[Closed] Where to live in Derby/Nottingham

Better to be dead in Nottingham than alive in Derby.

Beeston and Woolaton are pretty nice. west Bridgford is probably the nicest place to be in Nottingham but not really an easy drive to Derby.

That said, I'd go for where everyone else is living. Nothing worse than having a works night out and having to cry off due to taxi fares.

Fellow RR employee here.

I'd second tron....nottingham far better place to live.....but consider basing yourself in derby to start with, just to emmerse yourself in the grad socialising, parties etc. Maybe then think about moving somewhere better?

Depending what scheme you're on you may find yourself in Bristol / Glasgow / abroad fairly soon anyway.

Good luck!

Have you thought about time taken to get to trails?

Where is there any decent trails near Nottingham?

Allestree, Duffield, Belper are all good places for pubs, restaurants and great trails, and you're less than 30 mins drive from White Peak.

I'm based in moor lane. I'd second the staying local ish for the social site of things too.

Welcome to RR.... You'll never leave

Congrats on getting on the grad scheme and welcome to R-R. I'm in Moor Lane too.

Would also advise doing what makes it easiest to do the 'grad thing' for socialising, etc. You can get yourself sorted and settle later once you know what's what.

If you don't fancy driving, there is the inter-site bus, which picks up / drops off at Derby train station. Can make things a bit easier as Derby traffic can be awful, and could even make places a bit further afield, like Sheffield, a possibility.

Did HR send you the 'where to live in Derby' info pack?

Nottingham is much more fun to go out in but the commute by car from Nottingham to Derby can be horrific.

If you choose to live in Derby then the Darley area and Allestree are nice to live in.

I think Derby is better located to go mountain biking especially if you will be traveling by train.

[EDIT] There are coaches running between Nottingham and Derby until 3:30am so it is cheap to go from Derby to Nottingham for a night out.

Chellaston or somewhere to south of Derby (Shelton Lock, Sinfin or Stenson fields cheaper but not as nice)
10-15 min cycle to either RR site, along cycle paths, no roads need to be used
Good bus or taxi links into Derby for nights out
Straight out into country for easy rides - Ticknall etc easy riding distance with good pubs en route, Belper, Ambergate easy to get to via back roads avoiding a38 /A6 bottlenecks. Straight out onto A50 for anywhere else in the country
It's easy to live in Derby and go out in Nottingham night buses run all night at weekends, but Derby is a decent night out anyway, and more compact I prefer it to Notts (6 years in Nottingham as a student, 12 years now in Derby)
Getting to Sinfin in the mornings from Notts, with traffic is probably at least 45mins to an hour, slightly less for Raynesway

There is some good real ale pubs in Beeston if that's your thing, and the tram will link it to Nottingham

Welcome back Duane 🙂
If you remember you used to live round the corner from me in derby last time, we moved to chellaston a year ago and love it (but then I rarely go into Derby city centre and don't really have nights out anymore)

Edit - we should all organise a Derby area STW evening pub ride, didn't realise there was so many of us

I live the other side of Matlock and if bike riding (off road) is anywhere on your list of priorities, I'd be heading this way out of Derby, not the other.

I'd rather cut my balls off than live in notts! Come out to belper. 10 mins to derby 30 mins to nots and a reet good old town!

I've planned three or four pub loops which start from moor lane

[i]I'd rather cut my balls off than live in notts![/i]

I was down in Nottingham last week, and had forgotten just how bad the ex-Mining villages were - down-right depressing.

Yeah, they're the pits.

I'll get my coat.

Belper is alright, Couple of nice Pubs, decent Indian, a fantastic Chippy, Plenty of ladies oh and theres a Bike shop and a train station straight into Derby,

Derby / Belper No brainer ! Peaks around the corner 😀

My vote goes for neither. I moved from Sheffield to Nottingham in order to work for Rolls last year. Commuting to moor lane from the park in Nottingham (derby road) wasn't bad at 7.15am, but I was always away so being in notts was pointless. Moved to derby 6 months later, but honestly, it's depressing as hell. In my experience you are either a professional working up a ladder or you're poor. I think there's a serious wealth gap in derby, and all the bad trappings that come with it.

I moved back to Sheffield 3 months ago. I'm no longer at rolls, but commuting to derby by train is easy and only 30mins each way (plus the free bus). You've got the dark peak on the door step, great people, pubs and plenty of other things to do.

Anyway, don't discount Sheffield, it's worked for me. And good luck with the grad scheme 🙂

+1 for living in sheffield and commuting. It's what I do. I'd much rather have a longer commute and be able to ride to the Peak District in minutes rather than be able to ride to work in minutes and have a longer drive to the decent riding.

£2.5a year on fuel though, but compared to £3k for train tickets it makes sense, especially with the flexibility.

Lived further south round Loughborough years ago and moved around bit of the glorious East Midlands....

I'd probably bite the bullet and head Derby way initially (6 month lease) and stick in with your fellow grads for a bit. The advantage of being young and house free is your not tied to anything for long. Also it means you can work out what is best for you in terms of places and the rest.

Moved to derby 6 months later, but honestly, it's depressing as hell. In my experience you are either a professional working up a ladder or you're poor. I think there's a serious wealth gap in derby, and all the bad trappings that come with it.

That could apply to most the country surely!? 🙂

So benkitcher, you spent about 2-3 months in Derby, presumably renting, and you saw enough to make that judgement?
It may be where I live for work and (married into) family reasons but I'm no great fan of the city but you are very very wide of the mark, get out the immediate city centre and it's quite pleasant with a good mix of honest hardworking people, much like any other town or city in the UK
I would live Sheffield or Belper area but the commute every day would soon wear me down, anyone that can do Belper to derby at any time let alone rush hour in 10 minutes (it's 30-40 easy) must have a rocketship, and the Peak (at least Ladybower or main riding areas) is still an hour away, pretty much (thanks to M1 and better road connections) as it is from the east side of Derby
Big advantage Belper has is great riding straight out the door, Derby lacks that but there is still some decent bimbles if you know where to go

If your priority is going out on the lash at a weekend then Nottingham is the place.

For anything else head Belper/Duffield side of Derby. You could even live in Matlock and have some great riding on your doorstep. There's a train every hour into Derby at its pretty reliable.

Those who say Derby is a shit-hole obviously haven't been to some of the hell-pits of Nottingham -but every city has their trouble areas.

If you are a keen biker then you can ride from Belper to Derby in under 30mins and its a pretty flat run.

Lived in Belper, now in Allestree. Its alright.

Nott. St Anne's need I say more? 😀

I live in Mapperley in Nottingham and used to commute to Derby daily. It wasn't bad but I worked 7.30 - 3.30 so missed all of the traffic. Started a new job in January in Risley (half way to Derby) and actually sold my car because the commute was so horrific working 8.30 - 5.

I'd say this side of Nottingham is the nicest place to live close to town, but having to drive through town to get to Derby is a ballache. Derby has some nice shops, eateries etc, and as someone else said, its cheap and easy to get to Nottingham for a night out.

Rent is cheap in Stapleford, an easy commute and good public transport to Nottingham if you're looking for a nice(ish) in between area.

I live about 10 miles out of Nottingham, and I've got a mate who lives in Derby, so been for a few nights out. TBH I haven't noticed much difference between Derby and Nottingham. Derby looks like it's got better in the last 15years, where as Nottingham has gone downhill in the last 15 years. I don't think either city is amazing or terrible, if anything they are both a bit bland. Both cities have some decent restaurants and sometimes get decent bands playing, I think Nottingham is probably better for music than Derby.

Beeston is OK as an area, I don't think it's good enough to make me want to commute to Derby...there must be similar area's in Derby?

I'd prefer Sheffield to both Nottingham and Derby as a city, but there is no way I'd want to do that as a commute by car.

If you stayed in Derby last time, you could try Nottingham to see if you like it better. Avoid St Annes, Senenton, Basford, Bullwell, Meadows, Clifton (not a complete list ;-))

Iain, yep, that was easily enough thanks. Spent plenty of time riding round south of derby, and sure enough, it's pretty and pleasant. I'd have thought there are other places in the vicinity that fit that description too.

But don't forget, the op is probably a recent grad, full of energy and wants a great city to call home. A city from where he can ride, go out, try climbing and other stuff, and build a varied group of mates. Derby is not ideal to this end, nor is Nottingham.

As others have said, don't commute by car from Sheffield though, it's a killer. The train is ace though (expensive mind).

West Hallam.

Thread closed

Commute by car from Sheffield is fine. The train works but only if you can time your transport links at both ends well. For example, the intersite bus leaves the station 2mins after the sheffield train gets in at 7.50ish. You've got to be quick and hope it's quiet or miss it and be a fair bit later.

I cant believe the number of folk who live in Derby that frequent stw.

I also live Belper way, not that I ride much now days. There is however a scene to be a part of.

real ale has taken a grip of the city (Derby)and suburbs. This is a lovely atmosphere. The Yoof nightlife of Derby is defunct and quite unpleasant.

What do you really want? If like me you work 5 days out of 7 I am at Chester Green in 15 minutes or 30 at a push even when I cycle from belper. I am the good side of both cities for cheaky trails at the edge of the peak district and an hour away from cannock chase where I can catch up with friends from t'south.

But belper will be more expensive. Families like it. You are there for a short time and if younger than me (30) parties are grrrreat and far harder to access when/if you have kids.

Nah sod it, notts city centre.....

some folk my recognise me as the ginger lad who worked at samways cycles 12 years ago. Thought I would add that for prosperity.

Do they teach you to ignore customers when you work at Samways or do they only recruit staff with that innate ability? 😉

I live in West Hallam, near Ilkeston. Loads of RR people in the village, but tends to be people with families. Though it's a great village, and you can commute to Derby no problem.

Derby has come on in leaps and bounds in the 13 years we have been up here - the uni has expanded, the city centre is busier and the pubs (and clubs) have (apparently) got better.

What it is not - thank God - is Nottingham, where I work now. Nottinghams best asset is the nightlife for studenty people. This does mean that it is full of people who have graduated, but don't want to leave their student way of life behind. Or "grow up" as most people would call it.

I'll be flamed on this, but my previous employer stopped recruiting graduates in Nottingham as they all still thought that they were students and not employees. They got into apprenticeships big time to avoid the HR issues that graduates created.

If you are on RR's graduate programme, you need to decide what will be expected of you and how you will fit into that new world of work. RR apprenticeships and their graduate programme are treated like the holy grail around here.

You can get the bus to Nottingham for a night out at the weekend. It will be a balls ache getting from Nottingham to Derby 5 days a week, depending on any shift pattern.

Another Belper dweller here. Native of Nottingham.

Belper is ace. Been here 10 years. I am a bit older than you though.

Lots of RR folks here (not me) and easy to get to Derby by bike train bus or car. Late bus at 3:30am

Plus great riding MTB and road straight out of the door.

Good selection of pubs.

We've even got a triathlon club if that's your thang.

Ripley here!

10mins then cromford canal,black rocks, HPT then the peak!

Everywhere rideable!

Lot of belper fans. Most accurate things I read up there was regarding the improvement in derby (mainly through new development) and the demise of nottingham, (mainly through nowhere to develop) and also the comment regarding the live music scene, notts is far better for that with much better gig facilities.
Oh and derby will have a velodrome/gig venue sometime....

Mickleover or Breaston are both nice.

Talking of Royces, I live in Allestree. It's like a scene from Cocoon. The place is like a retirement village for ex-RR.