Does anybody know Liverpool?

Hello

I live in Rainhill which is about 12 miles from the centre of Liverpool but I'm only about 2 minutes from Junction 7 of the M62 so access to Liverpool and Manchester (about 23 miles) is really easy. I like it round here, its a lovely area to live in and the schools are really good. Primary schools are of a good standard and my eldest goes to Rainhill High which is now a Media Arts Centre which is good.

You could get a nice semi for about £150k, like this one http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22511942.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E20505&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=3&displayPropertyType=houses&oldDisplayPropertyType=houses&pageNumber=3&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E20505%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26minBedrooms%3D3%26displayPropertyType%3Dhouses%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dhouses%26index%3D20

My BIL and his wife used to live on this estate and its quite a nice one.

For a bit more you'd get this bigger, more traditional semi:- http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19293382.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E20505&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=3&displayPropertyType=houses&oldDisplayPropertyType=houses&pageNumber=8&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E20505%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26minBedrooms%3D3%26displayPropertyType%3Dhouses%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dhouses%26index%3D70

As for other nice places to live. I'm not really sure of anywhere over the other side of Liverpool but Warrington also has some nice areas, that's a little bit closer to Manchester (about 4-5 miles) so more like half way but still easily commutable.

Another nice area is Rainford way - my son's orthodontist is there so I go quite often and I know that the high school there has a very good reputation. That's more on the East Lancs route into Liverpool but still very easily commutable.

And, if you come to the North West, we'd definitely make you welcome - if you moved to Rainhill you'd have to get used to a Sin Telens (St Helens) accent but it wouldn't take you long 😄

? Ruby

We've lived in liverpool for 4 years now, so I'll try help you out where I can. Easy list of avoid at all costs is:

Toxteth, Bootle, Walton, Fazakerley, Kensington / Fairfield, Norris Green and some areas of Croxteth, although other areas of Croxteth are lovely. These areas are notorious for gangs and drugs and to be honest I would not walk through them even with H, let alone on my own. This is of course my opinion and perceptions of these areas and I would be happy to be put right by someone who knows better.

Lovely areas (to me anyway) are:

Otterspool, Aigburth, Mossley Hill, Woolton, Sefton Park (again, some parts are a bit skanky but other parts are lush), West Derby (some parts), Allerton, Childwall

As far as I know, most of these areas have schools but as for being decent or not, I have no idea as I've had no need for them yet. All the above have fantastic routes to the city centre by both bus and trains. Prices vary quite a bit depending on the areas, you could prob get a decent house in West Derby for about £150 - 180 000 (maybe less) whereas in Woolton you'd be hard pressed at finding something for less than £200 000. We've lived in 2 apartments (one close to Otterspool, one right on the river / docks) but we've just completed on a gorgeous 3 bed semi with a decent garden, etc and are just waiting for the go ahead to move in and that cost us just under £200 000 with fees inc so a terraced house might be less.

When are you looking at moving? The people are generally quite friendly so I wouldn't worry much about being an outcast, unless you support Chelsea and tell them or something like that ?

I'm sue there will be someone along who has lived here all their life who will be more useful but if you need any more help, just shout. HTH

Thank you both for taking the time to reply, much appreciated. Mrs D, we would probably be looking more at Liverpool itself and the surrounding areas - more live a bus ride into town that having to take the car, although if we stay there longer term, it's good to know about areas further out of town. Where you live sounds lovely, i can see why you like it, thanks so much for the information.

Claire J - yes, Toxteth is the one area i think i would know to probably avoid! But the other advice about 'good' and 'bad' areas is invaluable, thank you. We just need to be pointed in the right direction to be honest. The prices sounds absolutely brilliant in terms of value for money to us, being accustomed to London prices.

We would be looking to move in a year's time, possible, though it would probably be closer to two, so we're really just starting out in our research [i'm probably jumping the gun a bit!] But we need to work out whether it would be better to rent for a bit, or buy straight away etc etc.

As for supporting Chelsea, i assume you're joking?! ? Ahem, no offence to Chelsea fans, just my humble opinion.

Again, thanks a million both for your replies, they've really helped - you can get so much practical information from the internet, but sometimes you need the opinions of people who actually live in a place!

It's soooo cheap for property, ruby, you won't believe it. SIL and BIL live there, they have a four bed semi with massive garden and parking for two cars for 200k in childwall ?. you wouldn't get a two bed flat here for that.

I'm from Liverpool although I moved over to the Wirral last year. I'm from West Derby which is nice but you have to be careful when looking for a property there as houses will often be marketed as West Derby but will actually be Croxteth.

Other than that I'd say South Liverpool ie Allerton, Woolton is your best bet.

Depends what you are moving for though. If its for work in the city centre I would consider living on the Wirral. Rail links aren't the best in Liverpool so you often have to get a bus into town and bearing in mind there are a lot of schools on most routes a journey into town can take a long time. OH works in Liverpool and its only 25 minutes into town by train and the trains are every 10 minutes at rush hour.

I love Liverpool and never thought I would say it but I don't think I'd move back from the WIrral now. We've got the best of both worlds. Access into Liverpool for the shopping and nightlife and of a weekend its lovely being so close to the countryside.

If you need any more help let me know

Hi

i live in crosby which is about 7 mile from liverpool town centre. its is a very nice area with some great schools.

trains and buses into centre are good. house prices in my area and the joining blundellsands range from £130 thou to £1 million plus ?. the higher priced one atract some liverpool and everton footie players maybe a good or a bad thing ha ha.

have a look on up my street website i think that gives you crimes ratings and the likes.

happy house hunting

Lx

I'm originally from West Derby. Personally if I was about to work there there I wouldn 't even consider living in Liverpool. I would go for Freshfield/Formby or maybe Hightown. It's only 30 mins to the city centre and the trains run every 15 minutes. Plus it's near the beach with lovely walks. The schools both primary and senior are a million times better too.

If I had to live in Liverpool then Childwall is once of the better areas as is some of Sefton Park, Mossley Hill, Woolton, Hale. But you will always be close to some really skanky areas. I wouldn't go for West Derby anymore. It's gone downhill a lot.

Avoid like the plague Toxteth, Norris Green, Stockbridge Village, Tuebrook, Walton, Bootle, Croxteth, Fazakerley, Netherley.

For prices have a look on rightmove. They vary considerably depending how rough the area is.

We do have a bus route into town, the 10a runs (along with other buses) very regularly and only takes about half an hour - we're not that far out and there's a train station in Rainhill which is only about 5/6 stops into Lime Street.

What MrsD said. I live 5 minutes up the road in Prescot and H commutes by train. 5 mins walk to station (and there is a choice of two) then 20 minutes into town. I work in Sandbach (j17 of m6) and am 5 mins from the M62 so only takes me 40 mins to drive to work.

I agree with everything ClaireJ wrote regarding palces to lvie and to avoid.

I grew up in Seaforth (avoid there) and H lived in Southport and we chose South Liverpool to move to as it has great transport links which are important to me as I can't drive.

Woolton is a lovely place to live. Allterton and Aigburth are great as well.

Liverpool South Parkway station offers train links to Liverpool, Southport, Warrington, Manchester and Birmingham. Plus as Liverpool airport is near by there is a bus that runs 24 hour a day which is very handy.

I can't comment on schools as I don't have children.

HTH ?

Really sorry to come back to this thread so late, but i'm so pleased that i've had so many replies! I got called out shortly after i posted on Saturday, and then the rest of my weekend was so busy - have only just been able to get back onto my laptop.

There's some brilliant advice here - really good tips, and practical ideas about transport, neighbourhoods, schools etc. It's really given us some food for thought, and has pointed us in the right direction for househunting and picking a good area to live in.

I will be saving this thread for sure!

Thanks so much all for taking the time to offer your advice - the fact that you all either live in, or come from the area makes your tips extremely valuable ?

I live in Walton and moved there from Bootle, so I don't think I'm best placed to give you advice [:'(] ?

I'm originally from Wales and moved to Liverpool 21 years ago to go to Uni and never left. I love the City and have always felt at home and felt welcomed. (Although it's not true that all scousers are hilariously funny scallywags as the media like to portray them/us)

If you've got the money then you'll need to be looking North of the city to Crosby, Formby and Hightown - trains to Liverpool are good, but the commute by road will be a ballache as the traffic gets snarled up in Crosby and when the trains get disrupted you'll be sat in Central Station for a long time, so always carry a book and a flask. On a good night, the 7 mile drive from town to crosby will probably take you the best part of an hour at rush hour.

'Nice' areas at the south end of Liverpool are Aigburth, Allerton, St Michaels, Childwall, Woolton. Woolton being the most expensive I think as it's 'villagey'.

If you do venture to Bootle, you'll get a 2 bed victorian terrace for about £60k and you'll probably get your car nicked whilst viewing the house. Although I must say that we never had any trouble when we lived there. Always reckoned that the robbers from Bootle were busy 'working' in the posher areas.

We moved to Walton 2 years ago and personally I love it. Handy for City centre, shops, amenities. We are lucky that we have a large garden at the back of the house because of the way the terraces are shaped. I live in a 3 bed victorian terrace with original features, cellar, sash windows - a snip at £90k. If you are used to scruffy inner city London life then you will be more forgiving of certain areas and see the charm through the grime. If you are used to the more genteel suburban areas of London then you will need to look at the better areas recommended above and by others.

I've never been a huge fan of the Wirral as I've never fancied paying £2.80 a day in tunnel tolls to get to work in Liverpool, but there are lots of nice areas on the Wirral.

I'm still chuckling as I've also lived in Tuebrook too! another one on the AVOID list ?

I'm not particularly chav either - I like my balsamic vinegar to be Belazu...Observer on a Sunday...Boden catalogue subscriber - I just like a housing bargain!

We live in Aigburth and it's got everything we could need. Alot of hubby's family live in Mossley Hill/Allerton and these are great areas. I would add Halewood to the avoid list. Both MIL and SIL live out there and they are victims of a lot of vandalism, also the place smells funny!

We've only lived in Liverpool for just over a year, before that I'd lived on the Wirral my whole life. There are some lovely areas on the Wirral, but also some really horrible places to be avoided, unfortunately the best places to live are the furthest from the tunnel. If you want a list of good places on Wirral, or places to avoid I'd be happy to help