We are currently living in Manchester and as family with small child its really nothing to do much the weather is always rainy and cant use any parks or facilities around. We are both working and our jobs are both remote so no issue with work. Just need some tips and ideas.
This amazing explanation, thank you so much taking time to write this.
We are living in center of Manchester and paying loads for council and rent which it can be the same as we pay here back in the south so we don’t have much of issue with accommodation prices.
We cant do much here because of the weather as with child they need activities and so much outdoor spaces here there is some nice parks and areas but we cant use it cause of weather its always always always raining we seeing sun maybe 30 days of the year max 40 days. So I cant take him anywhere out and we are stuck at home. We are looking for something more peaceful with more nature around as we work remote there will be no issue for our jobs. We need some where we can have some nice evening walks some more sunshine and a bit of more nature.
I would definitely check this area you mentioned as we are not so specifically looking now.
Thank you so much.
I fit almost entirely the description of your first respondent, but we moved from London down to Poole, the town the other side of Bournemouth and could say exactly the same thing. We have a local beach, Hamworthy, and possibly the finest, most expensive beach in the world Sandbanks but slightly less to do commercially (we lost the central M&S but you can drive to them). There is however the port, the marine base (low crime neighbourhood), Sunseeker etc... the ferry over to Studland. Lots of good restaurants around Sandbanks etc, lots of waterspouts and sailing. We looked at various places in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole when moving and Bournemouth just seems a bit too... city ish? Great for students, some nice hotels on the front, some nice areas and some really terrible areas along with all the problems that come with somewhere trying too hard to be a city (drunks, druggies, homeless, litter, etc...). I think a lot of people start looking at Bournemouth and then decide to live just outside it? I have zero regrets about moving from Kew, in London but I see the future outlook for Bournemouth as unclear or mixed at best. Poole at least has it's own established economy and hence purpose and I guess Christchurch has it's purpose but the very center of Bournemouth has gone the same way as town center shopping and been pinched between out of town shopping and Amazon frankly.
I will check the Poole and Christchurch today and see if we can have any options regarding the housing, when we check it was more option in Bournemouth for rent than Christchurch but will do some more searching today.
Southbourne is also worth looking at.
Sure we will check it is it close to the east side or more west?
It’s east of Bournemouth, just to the west of Christchurch.
I also live in Christchurch, and can confirm that it is a lovely place to live!
Bournemouth itself is a bit of a dump these days, but most of the surrounding towns are very nice. Green areas, good schools etc.
Check out Westbourne if you prefer it a bit more urban. Soutbourne is also qute nice, and even handier for the beaches, and mudeford/stanpit is sort of part of Christchrch (avoid somerford) .
If you fancey nice, but a bit more rural, Wimborne and Ringwood are both nice, and a bit cheaper.
Personally though, they'll only get me out of Christchuch in a box!
Avoid Boscombe (and anwhere close, ie holdenhurst), thats there the afore mentioned crack dens are.
I’ve lived in Christchurch my entire life, and I definitely have mixed feelings. It’s alright for kids and definitely a great place to live when you’re older (me and my boyfriend are planning on getting our own place in the area when we move out), but it’s terrible once you hit secondary school or become a teen in general. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolutely stunning town and i’m grateful to have grown up in such a beautiful place, but there’s absolutely nothing to do here for teens and i’ve spent most of my teenage years bored out of my mind. I’ve actually dealt with the same feeling of isolation that you say your wife experienced! Transport here has always felt awkward for some reason and me and my friends always relied on family members giving us lifts to Bournemouth or places where we could actually go and do stuff, and i’m now in the process of learning to drive because it feels like a necessity if you’re living here permanently.
It’s great living so close to the beach, but apart from that and a few shops in the town centre there’s really nothing to do here - apart from in the summer when we have the fun fair, fireworks show, circus ect. Honestly Christchurch most of the time just feels kinda… sleepy, if that makes sense? Anyway, sorry for ranting! Christchurch is a great place to live, but if you have kids who are teens or will grow up in the area just bear in mind there’s not a ton of entertainment options and it can feel pretty slow living here.
Thanks for the response! I definitely understand where you're coming from, but I also think it's tempting to imagine that growing up near a big city is all gigs and art galleries. Growing up in London we were all still impoverished teenagers, so we had no money to actually do anything and we still spent most of our weekends just going to a park, a swimming pool or playing Smash Bros round someone's house hoping their sister would notice me... uh, I mean, us - travelling via the painfully slow network of busses (by the time I was in secondary school I don't think I saw anyone outside of school whose house I could walk to).
So in practice it'd be interesting to know how much difference it would make if you live in a part of our area where you aren't stuck right out in the sticks - I know for my wife the issue was that if she didn't catch the bus leaving the village that morning then that was it, she was stuck at home on her own all day. And you can forget about Sunday! By comparison I can walk to a bus stop from my house in ~5 mins where the (admittedly very meandering) X1 and X2 go by every half an hour to either Bournemouth in one direction or Lymington in the other. Alternatively I'm ~20 min walk from a train station that gets you to Bournemouth in 10 mins (every hour), Southampton in 35 (every hour) and obviously further if you're feeling brave. I mean, no one likes busses but this is obviously a world apart from what my wife experienced.
I'd actually never had need to look it up before, but you can get an open return on Saturday for someone under 18 from Christchurch to Southampton for ~£6, Bournemouth is less than £2. It only seems to get pricier when you head to London (I've never noticed this before as the only time I get the train is when I'm heading to London).
I would 100% do some longer term visits if you can beforehand and absolutely review the housing costs beforehand. We (myself,partner and two boys) moved from Bournemouth about 8 months ago, I have family in Liverpool and our comparison for rentals and house purchases always astounded us and they don't live in the cheaper areas either.
I was born in Bournemouth and over the last few years I absolutely didn't enjoy living there. The town centre has definitely declined, even if we went to the beach we wouldn't have gone to Bournemouth beach.
I'd also look at the crime statistics and see if they reflect the type of place you want to live.
There are definitely places local to Bournemouth I would consider moving back to one day, but actual Bournemouth I don't think so and due to the cost of living there I'd need a very good reason to return to Dorset as a whole.
If I were relocating from Manchester there are a lot of other places I'd consider before Bournemouth.
Do you have any other places you can recommend for living we would like to be close to the beach and also on the South East side as I heard in the South West is also raining most of time.
Have you thought about East Sussex way? I grew up in Bournemouth (Westbourne) and have lived in Hove (part of Brighton and Hove) for the last 13 years. It’s more lively than Bournemouth and more to do culture wise, and you’ve got the South Downs countryside around. The beach isn’t as nice as there are pebbles but I much prefer the atmosphere here. The only thing is property prices are more expensive but if you go on the outskirts you might be ok.
My Nan & Grandad moved to Branksome (between Westbourne & Upper Parkstone) near the railway arches / gasworks from Salford after ww2 - the main thing they liked was the higher temperatures & being by beaches that are safe to swim in. My Nan said she was always cold in Manchester.
Same here Im always feeling cold and tired of this rain. Will definitely check the areas you mentioned. Thank you
Sorry I wouldn’t necessarily recommend upper Parkstone. Some of Branksome is ok. Westbourne is nice.
Great will check then both.
I live in Upper Parkstone (single mum to 5 year old) and the location is pretty perfect tbh. I don’t drive and I can walk a couple of minutes to Waitrose/Iceland for shopping, or to the central bus lines etc. 2 schools within walking distance, as well as 3 play parks. Yes there are a few street drinkers around etc but I think they’re in every town, and I certainly haven’t felt unsafe. I definitely wouldn’t want OP to write upper Parkstone off as it’s no worse than any other part of BCP, but certainly better than some lol!
It’s a lovely area, despite what some seem to be complaining about.
It’s an amazing hub if you like to be outdoors - you’d have the Jurassic coast to the west and the new forest to the east. Some incredible day trips, activities.
Check out Brownsea island for example.
Beautiful coastline, good transport links to Southampton (airport too) and Portsmouth.
Cost of rent/houses is expensive so do your due diligence on income vs expected expenses and if it is comfortable, I think it’s a lovely move for your family.
Check out some surrounding areas - Christchurch, Poole are lovely. Boscombe is cheaper but a little… quirky (probably not the safest place but I’ve always found it quite charming).
This person speaks sense.
This is amazing, thank you. To be honest we are not really doing much in Manchester we need calm and peaceful area that we can do something with child and some nice weekends as we cant have in Manchester, we are not party people or anything and with child keeping him home most of the times cause of weather is not so good. Mentally also we drained with the weather as its everyday rain. Would be amazing to come for visit first and see it.
Christchurch, maybe Poole would be the preferable areas to live in, not Bournemouth.
Sure we will check it. Thank you
Take a look at Hamworthy in Poole.
Sure will do.
I second hamworthy, or Upton just up the road. My family are in hamworthy and we considered it as an area to live. But we ended up with Upton and we have a little one and it's a lovely area to live in. Close to Poole town, close to the beach in Hamworthy and there's a big park in Upton too so plenty to get you outdoors without having to go far.
Perfect, I will do some search and check the housing. Do you generally like it there?
I would say the worst thing about Bournemouth for families is the lack of rainy day activities in the town centre. Theres many soft plays but they get expensive and not ideal for older kids
I moved from Manchester about ten years ago. I like it here. The weather is noticeably warmer, and there's the beach which I guess your kid will enjoy. Where in Manchester do you live at the moment? You might want to investigate the cost of living, as rent etc here is quite high, although some bits of Manchester certainly aren't cheap either.
There's not much cultural stuff going on here, so if you're used to that, then prepare for change
Thank you so much, we live in center Manchester so we kinda paying not less for rent and council tax. We are most of the times home and working and in the evening or later afternoon we cant even do much here as its always raining so we cant even go out. I would say Manchester is good for couple with no kids or single people who likes to party and go out more often which we are not that type as we dont even have time for it.
Ok, so you're used to quite expensive rent then. See what you can find that's similar. I'd imagine it's important for you to be close to the beach or a decent park so that the kid can be entertained. Moving from a city centre to Bournemouth though will be a big difference. It's so much quieter, which I found a bit odd at first. I'd become used to places being open all hours.
Maybe you should come for a weekend to check Bournemouth out. There's a direct train from Piccadilly
Yes we will come first for visit, isnt long with train?
We moved from Manchester to B-town 2 years ago. I regret nothing. It's great here, far more outside stuff to do. Property is fine to purchase and we haven't noticed it being more expensive as we do a lot more free stuff like the beach/new forest. The parks and leisure centres here are much better than Manchester IMHO. Move. Do it now! Plus far less drugs/crime/gangs.. That was a big plus for us!
This is amazing to hear, Manchester is really rough to be honest center is kinda scary and walking alone at night its not a thing here. So much drugs crime Im not sure why people saying its better than south unless maybe they never lived here. How is the weather there? Is it better than here right? Because we are stuck in rain and clouds and cold most of the time, I cant even take my child out to play in playground much.
It has been very rainy this year but the rain here moves on more quickly than Manchester. If it's rainy it won't likely be for the whole day. We are at the playground and the beach most days. I have 2 small children and they love it here.
The safety of Bournemouth is much much better than Manchester. I've lived in London, Manchester and Nottingham and this is by far safer than all of those.
Perfect, if its not rainy all time of the year I can get it generally here is so rainy and windy all year around as you also experienced it. So its perfect will come and check it before moving for sure. Thank you
How strange is that I was born in Manchester and have also lived in London Manchester and Nottingham and moved to Bournemouth in 2018 having been living and working in the Denton Droylsden area of Manchester.
I love Bournemouth the weather is so much better which provides better opportunities for outdoor life. I currently live in Southbourne and would never move back to rainy city.
Expect high rent and a battle to get a property if renting, if buying i hope you have a budget of 150-250k for a 1 bed flat,300k upwards for a 3 bed house in a not so great area,450-600k for a nicer area, i have grown up in bournemouth and it has always been a good place for me and now my little family, get your name down now with a load of estate agents, asap and good luck
Perfect thank you so much.
Cost of living much higher, should think they're is more to do in Manchester. Weather slightly nicer but will you benefit while both working? I'm bound here but would be saving up somewhere cheaper if we had that option.
What is more expensive in Dorset generally is it only accommodation?
I've read that we have one of the highest cost of living vs wages in the UK. Sorry I can't be more specific as I don't have experience of living elsewhere. Wanted to flag it as something for you to look into further.
Is it the accommodation costs or in generally everything else is more expensive than anywhere else in Uk?
Shops and leisure will all be the same, it's house/rental prices (possibly council tax?) that will be higher.
Yeah we will check this for sure before moving as without accommodation We cant move.
I have heard from people coming down to visit the food and drink and everything in the shops is more expensive too
I mean to be honest we are also paying kinda loads here for everything. Our rent and council is so much and when I checked it in Bournemouth council was a way cheaper than Manchester.
Maybe visit before if you’re wanting to move down..Bournemouths gone downhill massively there’s loads of shut down shops and drugs now. There’s some better places surrounding Bournemouth like Christchurch. I think the better city and place to go is Southampton and the new Forrest now.
We have an option for other places as well just need to see it first definitely we will check it before moving. Thank you
7 quid a pint The off licences and restaurants are the same price as London
I just left on Saturday and packed all my shit up, moved to Wigan.
Already in two days being in Wigan I see loads more people out and about, play parks for kids on the spectrum etc.
I left cause it's twice the price of rent than up north for wages which are frankly a joke. You're probably better off in Christchurch or Poole than Bournemouth. The town centre is dead.
Sure will check those two areas, we are so tired of the weather in North so for us its better to go to South or South East to see how is the things.
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Yeah here is always traffic too so not something new to us. As long as its not raining all around the year.
From an outsiders perspective I have always said Bournemouth was always a place I said we should move to if possible. While our son, daughter in law and granddaughter live there, my work as a PT and my elderly mother in law living with us makes the move impossible. If you can I would recommend moving I know your child will love growing up there
I would definitely consider just asking regarding the weather and general things going on in city, we love having nice walk and parks and Nature which we don’t have much if option here. As its ALWAYS raining ALWAYs.
Bournemouth v Manchester no contest Bournemouth wins
Yeah so many people having different opinions about the city life and what they need. For us we dont need much of bigger city which smaller can offer as we do not doing so many party or being drinking all the time, probably the reason saying Manchester is because of its much bigger and its good for couples with no child or single peoples. For family with child we need outdoor activities and nice walking areas and better weather.
Once you become parents what was important before really isn’t anymore. Just go with your gut, it generally isn’t wrong
Yes this is so true. I want him to have more freedom be able to grow in more nice and open communites than back what I can see in North
With all areas there are good and awful and avoid Boscombe as according to my son who’s a Pharmacist it’s Methadon city
Sure will do! Thank you
always worth considering school catchments too - some areas are really over subscribed and some schools are better than others! We are in Queens Park and round here / Charminster (the lower end) is good for amenities, schools and doctors / dentists.
if you want to be slightly further out Wimborne has houses sprouting up like mushrooms! i have friends out that way and they love it
This is great to know will check it. Thank you
I moved down from Preston around 2001, I'm still here with a wife & son, Southbourne is the perfect spot for families & the beach is lovely.
This is great to know and how is the weather and outdoor activities? Does your son also like it in south?
Weather is fantastic in comparison, son was born down here (wife's also Southern, I came down on my own for work), enjoys trips up north to see the family though 😁
Plenty to do activity wise & you've the new forest to the side also then a couple of cities in Southampton & Portsmouth the other side of the forest, plenty to entertain anyone.
This is amazing too know, thank you so mich
Hi, I recently relocated from an expensive area of Hertfordshire to the Broadstone area in Poole, and I must say, I’ve not been dissapointed. Broadstone offers a lot of greenery, golf courses, (if you’re into that I’m not) and heathland which are perfect for outdoor activities with the family.
One thing to consider, especially with the new Labour government planning to put VAT on private schools, is the local education options. The two grammar schools, boys & girls, in the Broadstone area and the wider Bournemouth area are going to become even more desirable, IMO… This could be a big plus for your child’s education if you’re looking at long-term benefits.
Living in Broadstone, you also have easy access to the stunning beaches of Sandbanks and the beautiful, more secluded spots across the ferry in Studland. The coastal lifestyle here is fantastic, with plenty of opportunities for family outings, beach days, and water activities.
If you’re into outdoor adventures, the area is great for mountain biking as well. The mix of coastal and inland trails provides a variety of terrains to explore. Studland is great..
If Broadstone is a bit pricey, you might want to check out Corfe Mullen and Canford Heath. These areas offer a similar experience but with slightly better value houses, making them great options for families looking for a balance between quality of life and affordability.
Overall, I’d say it’s a great area to raise a family. The blend of good schools, outdoor activities, and beautiful surroundings makes it a great place for both parents and kids.
If you’re considering a move, Broadstone, Corfe Mullen, and Canford Heath should definitely be considered. Good luck if you make the move.
We moved (wife and 2 kids) to Southbourne from London and have never looked back. Great hub to be in and then have the surrounding areas with so much to do
Moved here over 30 yrs ago never regretted it. Bought up 2 boys here. Schools all decent, Lots of green spaces in Bournemouth town centre and the beach and coast of course.
More issues with crime in town centre now but I am not out on the town so much anymore and still a safe place when compared with any city in UK. I live in Moordown/Redhill area and love it on the outer edge of the town but only 2 miles from the coast.
May I ask what type of Crime is an issue there? Manchester is also not so safe.
Town centre area more shop lifting and more knife crime incidents. But overall violent crime is reduced I believe. Generally less fights outside bars and clubs than there used to be.. Bmth has been in the news more often with high profile murders over last year . 2 in town centre and one on the beach. All knife crimes. But personally I would not have any fears walking around anywhere in Bournemouth I don't feel it's an unsafe place at all.
Edit Found this
Thank you
Life's a beach
Stay in Manchester, why would you come all the way down here for the same thing but even worse.
Solid disagree. As long as you can afford the increase in living costs, this is a great place to raise a family.
You are nuts/delusional, the town has been dying for years.
Town centre is completely dead, proper stores closing down so often and being replaced by corner stores/vape stores/barbers. The streets are manky. I can go for a walk down the Bournemouth town centre right now and I'll guarantee I will see at least 3 empty lots on the main (though still small) high-street of the town centre.
Streets is filled to the brim of drunk people, crackheads, gang members, anti-social behaviour is incredibly high yet the police do nothing about it when reported. I will go walk down the town centre now as well and I will spot out 4+ homeless beds camped outside of the stores.
The road system is shit, and fully cramped, summer days when tourists come down are hell.
The council is in it's own category when it comes for rating for the most corruption in the UK.
I cannot go down the street for more than 3 minutes without being harassed by a homeless guy or some chav asking for a lighter, and I mean that in a 3 minutes every interval, it happens at least every 3 minutes.
There is no sense of community here whatsoever.
The fact that the Boscombe area is probably the nicest and safest area to be in speaks volumes.
There are about 3 days of the year where Bournemouth is good to be, they are all in the summer, outside of the summer this place is hell and depressing.
I would never raise a family in Bournemouth it's full of anti-social behaviour and degeneracy, you must not leave your house if you really think Bournemouth is a great plcae to raise a family. I would not feel comfortable ever to let my future children out on the streets of Bournemouth alone.
Agreed… the only area I’d consider is Westbourne or southbourne perhaps? Bournemouth itself is totally run down, same goes for charminster, winton, kinson… the town centre is horrendous.
I've only been in Westbourne a few times and it seemed alright, Southbourne has a quite a bit of theft and stuff in the stores there with rough people but outside of the social side of things it's a nice looking place. Winton I actually rate a little bit, very nice high-street.
May I ask what is worse there? Than here?
Honestly bmouth is just dead with most shops closing & neighbouring places like Poole having been deserted by all companies, and the ASB issue is a big thing, personally I wouldnt want to have a family around there where your kids are out by themselves. Stabbings (fatal & non fatal) are a fairly regular occurence (there was a mass stabbing outside the college earlier this year, during collegw hours) and every other form of crime is happening almost 24/7 (especially drug & theft related). Also itll just get worse due to council corruption (an issue thats been highlighted by westminster) who have no interest in improving things. Id look somewhere else
One thing to bear in mind is that Bournemouth and Poole both have selective schooling with single sex Grammar Schools, and crap Secondary Schools. Just outside the BCP area, there is the comprehensive eduction system with mixed sex Upper schools and NO selective 11plus. This made us opt to live in what was then East Dorset - we live about 200 metres from the border lol. In fact Corfe Hills School which is the Upper school for my area is built on the “wrong side” of the boundary so the Broadstone area of Poole have to decide whether to opt for the Grammar/Secondary schools at 11 OR to let their children go to Corfe Hills at 13.
Great to have this in mind for later once he is coming to an age for school and education. Thank you.
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Hello,
I live in Christchurch, "one town along" from Bournemouth and for a family it's great. It's got its own beaches around which are nice (though not quite as nice as Bournemouth's), and on the other side there's the New Forest so between them it's fairly idyllic in a sort of Enid Blyton way. It's more expensive than Bournemouth in terms of property, but the schools are good, the town centre is nice and you have ready access to Bournemouth if there was something there you specifically wanted to see/do/eat.
Bournemouth offers enormous variety in terms of both housing size as well as areas of the town - that is to say, there are enormous, beautiful houses in leafy streets and there are absolutely shit hole crack dens, there are big high-rise apartment blocks and old farm houses at the end of long drive ways. Obviously living in the middle of a major city currently, this concept won't exactly be a new one to you, but it does make it quite tricky to answer the question of whether property is cheap or expensive - especially because Bournemouth isn't massive, so all these different options are sort of pushed up against one another. This discrepancy doesn't really exist to any meaningful extent in Christchurch, but that's partly why it costs more.
I'm born and raised in London, though my kids were both born after I moved down here. I work remotely for a company in London which is handy, and whilst I absolutely love London and enjoy visiting with my family you couldn't convince me to move back there with the kids - I'd view that as being a sacrifice. As you've said, the sort of thing that a city excels at is basically irrelevant to families with young kids. My wife grew up in the New Forest and hated it because the transport situation essentially made her isolated until she could drive, but in any of the towns around this area - Bournemouth, Christchurch, Ringwood etc - there's decent enough transport and decent enough levels of stuff to do locally that I don't think this is a risk.
Knowing nothing else about you, I think there are much worse places you could move to. But do take a look at Christchurch if it wasn't on your radar, and it's only a few miles along the coast so worth swinging by if you come down here for a visit whilst making up your mind. It has its problems, just like everywhere but.... well, it has a Waitrose and an M&S Food Hall - what else can I say?