[Closed] Talk to me about life in and around Bristol.

[s]Depending where you live[/s][b] If you live in Bath[/b] its relatively easy to commute to Swindon [b]and Bristol[/b] - I know lots of people who do (which has the additional benefit of not having to live in Swindon [b]or Bristol[/b]).

😉

If you live in Bath

Lived there for about 7 years and still visit friends there fairly regularly. I always lived pretty central (Southville, Totterdown, Cotham, Montpelier) so could pretty much bike or walk everywhere which was fantastic. Like others have said, great nighlife, good music scene and some fab bars and restaurants. Loads going on in the summer particularly.

If you don't have kids I'd try to be as close in to the centre as possible - some pleasant spots in South Bristol with good access to harbourside and Ashton Court etc. A lot of the outlying suburbs are "generic" to say the least and if you're too far out you probably won't get so much benefit from being there, getting into town can be a pain on public transport. Generally, traffic as other people have mentioned is a pain still, but weirdly you've probably got better car-free access to trails living in the centre than you have if you live out in some of the 'burbs (Yate excepted of course 🙂 )

I'm puzzled as to why anyone would drive from Central Bristol to Ashton Court given you can ride it in less time.

One thing to bear in mind is that Bristol can sometimes seem like a big village - I personally like that aspect of it, but some folk find it a bit too much!

Central Bristol would be a different matter though, traffic is awful. Even if clear it'll take you ~40 minutes to drive to Ashton court.

City centre to AC is 20 minutes at most on the bike...best to live in town I reckon.

Milkie, which hills/singletrack do you mean? (within 20 minutes)

[url= http://singletrackworld.com/trailguide/uk/south-west/the-cotswolds/ ]STW also have a route map for you to check out.[/url]

There is also a wood between Wickwar and Yate, that is quite nice to ride. 😉

Yate, isn't really Bristol though is it.

I lived in Clifton for around 12 years before moving to Cleeve, upsides, everything on your doorstep and you really don't need to use your car on the weekend. Good pubs, food, walking, etc

Downsides the parking is awful, and house prices are mental.

This is a timely thread, considering a move back to brizzle (lived there for a year or so about '03). Don't really know the south of the city at all though, and would be working on the SE side...where's good to live for a convenient bike commute that direction?

Wouldn't go south of the river personally. Bedminster etc is not for me.

Commute to where? If to the Center, I would look for somewhere on the Bristol to Bath cyclepath. However driving into Bristol from that direction is truly awful, and it takes a while to get to the motorway.

Wouldn't go south of the river

Well that's it, I never did when I lived there, except twice for parties. Always seemed a bit seedy...but maybe just the parts I saw.

Wouldn't go south of the river personally. Bedminster etc is not for me.

And they say north Bristol is full of snobs...

Plenty of plusses southside: housing is cheaper, closer to the centre (10 mins walk from Southville)thriving independent high street (North St.), nice parks, good community feel (e.g. Totterdown) increasing number of nice pubs & restaurants. In summary, it's changed significantly for the better in the 10 years or so I've lived here.

Of course, there are the less desirable parts, but you can say that about plenty of areas northside too.

I never went south of the river when I was a student or when we moved back to Bristol and thought that it was a bit dodgy too but having now lived in Bedminster and then Totterdown, I'm not sure I'd move elsewhere - I think it's a great area - easy and quick to get to good riding, plenty of good pubs/bars, easy to get to Clifton/Redland if you're so inclined, easy to get to the docks, decent houses, affordable houses (not cheap but not silly like Clifton/etc) and a big plus is that traffic isn't bad like the hell of North Bristol at rush hour. Also, some nice parks, more of a community feel and finally, it's choka with mtbers 🙂

Sure there are some crap bits but you can easily avoid those - I can't remember the last time I've been to them.

IA - Bristol's changed loads since 2003 (which is when I moved back here) - Bedminster/Southville/Totterdown are all decent areas now (with the exception of Bedminster around East Street). I'd suggest visiting

I moved there in 1991 and left in 2005 to move to sydney - it was awesome; rave culture back in the day was unbeliveable, massive attack and all the associated bands made it a really exciting place to be during the 90's, skateboard, bmx, graffiti scene is lively, excellent night life, riding from home, quality natural trails in the Mendips, Q'tox, man made stuff with 1-2 hrs drive. Its got everything a big city has in a compact city.....move there!!

Of course, there are the less desirable parts,

Where's desireable south side then?

Bristol's changed loads since 2003 (which is when I moved back here

I can believe that, it felt on the edge of changes when I was there, areas just starting to redevelop etc. Bit of a trek for a visit though, currently in Scotland...

quality natural trails in the Mendips, Q'tox, man made stuff with 1-2 hrs drive. Its got everything a big city has in a compact city.....move there!!

Yeah, but I currently live in Edinburgh, which I think's about the only city in the UK to beat Bristol for riding...

There's a lot of snobbery about South Bristol. Make your own judgement.

Sure it has it's dodgy areas like anywhere but there are some good spots too. Southville is fine and has easy access to the centre, harbourside and Ashton Court, Totterdown is a bit quirky / alternative but has a really good community feel and is genuinely one of the friendliest city neighbourhoods I've ever lived (steep hills mind!). Windmill Hill is also worth a look. Even Bedminster itself is on the up these days - cracking Indian restaurant on Bedminster Parade.

I'd prefer to live in any of those places than the suburbs.

And they say north Bristol is full of snobs...

Horses for courses really, personally I really liked the ease of living in Clifton (and allegedly I am about as far from posh as you can get, I am from W-s-M FFS) whereas other people find it completely up its own arse.

Wouldn't go south of the river personally. Bedminster etc is not for me

Yet you say this about Bath...

Lovely place but I couldn't live there due to the wannabe toffs.

...sounds like it's perfect for you.

IA - Member
Where's desireable south side then?

Southville, parts of Bedminster, parts of Totterdown, parts of Knowle. IMO, of course.

wrecker - you're in the Bristol administrative area, not the City of Bristol 🙂

My work has a Bristol postcode but it's 12 miles from home...

clubber - Member
but having now lived in Bedminster and then Totterdown,

Erm, I believe you mean Lower Knowle? 😉

I love South Bristol (grew up in Clifton). It's really come up in the last 10 years or so, lots of good places to eat and drink, easy walking distance into town, and easy riding to local trails, or the Chew Valley etc for roadying. Generally friendly and laid-back too.

Wouldn't go south of the river personally. Bedminster etc is not for me

Yet you say this about Bath...

Lovely place but I couldn't live there due to the wannabe toffs.

...sounds like it's perfect for you.

I think you mean Upper Lower Lower Lower Clifton...

If we weren't moving to another country, we would settle in / around Bristol. It has everything and is big enough to have areas with their own identity as well as being Bristol burbs. Liked it when I visited it and lived here for 2.5 years so far and love it all.

Yate. No thanks. Self build centre? Go and visit it so you know what is there. It gives you an appreciation of the market rather than all the cool things you could buy. It is useful on that front.

It's preference. Do you know that word?

Indeed I do.

I also know the word humour; as used in the phrase 'sense of humour failure'.

You don't know what you're talking about. It has nothing to do with being stuck up and everything to do with preferring suburb living to inner city

Unless it's a suburb south of the river. That wouldn't be for you...

Southville, parts of Bedminster, parts of Totterdown, parts of Knowle. IMO, of course.

I'd add Victoria Park, parts of Windmill Hill, parts of Ashton and Perrets Park to your list.

I always laughed at 'Sadly Broke' 😆

'Victoria Park' and 'Perrets Park' are parts of Totterdown/Bemmie to me but fair point maybe 🙂

'Victoria Park' and 'Perrets Park' are parts of Totterdown/Bemmie to me but fair point maybe

True, but it can be hard to know that from estate agent descriptions...

I cant believe people are knocking Bemmie 😀

BS3 is a great place to live! Everywhere from British road to Southville, there's a real sense of community, the vast majority of people are friendly. Since I've moved to Manchester and experienced Chorlton, Southville doesn't seem anywhere near as pretentious/new age/hippytrehugging****yness as it did when I lived down south 😀

I would move back there in a flash if we had family down there for babysitting duties!

All the best people live in Portishead, Carol Vorderman, Johnny Briggs and me to name a few.

But none of them actually ever ride mtbs do they 😉

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Great times, great people.

Carol Vorderman lives in Bristol, she bought one of the houses overlooking the bridge about 8 months ago.

Bemmie is OK, but its no Clifton is it 😉

But none of them actually ever ride mtbs do they

Aye, but one of them is tremendously shit on a road bike.

You should just ride your road bike round the woods KT, I've been riding round the woods on 90psi slicks for weeks!

Carol Vorderman lives in Bristol, she bought one of the houses overlooking the bridge about 8 months ago.

She likes to complain about how difficult it is to park her 4x4 on the school run. I should think Clifton suits her perfectly...

You should just ride your road bike round the woods KT, I've been riding round the woods on 90psi slicks for weeks!

Hell no, those trails have claimed enough of my skin in the last few months thankyouverymuch.

Clubber/ ADH: the LVIS audax was awesome! Clearly, another good reason to move to Bristol...

Brizzle: wouldnt want to live anywhere else, except Vancouver, Grenoble, etc. Good music scenes, great riding from your house or further afield in a car, friendly vibes, more chilled out than SE England commuter belt where i lived previously. If you want to get specific: I lived in Clifton for a while but much prefer Totterdown. both were a nice walk into town, close to AC/LW etc and work. Difference is now i'm closer to Temple Meads, and I knew most of my neighbours by name after a few months in T-down whereas and the people in Clifton seemed less friendly. Less students being rowdy on school nights too. i've got a pump track minutes away from me now too thanks to a lot of hard work from some people on here.

Clubber/ ADH: the LVIS audax was awesome!
Clearly, another good reason to move to
Bristol...

well I didn't want to boast but now you mentioned it 🙂 http://audax.lvis.org.uk

I knew most of my neighbours by name after a few months in T-down whereas and the people in Clifton seemed less friendly.

I would agree with that, right upto the point I got a dog. After which I knew most of my neighbours.