Thinking of moving. Manchester vs Cardiff

[TheGreatSoprendo]

Lovely poem!

[stuttgartmetal]

You're welcome.

[Ken Figenus]

ATV said:

Also a very good friend of mine was a native Welsh speaker and told me similar. Anyone at his school who couldn't speak fluent Welsh was bullied.

This is bang on the money for Cardiff - just ask Shirley Bassey or Tom Jones I believe they check on the Severn tolls?

[037]

Bit of a Unit said:

jamesj197 said:

paulrockliffe said:

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.

Thanks that's really helpful, Manchester's looking good. It's going to be a tough decision.

Another vote for Manchester, but look north, I lived in Didsbury but got dragged north for a woman. Prestwich is on the tram for night life, has a dedicated mountain bike park called Phillips Park with ties to the velodrome, also only 10 minutes away and routes like the one below are within 30 minute ride.

Is that Jumbles reservoir in Bolton?

[North3rn Monk3y]

Ken Figenus said:

ATV said:

Also a very good friend of mine was a native Welsh speaker and told me similar. Anyone at his school who couldn't speak fluent Welsh was bullied.

This is bang on the money for Cardiff - just ask Shirley Bassey or Tom Jones I believe they check on the Severn tolls?

This may be true (but still probably isnt) in very Welsh little villages in the middle of nowhere, but not in big cities like Cardiff, Swansea or Newport or their surrounding areas.

I've made loads of Welsh friends here, less than 1% can speak fluent Welsh.

[037]

http://www.hillsresidential.co.uk/property/5327244
Here is a link to a couple of houses I have recently built in Salford.
It's a great place to live as you are very close to the city centre and only 15mins away from beautiful countryside.
Happy to meet for an hour to talk and point you in the right directions if you like.
Good Luck.
I

[bennyboydurham]

North3rn Monk3y said:

Ken Figenus said:

ATV said:

Also a very good friend of mine was a native Welsh speaker and told me similar. Anyone at his school who couldn't speak fluent Welsh was bullied.

This is bang on the money for Cardiff - just ask Shirley Bassey or Tom Jones I believe they check on the Severn tolls?

This may be true (but still probably isnt) in very Welsh little villages in the middle of nowhere, but not in big cities like Cardiff, Swansea or Newport or their surrounding areas.

I've made loads of Welsh friends here, less than 1% can speak fluent Welsh.

I had a Welsh GF for 5 years and not a single member of her entire extended family (all from S Wales) could speak more than a few words in Welsh. In bandit country out in the West it's possible (but unlikely), in anywhere you'd be likely to live - absolute boll0cks.

[LDN]

Manchester. There's something in the water right now. There is a buzz about the city, as others have mentioned; it's as though something is brewing; the BBC coming up to MediaCity was part of that but there's more also; the history of the city seems to have laid a foundation for what's to come. Lots of creative innovation and expansion with a genuine growth in art, banking, services,etc. The agency that promotes the city is billing it as a powerhouse; like it's old glory days; and the billing seems to be more than just PR.

I lived in London for 10 years and have property in North Wales. I LOVE North Wales and it never feels far away at all; London I don't miss one little bit despite it being an unbelievable city. Manchester is massive but not big enough that anything ever feels too far away. There's tons of biking and I used to ride from Didsbury right up into the Peak District; I couldn't hack it now but the Peaks are just out of this world; as are the Lakes and of course North Wales; Snowdonia. The best biking and driving is never far away and yet you are in a truly world class city.

Look at City centre but look at Castlefield specifically; it's the old canals and mills that are kept in character but with converted mills making stunning apartments and some 1st class restaurants and pubs; it's like a mini oasis in the city; I find anyway.

Out of the city; west Didsbury (Burton Road) and further still, Sale is nice and a bit cheaper; then heading into Cheshire; Styal, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge; further still toward Maccelsfield; an area I love called Bollington; great biking that way also.

The Trafford Centre is a guilty pleasure of mine with the Chill Factore for snowboarding and crazy golf, shopping, etc etc

I'll leave you with this recent NY Times snippet:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greate...

[hornetrider]

Did you lift all that from some hipster tourist blurb?

You'll forgive me if I'm not impressed with Gary Neville's overpriced Old Trafford hotel as a cultural highlight.

[Rickyy]

bennyboydurham said:

North3rn Monk3y said:

Ken Figenus said:

ATV said:

Also a very good friend of mine was a native Welsh speaker and told me similar. Anyone at his school who couldn't speak fluent Welsh was bullied.

This is bang on the money for Cardiff - just ask Shirley Bassey or Tom Jones I believe they check on the Severn tolls?

This may be true (but still probably isnt) in very Welsh little villages in the middle of nowhere, but not in big cities like Cardiff, Swansea or Newport or their surrounding areas.

I've made loads of Welsh friends here, less than 1% can speak fluent Welsh.

I had a Welsh GF for 5 years and not a single member of her entire extended family (all from S Wales) could speak more than a few words in Welsh. In bandit country out in the West it's possible (but unlikely), in anywhere you'd be likely to live - absolute boll0cks.

There are very few Welsh speaking schools in South Wales, I can't string a sentence together in Welsh and I'd be surprised if anyone that went to a "normal" school in Wales could.

The further West and North you go, the more hostile the Welsh become! General rule is, keep south of the M4 and don't go past Carmarthen!

[LDN]

hornetrider said:

Did you lift all that from some hipster tourist blurb?

You'll forgive me if I'm not impressed with Gary Neville's overpriced Old Trafford hotel as a cultural highlight.

No, it's all my own work

[Ken Figenus]

Rickyy said:

There are very few Welsh speaking schools in South Wales

Not true mate there are at least 19 bilingual (aka Welsh) schools in Cardiff alone. Its a choice people have now. Anyway this shouldn't bother anyone - its not contagious like Ebola etc LOL

[stuttgartmetal]

Apparently the Welsh have gone back to wearing Kilts as well.

[jamesj197]

Thanks for all the suggestions very helpful. Which would be better for driving fun at the weekends and which has better countryside?
Much appreciated,
James

Edited by jamesj197 on Monday 26th January 20:43

[Swervin_Mervin]

Genuinely I think both are probably very well matched in those areas.

I think your choice is more likely to come down to what you want from the city itself and whether your budget will get you something you'd be happy with living in.

[jmorgan]

stuttgartmetal said:

Apparently the Welsh have gone back to wearing Kilts as well.

We pull the draw bridge up every night and turn the lights out so no one notices us.

[jmorgan]

jamesj197 said:

Thanks for all the suggestions very helpful. Which would be better for driving fun at the weekends and which has better countryside?
Much appreciated,
James

Edited by jamesj197 on Monday 26th January 20:43

Subjective. In a short while, hour and a half ish, you could be up the Elan Valley.
http://www.elanvalley.org.uk

There are ways to this that can make the drive interesting and very very interesting.

Roads around Llyn Brianne, cracking drive. Brecon Beacons, again superb. I have to say I have no idea around Manchester. Cardiff itself I think is one of the best cities in the UK. OK, biased but I do get around the UK a lot and the bits I like are the compact size, shopping in the city centre with the old arcades still going, the Bay is redeveloped and a nice afternoons stroll, Brains Brewery products (though I am off the pop now).

The only needling I see and have witnessed myself is when England come to town to kick around a ball every year. But it is good natured and there is always a bottle of ale for the poor sods......

[MarkGArgyle]

Interesting to see all the positives and negatives...

Lived in S.Wales for 15yrs as a Cornishman, lucky to be there through the rugby world cup in 1999 and the subsequent development of Cardiff which never seems to stop. No issue with english vs welsh, more a subject for banter on 6 nations days - you need to be able to give as good as you get Cardiff Bay is also still under further development and is great on summer days.

Rugby world cup games again this year, how may times has Manchester held as many (non-football) events as Cardiff?

Living in Ireland now and have not lived in a city, I would recommend as an alternative to v.expensive Cowbridge; places such as Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach which are not so far up the valleys. Then Llantwit Major, Penarth, Llandaff, and if you do have money Lisvane or Old St Mellons.

I would think that cost of living is significantly lower than in Manchester, limited traffic unless you are living the valleys going to the "big smoke" on the A470. As for roads, brecon beacons and crickhowell are 45mins away and are regularly featured in magazies/tv.

Loved it, a career move to leave otherwise I would be there for life.

Cheers,

Mark G

[aw51 121565]

037 said:

Bit of a Unit said:

jamesj197 said:

paulrockliffe said:

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.

Thanks that's really helpful, Manchester's looking good. It's going to be a tough decision.

Another vote for Manchester, but look north, I lived in Didsbury but got dragged north for a woman. Prestwich is on the tram for night life, has a dedicated mountain bike park called Phillips Park with ties to the velodrome, also only 10 minutes away and routes like the one below are within 30 minute ride.

Is that Jumbles reservoir in Bolton?

I'd say Turton & Entwistle Reservoir (two upstream from Jumbles, Wayoh being the middle one ), but despite it looking strangely famliar I could be very wrong .