If you could live anywhere ....

[needmysleep]

I'm a single mum with 2 teenagers looking for a fresh start
I work from home so am flexible with locations ...Ideas please .. .... IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE UK WHERE WOULD THAT BE AND WHY ?

With teens I would make sure they had access to activities / things they enjoy, and somewhere with public transport. Tends to rule out most rural places, however appealing they are for a holiday.

After that it would depend on lots of things - in the main, budget. So, London is great if you are wealthy, not so much if you are on NMW.

It would depend on where family or good friends were - I wouldn't want to be more than about 2 hours away if I didn't need to be.

Then, depends on what you like to do - if you want to get out and hike every weekend, or if you would really miss classical concerts, or if your hobby is watching professional rugby, or going ice skating, or you want to do sea swimming, etc. It is all very personal.

I honestly thing the Tyne Valley in Northumberland is the nicest and most underrated place in the UK. It's on the Trainline to newcastle (so my kids can easily get involved in city life).
But it's beautiful, brilliant arts and culture, fantastic pubs and restaurants. Excellent schools in Hexham.
I've lived all over the UK and have absolutely fallen in love with living here.

*think!

Although I would not want to live by the sea, I miss not being nearer - it's about two hours away from where I live in the North-West Midlands. I do like living in a town with a mainline train station though - most parts of the country are one or two train rides away. Shropshire is a lovely county - Wales to the left and the Midlands to your right - opportunities for both town and country pursuits.

London - but only if you’re wealthy. It’s depressing if you’re not!

If not there, somewhere else with lots of activity where you won’t have to drive your kids around everywhere and lots of opportunity to make new friends. Another city? Bristol? Brighton?

I grew up in the NE and agree with this. It’s really beautiful there. (I did not grow up in such a beautiful part!)

Moving somewhere where teenagers want to live is a very different thing to moving where I might enjoy being.

If it was just me, I'd go rural and off the beaten track, - although I would miss my roots a bit, having grown up in the same part of London I still live in.

But if I had my kids in tow then I think I'd be looking for a university town or close to one, for a bit of life, fun and plenty of other young folk around. Seaside would be nice too - the beach is a socialising focus for younger teens who can't go to pubs.

However, throw in the complication of two sets of elderly parents both near our current location, and I won't be going anywhere for a while.

Right where I am, rural Shropshire. It's quiet, beautiful and compared to the South East very low population with all the benefits that brings.

So glad we made the move up here, recent visits to the SE stuck in traffic only reinforce that view.

Great minds and all that ;)

Newcastle. Loads to do for teens and adults alike. Great beaches, culture, restaurants, decent schools and higher education.
Very cheap for buying or renting.

If you went Glasgow or Edinburgh, your kids could then go to university in Scotland for free. Both are amazing cities, and Edinburgh is particularly safe to travel around, and both have the countryside on their doorsteps

I think Weymouth might appeal to you. The town is a decent size, with lots of Georgian buildings. There's a huge sandy beach, safe for swimming, and perfect for sandcastles; it enjoys a microclimate that's often several degrees warmer and dryer than Dorchester, and it's as well connected as anywhere can be at the coastal end of the road and rail networks. Can't speak for the schools though. The summer season is busy.

Manchester - loads to do for kids and adults. Good transport links and fantastic shopping venues, also local to an airport and you don't have to have a fortune to live there.

With teens I would probably go for a city with rail links and beautiful countryside nearby: Edinburgh, Newcastle, Cardiff, Brighton. Smaller cities I like - Guildford, Canterbury. Even smaller towns I like (although possibly not so great for a teen?) Tenterden, Bradford on Avon, Totnes, Ryde, Cirencester

I moved from Brum to Shrewsbury last year and absolutely love it here. Lots going on all the time (food festival, flower show, party in the park, beer festivals), beautiful walks, independent shops / coffee shops/ restaurants, the river. I was considering a move back to Brum next year after my marriage broke down but it will be very hard to leave here. House prices have increased but are still low in comparison to similar areas, whats not to love?!

Oh and I came here with my two teens who have done / are doing A-levels at the college and they have settled in so well, DS especially has thrived. He was always quiet and shy but now he has a part time job, has made loads of mates and has joined the gym. We are an hour from Brum so he hops on the train back to see his old mates too.

We moved from the South Coast to Norwich last year, we wanted to relocate to have a change, DH did lots of desk research he looked at all sorts of things weather, crime rate etc. We are really pleased we moved for so many reasons, property is great value for money, gorgeous sandy beaches, historic city, so much for our sons to do, great shopping, we can have anything delivered, the traffic is a complete joy after living on the south coast. I would really recommend Norfolk.

London?! Replies like that make me grateful folks from the south are so ignorant and arrogant. I lived in London area for years - it’s hell. That’s why most want to get out and are finally discovering The North is more than just cloth caps and whippets. No one who comes up here to live ever wants to go back……

Northumberland….the best kept secret in the uk.

I’d live somewhere with value for money, so yes London / South East is a nice place to live but very expensive. I’ve rented for 25yrs, finally have a deposit but my youngest goes to Uni next year so decided to move back north. Not exactly where I grew up, but within 1hr (still have family in the area). So i’m debating between Chester, South Liverpool (Aigburth, Mossley Hill etc) or along the coast north of Liverpool (Formby?). Need to decide in next 3 months as going to start viewing in the new year.

I'd choose Bath... it's safe, beautiful and lots to do. I do say that as a parent with 2 small children though. Lots of lovely shops, there are reasonably good buses. Areas like Newbridge, Weston, Larkhall are what I'm thinking, but Oldfield Park isn't bad either, or towns like Keynsham that are much more affordable than Bath itself and very walkable with great parks and facilities, plus regular trains to Bath and Bristol. I would move to that area again in a heartbeat if I could.

Traffic can be an issue in the city centre. Areas like Twerton and Whiteway leave a lot to be desired. A bit posh generally. But overall it's the best place we've ever lived.

Me and my husband met there and lived there for years before getting priced out and moving to Bristol, getting priced out of there and now settled in North Somerset.