York, Leeds, Sheffield or somewhere else?

[Eastender123]

Hi, I’ve reached the point where I am no longer enjoying living in London and would like to move back north closer to family. My family live rurally - I don’t think I could manage that, but I would like to be in a smaller city or could do a village very close to a city. Ideally would like to be somewhere that is left leaning, has a good community vibe and has good secondaries (will be applying next year). We don’t know anyone in these cities - so openness is equally important. Feels a bit daunting to be starting over again in our early 40s. Thanks all.

The Republic of South Yorkshire, aka around Sheffield, would be a perfect fit. My DSis lives in the rural area south of Doncaster. Lots of farming, lovely villages with strong community vibes, everyone knows everyone. Easy access to Sheffield, Leeds and York via rail. Doncaster is a bit of a dump, but what city isn’t nowadays.
I love Leeds for shopping, York is a bit twee and as we found in the summer, the new go to destination for hen dos in the North.
Harrogate is nice as is Ilkley. The big bonus nearly all the above have a Bettys. Ilkley also has a Booths, the only one that side of the Pennines.
Yorkshire is a huge county so although there is a large population it’s sort of concentrated along the M62 and M1. Big coastline and easy access to the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District.
People are on the whole very friendly which can be a bit weird for southerners. Everyone talks to each other even if they are strangers. But be warned they say what they mean, which can take time getting used to. If you ask someone their opinion their answer may sometimes offend.
It can be a bit cooler in winter and you get real snow. But it rarely brings everything to a halt. You just bring out the big coat and boots and walk.

Sheffield would get my vote but my DM lived there for many years so I got to know it. However, that was in the 1980s, before the regeneration started and it was very badly affected by the closure of the iron and steel businesses. Agree with all those saying to live in the Hallam constituency. Ranmoor, Fulwood and around there have great housing stock.

@Eastender123

where do you live now? East London? what do you like about it? what do you dislike?

Based on this thread I don’t think you can go wrong in any of the three, we all seem to love where we live; so depends if you want small, big or bigger city I guess.

No flagshaggers in West side of York (that I’ve seen), and based on the local news the ones that there are in Fulford area seem to be based on a campaign by one main dickhead who I suspect has his own agenda re a political career.

and whichever one you choose the others are all in easy reach for day trips!

Another vote for SW Sheffield. I was brought up there, escaped to London and mainland Europe for years, then returned, along with numerous friends from school. No-one has mentioned The Crucible yet, important if you love theatre, and good for film too, including its own Curzon and DocFest at The Showroom. Well-regarded independent schools, if that's a factor - Birkdale (formerly boys except sixth form and now accepting girls from pre prep year by year), Sheffield Girls, Westbourne (mixed) and Mylnhurst (Catholic primary). Green spaces galore within the city boundary, lots of allotments. Also, new-ish Mercia, a Michaela-style comprehensive, the most over-subscribed secondary in the city (c.176%). Odd property aspects, specifically leasehold still common, and sealed bids, especially in the desirable SW. Sharrow Vale Road for independent shops, and Waitrose near-by.

York is the most expensive out of your list. You seem to have a good budget. Maybe some where like Weatherby (Leeds) or Horsforth (Leeds).

And the Lyceum.

Ilkley would tick your boxes. (Except not so left leaning) officially Bradford but 20mins on the train to Leeds or Bradford city centres. Nice community feel with plenty of sports clubs, a literature festival, a couple of small theatres etc and plenty going on. Good schools as well. Ilkley Grammar (not a real grammar) is excellent and the primaries are nice. Your budget would buy you a decent house but not a mansion as it’s a pricey town.

Or Guiseley.

Indeed. And The Lantern. And The Montgomery. And the Crucible Studio. And The Merlin.

@IdaGlossop someone clearly knows Nether Edge well. Do you know benz?

Well I lived in the city centre for 17 years and I do not recognise the city you are describing . Yes there are offices, commercial properties etc but the same is true of any city centre . Yes theres lots of shopping but its High Street has suffered massively over the years. However, the shopping arcades and Corn Exchange are still huge attractions.
Leeds has a story far greater than the one you describe. It was the birthplace of moving pictures ( and M&S!) it has a fabulous mix of ethnicities and a great football team. Okay, Im biased on that last point but I think you are really doing Leeds a huge injustice.

Not only do I not know it, I've not even heard of it 😒

I’ve lived in and around Leeds, visited York countless times and my son went to uni in Sheffield and stayed so lives there now. I would choose Sheffield in a heartbeat. Small enough city centre to not feel sprawling. i like students and seeing those bright young things with enthusiasm and vigour. sheffield has a great arts scene and i would say left leaning. there are quirky shops and areas that have a very independent vibe. lots of development/regeneration happening as well especially around Kelham Island. but like anywhere there are areas of significant social deprivation, areas that feel intimidating as an outsider but that is true if any city or town. oh and it has a giant waitrose which i love as none anywhere near me.
i live a long way from sheffield now but would consider moving there to retire when my youngest child flys the nest.
leeds i have a lot of affection for but it doesn’t feel as intimate as sheffield.
i could live on the outskirts of york but the city is tourist central and gets incredibly busy with a lot of groups out on the drink being very rowdy.
Team Sheffield here!

@IdaGlossop two of the theatres you mentioned are small local theatres based in netheredge so that is why I assumed you were familiar with netheredge. I am surprised you have heard of the lantern and the merlin?

Think about where you need to travel to. Some parts of North Leeds are lovely but the traffic is awful and all the motorways are south of the city so you don't want to be trying to get there in the morning peak or returning home in the afternoon.

Leeds is the largest city in Western Europe with no mass transit system and while they've been making the right noises for decades, it's likely no closer to reality even though they're currently saying they'll 'get it off the ground within a decade' which likely means that some time around 2035 they'll start digging holes leading to years of disruption before a small part of the system opening some years later. If it's up and running in my lifetime, I'll be surprised.

But I'd definitely recommend spending a few days up here, with a day in each of the cities and also have a look around other places in between as you're travelling around.

We moved from east London to York seven years ago, after falling in love with it during a stay.

And we love it! Live right in the city centre, and yes it’s touristy, but that’s the payback for living somewhere so stunningly beautiful. Just avoid trying to get to Marks on a weekend when the Christmas market is on and it’s fine.

I wouldn’t call it vibrant, and I do miss the ‘buzz’ of the capital, but there’s lots going on here.

Schools are excellent. I’ve worked in most secondaries here, and there are no duds.

Feel free to PM me for any other info!

Chapel allerton and Roundhay - you access motorway quickly. Horsforth and all that route on a65 it’s a mare.

@herbaceous could you tell me about the weather in Leeds? As an ex Londoner, I think you could tell me exactky how different it is from London, which is what I’m interested in! Do you suffer in winter? I was in York to avoid the London heat this summer, and was thrilled at the breeziness, but wondered if it would be bleak in cooler months?

Which motorway is anywhere close to Chapel Allerton or Roundhay? It's a good 20 mins plus to the M1 for either of them!

Lots of Leeds is closer to the M1, York nice but touristy, lacks the big city vibes. No idea about Sheffield other than Meadowhell which is 2 mins from the M1

Well, I'm in York, but the weather would be similar I'd imagine. To be honest, it really isn't that different from London. Maybe a couple of degrees colder, but if it's 'coat weather' in the UK generally, it doesn't make much difference.

The summer is less oppressively hot, which is a bonus, but spring arrives a couple of weeks later than further south. So, swings and roundabouts!

Peak MN. A million quid and worried about where to live. Now if the query was £250k I'd take it more seriously 🙄

I am familiar with Nether Edge but you asked me about 'benz', which I am not familiar with.