Place to Live Near Blackburn

[FredClogs]

I'm from Blackburn, I live the other side of Preston. There is nothing wrong with Blackburn, large areas of it are fine, if you're doing a graduate placement I'm going to guess you're at BAE Salmesbury, there is loads of "nice" areas within a bike ride of Salmesbury (Mellor, Whalley, Houghton etc...) that are on the Blackburn side, Preston is really no better and the traffic in Preston is bullst (it's the only City in Europe where the "ring road" goes right through the City centre).

Blackburn town centre is like any post industrial industrial town, it's fine and on the whole the people are nice.

[greggy50]

Nezquick said:

I live in Preston.
The commute to Blackburn will be fine from Preston - well under an hour.
If you're looking for a decent place to rent then I would recommend Winckley Square in Preston. It's a decent area, quiet (mainly businesses - solicitors, accountants, barristers chambers etc) and literally a 2 min walk to both the city centre/bars/restaurants and the train station too. There are a few gyms within a 5 min drive away, cinema, supermarkets, a really great park (Avenham Park) and easy access to the motorways.

If you're looking on Rightmove, check out the flats in City Space House - they come up for rent fairly often, are about £500-£600 per month and most come with a parking space.

If you need any more info, let me know.

Okay thanks a lot for this useful post

Think Preston has to be a very good option to consider and looking seems affordable albeit more towards the top end of my budget

Must admit this one looked nice...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/proper...

[Nezquick]

FredClogs said:

I'm from Blackburn, I live the other side of Preston. There is nothing wrong with Blackburn, large areas of it are fine, if you're doing a graduate placement I'm going to guess you're at BAE Salmesbury, there is loads of "nice" areas within a bike ride of Salmesbury (Mellor, Whalley, Houghton etc...) that are on the Blackburn side, Preston is really no better and the traffic in Preston is bullst (it's the only City in Europe where the "ring road" goes right through the City centre).

Blackburn town centre is like any post industrial industrial town, it's fine and on the whole the people are nice.

That is true - it does go through the middle. However, as you'd be driving out of Preston in the morning and back in in the evening, traffic won't be as bad as going the other way.

Agree though re the above - Mellor, Houghton and Whalley are all nice but don't have much in the way of "nightlife".

Something like this in Preston is in an ideal location:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/proper...

[greggy50]

FredClogs said:

I'm from Blackburn, I live the other side of Preston. There is nothing wrong with Blackburn, large areas of it are fine, if you're doing a graduate placement I'm going to guess you're at BAE Salmesbury, there is loads of "nice" areas within a bike ride of Salmesbury (Mellor, Whalley, Houghton etc...) that are on the Blackburn side, Preston is really no better and the traffic in Preston is bullst (it's the only City in Europe where the "ring road" goes right through the City centre).

Blackburn town centre is like any post industrial industrial town, it's fine and on the whole the people are nice.

Okay I think I need to go and investigate Preston and see then...

I have researched Blackburn and it has no nightlife whatsoever and that is what puts me off living there plus driving around it just appears to be a bit of a dump. Not ventured much onto the outskirts apart from Darwin as we run Darwin Vale school but so far not seen anywhere that impresses me at all.

Office I am based at are on Evolution Park which are the new ones near the Hospital.

[greggy50]

Nezquick said:

That is true - it does go through the middle. However, as you'd be driving out of Preston in the morning and back in in the evening, traffic won't be as bad as going the other way.

Agree though re the above - Mellor, Houghton and Whalley are all nice but don't have much in the way of "nightlife".

Something like this in Preston is in an ideal location:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/proper...

Basically the exact one I linked so glad I am looking at the correct properties!

Just a case of finding something decent in 3 months time

[FredClogs]

greggy50 said:

FredClogs said:

I'm from Blackburn, I live the other side of Preston. There is nothing wrong with Blackburn, large areas of it are fine, if you're doing a graduate placement I'm going to guess you're at BAE Salmesbury, there is loads of "nice" areas within a bike ride of Salmesbury (Mellor, Whalley, Houghton etc...) that are on the Blackburn side, Preston is really no better and the traffic in Preston is bullst (it's the only City in Europe where the "ring road" goes right through the City centre).

Blackburn town centre is like any post industrial industrial town, it's fine and on the whole the people are nice.

Okay I think I need to go and investigate Preston and see then...

I have researched Blackburn and it has no nightlife whatsoever and that is what puts me off living there plus driving around it just appears to be a bit of a dump. Not ventured much onto the outskirts apart from Darwin as we run Darwin Vale school but so far not seen anywhere that impresses me at all.

Office I am based at are on Evolution Park which are the new ones near the Hospital.

I went to Darwin Vale school, I left in 1988 it wasn't brilliant then and I hear it's got worse. Me, my sister and Carl Fogarty are the only alumni with any merit (and neither me or my sister are of much merit)

I don't know what you mean by nightlife, Blackburn has lots of nice pubs, you'll find a decent local, there is a thing called the Revidge Run which takes in about two dozen pubs from the top of Wilpshire into town, it's not very sophisticated like but there is no pretensions about Blackburn, I can't comment on the club scene anymore but I wasn't terrible in the 90s for young folks. If you want genuine big city nightlife then you're going to have to move to Manchester/Liverpool, all the smaller towns and citys in the Northwest that people have mentioned are much of muchness - Wigan is awfull. If you want to be out till 3am every night then Blackpool might be the answer, but it's not a question commonly asked.

[FredClogs]

graphene said:

FredClogs said:

I'm from Blackburn, I live the other side of Preston. There is nothing wrong with Blackburn, large areas of it are fine, if you're doing a graduate placement I'm going to guess you're at BAE Salmesbury, there is loads of "nice" areas within a bike ride of Salmesbury (Mellor, Whalley, Houghton etc...) that are on the Blackburn side, Preston is really no better and the traffic in Preston is bullst (it's the only City in Europe where the "ring road" goes right through the City centre).

Blackburn town centre is like any post industrial industrial town, it's fine and on the whole the people are nice.

Heh. You say there's nothing wrong with Blackburn but you live the other side of the next town, in rural Lanchashire, it seems.

Agree, Preston seems to have set as it's traffic aim to be sucking you right in to the center, having almost no signage and then sending you on one-way routes where it takes 45mins and at least half a dozen sets of lights to move a few hundred metres (I am not exaggerating). A disaster in planning.

Edited by graphene on Monday 10th November 13:00

ha ha, I moved away for many years and came back to breed, my wife is from the coast so we chose somewhere equidistant to our respective parents. Unfortunately we seem to have invested our life savings into land on the frontier of European gas fracking, we'd have probably been as well to buy between the smack heads and jihadists in Blackburn town centre.

[greggy50]

FredClogs said:

I went to Darwin Vale school, I left in 1988 it wasn't brilliant then and I hear it's got worse. Me, my sister and Carl Fogarty are the only alumni with any merit (and neither me or my sister are of much merit)

I don't know what you mean by nightlife, Blackburn has lots of nice pubs, you'll find a decent local, there is a thing called the Revidge Run which takes in about two dozen pubs from the top of Wilpshire into town, it's not very sophisticated like but there is no pretensions about Blackburn, I can't comment on the club scene anymore but I wasn't terrible in the 90s for young folks. If you want genuine big city nightlife then you're going to have to move to Manchester/Liverpool, all the smaller towns and citys in the Northwest that people have mentioned are much of muchness - Wigan is awfull. If you want to be out till 3am every night then Blackpool might be the answer, but it's not a question commonly asked.

By nightlife I mean some form of nightclub and a few bars as well. I am still of the age where I enjoy going out till about 4am on a Friday night and Blackburn doesn't offer this at all.

Researching I see Preston has a couple of nightclubs and a variety of pubs/bars which is why it appears more.

Looked at Wigan appears to be a st hole and so does Blackpool...

Darwen Vale itself is quite an interesting building now retained the old frontage but is completely modern behind the restoration was meant to have been a ball ache on the older parts. Not sure about the results but the facilities are state of the art thanks to the PFI initiative.

Edited by greggy50 on Monday 10th November 13:21

[CrutyRammers]

I'd avoid Preston like the plague, just on account of the traffic tbh.
If you want nightlife, being further south near to an easy train or tram into Manchester would make most sense I think.

[greggy50]

CrutyRammers said:

I'd avoid Preston like the plague, just on account of the traffic tbh.
If you want nightlife, being further south near to an easy train or tram into Manchester would make most sense I think.

May have to try a trial run traffic wise and see just how bad it is!

If not Preston end up back in the nicer areas around Bolton as that then means I am close to Manchester

Wigan is a no go and so is North of Blackburn for travelling home but also because I have a few mates in Manchester etc...

[Nezquick]

CrutyRammers said:

I'd avoid Preston like the plague, just on account of the traffic tbh.
If you want nightlife, being further south near to an easy train or tram into Manchester would make most sense I think.

Seriously, it's not that bad. Do you live in Preston?
I've lived in the City Centre for 4 years now and yes, whilst it does get busy at rush hour, so does every other city centre. It's nowhere near as bad as Manchester or Liverpool.

As for night's out, the train to Manchester is direct, takes 40 minutes and there are two every hour. It's also less than £20 return.

There are ample bars in Preston too. It's not like Manchester, granted, but there's a few really decent bars, a couple of clubs catering to all different types of punter, a few "gentlemen's establishments" ahem.....cocktail bars and some decent restaurants.

The recent pedestrianisation of the City centre is helping to develop it again too - there's more restaurants and shops opening over the coming months.

In short, I love Preston. I'd much rather live there than Wigan/Blackburn/Bolton/Horwich/Blackpool/Chorley etc.

[greggy50]

Preston does sound promising to me!

As I said as long as takes an hour or less its fine a bit of traffic does not bother me as I currently have a 1 hour 22 mile commute to work anyway thanks to the traffic getting onto the M6 etc...

[GreatGranny]

greggy50 said:

Looked at Wigan appears to be a st hole and so does Blackpool...

Edited by greggy50 on Monday 10th November 13:21

Don't know Wigan that well but you can leave the "appears" out of that sentence with regards to Blackpool.

I was going to suggest Southport :-)

[Nezquick]

graphene said:

Perhaps, it's the pedestrianisation work but getting to-from the train station is hell, far worse than any of the Manchester stations. May be, I don't know the 'shorcuts'?

Genuine interest: Which are the good bars you refer to?

Agreed - it is a bit of a pain around the station. However, if the OP rented on Winckley Square, he could walk to the station in 2 mins if he needed to.

Bars - I like: Forum (excellent food and great atmosphere on Fri/Sat night), Kuckoo (awesome cocktail bar playing brilliant music), Beachcomber (more of a laid back cocktail bar), Stratos (cocktails, beers and tapas), or for pub style places there's the Continental down by the river, The Angel on Lune Street, Hartleys, The Old Vic (good for sport), The Black Horse, The Stanley Arms.

There's also a lot of pubs/bars up near the Uni but I don't venture up there that much - bit old for that now!

[greggy50]

graphene said:

You could probably get to-from Skipton in an hour, most days. Have a drive around, sometime. North-east of Preston is nicely placed e.g. Longridge

I know Skipton well nice place but not really for a young lad

Cousin has a massive house in Arthington which is approx 25 minutes away towards Leeds with about 4 spare bedrooms would probably have considered moving there if it had been a tad closer...

Preston is probably my favourite so far only appears to be around 12 miles away even with st traffic I can't see it taking more than an hour really!

[JonnyxM]

I work on the industrial estate very near evolution park, the worst traffic you'll get is getting out and onto the M65 at rush hour.. Look out for a blue mk5 gti when you're up here..

Darwen is better than Blackburn for nightlife. Though it isn't much, a new club has opened I believe. Preston was ok but has faded since I last went.

It isn't Northgate you work for is it?

[greggy50]

graphene said:

Sure, it was more an example of the extent of the choice, but as you say, it is lovely (probably not that cheap, though).

Yes that would be the other issue Skipton is very pricey I believe I think in 5/10 years time it would be an option I would have given more choice but for a short 6 months not really for me and doubt it has much of a rental market either.

Cousins house in Bursocough was £700k and they then gutted the lot as it all needed renovation!

[CrutyRammers]

Nezquick said:

Seriously, it's not that bad. Do you live in Preston?

Nope, used to be a regular visitor though.

[greggy50]

JonnyxM said:

I work on the industrial estate very near evolution park, the worst traffic you'll get is getting out and onto the M65 at rush hour.. Look out for a blue mk5 gti when you're up here..

Darwen is better than Blackburn for nightlife. Though it isn't much, a new club has opened I believe. Preston was ok but has faded since I last went.

It isn't Northgate you work for is it?

Will look out for you I have a Black B7 A4 S Line with a smiley on the back will give a flash if I see you!

Will need to investigate Preston as getting mixed reviews searching online have found 2/3 nightclubs and a few bars and studentforums seem to think its a decent night so it may be okay.

Company I work for is called Cofely Workplace which is part of GDF Suez

[FredClogs]

I know there is still a Liquid Club in Blackburn, there used to be a few night clubs in Blackburn during the 90s but I suppose that was a while ago! The Charles Napier is open late and has bands on, and King Georges hall attracts some good comedians and has Northern Soul nights (that are good) pretty regular although it doesn't attract the bands like it used to, I've some top bands in there, Manics, Charlatans, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Blur, Carter USM - the good old days, there is a legendary tale of the night that Led Zepplin played there but that was before my time.

Winckley Sq in Preston isn't a bad place to live for 6 months, parking will be an issue I guess you'll get a permit, you will hit traffic trying to get out of Preston in the morning unless you get out early, it will be bearable though if you're coming from another large city.

I'm involved with a Martial arts club that meet above an office in Winckley sq if you fancy it ;o)