Where Should I Move To As Someone In Their Mid 20's?
Posted by BatchTheBrit@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 15 comments
So I've been living in Birmingham for a decade now and have been feeling the urge to leave for a long time. Living in the city centre is just so depressing now. Everyone's on edge. Every store that isn't a chain is either closed or run down. Crime runs rampant. Driving feels like a bumper-car session but instead you're dodging angry drug dealers in S3's with muffler deletes. Crackheads have claimed the streets. Going out never really feels safe, especially at night. Going into the countryside is at least a 40 minute drive and I've been finding it hard to meet people here. I know I want to move but don't know where the fuck to go.
I have an idea of the criteria though:
- Somewhere significantly safer with friendlier people
- I am a photographer so would like to feel able to leave the house with the camera without the fear of getting mugged
- Somewhere either in the country or close enough to nature that I can go after work (like 15/20 minutes)
- Somewhere with a decent population of people around my age (I'm 27)
- I don't drink anymore so just somewhere where there are opportunities to meet people around my age that isn't exclusively getting fucked up every week.
- Somewhere with a fairly affordable rental market
- I'm currently paying £1k a month for a place I rent by myself, I'd rather pay less if possible
- Most of my family and friends live south of Birmingham so somewhere south of Brum would be preferable.
- I'm torn on whether I'd want it to be a city or not. I think a small city or larger town would be best.
At the end of the day I want to move to somewhere safer, closer to nature and have the opportunity to "find my tribe" but have been overwhelmed looking at the options. Any suggestions would be a great help! Thanks :)
wotugonado@reddit
This Birmingham bashing from new accounts/bots is getting fucking boring.
BatchTheBrit@reddit (OP)
Describing me as a low post account or bot that's "bashing" Birmingham implies that I'm lying or don't know what I'm talking about. I've been here all my adult life, I'm allowed an opinion. What about my description of Brum was inaccurate?
wotugonado@reddit
Your post, if you're real, was about the third one I'd seen from a low post /new account slagging Birmingham off that day.
There's plenty of good in Brum, what you describe is an exaggeration, which can apply to any city or large town anywhere in the country. The only thing I'm in agreement with is the poor standard of driving.
BatchTheBrit@reddit (OP)
Just coincidence I'm afraid! As hard as it is to actually know nowadays I am in fact real!
I agree that there was a bit of exaggeration in my post, crackheads haven't exactly claimed the streets, but I don't think that anything I said was necessarily wrong. They are characteristics of most cities in the country but I wasn't comparing Brum to other cities. If I was I'd say that Brum has a bad rep despite it being similar to everywhere else. I'm likely just done with city living in general, my complaints about Birmingham being an example of that, but I'm finding that the complaints have overtaken the good for quite a while now!
wotugonado@reddit
Go on r/brum There's loads of suggestions for things to do in and around Birmingham. You could even post up to find like minded people who could meet up with you for photography meets.
BatchTheBrit@reddit (OP)
That's a great suggestion, thank you!
Adorable_Finish2524@reddit
Canada
BatchTheBrit@reddit (OP)
I could do, I heard it's a bit chilly there though!
Adorable_Finish2524@reddit
No worries, there is global warming, it will be warm in here while Britain goes underwater (sorry, it's a joke 😀) BTW Ontario has more sunny days than UK. So it is less depressing as my friends say. I think Canada fits your criteria, at least you have to try out. I spoke with several brits here, if they like Canada more than UK. All of them where happier in Canada than UK (though our rents went up since then). Bigger houses, sunnier days, more democracy.
FightNightLeopard@reddit
I live in Norwich and it meets a lot of your requirements, but most of the population are of retired age.
Busy enough small city, but not a metropolis.
Lots going on without being overwhelmed.
People are generally friendly, there is crime but it's minimal compared to elsewhere.
Rent can be cheap depending on which area you move to.
Meeting people is hard as an adult but I know of a few board games social clubs etc.
It's also 2 hours to pretty much anywhere so don't move here if you're not comfortable with long travel to places of interest (London / anywhere out of Norfolk lol)
Delicious-Cut-7911@reddit
Cleckheaton is a market town situated J26 on the M62/M621 motorway. It has a population of about 10K. It has a good town centre with restaurants/cafe/pubs/cocktail bars. It has close links to the Bronte family and Robin Hood. Easy access to the Yorkshire Dales about 45mins. Other market towns like Brighouse is 3 miles away and this is a bigger town with canal walks and riverside walks. A new leisure centre has just been built. Leeds is the 3rd largest city and is only 10mins away M621. York is 1 hour away. There is a small railway station just outside of the town and a larger one 5 miles away linking up to London and all major cities. Manchester is 45 mins away. The Leeds/Bradford airport is 40 mins away and its the same time for Manchester airport via M62.
bucketofardvarks@reddit
Norwich is almost You can't really have "lots of young people", "close to countryside" and "cheap rental market" south of Birmingham. You need to compromise on what's most important, which quite possibly means living in a sleepy town 35 minute drive from a decent city, maybe on a train line if you're lucky
BatchTheBrit@reddit (OP)
Yeah I was concerned that I'd need to compromise on at least one of those. By cheap rental market I guess I mean that I don't want to be paying more than I already am. The other stuff is more important atm so if I have to pay more, so be it
ZombieRhino@reddit
The Skipton, Ilkey, Otley corridor ticks most of them boxes, except its not south of Birmingham.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
Top-level comments to the OP must contain genuine efforts to answer the question. No jokes, judgements, etc.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.