Best and Worst Places you've Been

[anti-pacer]

I'm currently watching a programme about benefit claimants, set on the Mersey side of the Wirral.

What a run down, filth ridden hovel!

 

[fowler9]

I'm currently watching a programme about benefit claimants, set on the Mersey side of the Wirral.

What a run down, filth ridden hovel!

We don't call it "The Dark Side" for nothing. On a serious note whilst there are a lot of very nice areas on the Wirral there a places near Birkenhead that as shocking if not worse than anywhere our side of the river.

 

[anti-pacer]

We don't call it "The Dark Side" for nothing. On a serious note whilst there are a lot of very nice areas on the Wirral there a places near Birkenhead that as shocking if not worse than anywhere our side of the river.

I lived in Waterloo for a couple of years with my mate (who now lives in Maghull), so know the Wirral reasonably well. I've seen the area around Birkenhead North and that isn't nice, but I never really had Wallasey down as being a dump.

 

[fowler9]

Wouldn't call Wallasey a dump but it isn't as nice as Meols or West Kirby.I've worked with people who have said they couldn't live on the Liverpool side of the river but Mossley Hill where I live is much nicer than huge swathes of the Wirral.

 

[96tommy]

Looking at all the comments about East London, as a resident of East London (Whitechapel) I love it. Despite growing up in a small town I have always been a city person at heart so that is probably why. It's definitely an area on the up, especially Brick Lane and Shoreditch and areas around Liverpool Street. I find where I am near Poplar, Stepney, Mile End etc.. to be a lot nicer than places further east such as East Ham and Plaistow

 

[306024]

Looking at all the comments about East London, as a resident of East London (Whitechapel) I love it. Despite growing up in a small town I have always been a city person at heart so that is probably why. It's definitely an area on the up, especially Brick Lane and Shoreditch and areas around Liverpool Street. I find where I am near Poplar, Stepney, Mile End etc.. to be a lot nicer than places further east such as East Ham and Plaistow

Yep, the history of the East End is fascinating, especially if you were born there. Of course a lot of us Eastenders, for the want of a better term, have moved to greener pastures but you never forget your roots.

So London is my favourite, won't offend anyone by mentioning the worst place, but it is North of Watford.

 

[DarloRich]

Yep, the history of the East End is fascinating, especially if you were born there. Of course a lot of us Eastenders, for the want of a better term, have moved to greener pastures but you never forget your roots.

So London is my favourite, won't offend anyone by mentioning the worst place, but it is North of Watford.

bloody cockneys. No idea

I really like London as a place. It is so varied and a vibrant place to visit.

 

[306024]

Only took 5 minutes to get a reaction

And to be fair I'm heading up north this weekend so it can't be all bad.

 

[DarloRich]

Only took 5 minutes to get a reaction

And to be fair I'm heading up north this weekend so it can't be all bad.

I am only teasing. where are you off to?

 

[306024]

Me too

Following part of your recent trip report to Windermere, and a ride over the Settle and Carlisle now it's fully open again. Darlington will have to wait for another day.

The Lakes and the Dales are truly wonderful too.

 

[DarloRich]

Me too

Following part of your recent trip report to Windermere, and a ride over the Settle and Carlisle now it's fully open again. Darlington will have to wait for another day.

The Lakes and the Dales are truly wonderful too.

i hope the weather is better this weekend. We only got one good day last weekend.

The easy access to both ( and the Moors) is one of the things I miss most about being in MK

 

[Bletchleyite]

i hope the weather is better this weekend. We only got one good day last weekend.

The easy access to both ( and the Moors) is one of the things I miss most about being in MK

As a Scouser by birth I very much miss North Wales, the Lakes and the Peak all within an hour and a half.

OTOH, the WCML PUG of the early 2000s, even though 140mph was never reached, did massively help for all of those.

 

[anti-pacer]

Looking at all the comments about East London, as a resident of East London (Whitechapel) I love it. Despite growing up in a small town I have always been a city person at heart so that is probably why. It's definitely an area on the up, especially Brick Lane and Shoreditch and areas around Liverpool Street. I find where I am near Poplar, Stepney, Mile End etc.. to be a lot nicer than places further east such as East Ham and Plaistow

East London has some real gems.

Wanstead, Emerson Park, much of Upminster. Parts of Ilford are quite pleasant, as is Barkingside.

 

[anti-pacer]

Wouldn't call Wallasey a dump but it isn't as nice as Meols or West Kirby.I've worked with people who have said they couldn't live on the Liverpool side of the river but Mossley Hill where I live is much nicer than huge swathes of the Wirral.

The parts shown on that programme were a dump. However, a friend of mine lived in Wallasey, near Grove Road station, and where he lived was nice.

Plenty of Liverpool is nice, including Mossley Hill. There's a road in Cressington that leads down to the river that has some lovely big houses. Allerton, Childwall, Woolton, Sefton Park, parts of Wavertree and Aigburth. West Derby has plenty of nice parts, and going north you have Aintree which isn't bad, Litherland has its nice parts, and most of Crosby is nice.

 

[EM2]

East London has some real gems.

Wanstead, Emerson Park, much of Upminster. Parts of Ilford are quite pleasant, as is Barkingside.

They're all Essex, really

 

[northwichcat]

I also find places like Alderley Edge and Wilmslow a bit suspect. All those high-walled fences around property. Anything could be going on behind there.

Surely Prestbury's suspect. A place where the colour of the vehicle running the bus service is seen as more important than the timetable or the fares.

 

[anti-pacer]

They're all Essex, really

Until they want all the privileges of London, including their transport system.

 

[backontrack]

Surely Prestbury's suspect. A place where the colour of the vehicle running the bus service is seen as more important than the timetable or the fares.

You're on dangerous ground there, lad

 

[fowler9]

The parts shown on that programme were a dump. However, a friend of mine lived in Wallasey, near Grove Road station, and where he lived was nice.

Plenty of Liverpool is nice, including Mossley Hill. There's a road in Cressington that leads down to the river that has some lovely big houses. Allerton, Childwall, Woolton, Sefton Park, parts of Wavertree and Aigburth. West Derby has plenty of nice parts, and going north you have Aintree which isn't bad, Litherland has its nice parts, and most of Crosby is nice.

Possibly Knowsley Road or Salisbury Road at either end of Cressington Station? Had a mate at school way back when whose dad was one of the foremost heart surgeons in the country who lived right by Cressington Station in what can only be described as at least a modest mansion, ha ha. They moved to Australia some 29 years ago so I guess his dad was one of the foremost heart surgeons there until what I imagine would have been an early retirement.

 

[Gathursty]

You're on dangerous ground there, lad

I can't really comment on Prestbury but I've parked my car in numerous occasions in nearby Wythenshawe and my car hasn't been broken into.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Worst place - Work

Best Place - Not at Work

Most unfriendly and miserable towns in UK - Manchester, Barnsley and Newport (Gwent)

 

[northwichcat]

Most unfriendly and miserable towns in UK - Manchester, Barnsley and Newport (Gwent)

Around 10 years ago I slipped and fell on the escalator going down to Metrolink at Manchester Piccadilly and everyone just walked around me, obviously annoyed that I had unintentionally got in their way!

 

[rg177]

Stepped off the train in Newport (South Wales) and a woman started screaming expletives at me.

A creepy man followed me around as I did Cardiff Central to Queen Street to Central to Queen Street leaps on that same day...

And two youths at Cadoxton openly discussed shoving me under a train. Again on that same day.

Needless to say, my impression of South Wales isn't great.

Sent from my LG-K350 using Tapatalk

 

[bramling]

Stepped off the train in Newport (South Wales) and a woman started screaming expletives at me.

A creepy man followed me around as I did Cardiff Central to Queen Street to Central to Queen Street leaps on that same day...

And two youths at Cadoxton openly discussed shoving me under a train. Again on that same day.

Needless to say, my impression of South Wales isn't great.

Yes likewise I have formed a highly negative impression of people in South Wales. I hate tarring all with the same brush, but there seem to be a much higher than normal proportion of rude unpleasant people, bordering on neurotic at times - particularly around Newport it seems.

Another place I find unfriendly is Tyne & Wear. This was a surprise to me as I find the north-east in general one of the friendliest parts of the UK.

Essex is also extremely rude and unfriendly in my experience.

 

[swt class 450]

Here are some best and worst places (mainly around my local area).

Best Places:
• Ashtead
• Ashurst
• Balcombe
• Berwick
• Betchworth
• Box Hill
• Brockham
• Buckland
• Capel
• Chelwood Gate
• Chilworth
• Clandon
• Cowden
• Cranleigh
• Cuckfield
• Dean
• Ditchling
• Dorking
• Dunbridge
• Effingham
• Ewhurst
• Firle
• Glynde
• Gomshall
• Guildford
• Haslemere
• Hever
• Hindhead
• Holmbury St Mary
• Holmwood
• Horsley
• Isfield
• Lewes
• Mottisfont
• Newick
• Ockley
• Peaslake
• Ranmore
• Salisbury
• Shalford
• Southease
• Warnham
• Westmeston
• Westhumble

Worst Places:
• Bexhill
• Blackpool
• Bognor Regis
• Brighton
• Chatham
• Clacton
• Crawley
• Croydon
• Dartford
• Dover
• Eastbourne
• Folkestone
• Hailsham
• Hastings
• Hove
• Lancing
• Lewisham
• Littlehampton
• Margate
• Newhaven
• Ore
• Peacehaven
• Polegate
• Portslade
• Purley
• Ramsgate
• Saltdean
• Seaford
• Shoreham
• Skegness
• Southend
• St Leonards
• Worthing

I can think of so many other nice places in the UK and at the same time i can also think of so many other run down grotty horrible places in the UK so this list could really go and on.

 

[rg177]

Yes likewise I have formed a highly negative impression of people in South Wales. I hate tarring all with the same brush, but there seem to be a much higher than normal proportion of rude unpleasant people, bordering on neurotic at times - particularly around Newport it seems.

Another place I find unfriendly is Tyne & Wear. This was a surprise to me as I find the north-east in general one of the friendliest parts of the UK.

Essex is also extremely rude and unfriendly in my experience.

Funnily enough I live in Tyne and Wear and indeed there's some wild variation.

Newcastle city is perfectly fine and I'm always willing to help any tourist in need of direction etc, which tends to increase in the summer months.

Stray into Sunderland and I always find it to be a bit colder, same with South Shields.

In terms of stiffness, I also found Kingston to be rather unfriendly, yet just nearby in Richmond I felt perfectly at home in the likes of Richmond Park.

 

[Calthrop]

I don't get the downer on Newport. I've only been there once, and that was for the day, but I really didn't think it was very bad at all. An indoor market, which is always a plus point for me, cheap caffs, a couple of decent record shops. A nice little town.

Yes likewise I have formed a highly negative impression of people in South Wales. I hate tarring all with the same brush, but there seem to be a much higher than normal proportion of rude unpleasant people, bordering on neurotic at times - particularly around Newport it seems.

I maybe have a "reflex" tendency to come to the defence of much-rubbished places, feeling somewhat sorry for them -- Newport does seem to be getting a lot of stick in this thread. At least it's found one advocate, as above -- I take it that EM2 is referring to Newport on the River Usk, not Newport, Isle of Wight . My brother was at college in Newport, a few decades ago: he found the place and its inhabitants, mostly delightful. Admittedly he tends to be a bit of a Pollyanna; and things may have been better there back then, than now.

I've spent little time in South Wales proper; but don't recall ever having a problem with anyone there -- granted, the first might be "cause", and the second, "effect".

 

[Johnnie2Sheds]

Best:
Charleston S.C.
Worst:
Derby.

 

[Bevan Price]

I cannot give a simple answer. Most towns & cities have both good areas & "cr*p areas. In my home town, St. Helens (Lancashire), the central shopping area is run down and a bit depressing. But get a mile or two from the town centre, we have some great parks.

London has some dire suburbs, and some dire zones not far from the main stations - but it, too, has some fine parks. It also has some fine buildings & museums - but the skyline is increasingly dominated by ugly skyscapers. Manchester, too, is falling victim to skyscraper blight, and the council wrecked the small but pleasant city centre park (Piccadilly Gardens.)

Birmingham has some fine buildings, but the centre is a confusing maze for visitors.

Coastal resorts such as Rhyl, New Brighton have been visually wrecked by concrete monstrosities built on the waterfront.

Commuter belt towns around London are not unpleasant, but mostly boringly bland.

Based only on town / city centres, worthy of mention include:

Geneva, Vienna, Copenhagen, York, Liverpool.

Leamington Spa, Hexham, Beverley, Lincoln, Durham.

Best avoided - most city suburbs still retaining 19th century terraced housing.

 

[Bromley boy]

Best (in no particular order):

San Francisco - LA (via highway one, rugged coastline with stunning views of Big Sur) - Vegas in a hired drop-top mustang. Hoover Dam tour, chopper into the Grand Canyon, followed by a Champagne picnic. several drunken days in Vegas before doing the whole thing in reverse;

Death Valley, USA (same trip as above). Incredible, unreal, unearthly landscape. Like being on the moon. It was 35 degrees at Furnace Creek, yet we were warned about snow blocking some of the passes from Yosemite.

Fowey, Cornwall, UK. We stayed in a traditional fishing cottage. Great food and excellent scenery, shame about the weather;

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - we were in the Fasano hotel, far and away the best hotel I've ever stayed in, behind Ipanema Beach (far better than Copocabana) Art Deco style. Incredible experience and memories;

Amalfi coast, Italy. Fantastic food, people, experience. Swimming into the Blue Grotto was incredible;

Camps bay, Cape Town, South Africa. A particular highlight was Hout Bay for alfresco sea food, with majestic, cumulus-topped mountains as the backdrop;

Koh Samui, Thailand, Four Seasons hotel. Beaching, boozing and relaxing in first class style, Thai massages on tap.

Worst:

Birmingham, UK. Sorry, no offence to those who live there, but several visits haven't changed my opinion that it's an irredeemable concrete sh*t hole with an appalling accent. Croydon is better, and probably bigger;

Los Angeles, USA (same trip as #1 of best trips, listed above). City of Angels? Nope. Just an enormous concrete sprawl, built around the car. Sunset Boulevard etc nowhere near as romantic as people suggest! Staying on the Queen Mary liner at Long Beach was a highlight, though;

Marrakech, Morocco. We stayed in a lovely riad but my modestly dressed girlfriend was looked at as if she was a piece of meat by the local men... very unfriendly people. Lamb tagines become seriously bland after a while.

Johannesburg, South Africa. Menacing, threatening, unpleasant, dangerous. You have to drive through red traffic lights ("robots" as they're known out there) or risk being car-jacked;

Cancun, Mexico. Lots of concrete, lots and lots of Mosquitos. Also somewhat disappointing to fly 5000 miles only to be surrounded by British chavs.