Please tell me what's swansea is like?

[craggie]

My dh is applying today to study at swansea univerity along with others...

I've never even been to wales! Is Swansea nice for families pics looks good!

TIA

Does nobody live in Swansea?!

Is it because my first post has terrible typos?!

Its wet.

That's about it

There are a few MNers in this area. I am English, as is DH so we are immigrants but have found Swansea lovely. Where we live (couple of miles from centre) it is really friendly, very family oreintated, in fact my street seems to be made up of 4 or 5 extended families
The student areas are nice,and the bext park in Swansea is Brynmill Park which is near the Uni and al the student stuff.
Swansea bay beach is good, but Gower is incredible (First area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in UK donchaknow) lots of gorgeous beaches there. Lots of parks
and open spaces, the lido in teh summer, new leisure centre is nice, shops are ok, not great but ok. Public transport complete nigthmare as they are doing up the main bus station so I can't work out how to get anywhere anymore but you can get most places.

Don't get me wrong, given half a chance I'd move back to England in a shot but DH's job keeps us here and I don't really mind as it is justa teeny bit valley but really nice.

Might get more responses if you post in swansea local page as well.

How old are your DC's?

I went to Uni in Swansea, it was BRILLIANT! I love Swansea, it has it's gritty parts (like anywhere) but also it's gorgeous parts. The Mumbles are nice (though avoid the mumbles mile on saturday nights - full of rugby lads, or was when I was there!!), the gower is just stunning, lots of wild ponies roaming about and beautiful beaches. I am very jealous, would love to move back to wales

It is probably the best place on earth.

Specifically, what do you want to know? I don't live there any longer but my family are still there. When we go back we find lots of things to do with the children and could imagine a great outdoor life there, inbetween rain showers. It does rain a lot.

The beaches are amazing. The shopping is dire, head for Cardiff for that. Everyone knows each other. Although it is a city, each area is really a large village and very different from the other. There is a large east/west divide: the west of Swansea is more affluent and pricey. Some parts of Swansea are areas that I would definitely avoid at all costs .

If you have any specific questions I'm happy to answer.

I live on the east side. Bonus is you get free courses from college for living on thsi side and therefore being 'impoverished'

I used to live in Liverpool and feel safer in swansea.

I'm from the east too, from the area dominated by the DVLA and the hospital.

It is LOVELY in the summer but a bit grimmer in the winter (although the beaches are perfect for a New Years Day walk!). I love going down to mumbles and the Gower. The beaches are stunning, which is wonderful for the kids. The town centre isn't the best - bit like a lot of the towns of its size - but generally okay.
I am English and I really love living in Wales. We don't live in Swansea (not many suitable jobs) but have lots of family there so visit lots.
I can definitely recommend it. I'm sure you and your family will love it.

I am not as eastern as llareggub

I do live in an area with 8 letters and only one vowel, which is great fun

Ponders vowel-scarce place-names>

Have found one with 7 letters and 1 vowel?

We live in London but DH is from Swansea and we have a house there (in Mumbles) which we go to a lot. Can't therefore say exactly what it's like to live there but all his relatives enjoy it and spend lots of time at the beach etc and his nephew who lives in the South East goes to Uni there and loves it.
I quite like the shopping actually as it's full of out of town superstores which we don't really have in London!
Swansea city centre is a bit of a dump but is imprvinga and it's easy to get to lots of lovely places.
SOme of the schools are great- need to be in the catchment areas though.

Does rain a hell of a lot though! (Although got a good suntan there this summer)

I went to Swansea University - but rather a long time ago now so I am sure that things have really changed,

I had a great time, over the three years I was there and the best thing was that the rent was mega cheap particularly compared to many of my friends at other Universities.

Again it may have changed, but I did find the city centre a bit scary at weekends, as the locals could be a bit unfriendly to students, (but then this is not unusual in a lot of University towns so is not just a Swansea thing.)

Thanks very much for your replies

Dh only applied today so we won't find out if we'll be moving to Swansea for a while yet.

But if he does get offered a place I will definitly go on the local page - good thinking.

Sounds pretty good and Gower sounds great.

We would need to know about the catchment areas for good schools as ds1 will also be starting school at the same time.

We live about half an hour away from Swansea. A smallish village where everyone knows and it probably related to everyone else which takes a bit of getting used to at the start. I'm originally from Essex but my dp is from South Wales. DS was born here, he is autistic and I must say we have had lots of help for him from our local authority but hear that swansea isn't so forthcoming. I agree with the others that the shops in Swansea aren't great but depends on what you are used to and the transport is v bad at the moment while they redo all the roads in the area. Lots of development there. Outdoor activities are great although again I agree with the others and have to say it rains alot!!

I hope you'll enjoy it here, I do!

Good luck!

As I said, it is a great place and one day we'll either move back or buy a house there for weekends.

No one will ever convince me that there are better beaches anywhere on earth.

PS all the museums are free in Wales and prescriptions are too!!

Swansea is fabulous - I'm v jealous of you possibly moving there!

Best things are the proximity to gorgeous beaches, and the friendly locals.

Plenty for kids - Beaches, Blackpill Lido, museums, parks, huge leisure centre...

I've only skim-read the thread but has no-one mentioned Joe's ice cream parlour yet?

I had to laugh at mentions of shopping being dire in Swansea. Here in mid Wales you have to travel for at least an hour just to get to a M&S. Carmarthen is a shopping day destination for some, believe it or not!

Oh yes, Joe's. You haven't lived until you've had a Joe's Ice cream. It's the first thing we do when we go home.

Llaregguboo - It's near the other bit of town that sounds a bit like your old bit

Near FForestfach

Simply, I don't mention Joe's as I don't want anyone els eot know about it
Although I prefer Verdi's, but that's cos DH is a biker...

Ah, I know where you are!

I think lots of us Swansea born people were weaned on Joe's ice cream.

Off the top of my head...

Best things:

• Joe's ice cream
• a dozen stunning beaches
• really nice chacterful Victorian parks
• lovely Edwardian/Victorian houses
• the LC
• free prescriptions and other sensible Welsh Assembly decisions
• marina/Waterfront Museum
• the view from Townhill
• friendly people
• Dylan Thomas theatre

Worst things:

• the rain
• the ugly bits
• the slight lack of 'stuff' to do with kids in bad weather

There's more bad stuff but I've got my expat rose-tinted specs on.

I don't get joe's icecream. Just don't understand the fuss.

and yes, anything West of centre is usually nicer.

Has no one mentioned Mumbles as one of the good bits?

how can you not understand it?

Personally I think Mumbles needs a massive cash investment. It is looking quite depressed at the moment and needs a Rick Stein or similar to boost the economy. You can't beat the view though.