Where to live outside of London

For some, England seems to begin and end at the boundaries of the M25. But there’s a whole wide world out there in the rest of the UK, and with the rising cost of living in London, many are now looking further afield for places to live:

Manchester

They say it’s grim up north, but these days it’s anything but. And Manchester really is the star of the north. Here’s why:

Cafe culture

The city is small, but The Northern Quarter is a thriving hub for creativity and successful independent businesses. Over the years, the buzzy hotspot has expanded as more and more coffee houses like North Tea Power, Takk and KoffeePot and restaurants like Home Sweet Home pop up all over the place. Possibly the Manc equivalent of east London, the district boasts a heady mix of art, music, food, drink and culture. Keep your peepers peeled and you may just spot a Corrie star having a tipple away from the Rovers.

The grub

Foodies will embrace Manchester with open arms as the restaurant industry thrives in the city. Not only are there more sassy restaurants than you can poke a fork at, such as the fabulous Almost Famous, the city boasts its own Manchester Food & Drink Festival every year.

Going out

Manchester is great place to go out and Spinningfields has a fabulous array of unique bars and restaurants nestled amongst the glass fronted offices, high in tower blocks, under shops and even in a 100-year-old shed. The NQ is where you will find an impressive amount of hip bars such as Port Street Beer House, which serves a tasty mix of ales and beers, and kooky watering hole Hula Bar where they whip up a never forgotten Zombie!

Bristol

A stunning city packed with sassy bars and art galleries in former toilets that gave the world Banksy and Wallace & Gromit. The pace of life is slower in Bristol and boasts old-fashioned print publications such as Lionheart and Off Life magazines. If you fancy a casual to clear your head stroll stop off for a nibble at the reknowned Hart’s Bakery in an arch underneath Temple Meads or East Bristol Bakery on St Mark’s Road in Easton and wash your sarnie down with a piping hot coffee from Didn’t You Do Well or Full Court Press.

Edinburgh

Beautiful town with much to enjoy, whether is stunning archetecure or fun-packed night life. There are some gorgeous parts of the city to live, though some locals might suggest that Comely Bank or Stockbridge are less desirable due to problems with flooding from the Leith. Meanwhile, Trinity, Barnton and Cramond are desirable living looactions, while Craigentinny has nice housing, but is situated not too far from the sewage works! West of the city, Corstorphine and Craimount is highly tipped though it s advised that looking at the bus routes is a good idea so you kinow how easy it is to get around.