Ok, apologies for multiple threads but can you tell me more about Sheffield, Birmingham, Norwich and Liverpool please

[kissmyheathenass]

Based on extensive research I have concluded that an affordable city alternative to London might be one of the above.

I would love to know areas with:

good schools - secondary (with good SEN) and primary
in affordable-ish areas which are also nice to live in - not rural
lots for teenagers to do, plus brownies, library an all that.
decent pubs or 2
ditto coffee shop
general decent shopping

Oh, and a nice community vibe would be good.

thanks

Yeah, just checked Rightmove, £400000 upwards for a detached, and plenty more well above that. It pisses me off the cost of houses

What about Leeds? It has everything you need and excellent rail links to London.

Oh, I wasn't telling you off OP!

There are almost certainly spaces in the junior high in Y8.

You were probably looking in the wrong bits of gosforth. Some parts are ludicrously expensive. Some rightmove links (all 4 beds). You'll get oodles more choice if you only want a 3 bed.

a 4 bed detached new build in the great park area, just off the great north road
4 bed detached in Melton park, which is a lovely estate
4 bed semi less than 5 minutes walk from the high school. It's been on for ages though, so I'm guessing the vendors are unrealistic about what it's really worth.
4 bed terrace less than 5 mins walk from the junior high. Very close to gosforth high street too.
4 bed semi on Brunton park, also a lovely estate and quite 'posh'. It's a very nice street actually
another on Brunton park
one on Melton park that's on for £250k. It's been on for ages too, and has dropped price a couple of times now.
This one's very near gosforth Central Park/the high street
Victorian terrace near the high street and schools
very near the high street. It's been on for ages too.
in great park. These new builds are usually really unrealistically priced, but this one isn't so I assume they're actually intending to sell.
in regents farm, near the high school.

There are loads more 4 bed new builds on great park within your budget, including ones you can buy off the builder.

Thats great Arbitrary, thank you. have left another message fro Gosforth to see if they have a place. Also see George Stephenson v good for SEN according to ofsted. Do you know it?

Bunbaker, do you know Leeds ? Do you know good schools/areas? I have never been there though I do have some family there. I'd definitely consider it.

Also re Gosforth - do Melton Park children tend to walk to local school? I like that idea - I hate doing the school run in a car and dream of an easy walk!

Lincoln. Cheap nice and southerly for relatives.

Sutton Coldfield. Outstanding secondary schools, lots of nice bars restaurants, lovely park. We love it here.

in your shoes I'd look at Lincoln, Ludlow for smaller/nice cities or Newcastle and Cardiff for larger places. With the two later locations you have the seaside and fab countryside close by.

In Sheffield most of the affluent people live in one section of the city. It therefore massively pushes up property prices in these areas. The primaries in these areas have been oversubscribed for the last three years (in other areas of the country where rising populations have impacted on sch

Yep, Sheffield is the most polarised city in the uk

Oops posted too soon. The other place is Stirling I've lived there too!

Rest of post was

In Sheffield most of the affluent people live in one section of the city. It therefore massively pushes up property prices in these areas. The primaries in these areas have been oversubscribed for the last three years (in other areas of the country where rising populations have impacted on school places it was lower socioeconomic groupings). Not Sheffield though and to get in a good primary now you will have to live in catchment.

Across the city you can get a huge Victorian detacheds for 200,000 to 250,000. That will get you a semi or small terrace in good areas. Greystones cheaper decent area. Broomhill, Millhouses, Dore will match Birmingham prices. Cost of living here is cheap but that is probably because the city is in the main fairly poor, so there aren't loads of posh delis or boutique shops you get in other big cities.

Yfronts, what is Lincoln like? I tend to overlook Lincolnshire due to it being largely very rural.

Thanks for pointers on Sheffield. I assumed it was fairly good value but am so far. Will look further afield.

Re student accom for sale in S.Liverpool - there is a JMU campus in the area and I think it's closing/being sold off. Students are generally concentrated around Smithdown Rd.
I live in L19 and a lot of the houses on the market here are shall I say optimistically priced! Those priced realistically go under offer quickly.

I 3rd Sutton Coldfield. Been here 7 years now and love it. It has everything you need

Sutton Coldfield (again!) I think specifically the area between the town and Erdington would suit you OP. Quick journey in to Birmingham particularly on the very frequent trains, although there are also lots of buses. Lovely cafes and small libraries in Wylde Green and Boldmere plus really friendly. In catchment for excellent schools, and considering its a good area some fairly sizeable houses for the money:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22715304.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40050665.html?premiumA=true
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-24134049.html

Would avoid Four Oaks, although some people seem to love it - I think it feels like a massive housing estate, is a much longer journey in to Birmingham and generally feels very suburban and a bit dull.

The Melton park and Brunton park kids can walk to school, but there's also a school bus that drops off at gosforth east middle school (less than 5 mins walk from the high school and in the same campus as two of the first school and a catholic primary). Or there's the normal bus, which stops outside the metro station, which is next to the high school. Most of the high school kids from Melton/Brunton park walk as far as I can tell. It's not very far. Lots of the first school kids walk (or scoot) with their parents. There'd probably be friends to be made on that walk every day.

I don't know anything about George Stephenson school. Killingworth should be cheaper than gosforth propertywise, I'd've thought.

Having travelled to most or the major citys around the med and europe, Liverpool is still the best.
OK it has good bits and bad but most places do.
Allerton Road area is nice too.
Many excellent schools, the city centre is excellent for shops, high and low prices, Night life is also very good.
The people are excellent, helpful and friendly
You are one hour from the lakes, 45mins from North Wales.
Liverpool has a couple of excellent marinas, Crosby beach, southport isnt far either.
On and a good airport 10 mins out of the city, Manchester is 45 mins away
Go for the weekend and see what you think

Sumo,Liverpool is so highly rated, I have to go and visit. Allerton looks good, do you know of any schools with good SEN?