Lytham St Annes, what's it like?

[C4tastrophe]

I'm looking at moving to the NW, and want to be near the seaside.
Lytham St Annes (or St Annes ) is noticeably cheaper than Lytham.
Is Lytham worth the premium? What's the difference?
My target area currently is somewhere between the two town centers.
Also noticed Southport is cheaper again.
Any info and all comments welcome!

Lytham is beautiful and IMO worth the extra but I only visit. St Anne’s is nice but town centre a bit run down, Lytham is much more upmarket with nice bars and cafes and nice shops. Less touristy too and has lovely parks and all the amenities without the arcades. St Anne’s front can get packed in summer whereas Lytham whilst busy is nice. I’d love to live there.

What’s your budget and how many bedrooms do you need? There’s some lovely villages around too.
I don’t go to Southport much, again a bit run down in places from when I last went.

Rule of thumb nearer you go to blackpool cheaper and more grim it gets.
st annes borders with south shore which is a complete shithole.

Lytham expensive but nicer

I've lived in Lytham and it's holds it's house prices way better than st Anne's and resale will be much easier than anywhere else on the fylde coast.

Last time I went to Southport I thought that was very rundown, personally I wouldn’t contemplate living there

Lytham is lovely.
The towns are so close that even though Lytham is technically "nicer", I wouldn't mind living in st Anne's.
St Anne's has the best beach of the 2

Lytham is lovely. I love St Anne's too. House prices are expensive in Lytham but it is a gorgeous town.

Have you considered the neighbouring villages OP? House prices are likely cheaper than Lytham. Freckleton is lovely.

Lytham is lovely but on the expensive side. As a PP said, the closer you get to the south side of Blackpool the dodgier the areas get. The southern bit of St Anne’s bordering onto Lytham is ok ish.

Villages nearby are quite lovely. If you’ve got the budget then Wrea Green is just beautiful, but the roads can be busy. Warton, Freckleton, Newton, Treales are all lovely too.

Where are you moving from OP? I'd recommend renting first. Some lovely houses in Lytham but the demographic isn't particularly mixed, lots of pensioners, not diverse.

Thanks for the feedback so far. I'm after a 3 or 4 bed detached with a decent garden, on a quiet street (which rules out the Clifton Drive roads and the new estates). So basically between St Thomas road to Lake Road.
Have not really looked at the villages inland because I like the idea of walking the dog down the road and letting him run on the beach (summer restrictions noted), ditto walking/cycling to town, however I'll cast my net wider then.
Noted about Lytham being more desirable so easier to sell when down sizing. Budget, I'd hate to spend more than 500k.

@Africa2go

Where are you moving from OP? I'd recommend renting first. Some lovely houses in Lytham but the demographic isn't particularly mixed, lots of pensioners, not diverse.

I'm abroad. As long as there's an Indian and a Chinese restaurant nearby I'll be happy, but yes, a bit of life would be nice. That said I'm sure Blackpool has plenty of diversity and entertainment re. bands and comedy clubs etc, particuarly in the summer.

The avenues are supposed to be nice. We live 15/20 minutes from Southport and I agree with a PP in that it's becoming quite rundown. The beaches near there are great.

I wouldn't consider St. Annes if you have the budget for Lytham.

The area you’re talking about isn’t a huge area to look in and parking can be a bit of a faff around there. Also be aware that all along the front, where the windmill is and where fair haven lake is the parking along there in a normal summer is an absolute nightmare. On a sunny weekend from March to October you can end up swamped with people along there. It’s a very popular walking/ picnic/ ice cream spot.

I imagine it will be lovely to live there, but it does get busy.

There's really not much for sale in Lytham. Looks like competition will be fierce.

Is it specifically Lytham or just the general area you are interested in? Wrea green is nice.

So basically between St Thomas road to Lake Road
I'm a fylde coaster!
So with that area you're heading south towards Fairhaven /Ansdell which is the border between the two towns. Much better area and houses than you'll get as move further north in SA towards Blackpool as PP have said, but you are further away from both L & SA town centres there. SA can be a bit ropey a few streerlts back from clifton, but that's generally towards the town centre stretch, which isn't much to rave about tbh. A few cafes but that's about it. Lytham has a lovely high street, lots of bistros, restaurants, bars and independent shops (in normal times). If you're OK with being close but not directly on your door step where you have described is a good location imo.
I know people are suggesting other villages which are a bit further inland, but there's just something to me about living a few minute's walk from the beach, even better having a glimpse of it from your windows!

Have you looked at Churchtown and Birkdale in Southport, or Formby?

Lythamer here!! If you have the budget, I'd go for Lytham over st Anne's. Lytham has the lovely independent shops, bars, restaurants but it's expensive, a pain for parking in town. St Anne's is starting to look rundown. Lots of empty shops, much more touristy. Think it really depends on budget though. Ansdell is lovely. Great community spirit. Train is a few mins into Lytham or st Anne's. Good luck, keep us posted!

@rwalker that’s a bit harsh. There are parts of South Shore that has lovely big houses close to the beach. Highfield Rd has a variety of restaurants and independent shops. It’s also easy to get to Lytham and St Anne’s and property is much cheaper. I do agree however that the other side of Waterloo rd is run down.

I cannot wait til covid is over and I can mooch round the independent shops in Lytham. I've been wanting to do it for years but my young kids would be bored to tears. When normal returns, sod it, I'm doing it!

Apologies for thread derail

@C4tastrophe - I agree with others - Lytham nicer than StAnnes but both are OK but agree with @trevthecat Ansdell is a really lovely compromise ( well not even a compromise - between the two - honestly walking distance. )

Is being detached a deal breaker ? there are a couple of developments between Lytham and St annes where you could get a detached house with a good sized garden & quiet so look for e.g. West Park or South Park - both quiet - lots of houses in Lytham and StAnnes are semi detached or ( lots of nice houses in lytham either terraced - or semi detached - - big detached houses overlooking the green in Lytham are ££££££ but you have a good budget. ) I would contact one of the local estate agents and tell them what you want

So here between the two - slightly over budget & not sure if it your style - but www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77542680#/media?id=media1

I agree with the previous fews post - there’s not much to split south St Annes, Ansdell and Lytham. I would actually class much of the area you mention as St Annes, especially once you’re past AKS. The detached properties with bigger gardens will generally in the more modern estates, whilst there are some very nice terraced house nearer to the front.

Since you’re looking for 3/4 bedrooms, am I right to assume this move comes with children?

@2thumbs

I agree with the previous fews post - there’s not much to split south St Annes, Ansdell and Lytham. I would actually class much of the area you mention as St Annes, especially once you’re past AKS. The detached properties with bigger gardens will generally in the more modern estates, whilst there are some very nice terraced house nearer to the front.

Since you’re looking for 3/4 bedrooms, am I right to assume this move comes with children?

No kids, but we both need the option to work from home in separate rooms. I won't live on a main road, nor on a corner plot. These's plenty of these for sale, for obvious reasons. Fortunately I'm not in a rush.

Hello … Did you make the move? We are in the same boat .. thinking of Lytham or the outskirts. Hubby is going up there today for a look around. I love this forum for its honest opinions from ‘real’ people.