Moving To Derby

[smellykellys]

Moving to Derby with a 4 year old and a small baby and was looking for advice on the best places to live, husband would work form home but I would like to be able to get to the city centre for work by public transport as I don't drive.

Would like to know which are the most family friendly areas where we can meet new people and somewhere that has good primary schools to begin with and eventually good secondary schools.

Easy reach of parks, leisure centres and other adult / childrens activities would be great to if possilbe.

Any help anyone can provide would be great as we are from London and know nothing about the area but to would like to try and build up some knowledge if possible before we visit Derby and begin looking for houses so we can concentrate on the most suitable areas for us.

What size house, what type of area?

Area ie urban, suburban, rural?

Looking for a 4/5 bed house, ideally not in the city centre but more suburban if possible

Long time since I lived in Derby - grew up there - but the north side is 'better' than the southern in relation to suburbs. And Duffield (on the A6 but outside the city) was/is a posher area with a good secondary school. You're also in between city and Peak District.

Have you seen any houses you like, or areas? One thing nowadays with google maps they do show bus routes when you get close in, as well as checking out a place with Streetview.

If you are there long term the local secondary ecclesborne is really well regarded so you may want to be near there (ie Driffield). Equally if you are working in town train and buses from nearby villages and towns also good so may mean can stretch search to Belper and Matlock not just the city itself

Duffield sorry not drifflied

From the sounds of it Allestree and Darley Abbey would suit, they are both easy to get into town, have big parks, good schools, 'Nice' areas.
Quarndon and Duffield are 'posh' areas, completely different price bracket but again have everything on your list (except Quarndon maybe has less public transport)
Also Mickleover and Littleover fit the bill and may be worth a look but are more urban in my opinion.

Duffield, allestree (altho senior school not great), Mickleover or etwall/Hilton

Allestree is nice and you have Park Farm shops, and markeaton park nearby which is lovely, with cafes, play activities, craft shops. Darley abbey is nice too. Duffield on the A6 is great. I quite like some of the houses around the Five Lamps area toothat back onto Darley Park. . Littleover and mickleover are nice areas too. I live further out going towards Nottingham and theres some lovely buzzy urban villages like Ockbrook Spondon, Draycott Breaston- 30 mins maximum to derby on the A52.
Really you need to come up and visit armed with a list of place to see.
Anything else just ask and I'll do my best to help

I've just thought, quite a few of my friends live around the Chester green area and love it. Traditional terraces around greens

Go to Allestree, Darley Abbey or Littleover. Both good for primary and secondary. Be careful where you go in Littleover as the catchment for Littleover community school doesn’t cover the whole area. If you want to be a little further out and have a good budget Duffield is lovely.

The East of Derby has some lovely villages with easy access to the M1 and also to the East Midlands Parkway which is good for trains to London if you need to go back there for any reason.

I think someone has already mentioned places like Ockbrook, Breaston, Shardlow, Draycott. 15-30 minutes in to town via car/bus/train depending on exactly where and what time of day. You could go a bit further South to Willington (my dream!) or Repton, Aston on Trent, Weston on Trent - the latter two being more rural, the former two having more in terms of amenities but still keeping the villagey-suburban stuff. The public transport is less but still possible depending on exactly where you are.

Some villages around Derby just seem to be part of the “Urban Sprawl” so maybe spend a bit of time on Google Earth and have a day out :)

Repton is lovely

I also think Darley Abbey! Close but not too close and the park right on your doorstep, along with good schools!