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General => General discussion => Topic started by: VW BUSH on 04 July 2014, 21:05
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What's Plymouth like to live in?
Areas to avoid, where to look for houses in a 15 mile radius Cornwall etc etc
Advice appreciated :smiley:
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If you have family "up the line" or need to travel for business, Plymouth is a long way from anywhere.
Pretty when the sun is shining, very dreary when it is raining.
Full of traffic lights - I used to go through 24 sets on my 6 mile commute from Stonehouse to Bush Park.
Friendly people (except Union Street at 2:30 am).
Surrounded by lovely scenery.
I can think of many worse places to live in the UK and I enjoyed my time there.
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Got an interview Friday for a good job.
I come from S London so I am used to traffic, traffic lights, speed bumps, arseholes and everything else that comes with it :grin:
Main attraction is the house prices/cost of living and the substantial pay rise, travelling will be paid for the company and yes a long slog to an airport but I only do it for work.
Must say though coming from the big smoke does worry me a little being in the sticks proper, hope they have 24 hour shops and garages :undecided:
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Yeah there are 24 hour shops and garages, traffic isn't that bad at all, no more than any other small city. Never takes long to get around in the city centre
Lovely place when the sun's out, city centre is pretty big for shopping, it's all in one place and everything's open
Your also right on the edge of dartmoor and only have to cross the bridge to Cornwall, scenery is lovely, I think it's a great place to live
As with anywhere there are sh!t areas but there all out of the way to be honest, you can easily never see them. There are lots of small towns within a few miles of the city limits which are very nice like Ivybridge and south brent etc
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Brixton, wembry, Hartley are all nice areas as well
Lots of the city centre is very nice roads dotted around average areas
If you want to go somewhere very nice there are a few private communities around the marinas, also royal William yard but it's pretty expensive in comparison
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Can you name some of the bad areas for me pls its hard to tell on the property sites :smiley:
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Brixton, wembry, Hartley are all nice areas as well
Lots of the city centre is very nice roads dotted around average areas
If you want to go somewhere very nice there are a few private communities around the marinas, also royal William yard but it's pretty expensive in comparison
Not looking for posh gated housing, its a good job but not premier league wages :grin:
Mrs does not drive so need walking/bus/train distance to shops etc thanks for the help :smiley:
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Job is on Bellivers ind estate if that helps
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Lipson. Don't live in Lipson. Some byelaw or other prohibits alcohol. No pubs and just a few convenience stores to buy beer (wine etc) from.
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St. Bedeaux is a bit hit and miss so just easier to avoid it really. St judes/Mannamead are not bad areas but they are student areas so just bare that in mind, there are a lot of student
A lot of the Stonehouse are is pretty crap as it's by union street
Other than that your all right really, there aren't many don't go areas, just the odd road but you'll get that anywhere
Obviously the further from the university you are generally the quieter the housing areas are
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Have a look at plymstock, far enough out of the centre it's nice a quiet, plenty of nice parts and easy bus routes to the city centre. Only about 10 mins on the bus
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Best thing to do (if you get the job) is to rent a flat for 6 months. Use that time to get the lay of the land.
Mine was in Durnford Street in Stonehouse. An area that has a bit of a reputation, but it was fine for me. It had a village community and 4 pubs. The view out of the living room window, over the River Tamar was magnificent, especially with the morning coffee.
I ended up in the Millfields, which is a walled estate that was a naval hospital. Very quiet and a short walk away from town and the local pubs (by then) in Stonehouse.
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Right, I know from experience what its like moving to Plymouth from a bigger City. Ok not London, but Bristol. If your an outdoor type, its fine. Some nice beaches and scenery surrounding it. Unfortunately, there is very little to do in Plymouth itself. Its a typical small city, and the centre is full of local independent stores, then a single shopping mall which is pretty poor tbh. On the plus side, its a safe place to live. Apart from petty crime and a HUGE amount of chavs, theres never really much trouble. I still own a house that I rent out in Derriford, and the wife is from there so go down quite often often to visit her family. As mentioned, Plymstock or Plympton are nice places to live. Close by and quick and easy bus routes to the City Centre, but tbh no matter where you live, you'll never be more than 30 minutes away even in rush hour. Exeter is only about 45 minutes away which has better shopping if thats what you're after anyway. Getting out of Plymouth is easy via the A38 provided there hasn't been a major accident anyway.
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As said got to get the job first, and take the misses down for a looksy.
I have family in Torrington / Royston Vasey and spent a lot of time Cornwall as a kid, it is damn quiet compared to say Brixton or Croydon :grin:
She does like the coast and being by the sea appeals to us both, also I can put down a decent deposit on a house if I sell my flat.
It is a big move especially with the big 40 rapidly approaching, but no matter how much I earn in London I cant get a house for under 300k and it would be a tiny house at that.
Job would be awesome, I also have one lined up in Swindon and one in Kings lynn if this goes wrong.
Saying that my skill set is in demand and work in London is drying up so a move out is going to happen sooner or later.
Any more advice appreciated, will update on how the interview goes Friday night........
Will be taking the Aldi for the its first spin to the interview :cool:
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I'd jump at the Swindon Job if it was me. Plymouth is no different in size, and there are far more things/places to go in the surrounding areas of Swindon. The only thing Plymouth has over it, is close proximity to the Sea.
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Swindon job would be preferred but its not quite as clear cut, more back door and no definite time line....
I am the kind of person that goes for opportunities as they present themselves, if they offer me the job its in with both feet.....
For me they are both out in banjo country being born in Lambeth and dragged up by the River :grin:
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Had the interview, Plymouth looks all right.....
Job looks easy, too easy, let's see how second interview goes but would hate to be bored at work. .....
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Saltash is OK. Torpoint nice
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sh!t, got the job...........
Waiting for the offer to come through with salary and relocation details.
Spent some time down there last week and tbh I though the town was really nice, Friendly even.
Looking at property in Eggbuckland, Roborough, Beliver, basically north of the town heading to Tavisitock.
What you can get for £150 is amazing :shocked:
Still not made my mind up though reckon I'm still 50/50, worst thing is my misses is leaving it all down to me as she does not really care we live so long as we move away from south london :undecided:
Big Company, shares, pay rise, relocation, car, health care, should really be biting there arm off....
what to do next?????
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Congrats! Yep, the places you've mentioned are all pretty decent, just past where my house is toward the north of the City. That's the only reason I'd go back now though, the house prices are incredibly low compared to most other parts of the country. Straight down Tavistock/Crownhill Rd and into town which will take you no more than half an 20-25 minutes.
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So official offer comes in....
3.5k less than I am earning now: -1
No Car/allowance, got that already: -1
Health care, got that already: 0
Share option, have not got that: +1
Pension, got that: 0
Relocation: 8k
So after the agency spin I stand to gain a share option over my current job, so its down to lifestyle change and nowt else :undecided:
It Is a very good/safe company but I would not be able to decide on how I do my work, with what suppliers, or to try new things. All decisions come from America and my skills are in design/development for manufacture, continual improvements, mass production and selection of suppliers etc etc.
So I would just be ordering from a list and writing time plans and asking others to put it together like a wardrobe from Ikea.
Probably a really bad decision but its not the right job for me to relocate, If I get bored at work I lose interest fast.
I might have a really nice home in a nice part of the world but a job I would hate :undecided:
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If your still looking areas to avoid
Efford, ham, swilly, eggbuckland, keyham, if you can afford it I'd stay away from devonport, stonehouse, all round the dock yard.
Places that are nice
Manamead, st Jude's, estover (ish), leigham, plymton, plymstock, roughbough, thornbury, anywhere that isn't near the centre of town
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Thanks, still 50/50 on this.
looked at Ivybridge and Tavistock but as you say the further away from Plymouth the more expensive it gets....
Had a nose around St Budeax through to the dock area and to be honest it was a hovel that was full of Chavs although a lot of redevelopment was evident at a good price :undecided:
Reckon its probably not right for me and I am having difficulty with getting my flat valued at what I need to make a good deposit without spending on a new kitchen and redecorating :angry:
Also probably bottling it a bit, from Brixton London to Brixton Devon is a world apart :grin:
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Is your offer from BD? Sounds like it, the only large Americanised manufacturer in Plymouth that I know of.
Plymouth certainly is a very long way from anywhere else. I have family and friends around Reading and the weekly drive up was a chore. When my Nan was ill an hour visit in hospital was a full day with traveling, especially in the summer.
Do what is right for you. The life style choice is a definite plus I have to say. The people are very friendly (except on Union Street at 3:00).
Maybe take a weekend out and stay down there to get a proper feel for the place?
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Is your offer from BD? Sounds like it, the only large Americanised manufacturer in Plymouth that I know of.
Plymouth certainly is a very long way from anywhere else. I have family and friends around Reading and the weekly drive up was a chore. When my Nan was ill an hour visit in hospital was a full day with traveling, especially in the summer.
Do what is right for you. The life style choice is a definite plus I have to say. The people are very friendly (except on Union Street at 3:00).
Maybe take a weekend out and stay down there to get a proper feel for the place?
hehe yeah might be...
Stayed down there a couple of weeks back two weekends on the trot, have family up in north Devon/Torrington area so I like the moor and all the beaches.
Normally I just go for it, make a decision and to hell with it but I just cant seem to do it this time.
Probably means its not a good omen.
The guy in charge is a really nice bloke and I would feel like a dick wasting his time but I am going to sit on it this week and decide by Thursday :lipsrsealed:
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If your still looking areas to avoid
Efford, ham, swilly, eggbuckland, keyham, if you can afford it I'd stay away from devonport, stonehouse, all round the dock yard.
Places that are nice
Manamead, st Jude's, estover (ish), leigham, plymton, plymstock, roughbough, thornbury, anywhere that isn't near the centre of town
It's not Swilly anymore, it's North Prospect! :grin: And I don't know how long it's been since you were there, but Estover and Leigham aren't particularly nice places anymore either. Although St Budeaux isn't as bad as it once was, it's still a bit of a dive and as said, full of chavs!
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Swilly or north prospect... Either way I'd avoid if you like to keep your wheels! Leigham and estover ain't that bad I grow up in leigham, still got family there now. St budeaux and devonport is getting better they have the new developments going there trying to improve the area but it's gonna be a while, same as all round mill bay docks area, home to plymouths finest females offering services at a cheap price if you catch my drift, all being done up trying to improve down town Plymouth
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Yeah fair one. My house I rent out now is in Thornbury (posh part of Estover) :grin: I moved away almost 3 years ago now, and every time I go back for an inspection or to do some work, the area seems to have gone downhill. It's a shame as it was such a nice community when we moved there.