There is a chance my family and I may move back to the UK, after 15 years away. So far our two options are Chichester or Sheffield. As they are in quite different parts of the country we can see pros and cons for both. So if you could pick one, which would you pick and why?

Chichester is quite posh. I don’t think Sheffield is, never been there, so don’t know really.
Chi, as the locals call it, is a nice place, a small city, with nice coast and countryside nearby (decent riding, though probably not a patch on what Sheffield has) – road links are pretty poor though (unless you’re a fan of roundabouts).
Would definitely choose Chichester out of those 2, but then I’m a southerner.

I know Sheffield pretty well. Depends what you’re after really. It’s a big city with everything you’d need. Good links with the M1 going through. And if you’re on the South West/West it’s actually quite nice in places and the Peak District is on your doorstep. The two university’s keep the gene pool fresh and the natives diluted.

Went to uni in Sheffield, I love the place. Would move there in a heartbeat.

They’re very very different, you’ll never get a consensus!

Chichester for my money.

Well, Sheffield is, as far as I can see, the best city in England to live in if you like riding bikes/Climbing / walking/ running.

Chichester isn’t.

I’ve just had to look up where chichester is, if it was me then Sheffield but really depends what you want and what the wife says…

I don’t know a huge amount about either, but if you’re on this forum and like outdoorsy activities then Sheffield might be a better bet?

I believe Chichester has more interesting native species of spider 😉

Chichester for my money.

You’ll need quite a lot of that there.

To me Sheffield has all the benefits of a big city but you can ride out of it in 20minutes. The only disadvantage is that it doesn’t seem to have the critical mass of cities like Manchester and Leeds so every time there is a down turn in the economy it tends to get hit hard (that could just be the profession I’m in)

Well, Sheffield is, as far as I can see, the best city in England to live in if you like riding bikes/Climbing / walking/ running.

Chichester isn’t.

Living not too far from Chichester I’d agree with that. Chi isn’t even the best town in Sussex for these. If you want Culture though…
Factor in the tourists and traffic jams in the summer and the vast difference in property prices. For the price of a 2 bed terrace in Chi you’ll get a 20 bed mansion up in the hills near Sheffield.

Sheffield. My mate just bought a 3 bed house with a massive garage and garden for the price of 2 bed Chichester flat. Better riding and less traffic.

Chichester is nice and there are some lovely villages North of the city but out of the two, Sheffield riding accessibility beats the ‘nice’ factor.

Some criteria would help maybe?

How on earth did you come up with those two options?

I’ve lived in Sheffield for 25 years now, I can’t imagine wanting to move anywhere else in the U.K.

It is a big city, but feels small as it’s not a conurbation. I live about as far west as is possible, buts it’s still only a £10 taxi from city centre and 60 seconds to the Peak.

As a city it has a plethora of restaurants, shops, cinemas, theatres etc. Pretty central in the country so no where is all that far away (apart from Chichester…!). I’m sure house prices are cheaper up here, but they aren’t perhaps as cheap as you’d imagine.

Crap for surfing and sailing.

Crap for surfing and sailing

Chichester wins there 😀

Well, Sheffield is, as far as I can see, the best city in England to live in if you like riding bikes/Climbing / walking/ running.

This. You can cycle to an evenings limbing off-road, make last orders in Hathersage and catch last train home. 8)

Plus if you want there is everything from Manor Estate for the oiks to Ranmore for the toff’s.

Lots of employment.

I live about 15 miles from Chichester and wish I lived that close to the Peak District instead. Nice enough down here but not as nice for MTB as up there. Also check google maps for traffic around the Chichester bypass this evening 🙁

As a born and bred Sheffield lad, Chichester sounds posh, flat, and expensive!

Sheffield is chuffff-in brilliant!*

(* may have a slightly biased view! 😀 )

You’ll need quite a lot of that there.

More than Sheffield, but it’s not that bad.

As said though, there’s presumably a reason you’ve been drawn to these two. What are those reasons? If it’s just about riding then Sheffield stands up well. If you need to be near London and don’t want to be stabbed then Chichester fares rather better.

I work near Chichester but live near Brighton. I would never want to live in “Chi” as it’s a constant traffic jam.

Funnily enough we were in Chichester Saturday afternoon.

Only for a trip to A&E sadly. The ambulance driver was very nice and the care at St Richard’s was very good though.

Never been to Sheffield. I imagine the weather is less nice.

As a previous and recent resident of Sheffield and now living 20 minutes out in the Peak District I find my fondness of Sheffield grows. Whilst it’s certainly struggled over the years, there is a lot of development underway, both at a local level and wider, and it feels quite an exciting place to be. Even the Guardian likes it…..

Given the bulk of my family live in London I don’t find the 2 hours on the train much of a hardship.

In fairness, I have only spent 2 weeks in Chichester doing a course, so I can’t say I have any great knowledge of the place.But I thought it was nice enough.

In summary, I would go to Chichester for a weekend, but I’ll stick with Sheffield for the rest of life.

I’ve been to sheffield loads as my sister lives there, it’s great city it seems to me. people are friendly, 2 trail centres and right on the peak district door step, good motorway connections, great music scene. The only thing it’s lacking is an airport and a premiership football team!
The roads are minging though.

I live near Chichester.( bias )
I guess that the company who you work for ( or might be going to work for ) have 2 sites in the UK . 1 in Sheffield , 1 in Chichester.

Life , unfortunately does not revolve exclusively around bicycles , so you have to factor in the other reasons for choosing where to live.

Crime Rate .- I am sure someone with more time on their hands than can confirm that the crime rate in Chi is a lot lower than Sheffeild.

Education.- Dunno, But if it were me = Chichester

Access to The London . Neither great but Chi easier

Cost of houses. Chi = Hideous , Sheffeild = realistic

Ameineties I don’t Sheffeild well enough but its probably got more in the way of sports centers. Chi has reasonable cinema, Big supermarkets, all the usual chain stores are there. No bowling though, and Im even certain of the Sports Center.

If you are into sailing , windsurfing, SUP = Chi
If its bikes/climbing/ hikes = Sheffeild

Chi traffic can be a nightmare on Fridays and BH weekends , but once you know the patterns you can usually avoid the worst of it.

Its not that there isn’t any mtb nearby . Within 40 mins You could be at Stanmner , QECP, LW, Punchbowl, SDW is rideable from your doorstep.

The only thing it’s lacking is an airport and a premiership football team!

1hr 15 to Manchester Airport on the train? Not a bad option. as for football no hope there…

I never liked Sheffield and have no ‘want’ to return. Also I found the Peak to be far too busy at times although you can escape the crowds with a bit of effort. That said, it’d still be Sheffield from the two options.

Although I’d be using Chichester prices as my budget. And definitely south west somewhere.

I’d choose Sheffield.

I lived there for a few years after uni and would move back if I could. I lived in Lodge Moor and loved the fact that Stanage was my local riding spot and literally just up the road yet the city centre wasn’t too far. The roads are rubbish though; pot hole central.

I looked at houses recently just out of curiosity and they were more expensive than I thought. Big issue for me is work – I’d need to travel to Leeds or Manchester which puts me off a bit.

as for football no hope there..

Interestingly, the best part of 55,000 rock up each week to support the two clubs they host. So they clearly feel there is some hope.

Roads in Sheffield used to be terrible right enough, but over the last few years every single street and pavement has been resurfaced and they are now pristine. Just a few left to do I think.

Weather is nicer darn sarf. 🙂

I u8sed to ;live in Chi & also Pagham too. Traffic around Chi is grid locked quite often these days. The main ‘benefit’ of Chi is to live inside the walls per se. Then you dont have to drive and you can enjoy the city. This is expensive. If you live outside, you can spend ages trying to get inside if you see what I mean.

Road riding, excellent
MTB, better in the winter IMHO as the ‘deer trails’ are easier to find. Otherwise you tend to get lumbered with the SDW. Though Queen Elizabeth Country Park isn’t far and is a giggle
Track riding you have Portsmouth track and Calshott Spit

Having been MTBing around the Hebden Bridge area, Id always aim for the Peak side of Sheffield if it were me

If you do move to Chichester, ping me a message and Ill gladly pass on details of some local cyclists who would be happy to ride with you on or off road

I live in Chichester and have contemplated moving to Sheffield. Chichester is nice but dull. Sheffield is exciting, great city. Your choice

To add to what’s already been said, the traffic doesn’t bother me as I commute from Chichester. It’s those that have to go through it that suffer. It’s a bypass so you aren’t affected by traffic in the town. In the next five years the bypass is being upgraded, expect disruption whilst this goes on.

as for football no hope there..

Interestingly, the best part of 55,000 rock up each week to support the two clubs they host. So they clearly feel there is some hope.[/quote]
as many show up for the one great northern club 😉

Sheffield but then I’m biased! Seriously though-houses are affordable, has a really nice friendly vibe to it, you’ve got the peaks in your doorstep, peculiar of stuff going on etc.

Happy to answer any specific questions about the place either here or via email (in profile).

Chichester for me. Near the sea (I love sailing) plus West Whittering for kids etc, South Downs for biking, reasonably close to Heathrow/Gatwick all this plus I am from London so Southern bias. Without wishing to get flamed North / South divide is oretty clear in terms of economic prosperity and opportunity.

Chichester is lovely, but define what lovely is.
Sheffield seems to have more going for it in regards to outdoor leisure, but factor in the weather and such.

Also, if your new job could be based in either, factor in living costs.

I cycled through Chichester last year: good god, the traffic! If you can find a decent job in or near Sheffield I reckon you could enjoy a really good quality of life.

I live in Sheffield, and we have family near Chichester, and I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time there.

Sheffield wins hands down for me, by a long long way. I’ve lived here 10 years now and the place has changed a lot. It’s a brilliant city, the Peaks is an obvious draw, but there’s far more to it than that. Lots of non-peaks riding right within the city…. The peaks is busy at weekends, but the nice thing about living right next to it is you can go in the evenings and early/late at the weekends – when there’s barely anyone about.

but beyond the bikes, the city centre is very vibrant, aided by two city centre universities, it has the highest student retention rate in the country (post graduation who chose to stay and live here) and the place is very friendly. Also several excellent schools The city is built across several hills/valleys, with what feels like many village centres that have merged into one city, so different areas have nice ‘local’ feels.

There’s a lot going on as well – lots of parks with events and all sorts going year round – an excellent city for families IMO.

Three’s also a ridiculous amount of breweries in Sheffield!

Ref the crime levels note above… my car insurance is cheaper in Sheffield than Chichester (I’ve looked from similar previous where to live ponderings). Not sure what you can read into that but there you go!

Oh, and Sheffield traffic can be busy in certain places at certain times of day, but it’s not the nightmare gridlock that is Chicester.

FWIW I generally find cycling on the roads of Sheffield far more pleasant than round Chic/West Sussex where I’ve been shouted at multiple times for having the audacity to cycle on roads.

I live in Chichester and have never been to Sheffield, but we love it here. Yes the traffic in the summer is bad, but that is only because people follow the sat navs and use the by-pass. If you know the area, you’ll very rarely get stuck in it. Yes, house prices are pretty high, but you are surrounded by the South Downs national park and Chichester harbour. Great schools, great shops. Fantastic eating, direct trains to London, A3 20mins away. As for riding, I can be on top of Kingleyvale in 30mins (riding). QE park is 30mins away. Rogate 30mins. Lots of local stuff on the Downs with regular shop rides. Surrey hills are 1 hour away and we have 2 wake boarding lakes and some of the best beaches on the South Coast!! Did is say that we love it here!! Lots of country lanes for road riding if that tickles your fancy too. Plus a bike shop with a coffee shop in!(the riders guild)
Edit: also 3mins from Goodwood motor circuit and race course.

Crime stats

http://www.crimerates.co.uk/compare/21690/sheffield-uk/4600/chichester-uk/

Chichester V sheffeild Crims