Bradford…where to live?

Looks like I might be working in Bradford for a few years 🙂 A bit of google searching indicates staying in Bradford itself might not be the best idea, anybody got recommendations for where to live on the outskirts? I’d be renting, not buying. I the place I’d be working is south of the city, and ideally I don’t want a long commute.

Which area of Bradford are you going to be working in?

Hebden Bridge. 🙂

Ilkley?

Where in south Bradford are you working?

The nicest part of Bradford is the north and north west, however traffic is awful in Bradford and the commute from north to south can take more than 1 hr at rush hour.

Leeds

Top end of Baildon seemed nice enough when I was working there (Opposite the chippy at the mill. Best chip butty ever lol). Not sure on the prices though. Plus it looked good for off road riding.

If you are working in walking distance of either of the stations in Bradford then Saltaire, Bingley, Steeton/Silsden and even Skipton are good along one train line. Ilkley, is pretty good on another train line. Alternatively Mytholmroyd and hebden are less than 30 mins away on the train too. World is your lobster.

I think the area I’d be working in is Low Moor.

Have a look at Gomersal, Brierley and Cleckheaton. Spen Valley Greenway will take you into Low Moor

Queensbury, Shelf for Low Moor. Or Hunsworth/Cleckheaton, Wyke, Gomersal.

Brighouse for the riding

Scholes is a nice area, pretty close to lowmoor too.

Lived in Shelf for quite a few years and liked it.Northowram further on the road is good as well. Wykes a dump.Hipperholmes not bad.I have some rental property in Wibsey,commercial,but the area has deteriorated.
I’d look between Shelf and the outskirts of Halifax.

You’ll need to learn the local dialect when moving to Bradford. Innit…

bradford really is a toilet of a place. 2 work mates live there, one in Idle and one in Sandy Lane.
another mate lives in Robertown, which is not bradford, but is quite near to the greenway, which is a nice way to get to low moor.

I sort of enjoy living in Bradford centre.

But honestly, it’s a shithole and I’m just a masochist.

Recently it has really started to smell.

I’m looking to move.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I’m gonna Hotel it for the first few weeks and suss it out. I like the idea of using the Greenway. I did look at Hebden Bridge, but I think it’s too far out 🙁

Howarth may be worth a look as you could go round the back way to Low Moor, but I have no personal experience of this.

Is it NG Bailey by any chance? I know someone who lived in Saltaire and commuted there, but he hated the commute

No, it’s not NG Bailey…wish it was, Illkely’s nice.

jeezus, people are recommending Cleckheaton to move to and live in? It’s only positive is it’s proximity to the M62 for ease of getting away from it.

Ilkley is no way possible..

I live in Baildon and wouldn’t consider jobs for long term in Low Moor just based on the commute.

I live in Luddenden and leave home at 7.30 and it takes me 40mins to get to bradford centre. It is horrific for traffic. Don’t forget to get uninsured driver cover on your car insurance as nobody in Bradford knows what junctions/red lights are!!

OP. I need to live in Bradford.

Response: Ilkley.

FFS – Ilkley isn’t Bradford, the commute would be absurd and (unless your employer is paying) the rent would be just silly.

Next question – I want a small car. Answer; a bag of oranges and the Fourth Earl of Wimbledon.

On a positive note there is a load of fantastic riding around Bradford. On a minus note you will have to live near Bradford. I second a lot of people on here and say shelf, northaworam, Shipley.

Scoops is right I unfortunately have to drive around Bradford and there are no rules on the road. Not that many licenses either…..

My aunt lives in Low Moor, not far from the CIBA factory. It doesn’t smell that bad anymore since CIBA took over the factory.
Quiet area, seems to be very little trouble from when I’ve been there.

Queensbury? Used to live in Haworth + ride to work in Bradford, but to ride to Low Moor from there would mean having to deal with allot of bad driving. Lots of good riding nearby though.

How do you go from Northowram & Shelf to Shipley?

I live in Baildon and love it here but the commute to Low Moor is not brilliant.

Try looking at Tong, Norwood Green, Priestley Green…

A few nice rural options

Tong village is pleasant but next to nothing on the market. Tong Street is a whole world different.
Avoid BD3 at all costs. BD4 & 5 not much better. Ideally avoid BD1-9, and stay outside the ring road, although pockets of each postal district 1-9 are ok. Car insurance gets cheaper BD10 upwards.

Whats wrong with cleckheaton? Its not the best place but its by far better than most bd postcode areas.

Id say for commute and nice areas, gomersal, birkenshaw, bailiff bridge and then ckeckheaton. Ilkley etc would take an hour commute anywhere near rush hour. Shipley is terrible in my opinion. Tong village is nice with great mtb routes but i doubt you will find anywhere unless your buying. Tong street on the other hand is ghetto.

Depends if you want a local town or not really, i like living in gomersal because transport links are great and i can ride to cleckheaton in 5 mins and have local trails and countryside on the doorstep.

Bradfords finest drivers on show

Actually, here’s a passably sensible suggestion:

“Little Germany”. One of my lecturers lives there, it can’t be too bad.

bradford really is a toilet of a place

Not wrong. I wouldn’t choose to live in Bradford and the further from the place the better. I wouldn’t want to drive through the place on a regular basis. My wife has to visit a client there and refuses to use her own car. Uninsured drivers are nearly as bad as the crash for cash ones. The wife has been the subject to this and instantly surrounded by lots of yelling Asians. A bus driver gave her refuge and acted as witness for her.
If you can cycle into Bradford using the Greenway do so, much safer. Tong village is nice but unless you have deep pockets or part of their social circle then forget it. East Bierley all the way along the A651 to the A62 are nice areas.

Tong village is pleasant but next to nothing on the market. Tong Street is a whole world different.
Avoid BD3 at all costs. BD4 & 5 not much better. Ideally avoid BD1-9, and stay outside the ring road, although pockets of each postal district 1-9 are ok. Car insurance gets cheaper BD10 upwards.

BD23 for the win!

Seriously, though, it’s worth driving a little longer in the morning so you’re closer to the trails and further from Bradford. Out towards Brighouse and the outskirts of Halifax would be my recommendation.

I work in central Bradford. I’d never want to live there – its an absolute arsehole of a place.

For Low Moor, I’d echo peoples comments about Northowram, Brighouse, Shelf, Hipperholme type area. Some really nice parts with some decent riding from the doorstep. I’m a little further west in Halifax and can be at Low Moor in rush hour in 20/30 minutes going through either Shelf etc or Hipperholme and Wyke. If you believe the rumours, Low Moor is getting a station soon as well so Halifax would be sub 10 minutes on the train, Sowerby Bridge 20 minutes, Hebden sub 30ish etc.

Otherwise I’d suggest Harden/Wilsden/Bingley way. Again, nice areas with excellent riding.

Basically what Dave said. If you want riding from the door (who wouldn’t?) look at the areas mentioned.