[Closed] Where to live: Conwy, Cardiff, or Shrewsbury?

Hmm, on the subject of kebabs and fights.. Cardiff town centre is a bit wild on a Friday/Saturday night it must be said.

Given the chance, I would move to Conwy without a moment's hesitation.
Seaside, mountains, A ****IN PROPER CASTLE and the smallest house in the UK.
brilliant place.

I know I won't be disappointed, all of my friends are there and I am well aware of how much the City has moved but for me it's quality of live, missing the city, sea and mountains. MTBing from your house is just an awesome luxury which I don't have any more. I used top live around Castell Coch, up to Caerphilly down the back, over to Rhydry, along the Ridgeway and back through the Wenallt! fab quick 2 1/2 hour ride! Going to probably be doing that route when i'm back next week, Monday I'll head off locally and probably end up in teh pub over in Rhydry for a swifty before heading back for a bit of night riding. There's loads of local stuff and MASSES if you want to head over to Afan, Cwmcarn or up into the Brecons.

Munqe-chick, you need to move! Don't worry too much about the career and backward steps. I had a chance back in 2003 to move back to Cardiff but it would have meant a backward step in terms of career so I pulled out of a job interview and now realise it was a big mistake :(. Now as you said the city has changed so not so sure but looking back I should have moved then as had only been away since 2001. Now its 9 years later 🙁

Molgrips, I think there is quite a lot of riding near Castell Coch although I suppose it depends on what you're looking for. Know what you mean about fri/sat night in town. I always remember the look on a friend's girlfriend's face (who is Norwegian) when we walked onto St Mary's St one Sat night(!!) but I've always felt comfortable there, as its my home town

there is LOADS of riding around Castell Coch you just need to find the sneaky trails, and some links over to the Wenallt which are ace.
I agree about the City Centre, it has now become stag and hen do capitol so lots of fights and vomit, however I know Oxford City is full of drunken idiots fighting so I'm not so sure it's massively different to other cities just may seem worse as it's bigger and hence larger population of drunk people!!
I was inthe process of trying to move back to Cardiff when I met Mr MC in 2003 and luckily I took the plunge to move towards where he was (Oxford) and I dont' regret it ..... phew!!!! I will at some point it's now just waiting for South Wales to recruit some flipping police officers! Come on South Wales Dc's banging on your door to work for you and investigate those drunken City Centre fights 😉

Oh and Terrahawk ... don't talk to us about castles! I think (I hope my facts are correct now!!) Carephilly Castle (just outside Cardiff) was the 3rd largest inhabited castle in Europe after Windsor Castle (and not sure of the other one). So we have a whopping Castle ... okay it's getting a little run down but it's still a beauty.

Wow - thanks for all the replies everyone! It sounds as though they're all great places in their different ways 🙂

At the moment I live up in the mountains west of Caernarfon - stunningly beautiful spot, but with the end of the relationship the house has to be sold (if anyone wants a fully renovated old welsh cottage ...). But it has meant that I've realised that at this point in my life it would be positive to move somewhere where there are a few more people(not hard as at the moment my only neighbours are sheep and welsh mountain ponies!)

I think I'll take the advice to spend some weekends in each of the places - i already know Conwy reasonably well and the Carneddi is one of my favourite biking places (and it's nice to hear that some of you guys live over there and it's not all just over 70's!). I go to Shrewsbury and Cardiff a lot for work, so know and like the town / city centres, but have never biked / hiked around there so I think a few weekend visits will be called for.

Cheers all for your responses - makes me feel that there will be some positive things to look forward to in the future.

My parents are from Caernarfon and I lived there a few years,so know your area well. If you haven't lived in a decent sized town or city do that for a while perhaps. Then you can decide if you want to come back to "middle ground" in Conwy?

Chose Conwy! Kevevs can show you around, he knows all the good places. He's a nice bloke too, arty and creative and that. His parent's dog is really stupid though.

My sisters 2 springers are also living at my parent's now. That's proper stupid!

3 Stupid dogs in the same house??? That's completely insane!!

I've stayed at Kev's parents' place a couple of times. One time, my socks went missing. Where did I find them? In the stupid dog's mouth. 🙄

At the moment I live up in the mountains west of [b][i]Caernarfon[/i][/b]

OK, sorry, I didn't realise that you are already well aqcuainted with all things Taffy! 😉

Do you really have to leave Caernarfon? Driving from Caernarfon to Cardiff aong the coast will give you one of the most beatiful commutes in the world! 😀

I don't have to leave Caernarfon, but can work anywhere in / near to various locations in north, mid or south wales, and was looking for somewhere with good train connections, as well as some more social groups / activities etc.

Oh ... and stupid dogs with socks are still fab 🙂

Sue_W sounds like you'll fit in Cardiff a treat 😉

Hi Munqe-chick I'm actually down working in Cardiff at the moment ... sun is shining and found a fab italian place for dinner last night. But I have a bit of a concern that moving from an isolated mountain to a bit city would be a bit too much. Do you have any recommendations about where in / around Cardiff would be a good place to live? (safe / socialable / easy access / doorstep biking or walking?)

don simon - Member

At the moment I live up in the mountains west of Caernarfon

OK, sorry, I didn't realise that you are already well aqcuainted with all things Taffy!

As an ex Cardiff resident I would love to move back.

Lots of nice bits of Cardiff, my favourite place to live was Pontcanna but its a bit pricey (Llandaff is very similar). I was also very happy for a long time in Victoria Park. Whitchurch is a good alternative but further out (and so cheaper). Large bits of Roath and Cathays are very studenty. Canton is very mixed with some good areas and other less so. Heath is nicish too. The Bay area can be very pleasant if you like lots of newish flats. Rhwbina, Llanishen and Cyncoed are more suburban. Areas to avoid include Ely/Caerau, St Mellons, Tremorfa, most of Splott Riverside and Grangetown. (There are other areas I've forgotton/missed mainly due to not knowing them that well and I'm sure to have offended several people too)

Some villages near and around Cardiff too (Morganstown, Radyr, Pentyrch, Creigiau etc)which are an option if you want to live somewhere smaller and quieter.

As for riding...Castell Coch isn't even the tip of the iceberg and there's a friendly bunch ride out from the Lewis Arms in Tongwynlais pretty much every Wednesday night.

there is LOADS of riding around Castell Coch

Well yeah there is some, but it's become a bit meh after all these years. Trust me, I know the trails 🙂 although having said that I do keep discovering more bits...

I can show you Cardiff trails if you like.. Hitman can come out too 🙂

For new single people I'd suggest living somewhere like Pontcanna, Roath, Canton would be nice. The old places north of town, basically.

Caernarfon is quite a long was from the river Taff, Taffy beeing the south Walean equivalent of Gog.

Call me stupid, but what's a Gog? Not sure if I've ever heard that one...

Gogogoch?

Gog = North Wales gogledd is north in Welsh

Sue, if you want a spin out around shrewsbury drop me a line, theres normally a few of out Sunday mornings and either tuesday or thursday evening.
Nothing to mad.
Cheers
Paul

Gog = North Wales gogledd is north in Welsh

Now it rings a bell, but not something commonly heard in North Wales I don't think. Not in N.E. Wales anyway.

Most people don't know anything about North Wales, and think they all talk with the typical accent like they do in the South...

Most people don't know anything about North Wales,

Strange lot down south, even got a different language!!! 😉

Duw aye.

I'm from the midlands, now living in North Wales and I'm a zealot about the area. I hate big cities so Cardiff is out as it's too urban down there. Shrewsbury suburbs are ok and it's near the M6, but I just love North Wales for so many reasons it would get my vote.

Don simon...I live in N E Wales ...call the hillbillies Gogs all the time!...just like they call me a Taff... I keep them enthralled with tales of strange 3 laned roads and mains gas...beyond some of them 😉

ps I married one so am qualified to comment!

Amazing really it took us this long to get to the right answer!

ColinT has given some really good advice. There are lots of nice areas. I guess it depends how central to the City you want to live. If you want to be somewhere you can cycle out to trails then I'd be looking at North, Whitchurch (that's where I grew up and folks still live), Radyr, Heath, then you have Tongwynlais, Creigiau which are lovely but a little further out again and right at the bottom of some mountains. If you want to e-mail for lots more advice I'm more than happy to let you know.
If you want to be in touch with some girls for MTBing (if you're around there at present) then let me know and I'll pass on some details or pop into Cyclopaedaia on Crwys Road and ask to speak to Ian. There is a large tri club in Cardiff as well who are super friendly and I used to just turn up for swimming training maybe once a month when I was home, always included me even though I wasn't a triathlete. Oh and maindy Velodrome for some fun and games too.

Cathays is very studenty however I still quite like the area, very central.

Hope this helps, however I could go on!!

I love Cardiff though despite it changing, it is my home, I feel very Welsh and miss it dearly.

O h and to add to COlin T's list to avoid are Rhymney, Llanrumney

😯 at Munque-chick.

Radyr is a slew of bland housing estates.. Creigiau is in the middle of nowhere (that I'm told isn't very nice) and Tongwynlais is a dump, only notable for being by the small local woodland of Castell Coch.

Whitchurch on the other hand is quite nice, as is Heath 🙂

Cardiff has a lot going on and if it doesn't, has good links to a lot of places that do.

As a long shot, Abergavenny?

Can get train to Cardiff or Shrewsbury, riding and walking out the door, canoeing, sailing, para gliding and climbing back towards Brecon, Gospel pass over to Hay-on-Wye

I was considering a move to Abergavenny. It's got mountains and outdoor, but also a train station and good links to the M4. I'd prefer Brecon but it's that bit further from everything, and I need to be mobile for work.

I was considering a move to Abergavenny

😯 Are you better now?

I stayed in Abergavenny once, on a school trip. Got in loads of trouble because a girls' school was staying at the place at the same time. A Catholic girls' school....

Blorenge. It's all I'm saying.

day off tomorrow, so going Bikey. Got soooo much to choose I can't decide!

Road ride down the coast or the mountain roads? Marin, Penmachno, Llandegla, Coed Y Brenin, Delamere? Snowdon? Cheeky trails? The stuff the local lads showed me? or just point my bike up that away and find some new stuff? There's a few things to do if you like bikes round here!

I was also thinking the same about Abergavvenny!!! Too far to CArdiff, I think the communte would annoy, even though they are now good roads.
I disagree about Cregiau and Tongwynlais, I guess Sue_W you'll have to take a trip around, I would also suggest going into local police station and ask their advice on what esates/areas are nicer and which to avoid as they will be honest with you.

Yeah Abergavenny is a bit close to the scuzzy Valleys side of things.. that's the disadvantage.

Munque-chick, I'm not suggesting living in Abergavenny and working in Cardiff (I don't work in cardiff btw)

Ah but I think Sue_W will be working in Cardiff which was my point. Oh the joys of Wales! Well I'm back to Whitchurch on Sunday night for four nights of riding. I'm going to head up to Castell Coch, Caerphilly and Rhydry on the bike and see how much the trails from my yoooff have changed!! Should be an interesting experience, lets hope the sun stays out.

Scuzzy Valleys side of things??????? Now then now then there is no need for that. Go 7 miles up the HoV and your pounds will double in what house you can get. Quick blast over Llangynidr Moors and you are at Bwlch.

Get on the tops above the likes of Cwm and Manmoel and you are cycling in isolated heaven. Easy commute to Cardiff by train or car.

Abergavenny is a bit of a hole and now the market is a shadow of its former glory.

Go 7 miles up the HoV and your pounds will double in what house you can get.

Yeah, and there's a reason for that 😉

Very true but for the right money the bunker should be impenetrable, and you could have the chance to live in a World Heritage site 🙂

there is LOADS of riding around Castell Coch

Well yeah there is some, but it's become a bit meh after all these years. Trust me, I know the trails although having said that I do keep discovering more bits...

There are still great trails around the castle, I'm not saying you could do a 3 hour awesome epic, but there is easily enough for an 1 1/2 blat through some cool singletrack with some rocky drop off descents.

Don't think you know the trails as well as you think you do.

Specifically at Castell Coch, what trails are there that I've missed? Explain your favourite ride?

Edit: For the non-locals, [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=313697&y=183287&z=120&sv=313697,183287&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=738&ax=313697&ay=183287&lm=0 ]this[/url] is the bit of woodland we are talking about. It's not very big, as you will see 🙂

Specifically at Castell Coch, what trails are there that I've missed? Explain your favourite ride?

Edit: For the non-locals, this is the bit of woodland we are talking about. It's not very big, as you will see

not sure you neeed to go into too much detail

A bit meh suggests dull and insipid which it certainly ain't. IMO. Great little place for an hours play and as has already been said a good start for longer rides. Really can't be rsed describing each trail in detail sorry.

Suggested Abergavenny for it's train station, but I live just outside Bwlch with trails out the garden. Though I work in the Beacons, my GF commutes to Glamorgan Uni' and has commuted to Cardiff in a previous job, over Llangynidir mountain.

Cheers everyone - great to have so much feedback and information about all 3 places. (I was a bit worried for a while that I might have started a north v south Wales debate - both are fab in their different ways!) For various reasons, mainly work related, Shrewsbury is looking the most likely place that I'll move to (although I also have the girl's perogative to change my mind if preferred!)

So, now that I'm a bit more specific, and am trying to have a look at what the housing options are, does anyone have any info on what areas in Shrewsbury to consider and which (if any) to avoid. Would be keen on finding somewhere within walking / cycling distance of the station, with some 'greenery' on the doorstep, but not too far out or isolated (oh, and not likely to flood!). Thanks for all the info on bike clubs / groups, and offers to meet up for a ride. Would definately like to sample the riding when I head over for a weekend at some point.

Cheers