[Closed] Where to live in North Manchester

Prestwich and Simister if you want to be within 5 miles of the city. Loads more a bit further out.

Personally I'd rather not live in North Manchester. Key question is where abouts are you actually working.

I live in Rossendale which is around 20 miles north of Manchester with a direct motorway link to Manchester (although it does clog up in the morning). Sod the Lakes for riding, there's loads of fantastic riding in Rossendale and Calderdale from your doorstep.

Oh Rossendale is quite cheap to, East end of the valley where I live (opposite end to the motorway) modern 4 bed detached house with seperate garage around £ 200k. PLus my house is 1150ft above sea level so there's proper riding from my front door.

Ramsbottom/Rawtenstall area is where I am and quite good. Just off M'way but ace riding from the door.

Also consider Howich, Rivington on the doorstep and just off M61 for shooting up to the lakes.

Since I've moved up here I hardly ever ride the peaks as the riding round here is almost as good and it's easier to get to south lakes.

If outdoors/hills/biking are your priority, then yes, Ramsbottom/Rawtenstall way are a good place to start although quite a long way from Manchester.

If you want to live closer to town, then there are some nice parts of Prestwich & Whitefield.

The Peak District will take a while to get to from anywhere in the Manchester area if you have to travel on the A6 through Stockport or through Glossop.

If you do choose to live on the Cheshire side, then Wales is very close-by.

it's crap north of Manchester, move to Alderley Edge

South manchester ftw.

I've been living in prestwich for about 2yrs now, glad I chose here, you get more bang for your buck than south manchester. but as stumpyjon mentioned, there are dodgy parts of north manchester (prestwich and Whitefield are nice tho) and it depends where you're going to be working

Dude north Manchester is rarther.....erm how do I put it.....erm
s--t? As a south Manchester dude if you have a family
chorlton-cum-hardy, Disbury, West Disbury, realy nice chilled
you can get to either the lakes or peaks witout mch trouble

If I get the job, Salford. My aunt used to live in Bury. What's that like?

ok, what is your requirement. Do you have family? can you afford something posh or are you on a budget?
unfortunately Salford isn't great for public transport unless you are close to the crescent (train) or the tram - will you need the car where you work or are you prepared to cycle commute? Salford is pretty rough so you may need to be careful where you cycle through

I've lived in Salford, South Manchester and North Manchester and work in the middle of manchester, I'll try and help where I can 🙂 Bury I don't really know apols

like most cities there are good and bad bits and they are almost street specific not just good and bad areas

Well, I live in North Bury, been here over 20 years and love it.
Edge of the countryside so great riding from the door plus it's only a ten mile commute which is pretty reasonable. And there's an off-road option of 15 miles if you want to ride on fat tyres.
The local riding is excellent and there's plenty of it, but if you do want a change then Lakes, Dales, Peaks and North Wales are an easy drive away.
Best thing is riding from the back door - it's all my garden! 🙂

I was born in Bury, still work there.

I live in Rossendale, though. Bury became to rough to tolerate and I moved up the valley too.

Not sure if you'd call it north Manchester but Chorley and Buckshaw Village seem like good places. Excellent access to the M6, M61 and M65. Up to the south lakes in next to no time and you can get across to the Yorkshire Dales fast too. Chorley to Salford on the train takes about 30 mins.

Scotchegg - that must be just after I moved in! 🙂

south manchester- hora lives there.

terrahawk - Member

south manchester- hora lives there.

Not for long, he's moving to Mossley. (we hope, sorry Keith)

rossendale is where it is at, been here for 10 years and love the place.

Dales in 40 mins, Lakes in just over an hour and rucks of Pennine rides from my front door, perfect!

South Manchester is great for riding straight out into the peaks - Hayfield, Edale, castleton and ladybower all rideable straight outa the house. Also Lakes, Yorkshire Dales and North Wales (Coed-y-Brenin, etc) are all close enough for day rides.

You can easily commute up to Salford from South Mancs/Stockport along the river mersey, canal network and old train lines like the Followfield Loop give loads of off road alternatives.

Alternative live on the edge of the peaks, Marple, Mellor, New Mills and Hayfield are a stones throw away from excellent xc riding. Although you'd probably have a bit more of a commute to Salford even in the car.

We're in Marple. 2 train stations. Loads of riding from the doorstep. Nice community, friendly people.

If you're young, New Mills, Mellor or Marple maybe a bit stuck 'behind the times' for you. Although we do have a little cinema, cafes, a theatre and even electricity now!

home of singletrack area is very nice ! you cant go wrong.. we have an abundance of fells-tracks all over.. (3 valleys).... oh and just down the road nr Bacup is 'Lee Quarry' ! you have to see and ride this rugged quarry ! mint.....

Have a look at Davyhulme, Very nice area, virtually crime free, easy access to motorways, near the trafford center for any high street shoping needs with free parking. 20mins cycling commute to salford, 10mins cycling to reach the transpennine trail and out into greener pastures and a pint in lymm.

We've moved from Accrington, down to near Delamere...

To be fair, the towns are nicer, but that's it...

I used to be able to ride out the back door and out into the hills..

Can't anymore..

As for getting to the Lakes, it's only about 40mins further on... And the Peak is not that far either..

I'm 37, single (no kids) and after a decent quality 2 bed house with bike storage (4 bikes!) and garden/patio/yard to clean them in. Decent area but not worried about bars and that, I can go to the centre of Manchester for that.
Just looking at the map, SW of town would work too - easy ride out to Cheshire on the road bike, easy drive into the Peaks and not too much of a trek to the Lakes either really...
So what's good round there. And sensibly priced - I won't be going anywhere Wilmslow/Alderley Edge etc any time soon!

Within M60 Chorlton's a good bet. Further out you have Sale and Altrincham. Some of the areas further round the M60 like Gatley and Cheadle are also worth a look.

Didsbury is fine if you want to go out on the lash and for people who want to be able to say they live in Didsbury. As a result it's awash with new flats. Chorlton is, apparently, the 'new didsbury'. I've lived in both places for at least a year each, more crime than I experienced living in rough parts of Liverpool when at uni and your car insurance will be higher than many other nicer areas of Manchester for good reason. House prices are high and IMHO do not equate to a better quality of life in this area. There are however, lots of nice looking young ladies in the metropolitan on a sat night, hence the extra £1 totty tax on the price of a pint.

Former resident of Bury, moved up to Rossendale - Bacup end, about 5 mins ride from Lee Quarry.

I used to work in Salford - from Bacup, its about 1/2hr to 1hr depending on traffic on the M60 in the morning.

When i was in Bury, it took longer from where i lived (to commute to Salford) because of the amount of traffic in Bury.

Bus links wise - there is the X43 that goes through Rawtenstall, then via the M66 to Prestwich, and gets to manchester and terminates at Piccadilly Gardens.

Houses wise - a simple 2 up, 2 in the middle, 2 down and a cellar back to back terrace is about £60,000 - 2 bed terraces are about £60-70k

Rent first and get a feel for the place. S Manchester is v different to n Manchester, salford's an easy bike commute from either. Riding wise, it's pretty academic - from either you're a relatively short drive from great riding in all directions. South Manchester to the peaks is doable by bike but it'd be a bit daft. Most people drive

Living in North manchester? What a simply frighful thought! I'm afraid most of it resembles a Dickins Novel.

One simply has to live South of the city dahling. Where one can get a decent latte of a morning. Where the Guardians protrude from every man-bag. Where one can feel insufferably smug while paying twice as much for vegetables because they're nobbly and have real mud on. Wher one is never more than 50 yards from a yoga class. Its all about priority 🙂

Or put another way, no one "lives" in N Manchester, they just exist. Wot wot?

Bury - NO.
Prestwich, look at the tram stop on the map- to the right/slightly above for circa 1/4mile. elsewhere in Prestwich no.

Chorlton, Sale, W.Didsbury- yes.

If you look common like me Stretford is fine.

If both you and your partner drive, as above Ramsbottom/Rossendale etc.

However you can not go wrong with Chorlton, Sale or W.Didsbury. However Sale is ridiculously overpriced now. A small box with the door out onto the street/no hallway for 140k with a yard for a garden.

...Towards Sale moor etc there are some bad estates.

If I was you'd I'd look at Chorlton- its commutable, close to the motorway, great pubs, trams coming there soon, the only downside is Binners lives there 😉

For it's sins Stockport isn't THAT bad and still cheap. Although geographically it's very south, north Manchester.

Bury - NO - seconded

Stockport is also good for the Peaks and Wales. Although commuting I imagine its a very busy route/place?

Stockport?!!!!!

Words of wisdom from Chavtowns.com

My work entails a lot of travelling around the country and I have the pleasure of spotting chavs in a variety of locations. I would have to say though that Stockport really is the pinnacle.

The bloody place exudes awfulness, I first realised this about five years ago on a Friday afternoon visit. The sheer number of unemployables was mind blowing. I was uncomfortably aware that I was wearing a suit and hadn’t attempted to disguise my car as a Ferrari – they probably thought I was a copper although if the old bill have any sense they’ll infiltrate Stockport’s criminal class by dressing in nicked Lacoste sweaters over white tracksuit pants tucked into oversized Rockports.

Take a trip along Merseyway, in a triumph of 1960s planning Stockport council concreted over the Mersey and the resulting precinct is a study in provincial English crap, here you can mingle with the local scrote population. Curiously, Stockport actually has some rather pleasant outlying towns and it is as though the town centre is a giant plughole, drawing in all the scum.

The average Stopfordian seems to roll out of his bed around eleven, take a 192 – or better still a deathtrap Corsa with a stolen stereo more powerful than it’s engine – down to sign on and then simply hangs around in the town. They aren’t even entertaining like the drunks in Manchester they’re just, well… crap!

The women seem to spend their days dragging their numerous snotnosed offspring around the dismal shops pausing only to hurl obscenities at little Britney or Rooney if one of them should show any displeasure or ask ‘is that my daddy?’ of any of the layabouts mummy might meet on her travels.

But Stockport by night is an altogether different prospect, think Wild West meets Fallujah on a bad day. Mindless, Stella fuelled fights are the norm and it’s really bad when the blokes start. Visiting aliens would think ‘are you looking at my bird?’ was a standard greeting. If you can walk from one end of town to the other of an evening without feeling apprehensive then you have either taken leave of your senses or are a prop forward in the SAS rugby team. Tony Blair needn’t worry about hospitals not coping in the event of a terror attack, Stepping Hill hospital has it’s own well practised mass casualty unit, just pray bin Laden’s boys don’t show up on a Friday or Saturday night.

Oh and one more thing – with a stunning lack of geographical knowledge Lamborghini have started flogging cars there, how any prospective buyers can get past the ranks of burberry capped arseholes leaning against the windows remains a mystery.

Stockport, what a hole. The local council have apparently been up in arms over content on this website. Sand and ostriches springs to mind

What about Altrincham?

Altrincham? Dear god no. It has the rare mix of being absolutely awash with cash in its suburbs (so ridiculously expensive), while retaining a town centre that is an utter shithole, populated entirely by scrotes from the outlying council estates

Yorkshire

Has Chorlton changed a lot recently then? When I lived there it was massively crime ridden.

I'd avoid anywhere in the Manchester region myself, especially South. If you want to be South of Manchester then as bunnyhop says, Marple is nice, and close enough to the Peaks to ride.

North Manchester, Ramsbottom if you can afford it, Rawtensall if you can't.

I personally think if you do go out to the sticks you need to have family or at least connections in that area.

We were thinking of moving to Hebden (well I was), Mossley, Saddleworth etc as we have alot of family closeby.

If its a relocation to a job I really think you'd be happy with Chorlton. True there is no riding straight out of your door but then you have alot of off the bike stuff on your doorstep and in a good area for the future.

Living in the sticks must be dull for non-riders.

Hora has always wanted to live in Chorlton. But we won't let him. We have standards 😀

Not that bothered about riding straight out the door tbh. In London now and have chosen Manchester partly for the city lifestyle, but less of a trek to get to the decent riding (Wales/Peaks/Lakes at the moment are all weekends away and Surrey Hills is 90 mins drive so anything less will be ace

Binners - apart from Chorlton do you anything positive to say about anywhere else in Manchester?

Not really. To be honest with you, if I didn't live there, West Didsbury or Sale (which are also great) I'd live a lot further out of town instead

Not that bothered about riding straight out the door tbh. In London now and have chosen Manchester partly for the city lifestyle, but less of a trek to get to the decent riding (Wales/Peaks/Lakes at the moment are all weekends away and Surrey Hills is 90 mins drive so anything less will be ace

Sounds like you need a 'Zone 2' equalivilent of Manchester then. Close enough to go out to some good bars/go into town for a night out but not too close to the centre.

I'd love to live in the sticks however people would visit us less, we'd have less choice of things to do and mrshora would be climbing the walls..

I'm parrallely to WDids, Dids, Chorlton etc (around in a circle) and it takes me <15mins to ride into the centre in the morning.

I live in darwen, it's 'ok' as a town, but there is some ace riding from your door step...

I really like Darwen. Its getting a bit better too. Theres actually a really nice bar just opened there last week. And the riding from there is superb. I've got an great cheeky 2 hour loop from there which is perfect for an evening jaunt

The trains into manchester are every half hour at peak times and actually very reliable

Darwen?

DARWEN?!?!!!!!! what the ****!

What next Pendleton?

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ever actually been there Hora? No. Thought not. Alright - there are a lot of cross-eyed hunchbacks but its generally ok. You've got Egerton and Entwistle round there too. Which are also lovely.

Pendleton is one of those places that you go to, just so you can come back out of it (unharmed - if you're lucky) and thank your lucky stars you don't live there. Its like an open prison. And I lived there for two years when I was a student. Grim grim grim!!!

Nice to see some of the usual nonsensical prejudices coming out now - knew it would only be a matter of time 🙂

There are lovely parts of both North and South Manchester - equally, there are terrible parts of both as well. As Ed Hornby said previously, you need to go for a drive round and check for yourself - there is a massive amount of snobbishness on both sides, usually promoted by people with no proper experience of the other's position.

It used to be that the majority of Factory/Mill/Business owners lived in South Manchester, away from their places of work, many of which were based elsewhere due to the need of a steady flowing water supply and/or a damper environment, both of which the hillier North, East and West could supply. This hasn't been the case for many years, but snobbishness and prejudice linger on.

Hora, parts of Bury are really very nice indeed - go for a ride round Ramsbottom, Simister, Holcombe, Affetside, Helmshore, Summerseat etc and tell me you don't agree. Have you actually been to any of these places?

Equally, many parts of South Manchester are awful:
Chorlton is an overpriced suburb like any other which was quite pleasant about 25 years ago - it's nothing special, just that loads of meeja types live there and have eulogised it as some sort of trendy utopia. Admittedly, compared to it's immediate surroundings, it, and Didsbuy for that matter are quite pleasant, but really, you wouldn't want to live there. Think 'Nathan Barley'. Very, very violent compared to the North as well.

Avoid anywhere within a 4/5 mile radius of the city centre - without exception, it's a terrible mess of a place that has just been left to rot by successive generations of self serving politicians.

Apart from that, have a drive round and make you're own mind up. Rossendale, Calderdale & North Bury would be my personal preference in the North, with Marple, New Mills area (as per Bunnyhop's post) in the South.
Parts of Oldham (Greenfield/Uppermill/Delph etc) are very beautiful, but suffer from poor transport links.

Mossley, to the East, is very pretty, great riding, cheap and has a direct and regular train service to the centre of Manchester.
Partner's daughter has just bought a stunning house there very cheaply - I'm impressed.

Stretfords good. We've only had 2 shooting deaths in the last year or so 😀

hora - guess you've been to darwen them hehe 🙂 you must admit there is some good riding though.

Darwen moors, Rivington, only 7mi for the start of the MTL, and only 1hr to the lakes and the North york moors etc...

the more MTBers we get in darwen the less chavs we have 😉

I've been to Darwen or at least I've driven through when I took you there binners.

Its like........Horwich? (ducks!)

Rusty Spanner - They're in the process of putting a metrolink into Oldham so transport links will be massively improved soon.

Yep binners, replacing a train which carries bikes with a more expensive tram which doesn't.

Unlike Sheffields' tram system, which happily takes bikes. 🙄

You're right fella. All part of our wonderful 'integrated transport policy'. Marvelous isn't it?

OP whereabouts in London do you live and what do you like about that part etc?

I've lived all over SE London. Brixton was poss my favourite cos dead easy to get in on Victoria line, + the street was really friendly with a good community. We spoke to each other (yes, really!) and even had street parties. I'm in East Dulwich now - great for local shops - greengrocer, bakers etc and really easy to get into town. I'm 37 now so not bothered about local bars, I've had my drinking years... so long as there are decent places in the centre of town when I fancy a night out.
What I don't like about E Dulwich is the silliness of house prices (£250k for a one bedroom flat) and the major trek to get out on my bike

If you want a city life, within the M60 (i.e. in Manchester, as opposed to the places Rusty Spanner lists which are most definitely not in Manchester), there are relatively few recommends, but the popular places like W Didsbury, Chorlton etc in the south are relatively expensive because they are great places to live. Talking small geographical clusters in a big city, lots of people want to live in the popular bits, pushes prices up.

The view Binners expresses is very typical of pretty much everyone I know round here tbh.

A lot of Manchester's satellite towns seem to have had the life sucked out of them because they're so close to the city - think Altrincham or Stockport.

There are hillbilly towns further out where for sure there is nicer riding from the door, prices are cheaper and you get more for your money - if that's your priority? But if you moved from London to Darwen, Bury, Rossendale etc, you'd think you'd landed on Mars.

You need to look and see obviously.

'Chorlton':
[img] [/img]
-The 4x4s are parked around the corner outside the organic newspaper shop.

'Didsbury':
[img] [/img]

Adjacent Areas:
[img] [/img]

Darwen:
[img] [/img]

I forgot to mention Turkish Delight. End of debate.
[Now where are those kebab ride photos?]

Geronimo - spot on! 🙂

Geronimo spot on! 🙂

On the nail there Geronimo

Steve - fancy a leisurely social jaunt tonight fella? We could discuss our morzine plans over a creme de menthe and.... dare i suggest... a kebab at the turkish delight?

Adam, I lurve you! I'll ask the boss. We're thinking a similarly easy paced curry ride Weds night if you're interested, in the inner city region of Manchester known as Brook Bottom?

Oi, binners I said if you can wait until tomorrow I'd do Rivi with you. Snowslave you are more than welcome. Im too knackered tonight!

Ps. Also Chorlton is hosting the MegaMela next month- Im going 😀

Snowslave, you are Nathan Barley and I claim my £50.00!
Bet you ride a fixie. 😀

Just because people aspire to live somewhere doesn't automatically make that place any better than anywhere else - please explain why Chorlton and Didsbury are any better than any other suburb?

They're just quite pleasant bits of South Manchester, and in comparison to their surroundings shine like a chip of glass in a dog egg.

Yes, I've been in the Met, The Great Kathmandu, Turkish Delight etc, have mates living on Beech Road and have worked in Didsbury.

Other places have nice restaurants, Kebab shops and pubs you know.

The view Binners expresses is very typical of pretty much everyone I know round here tbh.

Yes, I've met people like that too - can't believe some people are so shallow as to wish to be defined by geographical location. Still, saves on having to cultivate your own personality I suppose. 😉
That's a joke by the way, before a flounce of South Mancs descend upon Tod, ready to beat me to death with their manbags......

Looks like we could be in for a busy weeks riding/drinking/eating then. Hurray!!!!!! Its a dream ticket!!!! 😀

Rusty spanner. You're wrong. He's not Nathan Barley. I am!

You can say what you like. I've livid in Chorlton for 12 years and I absolutely bloody love the place. I'm happy as a pig in shit there. So whats the problem?

Rusty Spanner you are rubbish and I claim my £50.

No problem binners, I quite like the place 🙂

But to insist that civilised life in Manchester is confined to two small and affluent suburbs is just, well, a bit ignorant.

Many residents of Chorlton and Didsbury seem to be contemptuous of those living in other parts of the City, some I know even insist they wouldn't live anywhere else in the North.

I think that says more about them than it does about the rest of Manchester.

I'm just trying to redress the balance a bit, hopefully in a slightly humorous way - no offence intended!

brooess,

Don't turn down doorstep riding too quick. It's ace.
You get home from work, quick change & your off in minutes.

I live near [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=374500&Y=416500&A=Y&Z=120 ]Edgworth [/url] with Winter Hill & Lee Quarry all very close and very rideable. Dales an hour away and lakes & Peaks 1.5 hours by car, and a train line direct to Manchester.

Many residents of Chorlton and Didsbury seem to be contemptuous of those living in other parts of the City

I couldn't understand that thinking. After all they live in Manchester. Its hardly the cultural and glamorous capital of Europe is it?

I imagine Dresden ranks higher.

Hora. You're always sat ouside the Marble, scratching your beardy chin and nursing a pint of Scruttocks Old Nob Rot, having ridden there on your pretend fixie. You are 'Chorlton' personified

But, if it offends you, please feel free to **** off back to Yorshire then. Please. Go on 🙂

I'm not allowed back. I am too scallified now. I am a faux-Manc sculpting myself on you. 😉

I lived in 'North' Manchester for 2 years. It was horrible, sorry i don't want to cause offence to any who live up that way, but you couldn't pay me enough to live back up there...I'd say at a push Ramsbottom wasn't too bad

Houns. You lived in Rochdale. This is not North Manchester, it's just a toughnut town north of Manchester.

[img] [/img]

How about the wonderful hamlet of Swinton and Pendlebury? Just four miles from the centre of Manchester / Salford, great transport, great weather.

Like Paris without the tower 😆

DS

Hora, how about Hebden Bridge?

You'd fit in perfectly there 😀

Never been tempted on your visits?
You could sit outside the Shoulder with an overpriced pint or have a traditional Yorkshire £3.00 skinny latte at one of the [s]acadamies for the employment of posh pretend-hippy gap year kids[/s] caffs.

Lot's for Mrs Hora to do as well, the Chess club in the Trades on a Monday night is buzzin'.

romiley and surrounding area is nice and the riding is great round mellor / marple area

Rusty' I was sat outside a cafe not so long ago in Hebden. The girl (must have been 18) was saying she was pregnant, her Dads fine about it but she wasn't sure who the father was- her mate was telling her about setting up a studio for her work soon.

I thought 'yeah right, most of the 'artists' in Hebden are work-shy dodgers giving themselves phantom/made up parallel lives to avoid the doley-title!

only certain people actually allowed to live in Hebden Bridge (you've got to fit in if the face fits ! lol
'Tod mor den' is 'home of singletrack' with an abundance of hills right on your doorstep. its fantastic...lots of yeehaas and whoohoos as you speed down the rugged terrain.. if i was a millionare tho id rebuild the town and set it out differently... but hills are awsome ..i luv em !