Bristol - Ashley Down for young families?

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Question for Bristol Mumsnetters - wondering if I could get some advice on what Ashley Down is like to live in? I'm currently living in South Bristol (BS4) which is lovely with the green spaces, but we're looking at different areas of Bristol because we'll need to apply for a primary school place for DS in January 2022.

Ashley Down looks like it has 3 good primaries (Brunel Field, Ashley Down, Sefton Park), and lovely 3 bed houses for under £650k (if you're further away from St Andrews / Bishopston) - anything I ought to know? Good things, bad things?

We do like living in South Bristol but we're renting at the moment, and our particular patch is in a bit of a dire black hole for school places, meaning kids are getting sent quite far away for primary.

It wouldn't be my first choice, but I've not lived there, it's just I've heard it isn't great. Isn't there a prison near there? Would you be willing to go a little further out of Bristol? Perhaps Almondsbury, Frampton Cotterell, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Downend? They have good schools and the prices aren't too crazy either for Bristol areas. I'd avoid Patchway or Bradley Stoke too as they aren't particularly nice (just in case you come across anything there).

It's quite urban and gritty in places. A friend lives there but she's a single, yoghurt weaving, bicycle riding, ketamin on the weekend type.
It's not really the Nappy Valley of Bristol.

Ahh thanks both @FindmeuptheFarawaytree and @Redlorryyellowduck - I think I got over-excited by the schools and proximity to the other city farm, but maybe it wouldn't be right for us after all.

Your friend sounds awesome @Redlorryyellowduck but she probably is in a different phase of life to me! :D

Have you considered moving out to Keynsham?
StJohns, St Keyna, Castle, Chandag, Somerdale and Two Rivers. More than enough choice!

I used to live in Ashley Down and had/have a young family. Loads of young families there and a perfectly okay place to live. Close to Gloucester Rd and not far from town. A little bit of a no man's land though. Traffic can also get very bad on Ashley Down Rd, and the roads off it are used as rat runs. Also, watch out for parking in the summer when the cricket's on. Schools are supposedly good (we left before our eldest started school) but I wasn't keen that none of them have very much in the way of outdoor space. The prison is in Bishopston, on the other side of Glos Rd - I've never been aware of any issues relating to it.

We moved to Fishponds, which I hugely prefer as a place to live and we got an awful lot more for our money.

@Redlorryyellowduck

It's quite urban and gritty in places. A friend lives there but she's a single, yoghurt weaving, bicycle riding, ketamin on the weekend type. It's not really the Nappy Valley of Bristol.

Ha ha, that's exactly how I'd describe it too!

I think Ashley Down is quite busy and gritty. I also think that bit of north Bristol is littered with rubbish. I live in BS3 and wouldn't move to Ashley Down for schools. You can buy a nice house around Victoria Park BS3 for that money