Thinking of moving. Manchester vs Cardiff
Discussion
I'm currently living in Bristol and fancy a change. I've narrowed it down to Manchester or Cardiff and i was wondering what the pros and cons of each city are. I don't think i will live in the center of the cities probably in the suburbs and commute in.
Thanks,
James
Thanks,
James
Edited by jamesj197 on Tuesday 20th January 22:28
Edited by jamesj197 on Tuesday 20th January 22:28
jamesj197 said:
I'm currently living in Bristol and fancy a change. I've narrowed it down to Manchester or Cardiff and i was wondering what the pros and cons of each city are. I don't think i will live in the center of the cities probably on the outskirts.
Thanks,
James
Wouldn't recommend living just on outskirts of Manchester City centre, it's surrounded by most of the worst towns. Either do city centre or one of the suburbs at least 5-10 miles away Thanks,
James
Soir said:
Wouldn't recommend living just on outskirts of Manchester City centre, it's surrounded by most of the worst towns. Either do city centre or one of the suburbs at least 5-10 miles away
oops, i mean suburbs not outskirts of the city center. sorry i'll edit my post. thanks for the reply though.I'm from the North West originally and I'd plump for Cardiff, having lived there for 5 years. Well actually I lived in Penarth which is a small Victorian seaside town a few miles from the city centre. I liked the people and the pride they took in living in the capital city, even though by UK standards it's a smallish city. It's very live-able though, with plenty to see and do and reasonable cost of living. You've got seaside, nice countryside nearby and of course plenty of PH driving to be had in the Brecon Beacons.
The only bad thing about it is that the airport is crap, meaning you'll end up driving to Bristol and its hellish-to-get-to airport to fly anywhere!
I've also lived in Manchester but I find it a bit too grimy and urban. Much of the urban sprawl that makes up Greater Manchester is unappealing. The nicer bits (which are mostly in Cheshire, really) are very expensive. It's a different kind of place, really.
The only bad thing about it is that the airport is crap, meaning you'll end up driving to Bristol and its hellish-to-get-to airport to fly anywhere!
I've also lived in Manchester but I find it a bit too grimy and urban. Much of the urban sprawl that makes up Greater Manchester is unappealing. The nicer bits (which are mostly in Cheshire, really) are very expensive. It's a different kind of place, really.
barryrs said:
I spent a few years in Cardiff while at uni back in 98/99 and found it really friendly however I went back for a night out not long ago and got called a 
for being English and had to hide my shirt at 6 nations games with the wife.
Real shame
Sorry to hear that. Usually the rugby banter is good but I guess you will get the odd bellend down from the valleys. for being English and had to hide my shirt at 6 nations games with the wife.Real shame
jamesj197 said:
Cardiff does look good. How do people in Cardiff treat people from England?
HmmmmDespite having a locally born father and local name on my bank cards I invariably feel unwelcome in Wales so Cardiff would be out for me
But much as I love Manchester, and I really do its a great city, the bits youd want to live in are a hellish commute into the city centre in rush hour which killed it for us
Sorry - no help
numtumfutunch said:
jamesj197 said:
Cardiff does look good. How do people in Cardiff treat people from England?
HmmmmDespite having a locally born father and local name on my bank cards I invariably feel unwelcome in Wales so Cardiff would be out for me
But much as I love Manchester, and I really do its a great city, the bits youd want to live in are a hellish commute into the city centre in rush hour which killed it for us
Sorry - no help
Cardiff can be lively on rugby match days and you do get an influx of mouth breathers to the city centre but generally, it's just friendly banter.
Cardiff is a nice modern city with a relatively low crime rate (especially for things like gun crime), I've always felt much safer in Cardiff than most other uk cities, especially after dark.
It has it's rough bits that you'd be best off avoiding but where doesn't?
Soir said:
Wouldn't recommend living just on outskirts of Manchester City centre, it's surrounded by most of the worst towns. Either do city centre or one of the suburbs at least 5-10 miles away
Being mancunian I'd agree. You either live in the city or outside of the the 4 / 5 mile band. Although Salford Quays is worth a look. You get a bit better value than city centre and its a 10 minute tram into the city. Most people would recommend south manchester if on the outskirts. So Chorlton, Didsbury (including Weat Didsbury aka Withington). You get better value in west manchester and the transport links aren't as bad as people make out. Worsley is nice and Monton is worth a look as it has a little more going on. Don't be put off by the Salford tag of these two.
I've been to Cardiff once for the football so couldn't comment but, having lived in London for a while, I must say Manchester is a worlds apart from the chaos (although because of roadworks at the minute the roads are a bad).
numtumfutunch said:
Hmmmm
Despite having a locally born father and local name on my bank cards I invariably feel unwelcome in Wales so Cardiff would be out for me
But much as I love Manchester, and I really do its a great city, the bits youd want to live in are a hellish commute into the city centre in rush hour which killed it for us
Sorry - no help
I'm truly surprised to hear that, to be honest. Cardiff Welshies aren't very 'Welsh' at all really and have a deep distrust of the 'quick, talk in Welsh' folk you get in West and North Wales, mostly because 99% of them barely speak a word. Cardiff's proximity to England and prevalence of people who live on the cheaper Welsh side and travel across the Bristol channel for work and shopping mean that there are tonnes of English in that part of the world. In five years of living there and going out with a Welsh lass I never, ever felt anything other than welcome. Despite having a locally born father and local name on my bank cards I invariably feel unwelcome in Wales so Cardiff would be out for me
But much as I love Manchester, and I really do its a great city, the bits youd want to live in are a hellish commute into the city centre in rush hour which killed it for us
Sorry - no help
I'd also add that the atmosphere on rugby match days was wonderful: loads of families there, kids with faces painted, girls with very short Welsh Dragon skirts, pubs, bars and restaurants all rammed leading to a real fun carnival atmosphere. At odds with that while I lived there Wembley was being knocked down so all the big footy matches were held at the Millennium stadium and the atmosphere on footy days was the total opposite. Everyone would clear off and the place would be deserted by 3pm with only Police in riot gear to be seen. Footy fans vs rugby fans eh?
CRB14 said:
Being mancunian I'd agree. You either live in the city or outside of the the 4 / 5 mile band. Although Salford Quays is worth a look. You get a bit better value than city centre and its a 10 minute tram into the city.
Most people would recommend south manchester if on the outskirts. So Chorlton, Didsbury (including Weat Didsbury aka Withington). You get better value in west manchester and the transport links aren't as bad as people make out. Worsley is nice and Monton is worth a look as it has a little more going on. Don't be put off by the Salford tag of these two.
I've been to Cardiff once for the football so couldn't comment but, having lived in London for a while, I must say Manchester is a worlds apart from the chaos (although because of roadworks at the minute the roads are a bad).
+1Most people would recommend south manchester if on the outskirts. So Chorlton, Didsbury (including Weat Didsbury aka Withington). You get better value in west manchester and the transport links aren't as bad as people make out. Worsley is nice and Monton is worth a look as it has a little more going on. Don't be put off by the Salford tag of these two.
I've been to Cardiff once for the football so couldn't comment but, having lived in London for a while, I must say Manchester is a worlds apart from the chaos (although because of roadworks at the minute the roads are a bad).
WCZ said:
CRB14 said:
Being mancunian I'd agree. You either live in the city or outside of the the 4 / 5 mile band. Although Salford Quays is worth a look. You get a bit better value than city centre and its a 10 minute tram into the city.
Most people would recommend south manchester if on the outskirts. So Chorlton, Didsbury (including Weat Didsbury aka Withington). You get better value in west manchester and the transport links aren't as bad as people make out. Worsley is nice and Monton is worth a look as it has a little more going on. Don't be put off by the Salford tag of these two.
I've been to Cardiff once for the football so couldn't comment but, having lived in London for a while, I must say Manchester is a worlds apart from the chaos (although because of roadworks at the minute the roads are a bad).
+1Most people would recommend south manchester if on the outskirts. So Chorlton, Didsbury (including Weat Didsbury aka Withington). You get better value in west manchester and the transport links aren't as bad as people make out. Worsley is nice and Monton is worth a look as it has a little more going on. Don't be put off by the Salford tag of these two.
I've been to Cardiff once for the football so couldn't comment but, having lived in London for a while, I must say Manchester is a worlds apart from the chaos (although because of roadworks at the minute the roads are a bad).
What do you do when you're not in work or at home? Do you have strong hobbies that are better served by either?
I'm not very familiar with Cardiff, to the extent that I'm not sure if I've ever been or not, so can only speak about Manchester. But if I had to choose a city to live in/around, it owuld be Manchester. It's got as much going on as anywhere outside of London and you've easy access to Peaks, Lakes, North Wales and the Pennines if you're into outdoors stuff. You're basicaly surrounded by hills on three sides, with the Cheshire plains to the other. Great connections to the rest of the UK too, you're not too far from anywhere really.
Don't forget you have an international airport with cheap flights to most places right on your doorstep. Having moved away I've realised it makes quite a big difference to the cost and hassle involved with holidays abroad.
South Manchester is a great place to live if you want urban and easy travel into the City for work, I used to run the 5 miles into work, or cycle when I lived a bit further out. Driving is OK if you know the back streets, but the busses are great. Trams are a rip off though. Surprisingly cheap parking to the North of the city centre as there's lots of development land that didn't get built on.
There are nice pockets to the North of the city, where it's cheaper to buy. Personally I'd head to Mosseley area as it's cheap and an easy hop into the city for work and you're in the countryside, but that all depends whats important to you.
I'm not very familiar with Cardiff, to the extent that I'm not sure if I've ever been or not, so can only speak about Manchester. But if I had to choose a city to live in/around, it owuld be Manchester. It's got as much going on as anywhere outside of London and you've easy access to Peaks, Lakes, North Wales and the Pennines if you're into outdoors stuff. You're basicaly surrounded by hills on three sides, with the Cheshire plains to the other. Great connections to the rest of the UK too, you're not too far from anywhere really.
Don't forget you have an international airport with cheap flights to most places right on your doorstep. Having moved away I've realised it makes quite a big difference to the cost and hassle involved with holidays abroad.
South Manchester is a great place to live if you want urban and easy travel into the City for work, I used to run the 5 miles into work, or cycle when I lived a bit further out. Driving is OK if you know the back streets, but the busses are great. Trams are a rip off though. Surprisingly cheap parking to the North of the city centre as there's lots of development land that didn't get built on.
There are nice pockets to the North of the city, where it's cheaper to buy. Personally I'd head to Mosseley area as it's cheap and an easy hop into the city for work and you're in the countryside, but that all depends whats important to you.
I've lived in both and I prefer Manchester, there is a bit more going on for me.
I live in Sale, its about a 15-20 minute tram ride into Manchester, the houses are a fair bit cheaper than Didsbury/Chorlton as there is no hipster tax, however Sale town centre is not up to much! Further towards Altrincham and prices go through the roof for the decent housing stock.
I live in Sale, its about a 15-20 minute tram ride into Manchester, the houses are a fair bit cheaper than Didsbury/Chorlton as there is no hipster tax, however Sale town centre is not up to much! Further towards Altrincham and prices go through the roof for the decent housing stock.
I reckon Manchester wins for biking, it's what I was doing when I was there so I know it like the back of my hand.
There's lots of good stuff in South Wales, but where Manchester wins is really riding from your door. If you start from Reddish Vale there are decent off road tracks and trails that link up various parks and housing estates out through Stockport, Werneth Low, through to Etherow Country Park and Marple. You can get a good evening ride in just with those trails. From Marple there's slightly better stuff that gets you as far as Hayfield and from Hayfield you're into the peak District proper. All from your back door if you have the energy. I used to get the train out to the Peaks and ride home. Really miss those trails as I've nothing comparable up where I am now :-(
If you've time to drive, you've got the Peaks, Calderdale, Rivington Pike all close enough in an evening and if you've more time on your hands North Wales, the Lakes and Yorkshire are not very far away. Wheelbase in Staveley can be got to in an hour and a quarter from South Manchester if you go first thing in the morning, from there you're straight into proper Lakes riding.
If you have to live in a city and you're into mountain biking you won't find a better place than Manchester.
I used to ride with a great club while I was there, www.meetup.com/manchestermountainbikers great for finding your way around and meeting people to ride with.
Thinking about it, if you want any type of cycling you're going to struggle to beat Manchester. National Cycle centre with velodrome, BMX centre. National standard BMX facilities in Platts Field Park. Really really good road riding, all hilly if that's your thing, or there's all the little lanes around the Cheshire Plains if you want flat riding. Great road racing scene and lots of road clubs too.
There's lots of good stuff in South Wales, but where Manchester wins is really riding from your door. If you start from Reddish Vale there are decent off road tracks and trails that link up various parks and housing estates out through Stockport, Werneth Low, through to Etherow Country Park and Marple. You can get a good evening ride in just with those trails. From Marple there's slightly better stuff that gets you as far as Hayfield and from Hayfield you're into the peak District proper. All from your back door if you have the energy. I used to get the train out to the Peaks and ride home. Really miss those trails as I've nothing comparable up where I am now :-(
If you've time to drive, you've got the Peaks, Calderdale, Rivington Pike all close enough in an evening and if you've more time on your hands North Wales, the Lakes and Yorkshire are not very far away. Wheelbase in Staveley can be got to in an hour and a quarter from South Manchester if you go first thing in the morning, from there you're straight into proper Lakes riding.
If you have to live in a city and you're into mountain biking you won't find a better place than Manchester.
I used to ride with a great club while I was there, www.meetup.com/manchestermountainbikers great for finding your way around and meeting people to ride with.
Thinking about it, if you want any type of cycling you're going to struggle to beat Manchester. National Cycle centre with velodrome, BMX centre. National standard BMX facilities in Platts Field Park. Really really good road riding, all hilly if that's your thing, or there's all the little lanes around the Cheshire Plains if you want flat riding. Great road racing scene and lots of road clubs too.
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