Thinking of relocating from London to Cardiff - Advice please

[Sycamoretree]

General disillusionment with career, family unfriendly lifestyle, ridiculous West London mortgage and crappy catchment area lottery has resulted in our wistful musings becoming a more realistic plan to up sticks and move our family to Cardiff. DH's family are all in the general area, and it would work for us both career-wise.

Can anyone advise on nice areas to start doing some tentative house hunting/pricing in? I wouldn't want to have to commute more than half an hour. DC's are both pre-school age, so we'd want to be close to a good state primary school.

Also, what kind of price bracket would we be looking at for a 4 bedroom house with a garden in a nice area?

I'm trying to ascertain whether moving to another popular city would actually give us a better lifestyle, or if I'm just kidding myself.

That's just Ogmore not 'the' Ogmore!

And Maddy's Mad House at Ogmore is fantastic, with lovely cakes

Mossy, yes that was rude of those people in that office. But give over with the tarring all welsh with the same brush please. We're supposed to be attracting the OP to our fair city not carrying on the old stereotypes.

Also, I have heard elsewhere that there's an issue with Cardiff being used as a dumping ground for immigrants but is that debate something the OP would need to be aware of if relocating here? I'd hardly say it had got to the level where it was a problem for us Cardiff residents. Do you think it has?

Is that the place which does / used to do both tapas and fried breakfasts???

Mary, absolutely, and I have said in parts of this thread that I have lots of lovely (welsh) friends, my children are welsh and of course dh. I just meant that I wouldnt choose to live here but thats just me, nothing wrong with the city itself, or most of the people.
The OP was saying how bad life in London was and I was pointing out that Cardiff is not some leafy backwater without the same problems only on a smaller scale (e.g. we still have crime, problems with asylum seekers, fat chavs etc etc).

I agree no these dont cause me a problem where we live, but that doesnt mean they dont exist.

I have tried to be fair and say there are great things too, lots to do with the kids, rugby days out are great, the bay is lovely for couply nights out and family days together.

Fair enough.

Now tell me about that caff in Ogmore, we could do a walk on the beach followed by a nice coffee on Sunday.

we could do with

Its a play place, with the usual area for kids, but they do lovely homemade cakes and sandwiches (instead of the usual fried school dinner smell you get in most these places). Plus if you go in the evening you can take your own booze and have a meal whilst the kiddies play.
Have never done this but I imagine its great for people who live closer and have no childcare
I dont get to go much as we're in Cardiff

Wow, sounds great - not the place I was thinking of though, and would rather poke myself in the eye than go in some play place when there's all that space on the beach. Will bear it in mind in case it starts raining though. Thanks.

I can picture us now!

I should point out that my issues with London aren't to do with a hatred of city life, they are more to do with my lifestyle - I actually like the hustle and bustle and find ways to cope with the obnoxious elements. It's really about how hard I work, for a good salary that goes nowhere and means I don't see my kids enough and that even though we live is a supposed nice area of West London we are not in catchment area for a decent primary school and absolutely could not afford private.

Mosschops - I'm English

By birth at least.

sycamore well you will have a good pick of primary education in cardiff or penarth, so that should cover that one. And you will find lots and lots to do here with your kids

The Welsh in Cardiff don't mind the English. It's the valleys that you have to watch out for!
I was brought up in Pentrebane on the west side of Cardiff.
The best and poshest bits of Cardiff are Radyr, villages to the west, Llandaff, Roath park.
But try to avoid Llanrumney,Pentrebane, St Mellons, Ely.
For multicultural flavour, go to Canton, Grangetown, Butetown and Splott (always liked that name). Rumney used to be nice but it's going downhill fast.
But Llandaff and Radyr are the best in the West and Roath Park and even Cyncoed on the East are best.

I've not been to Ogmore for ages! The beach is only good at really low tide. I just loved going there for the rocks and once me and my brother got cut off from the tide and we had to go into the cave and climb up through the "funnell" to get out half-way up the cliff.
I hope that cave is still accessible, it was a lifesaver.

Gods plot (Splott) apparently!

Best pub, Plough and Harrow in Monknash I dare you to find better!

Great pub food, Bunch of Grapes, Pontypridd

Splott is a dump (sorry but it is) full of drug dealers and ladeez of the night

Gourmet Burger in the Bay I love for a fab meal with the kids
Also The Thai House on Churchill Way cannot be beaten IMHO
Summer Palace in Llandaff - best chinese in the world
Juboraj in Rhiwbina - best indian food and service ever

Oh and I'd better big up The Garth Inn or Bab's (landlady)wont let me back in!

Summing up (imho) if you are a media type and like city living start looking in Pontcanna (good pubs eg The Conway) close to Chapter, walking distance to the city centre, posh shops, good surgery on Kings Rd, most Primaries ok (-not sure what your state Comp would be but you might be able to afford The Cathedral School which is close by but fee paying). Close to Canton which is a bit more inner city 'gritty' but lots of shops.

If you want something 'near' but with a more rural feel try Penarth or Cowbridge

A friend of mine who came from Notting Hill favourably compared Pontcanna to afore mentioned London 'hot spot'!

"Splott is a dump (sorry but it is) full of drug dealers and ladeez of the night"

You trying really hard to piss me off today mossy???

I used to live in Splott [salt of the earth type emoticon]

Splott/Adamsdown is inner city 'gritty' (I have also lived there.) It is the sort of place where people sit out on the pavement infront of their houses on deckchairs if it is sunny and have a 'natter'. Equally the local was shut down in a drug raid during my time.

Ah yes, the women sat outside their houses. I'll bet we mean the same people. I could never work out why they didn't go and sit at the back of the house away from the road.

And I was about to say I know the pub you mean - but sadly it could have been one of several...