Where to live between Liverpool and Manchester?

[confusednw]

Hi,

We are a young couple in our late twenties/early thirties looking to buy a house in the North West and currently researching places to live.

We will be commuting to Liverpool and Manchester city centers for work using public transport (Liverpool three times a week, Manchester once or twice a week).

Our budget is around ~£400k for a three-bed, with the potential to go a bit higher.

Ideally, the area would have some nice cafes, bars and restaurants plus some green space for weekend walks.

We are currently considering places like Urmston, Hartford/Northwich and Frodsham. We visited Stockton Heath and liked the feel, but found the journey via bus and train potentially problematic. In a perfect world, we would walk to the station for a direct train (< 1 hr journey) to work.

Are we missing other nice places to live that would be commutable to Liverpool and Manchester?

Eh? Those places are a 1.5 hour commute minimum to Manchester. You have to get into Liverpool first.

Would Chester work?

Forget south of Warrington. It's difficult for trains.

North of the Mersey there are some nice bits.

Glazebury sounds like a good fit if you are looking at the likes of Frodsham.

Yes Stockton Heath, Appleton, Grappenhall, Lower Walton are nice.

However the OP specifically says they will be commuting using public transport. Which makes all of these a complete non-starter.

Glazebury and Culceth are definitely the best options if you need to do both Liverpool and Manchester.

@AscensionToCheese haha so they are!! I really thought they was inbetween 🙃🙃 oh well.. OP could visit instead.

Do you drive at all OP - I know you said bus and train, but your pool would be so much wider if, say you could drive, or even walk, to the station,

Frodsham works as wherever you are - you are near to the train station and have the option of driving to runcorn for more trains.

Loads of places to eat and drink. I don't live there but a friend does and it has everything including good schools.

oops not walk , I meant bike!

We don't currently drive, but would be open to in the future (or bike to the station, as you say!).

Fearnhead isn't rough! Bits of Padgate are, especially up near the high school. Parts of Birchwood and Oakwood are nice, especially up near Risley Moss. Woolston hasn't got much going for it other than proximity to the motorway but it's not rough. Stockton Heath is a pain in the bum with traffic.

Was coming on to say newton le willows but see it has already made an appearance a couple of times

Knutsford, Wilmslow, Hale, Altrincham.
Cafes, bars and restaurants a plenty in all of these places.
All have train stations. Manchester is easy to get to from all these. For Liverpool you would have to go via Manchester.

Atherton is the worst shithole ive wver had the misfortune to spend an weekend in

Thats so rude.

Have you ever been?

Chester? Direct trains through the wirral to liverpool and upto Manchester. A lovely city for a young couple with lots to do

As an example this is 2 minutes walk to Birkdale train station and from loads of cafés, shops etc. Absolutely lovely area.

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134516309

Hartford is a good call as it's on the direct line to Liverpool and Greenbank takes your directly to Manchester.

As others have said avoid trying to commute between Liverpool and Manchester. The train companies have ruined that one.

Nantwich / Sandbach would fit the bill if you can drive to Crewe. Cheap and easy to park there and 45 minutes to Liverpool, 36 minutes to Manchester.

We relocated to the northwest from London around 10 years ago. Needed to be in Manchester for work and close to Liverpool for family. We literally looked at the map and choose Newton le willows - equal distance between both cities and brilliant for commuting via train, m62, m6 and the east lancs. Fast train to Manchester less than 20 minutes.
It has become very popular in the last five years or so, great high Street and really friendly.
The downside is say is that decent family sized properties are few and far between.

Southport is good for Liverpool but you have to change at Salford crescent for Manchester

Frodsham and Hartford are both very similar in vibe / train accessibility
Stockton Heath is good but I would also look towards latchford which is up and coming at the moment
Birchwood is the best for trains but worst out of (but by no means bad at all) for area
Rainhill is nice as is culceth

There are direct trains from Southport to Manchester Victoria.

I wouldn’t recommend atherton. My friend lives there and it is rough.
Also have a friend in culcheth who doesn’t drive and she struggles to get anywhere from there. It doesn’t have a station and I don’t think there is a bus to either Manchester or Liverpool from there

You can get the train directly from burscough to Manchester which is about an hour. I agree that Aughton and Ormskirk are lovely!