Whats something you don't have nearby where you live that you really wish you did?
Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 93 comments
It's an hour on the train to get to the nearest east asian grocery for me. When i was in uni that i used to go to every week. I miss the snacks dude
CaptainYorkie1@reddit
A tram/any form of a proper metro service. Closest we got are Aireline/Wharfedale lines plus the Mcard Bus/Train tickets
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
West yorkshire could potentially have one of the most unique metros in the world, not many other places that have so many cities and towns in close proximity like that. The standard model of lines starting in the city center and branching out to the suburbs wouldn't work
DustierAndRustier@reddit
An affordable bowling alley.
Andries89@reddit
An izakaya style pub where I can pop into for a bowl of ramen and a beer without too much fuss and noise
ashyboi5000@reddit
Decent Chinese, the local ones are the greasier and browner and I descript the sauce is the higher they are rated. Then using the knowledge and going. Lower rated, well clearly it's dish washer.
Electronic-Sound331@reddit
Call a Bondulance
d_dawg_23@reddit
“A succulent Chinese meal”?
RaspberryJammm@reddit
Corner shop. Or any kind of shop which sells groceries.
I live semi-rurally, lots of small villages nearby which all have several pubs but no shops.
MissKatbow@reddit
I’ve always lived in or around London since I’ve moved to the UK, but some places I’ve visited I have wondered how the heck this works! Do you simply need to make a big trek to do your shopping? Do a lot of people get shopping delivered? I visited one place in Cornwall and all they had locally was a little wagon thing selling groceries, and not every day.
RaspberryJammm@reddit
I get a big delivery every week because I can't drive!
My neighbour seems to do small shops daily, its only 10-15 minutes drive to nearest town. Would be nice to be able to top up bread and milk every now and then. Once I run out thats it until next week shop, unless a kind soul runs an errand for me
MissKatbow@reddit
Oh man I pop down to the shop so often. I barely plan meals because I can just walk down 5 mins and grab whatever extras I need. I’d have to change my shopping and planning habits if I lived somewhere like that for sure! Would probably be an improvement in some ways because I could think a bit more about what I’m eating haha.
Mikon_Youji@reddit
B&M. I only have to drive 20 minutes to get to the neatest one, but I'd love to have one just a 5 minute walk away that I could pop into whenever I wanted.
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
why B&M specifically? home bargains poundland etc are basically the same
Mikon_Youji@reddit
I have both of those near me, but just like B&M
LilacScentedStoat@reddit
The seaside.
Not necessarily like the touristy holiday seaside, just the sea side with walks and dunes and hills.
I lived 30 minutes from the seaside u til I moved here. Now I'm the midlands.. and about as far from the sea as I can get.
BuBBles_the_pyro@reddit
Whenever i go back to near the sea i always have to say hello to the sea, preferably by getting to the shore.
Being a minimum of 2 and a bit hours away from the nearest sea sucks.
PeterG92@reddit
I'll always live by the seaside for this reason. It's so nice in good weather and can be much quieter than surrounding areas.
LocalMendicant@reddit
Yes same - similarly live about as far as you can get though I've never actually lived by the coast.
Dr-Moth@reddit
Absolutely. I used to live in a seaside town. Every direction was relative to the sea, nice and simple with a hard border. I'm now in an inland city and there's nothing to anchor my mental compass to and you can just leave in any direction. It's unnatural.
Nevernonethewiser@reddit
I'm fairly close to both Leeds and Manchester, but I could always do with things being a bit closer to me to aid in my own laziness.
As such:
A Wendy's
A Uniqlo
A place to get a proper Chicago deep dish pizza (not sure if there's any in either of those two cities, I just want to try one that I didn't make myself. Mine was pretty good. I need to try a "real" one)
A decent place for hotpot
A decent ramen place
More libraries
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
yeah, manchester and liverpool are both very close on the train for me but its just pretty expensive to get there so going for shopping just doesn't feel worth it
Nevernonethewiser@reddit
Right?
I'd drive but the parking in Manchester is expensive and the driving is shit. It would only be slightly cheaper than getting the train.
All the driving. Even mine. I'm convinced they put something in the air that makes everyone a shit driver.
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
park up in the outskirts where the free parking is and get the bus. £2. I don't drive but it's what i'd do
Nevernonethewiser@reddit
Not a bad idea. I shall have to find out where there's some free parking outside the centre.
The carpark in the northern quarter I used to use at a previous job was a privately owned bit of waste ground and we had a deal with the owner for cheap parking. It's since had a high rise built on it. Much as it's nice to see the city is still alive and being expanded, sucks that I can't use that one any more!
Ok-Strawberry404@reddit
Theres a park and ride at ladywell tram stop. Thats where I always go when going into the city, free to park and the tram is pretty cheap too.
Nevernonethewiser@reddit
Nice, thank you!
DingoBingoWimbo@reddit
Downvoted.
Nevernonethewiser@reddit
Yeah but like... Why? It makes no sense to me.
I don't care about the fake internet points, I'm just baffled by the logic.
I hate being baffled. Feels bad, man.
MissKatbow@reddit
A proper size Aldi. An Aldi local opened nearby last summer I think, which has been great. But there’s no middle aisle and I want the full experience! I think the closest full size one is about an hour away.
Chris-TT@reddit
Ice rinks and pools with fun slides, and lidos. There used to be loads when I was younger. I have to travel over an hour to anything like that these days. I guess it’s just not economically viable any more to have these kinds of things unless they’re either few and far between or run by the local council. Shame, as growing up these are some of my key memories which a lot of the younger generation won’t have.
Z_starmix@reddit
A pub! And a Nando’s 😭
DameKumquat@reddit
The Peak District or beaches. (I'm in London).
More locally, a really good Chinese. Though the local takeaway has upped its game recently and is now above average.
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
Everyman Cinema. Used to love going, even had a membership. It's just way too far for me now after we moved.
Tumeni1959@reddit
Music shop. Both for records/CDs and for musical instruments and accessories
LadyNzuri@reddit
Costco
dinkidoo7693@reddit
An arena that artists actually came too on their tours, seems sheffield arena is just the add on venue if tickets sell out everywhere else first. Same with tours missing the nearest midsize venues too coz the o2 is still shut. Fed up of either missing out or having to pay for travel and hotels. Tickets are expensive nowadays as it is.
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
shutting down don valley was a huge mistake. still, manchesters quite accessible for events. one of my friends goes there for gigs all the time and usually can still get the train home after
dinkidoo7693@reddit
I don’t actually live in Sheffield though so I have to stay over if i go Manchester. Whereas i can get a direct bus home after a gig in Sheffield. Having to go Birmingham this week and Nottingham next month. Nottingham is the last train back, but we will be in trouble if we miss it.
owlracoon@reddit
A decent leisure centre. Ours is literally the most boring, basic shit. 1 kiddie pool one adult with lanes. 1 hot tub but it cost extra. Psshhh
suomi358@reddit
Mate the sea 😭😭😭 (Bham)
Snapimposter@reddit
A good takeaway
Remote-Pool7787@reddit
Dunkin donuts
ugglee_exe@reddit
So many closed down :c
Sea-Still5427@reddit
Branches of Uniqlo and Cos. Boring clothes shops here.
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
they opened a H&M in my town and it shut down immediately. our only normal clothes shops are sports direct and matalan -_-
Any-Tomato-2915@reddit
Why
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
because nobody used it, the high street is desolate. About 10 years ago they built a huge shopping complex and to this day almost all of the lots are empty.
Any-Tomato-2915@reddit
Oh right
Sea-Still5427@reddit
Similar here. Weirdly we have a huge range of restaurant but no equivalent clothes shops.
doraisexploring27@reddit
Ugh I love Uniqlo, but my closest one is 120 miles away
MJLDat@reddit
Same, Wing Yip in Cricklewood used to be a 10 minute drive, it’s now 2.5 hours away and there are no other ones near me of that size.
Mysterious_County154@reddit
Train station that has more than 2 trains every hour
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
mine are both one train every hour
Gunboat_Diplomat_@reddit
A Waitrose. The big one in my city closed down a few years ago. There’s only a mini one now in the city centre
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
you know there's only two full sized waitroses in all of greater manchester? neither are in the city center lol
AcrobaticWedding2130@reddit
Kind of miss our local ikea which closed down! Used to be 30mins away. Also second the east Asian store
Westgateplaza@reddit
A better, integrated tram network that connects the borough better…
MahatmaAndhi@reddit
Decathlon.
My nearest is about 30 miles away and it's a small one (Rushden). I want a big mega store on my doorstep.
doraisexploring27@reddit
They just closed my closest one (40 miles away) - next nearest one is 125 miles away!
Bjc93Bjc@reddit
Being in Southampton I feel we have the majority of chain restaurants or easily accessible routes to places that doesn’t have anything we have. However, I wish we had a Uniqlo and Pizza Pilgrims. To be fair, I wouldn’t say no to a Jollibee either. If we aren’t talking food, then I wish Southampton had a decent arena. We have the guildhall but personally I think it’s awful. We have so much space for an arena, it would attract major bands and artists to compete against Bournemouth & Portsmouth (which I hate to admit are better for live acts), but Southampton is only interested in either student flats and office buildings.
doraisexploring27@reddit
Pretty much everything (I live in rural Scotland 😂). But that said, I’m spoilt for choice when it comes to pretty beaches, lochs, woodlands and general scenery. So I guess you win some, you lose some.
Dr-Moth@reddit
A large toy shop, like Smyths. Toy shopping for my kids is basically catalogue shopping. It's not the same as being able to browse in-store.
Brave_Pain1994@reddit
Chippy and one of those International food shops.
Motor-Command-2680@reddit
B & M bargains , Iceland , Heron foods , Savers .
OkFinding8093@reddit
Authentic Mexican restaurants and not just chain ones
YouWascallyWabbit@reddit
Sauna. My back is chronically in not good shape, and sauna really helps. I'd have one in my home if I could afford it.
Glittering_Habit_161@reddit
Waterstones
pickindim_kmet@reddit
More so when I was younger but a zoo. Where I live we're a good 3+ hour drive to any kind of zoo, and when I was a kid I loved zoos. They were always just too far away to get to.
There's one that's popped up about 1 hour away now but it's not the most exciting.
Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)
i was really lucky, half hour drive from chester zoo. went loads as a kid. haven't been since before covid though. they've not got the monorail anymore :(
zippyzebra1@reddit
Free money dispenser
Certain-Donut-9175@reddit
Takeaway delivery. We are rural and there are no places that deliver to us. We wouldn't use it often but occasionally it would be nice to be able to have a takeaway. Our nearest places to pickup are 30 mins away so the food is cold by the time you get home.
Also, Ikea and Costco, both are 2.5hrs away.
Ok_Salary_9653@reddit
Safety
Queen_of_London@reddit
Clothes shops and shoe shops. This is me being spoilt in some ways, because I can access loads of them with a shortish tube or bus ride, but I feel like being so central I should have more options than Sports Direct within walking distance.
mdmnl@reddit
A pub
nabsickle@reddit
Cosco, Aldi there are none in Northern Ireland
TonyBalonyUK@reddit
Law and order
d_dawg_23@reddit
It’s available on amazon prime
Fickle_Acanthaceae17@reddit
Brothel
Jealous-Shallot-3071@reddit
Is that so you can see your mum again?
Few-Pepper858@reddit
no, yours
Proud_Durian6956@reddit
A decent model shop
Urmotherrrr1@reddit
an m&s. they got rid of it yearsss ago, but man i miss going in to m&s the closest one is 30mins away
Internal_Tip3975@reddit
Yes! I miss my old M&S ! Whenever I got many hours from babysitting the whole night, the next afternoon I'd just walk over and buy a meal deal,some sweet treats and have a lazy lunch. Miss m&s 🥺 they had the best pizza and donuts
Urmotherrrr1@reddit
m&s is the best for picky bits!! i just can’t justify driving 30 minutes unfortunately. the closest i have is a bp but they have nothing 😭😭
Internal_Tip3975@reddit
Awww man that's a bummer! Hopefully you can make it a treat to visit sometimes....
Acceptable_Tap_2251@reddit
A proper butchers/deli
ambergriswoldo@reddit
A drive thru - McDonald’s / Burger King / kfc - ANY. The nearest one is a good 40 minute drive
gemmajenkins2890@reddit
Ohhhh plenty. McDonald’s, primark, next, Tesco, a decent chicken place…
Federal-Mortgage7490@reddit
a nice beach
ACharredCell@reddit
A swimming pool.
It's not that far away, but I don't drive and it's not very convenient by public transport. People keep recommending that I take up swimming while recovering from a foot injury, but in order to get to the nearest swimming pool I would end up walking several miles, which would sort of defeat the point...
Vaxtez@reddit
Pretty much everything. If I want something beyond small town stuff + retail park items, it's a 4hr trip to Chester on public transport or 3hrs to Swansea.
The-Jelly-Fox@reddit
IKEA! Uniqlo, Daiso, Muji, and other Asian stores. They generally have the best goods.
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