Just wondering if anyone can tip me off on which are the nice bits in between Bradford and Leeds, and how quality of life compares to the South West?

I don’t know Yorkshire at all really, but I’m considering an experimental move up this summer. I just had a relationship end and fancy a fresh start.

I work remotely for a company based in Shipley. I can technically live anywhere, but currently I live in Bath, and pop up for meetings two or three times a year. I tried living abroad but I missed the language.

My only solid requirements are hills, good dog walks nearby, and drivable (45 mins off peak?) to Shipley. ( I would commute in maybe once a week). Secondary requirements are fibre internet and access to urban culture, but I could live without these potentially.

Things i like about Bath.
– varied topology, hills, unspolit views, not much industry spoiling the landscape.
– loads of dog walks and trails, national trust maintained tracks
– good restaurants and night life, active mid 30s online dating scence
– very quiet and safe. I frequently leave my back door unlocked if I’m out for a couple of hours.

things I don’t like about bath.
– a bit snooty and posh
– not much live music
– pubs can be a bit grey dull and boring
– touristy and a bit of a theme park
– very pricey

I’m currently paying over a grand a month for my flat in Bath, so figure my money might go farther in the north too!

Hebden Bridge/Todmoreden obvs.

Where are you “from” ? Don’t ignore the fact that you might not fit in, you may also find you “miss the language” in Yorkshire too 🙂

If flat rental is pricey in Bath how about moving a bit further out ? Although that would probably make the music/social scene even quieter. Way way back when I was a student I found oive music scene in Bristol quite reasonable, id personally not switch Bath for Bristol though.

Good luck

I’m from the midlands originally, so yeah a bit posh, but I can just about pull off a brummie accent

🙂

Looking at your likes and dislikes about Bath, not sure there would be much of a net benefit moving up, unless you know something about the dating scene in Shipley that has passed me by.

Have you actually come up and had a drive around?

I live in Shipley, you could get a nice apartment in the village of Saltaire for well less than a 1000pm that gives you great access to the countryside and a 13min train ride to Leeds centre.

Other areas you might want to look at: Baildon, Eldwick, Harden, Esholt, Ilkley, Apperley bridge/Calverley, Menston, Skipton, Hebden Bridge.

Lots of nice places all with different advantages.

You’ll need good thermals…

Don’t laugh, you will.

Saltaire as mentioned or perhaps Cottingley

If you’re working in Shipley, avoid Leeds unless you’re willing to do train. Driving between Leeds and Bradford is commuter hell. Had to go to a customer site in Bradford last week. Took me about 30 minutes to get from Tadcaster to Leeds and an hour to go from Leeds to the customer site near Shipley.

The obvious equiv to Bath would be Harrogate, altho the other negative bits likely come with it ie pricey and posh (tho it might not be on a Bath level of pricey and posh). It’s about the only place outside Leeds which has some culture, masses of restaurants, pubs and a scene, basically because of it’s size and wealth. The Myth is that there are loads of single female execs who like to play it fast and loose. Anywhere bordering the Stray is nice, I like Cold Bath Rd / Valley Gardens area, it’s a village within a town sort of thing. It’s got a good mix of people as well, not all wealthy.

Leeds, you need to look North or West areas, Moortown area, Horsforth, Calverley.

Everywhere else might be a bit lacking for a single 30s bloke who’s used to living in a more urban environment, in terms of stuff going on.
Here are a few highlights:

Skipton was voted best place to live in the UK by the Telegraph(?), altho the criteria was things like schools scores, public transport links, quality of night sky, access to countryside etc.
The thing Skipton has going for it particularly is it’s the gateway to the Dales and only an hour to central Lake District.

Both Skipton and Otley seem to have a very active town council with events and festivals on a regular basis, making them fairly vibrant, but not necessarily for a single 30s bloke.
Bingley is OK, Hedben Bridge is nice, if you can swim, both have good doorstep MTBing.
Ilkley is nice, but posh and pricey.

That’s it from me, oh!, forget Bradford, but it’s good for the Imax and some of it’s curry houses.

Nice bits between Leeds & Bradford?
Nope. Except perhaps Calverley & Horsforth.

Nice bits around Leeds & Bradford? Plenty. Baildon, Bingley, Eldwick, Menston, Guiseley, Bramhope, Harden, Cullingworth, Wilsden. Almost all of them on the north side. Good rail links between Leeds and Ilkley, Skipton, Bradford and beyond but forget about commuting by car unless you like moving slowly or not at all.
M62 links to Manchester but it’s usually broken somewhere between Leeds (J29) and Rochdale (J21?). M1 and a little further afield, A1 are good links to the south and the NE

5 year Leeds resident here, now currently living in Skipton with the girlfriend. Leeds itself is good if you’re single and want to be where the action is. The train links to Shipley are good (10 mins from Leeds station) so you won’t need to drive. Leeds has a decent dating scene if that’s a priority, as well as masses and masses of pubs, clubs, theatres, and places to eat. If you are into your clubbing then Leeds is one of the best cities in the UK for late night shenanigans.

If you have a car then there’s some good riding outside of the city centre. Plenty of options within half an hour to an hour. If you want door to door riding then the options are more limited though, depending where in Leeds you choose to live.

Best areas for a young singleton; the city centre, Chapel Allerton, Moortown, Roundhay, Headingley / the nice parts of Meanwood if you don’t mind mixing it up with the students during term time, Horsforth.

Bradford is supposedly “up and coming” but in all honesty I’d avoid it as its still a bit of a dump.

As someone else said, Harrogate is very similar to Bath (both Victorian spa towns) so if you want something new then you might find it quite familiar. Lots more going on than the other Dales towns though.

I love living in Skipton because the great outdoors is right on the doorstep so at the weekend I just pick a direction and ride / walk. Even as a North Yorkshireman myself though I’ve found people to be a little standoffish here until they get to know you. There’s none of the aloofness that Harrogate / Ilkley people can give off though. We are spoilt for choice pub-wise and the train links to Leeds and Bradford are very good.

Ilkley. Most people here are from somewhere else.

I would agree with above – the closest to Bath within 45 mins of Shipley would be Harrogate. It certainly ticks some of your boxes but it also has some of the traits that you don’t like about Bath.

We almost moved to Otley or Horsforth a few years back, both nice places that would fit the bill for you I think (dunno about the dating scene but being close to Leeds may help with that).

If you only have to go to Shipley now and again, why not live somewhere decent?

As a great man once said, Manchester has everything except a beach.

Daft questions, how old are you ? How much can you afford?

I used to live in Saltaire village, highly recommend for 20-40 age group, great community & pubs, countryside, biking on the doorstep. Leeds 15 mins away on train for a night out if you demand the big city. Small Saltaire town houses about £120k

Now live up the hill in Baildon, more family based type place, more expensive etc.

Riding around Shipley, Saltaire, Baildon is fantastic, you can ride to places like Hebden and further without using roads.

Bingley also worth a look.

WIll check Saltaire out funkydunc! I’m mid 30s, and looking to spend up to 250. I don’t need a lot of rooms, sob sob, but a bit of a homebody so like a bit of space

If you have a look at Saltaire you may as well have a mooch around Guiseley, otley and Ilkley. I like Otley, good small market town, lively nightlife, but a bit local sometimes. But it’s not on the rail line, so cheaper property but the trains are a big advantage around W Yorks, cheap and 15/20 minutes into Leeds. My unlimited use annual MetroCard is about £70 month through work. If you live within walking distance of a station then Leeds nightlife and work easily accessible.

Have you seen the documentry Happy Valley 😯

Def somewhere out of Skipton then use the fast electric train that is I think every 20 mins at peak times.

C

I did Woodlesford to Shipley door to door by train in 45 minutes on Friday. Was astonished how good and regular the rail link was. As said above, driving in the gap between Leeds and Bradford is rush hour hell. That’s partly why I live on the other side of Leeds, lots of countryside (no hills though) and great links for both rail and road.

Nice post that from devash all those points about my home town, friend of mine moved this way from Lincoln for all those reasons. Cant add anything regarding being a single thirty something moving here but I’m sure there are some.