Ok What cities in England can offer something different?

Affable

As in, not being full of people too anal about fashion or notereity, or status, or sophistication, or being in the limelight. But still with the mysterious, with people who don't acre so much what people think, the underbelly of life as it were, but still lively spirited, not dead. not crusties or hippies or anything. Just different from the exclusive people. Things going on and big enough to be challenge but not people too on the make.
Still youth and vigour though. And avried folk, maybe ethnic mix, stuff to do, community etc.

Is this all too much to ask? Know what I'm getting at. I'm English and live in Cambridge. But I'm thinking not a Cambridge, or a highgate or a hampstead but somewhere different, but not tiny.

It is travel, but also somewhere to live I guess.

Pete4779

Canning Town is what you are after. A quiet notoriety when DHL stopped delivering there. The subject of many a Charles Dickens quotation.

shrapnel222

bristol or more further afield cornwall

Affable

shrapnel222 wrote: »

bristol or more further afield cornwall

Bit of a yah/uni town eh? Why Bristol?

shrapnel222

Affable wrote: »

Bit of a yah/uni town eh? Why Bristol?

only been there once but have lots of friends who went to uni there, so possibly biased in that sense, but it always struck me as a very open minded and unpretentious place

silverside

Manchester ? Brighton ?

Affable

silverside wrote: »

Manchester ? Brighton ?

Yeah, Manchester is an awesome city with maybe a more rebel type feel, as does Liverpool but think Liverpool may be depressing. Brighton is a little like party/clubbing/celebs/alternative people, so not too sure about that.

But Bristol may be a good idea, big enough to be interesting. Sheffield is kind of good too. Leeds maybe I should check out. Anyone know it? Or Norwich? What about London commuter areas that aren't actually London?

mikedragon32

Leeds. I lived there for a while. Great city, it's vibrant, has plenty to offer in terms of culture, entertainment, sport. There is a blossoming business sector too.

People are friendly and down to earth, housing not too expensive.

Famous45

Look no further my friend than Exeter

getz

Affable wrote: »

Yeah, Manchester is an awesome city with maybe a more rebel type feel, as does Liverpool but think Liverpool may be depressing. Brighton is a little like party/clubbing/celebs/alternative people, so not too sure about that.

But Bristol may be a good idea, big enough to be interesting. Sheffield is kind of good too. Leeds maybe I should check out. Anyone know it? Or Norwich? What about London commuter areas that aren't actually London?

manchester is by far the best-next is leeds [student city] newcastle good, a lot of young people like blackpool[pub clubs bars ect, nottingham[known for its more women than men] bristol i once loved but now its far to violent,york and chester ok, anything south of watford has gone down hill, swansea cardiff very good

Affable

getz wrote: »

manchester is by far the best-next is leeds [student city] newcastle good, a lot of young people like blackpool[pub clubs bars ect, nottingham[known for its more women than men] bristol i once loved but now its far to violent,york and chester ok, anything south of watford has gone down hill, swansea cardiff very good

Why is bristol now so violent?

I am fond of East Anglia, did also think about Kent Brigthon etc but think I am too fond of east anglia-so peterborough is a dump but cheap housing. Norwich, Ipswich dont know them , visited ipswich once, the footy is excellnt there, told it's rough. Northampton seems a hole. Most other places are quite small.

faceman

Cambridge is nice

Affable

faceman wrote: »

Cambridge is nice

Live there already. It's a little under the shadow of the uni.

getz

Affable wrote: »

Why is bristol now so violent?

I am fond of East Anglia, did also think about Kent Brigthon etc but think I am too fond of east anglia-so peterborough is a dump but cheap housing. Norwich, Ipswich dont know them , visited ipswich once, the footy is excellnt there, told it's rough. Northampton seems a hole. Most other places are quite small.

years ago i use to sail from bristol [avonmouth] then it was a fun city for a young merchant seaman but over the last 20 years it has a large poor immigrant population- in parts the ethnic /mixed group make up 56% of the population kids with no future no place to go except to walk around in gangs and start trouble

who_ru

I'd have to vote for York, was there a month or so ago and thought it was a lovely place. you can fly to Leeds from Dublin with Ryanair and hire a car.

the cathedral there is fanatstic/ the city walls date back to roman times - the town is full of pubs/ restaurants - it's not expensive - the countryside around is lovely too - think emerdale - all in all York is a very good alternative if you don't want london/manchester

asdasd

York. Bristol/ Bath.
Exeter.

SouthWest in general.

Any village in the cotswolds, or oornwall will have something of interest. England is great for ales, and Inns. Worth an ale and Inn trip on it's own.

On t'other side NewCastle is under-rated. I like it a lot. I have never been to Yorkshire.

getz

who_ru wrote: »

I'd have to vote for York, was there a month or so ago and thought it was a lovely place. you can fly to Leeds from Dublin with Ryanair and hire a car.

the cathedral there is fanatstic/ the city walls date back to roman times - the town is full of pubs/ restaurants - it's not expensive - the countryside around is lovely too - think emerdale - all in all York is a very good alternative if you don't want london/manchester

yes i like york , and i drive often round the yorkshire dales ,my favourite place is howarth of skipton

Fratton Fred

check out cheltenham. lots to do plenty of culture etc and fairly close to brum and Bristol airports.

I love the West Country, but it does start to get a bit remote the further out you get.

If you are looking for a London commuter town, then Windsor is superb but very expensive. Windsor would be one of my first choices if moving back to England.

Communicationb

Spent last weekend in Portsmouth..not bad.

Like a lot of English coastal towns its full of old people but lots to see and if you like ships, submarines, Horatio Nelson and Charles Dickens..cant go wrong.

Not sure what the nightlife is like as we didnt go out.

getz

Communicationb wrote: »

Spent last weekend in Portsmouth..not bad.

Like a lot of English coastal towns its full of old people but lots to see and if you like ships, submarines, Horatio Nelson and Charles Dickens..cant go wrong.

Not sure what the nightlife is like as we didnt go out.

good nightlife if you are a girl or gay to many sailors for me

milkado

http://www.rte.ie/travel/nofrontiers/20071002.html

Fratton Fred

Communicationb wrote: »

Spent last weekend in Portsmouth..not bad.

Like a lot of English coastal towns its full of old people but lots to see and if you like ships, submarines, Horatio Nelson and Charles Dickens..cant go wrong.

Not sure what the nightlife is like as we didnt go out.

The nightlife is ok, but about the same as any other city of that size TBH. Gunwharf Quay supposedly has some nice places, but not sure I would recommend it as a city to live in TBH.

getz wrote: »

good nightlife if you are a girl or gay to many sailors for me

Don't knock it til you've tried it, many a poor boy has earnt a few bob doing favours for sailors;)

piskins72

asdasd wrote: »

York. Bristol/ Bath.
Exeter.

SouthWest in general.

Any village in the cotswolds, or oornwall will have something of interest. England is great for ales, and Inns. Worth an ale and Inn trip on it's own.

On t'other side NewCastle is under-rated. I like it a lot. I have never been to Yorkshire.

Bristol/Bath and the Cotswolds villages get my vote & the West Country, its a lovely part of the world .. have family living in a little cotswolds village in South Gloucestershire and its a perfect place to get away from it all and enjoy the countryside, never stuck for some place new to explore when I visit!!