre with John Lewis (in centre rather than outskirts like Bristol) all the big names and boho type shops. Very close to main train station and there are loads of good bars/restaurants if you feel like a tipple and a meal mid way or at the end of the day... Mmmmm, thinking may have to plan another trip for baby stuff as currently 12 weeks...

Wcw - thanks, sounds v.appealing! I assume it's a pedestrian area as it sounds nice. Probably quite quick to get to from B, if you travel even from Exeter.

No it's me that goes to Cardiff for shopping (occasionally).

It's about 30 mins from Filton Parkway and probably the same from Temple Meads.

That's one problem - TM station is not very central - it's quite a way from the main Broadmead / Cabot Circus shopping centres. Unless you lived nearby you would need a car to get to Parkway but there are other stops closer to the city.

I've never had trouble with the reliability of Bristol buses. The buses in Bath were a nightmare though.

Agree that the Free Festivals are a good day out in the summer.

Bristol is also gaining a reputation as a cycling city and the council are putting in many cycle lanes etc. There is an abandoned railway line that runs from virtually the centre of Bristol out to Bath which is popular for cyclists and walkers in the summer.

Personally, I'm not an inner city fan so prefer to live right on the very outskirts (nothing between my house and Bath 7 miles away).

Given the choice I prefer to spend an afternoon in Bath rather than Bristol - Bath has a real buzz on a summer Sunday afternoon.

I've recently moved from Brighton to Bristol and I am finding it really difficult to adjust that I have to get everywhere by car - on a particularly awkward and congested traffic system. This comes from living in a (south) suburb, and I want to move towards the city centre to avoid this, and also to feel 'part of things' again. In Brighton we lived on the Seven Dials and it was perfect as it was a ten minute walk and set back up a hill from the city centre. Everything was accessible. And to be honest as long as you stay Hove way you aren't going to find much of a problem with schools (quality, anyway) although my DC is not yet at that age so I'm no authority on the subject. Brighton is beautiful, there is a lot of culture if you want it and there is the sea. I do sometimes find Bristol quite beautiful but I haven't fallen in love with it yet. The people seem to be quite friendly. In your position I would pick Brighton. (But I am biased!) My DH commuted to London and didn't find it too much of an inconvenience, but this was before we had DC.

PRH, yes a lot is pedestrianised and I think it's only about 30-40 mins from Bristol. Whole journey takes us just over 2 hours, which is not actually that much shorter than London, but Cardiff wins on the compactness. Much better.

Cardiff has several malls within the city centre, a Victorian market hall, glorious arcades full of very specialised / independant shops, great places to eat, train and bus stations close to City Centre, Millenium Stadium, Cardiff Bay development, Cardiff Castle (well worth a visit).

For a day out it beats Bristol hands down.

You just have to chose a day when there is no rugby or football match on.

Wcw and WA - exciting! definetely on the list of places to visit from Bristol now. That's what i like about prospect of living in Br - good connections to various interesting (and all different) towns. From London it takes much longer to travel somewhere unfamiliar (so many sprawling suburbs) plus distances to stations.
It's also the countryside around bristol - cotswolds and around Bath, though I don't understand why it takes so long to Dorset and Devon by train as they seem so near! well, slow trains obv. unfortunately!

exexpat school is a good 20 min walk, which on its own would be OK. The downside is a 28 min walk from school to work, so I haven't got time to get my hours in at work. Plus after a serious illness last year I'm not strong enough to walk both ways. So I'm stuck with the drive (that obviously I hadn't really thought about when we moved in). Can't afford to move again :(

I lived in Bristol for 10 years in my twenties and would say it's a great city - love the architecture and the vibe and lots going on.
Cycled to Brighton once from London with a friend. Don't know it so well !
It has a weird but wonderful oriental palace, a pier, some famous and quaint back streets for shopping I believe, and it's by the sea !
I love being by the sea so that would be a big factor for me especially if I was thinking of a family
Good luck deciding and have fun in whichever !!

Gladysleap - sorry, that sounds awful for you. Hope things improve. I hear they are cutting jobs at the MoD and some other places up there - maybe traffic will improve? Every cloud, and all that...

passionsrunhigh - yes, trains heading south from here mostly very slow. If you want to go to the coast, I think the best option from here is actually south Wales - there are some lovely beaches an hour or so along the M4, eg the sand dunes and beach at Merthyr Mawr.

I grew up in Bristol but left about 15 years ago. DH has been working from home for a company based there for a bit and I'm starting work for them next month (also from home). We're going up tomorrow and I'm dreading it as I know we're going to have to fight our way round the traffic .

Don't know Brighton so can't comment. But there's no way I'd move back, couldn't cope with schools or traffic. If we absolutely had to be nearer and in a city, it would be Cardiff, I was a student there and would much prefer to bring my DC's there than Bristol.

I'm in a small Market town (with rubbish connections to Bristol as someone mentioned earlier) now though and not big on city living anymore so that is probably influencing me. A lot of people I went to school with have left but gone back and I know a fair few people who went to university there and never left - the graveyard of ambition people used to call it .

Well, I know two women who were at Uni there who have gone on to become very successful TV producers through the BBC studios based there ! ( some are based there, I think especially BBC Wildlife )

I think it was a rather tongue in cheek joke amongst the graduates I knew meaning they rethought career plans so they could stay as they loved Bristol so much. They all have gone on to do very well in their fields, just a slightly different path to the one they originally planned if that makes sense.

Mmm, I ended up staying in Bristol for about ten years as well. I had some good times there ( but perhaps because that's where I spent my twenties, and I was a student and student nurse for most of it )

passionsrunhigh - good luck with your move to Bristol! Glad this thread is proving so useful to us both - thanks to everyone for their replies.

On the travel front, if DH gets this possible job he'll be working near a confluence of motorways (!) so will drive to the office. I'm not sure where I'll end up working yet (I need to suss out likely employers) but even if I learn to drive I'll be dependant on public transport for a while, so it's good to know about the branch train lines as well as the unreliable and expensive buses.

GladysLeap - sorry to hear that - hope you're recovering. Sorry also to hear about the nightmarish traffic situation - it sounds atrocious. Can't the council or Highways Agency do something to ease the congestion in your area?

exexpat - "Eg, where my parents live, the nearest bus stop is nearly a mile away and there are no local shops" - this is exactly what I want to avoid so we will definitely be looking at more central areas if we make the move. This thread on the Bristol local board has some great pointers for likely locations.

Tomblibooooh - thanks for the contrast - is public transport worse in the south of Bristol than the north?

DH is being interviewed today for the Bristol job, and we are going to Brighton this weekend to suss it out and explore Seven Dials / Fiveways as suggested. All very exciting