The RPZ made precisely zero difference to me, as it’s only effective between 9-5, when the car is outside my wife’s work anyway. If it was 24/7 i’d be quite happy about it.
but yeah i think the 20mph zones are broadly a good thing. And it’s not as if the flow of traffic in those areas gets much above 20mph at the best of times…
OP – bristol is a great place. depending on what you want consider the likes of Easton, Whitehall, Redfield etc. They’re inner city(ish) areas, formerly a bit run down, but have nice victorian terraces and prices are rapidly going up as people who can’t afford St Andrews etc start moving in. Walkable to town, bikeable to pretty much anywhere, some decent shops.
and to the person asking about the Bear Pit – no, it hasn’t been like that for years in fact. These days there greengrocers, coffee stalls, about 3 restaurants and a general redevelopment vibe. And a load of alkies making still trouble for everyone. But it’s way better than it used to be.