Bristol recommendations

[Pizzatrip]

Hello,

My family (DP, DD7 and DD2) and I are considering a move to Bristol in the next couple of years and could do with a bit of advice on potential locations.

Dependent upon salaries we would have a budget of about £650k. Here are what we’d like:

• 4 bedrooms (happy for one to be a box or a second living area downstairs with a sofa bed for when family come to stay)
• Happy for it to be a terrace, but can’t have a hideous parking situation. Would need to be easy enough to park near the house. Obviously off street parking would be great.
• Good state schools (especially secondary). This is a must. Would love to hear people’s thoughts on potential schools.
• Easy to get in and out to M4, so probably north/east
• Walking distance to good pubs/restaurants/cafes. Somewhere with things “going on” and not just suburbia.
• Easy enough to get into the city centre
• We’re fairly alternative so happy with somewhere with a bit of “grit”, but obviously not somewhere outright horrible and dangerous.

Current thoughts are Ashley Down/Bishopston. Maybe Fishponds, but hearing mixed things/that transport links aren’t great? Just starting out search so would be really grateful for and advice/suggestions.

Also - the house you link is lovely, although it does back right on to the prison. That's the brick wall with barbed wire on top that you can see at the back of the garden.

What about this one? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144173564

Agree with PPs that Fairfield has a good reputation and is over subscribed. I also know families who are very happy with Bristol Free School. Redland Green has a tiny catchment, affluent intake, good results. It's recent Ofsted is 'good' (was outstanding previously).
Trinity is new and I don't know anyone there personally but a teacher friend has been to meetings there and was impressed with it. I believe Cotham School also has a good reputation. (And obviously there are lots of other good schools in Bristol - but I live in north Bristol so these are the ones I'm familiar with).

Meant to add that we have a toddler so secondary a long way off but we are currently in the catchment for Orchard. The cheaper houses in north Bishopston, and the Henleaze/Southmead border are often in the Orchard catchment area so it's something to be aware of. But falling birth rates mean competition for places at primary level has decreased massively in the last few years, and I'm thinking the same may happen at secondary level in a few years meaning families may have more choice 🤷‍♀️.

If I could live anywhere in this city it would be on Thingwall Park/Everest road. You'd get a house for your budget there easy. They have street parties. The kids play out in the road after school. The allotments have events such as apple day where there are storytellers and musicians and homemade cakes, ales and ciders for sale along with free bags of surplus food you can take with you. The walk to the nicest school in the area is along the Frome and through the park past a gorgeous Victorian lake. It feels more like a village school than a big city, the headmistress is everyone's mum and the community is top notch. Also have fab local community ventures like Bridge Farm which offer pizza oven nights and live music every Thursday. There's a pub nearby (few minutes walk) called The Star which still has a traditional skittles alley. A local folk choir often use it to rehearse and they're genuinely amazing. You're not far from some delightful bakeries and eateries, but also pretty close to decent sized supermarkets, a library, discount shops. The Bristol Bath cycle path is also a stones throw away.

There are beautiful parks, one leads into the other so you feel like you're not in a city at all. You can walk from eastville park through to snuff mills and then either up into Stoke park and purdown or along to Oldbury court with a lot of ease. Fab for bike riding. Also one side of Everest road the gardens are huge and all back onto the parklands so not overlooked in the slightest.

I live in this area but not on the best of roads. Up there is just lush. Wish I could afford it.

Also BS5 is excellent for the alternative vibes. There are art trails where locals sell their work outside their homes, cycle round and collect some unique bits made by the neighbours. They've also done the same for general stuff, kind of like a car boot vibe but outside everyone's house. Not sure about the secondary catchment whether it's Fairfield or the Met. On our road you can go to either and we know lovely teens who go to both.

Also a quick hop to the M32 so getting to the M4 within 10-15 minutes no dramas.

Here's an example on Everest Road right now at £490k

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/96663772#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media15&ref=floorPlanPage

We used to live in Bristol and returned a couple of weeks ago - parked in the same road as that house above! God it struck us how dirty and run down the area was! Rubbish dumped everywhere, nowhere to park, vomit on the pavements, obviously a load of student housing - ripped sofas in front gardens kind of vibe. Very depressing!

@clarrylove on Everest road? Or Horfield?

Longmead Ave. Has the prison at the end of the road.

I always wondered why one side of Everest rd was so blinking expensive! Bristol Met also an excellent secondary school!

I'd just like to say that Fairfield and Trinity are decent schools and by no means in the same category as Orchard!

Hey @Pizzatrip did you make the move? How's it been? Stumbled on this thread as our situation is similar to yours and I liked the sound of some of the areas the you were suggested. Thanks in advance!

deleted because i didn’t twig that this was an old thread! 😁