Best cities to live in England

Hello.....this question is difficult ......if you want to live in a nice attractive city or town perhaps York, Chester,Norwich or (slightly smaller) Bournemouth!

A good multi cultural city is Leicester where generally everyone integrates well or at the very least live in harmony with all Nationalities. It is a fairly attractive city with very nice surrounding villages and has one of the most attractive public parks in England where you can walk (for free) and see 'unexpectedly' some of the 500 deer that roam freely.

I think a lot depends on you and it is important to go out and meet people by joining in clubs, educational classes either for studying or for social purposes.

If you are outgoing and determined not to 'stay indoors' you will enjoy any City in England.

If you require any information on the UK and especially Leicester.....feel free to ask me any questions........tartanjimmy

Hay there!

I would recommend Guildford, Woking and camberley, it's a lovely town and it's easy to take the train to London, there are a lot if expats there. I know amongst guildford, camberley and Woking that the county Surrey is extremely expensive.. I believe up north its lots and lots cheaper. I've also heard that Bournemouth is lovely.

southampton hampshire
and cambridgeshire excellent places to live pleanty work and good living

Wouldn't discount Bristol. Lots of industry (aerospace + defense) sprinkled with a dash of established high-tech and start-ups. High quality of life, affordable housing and more sunny days per year then most parts of England.

Would suggest outskirts of Cambridge,Suffolk, Manchester,Leeds and Norfolk.

Also consider Nottingham and Leicester.

The closer you get to the bigger cities the more expensive things are ie. Rent. However I guess all relative as you would earn more in a bigger city ie. London. 

I ask the same question. From a weather point of view the best place is East or South East. Why? Because if you look at the weather pattern the weather is always good or a lot better than Wales, west England, Scottland, and the Midlands.

I would focus on the South, South East or East.

I live in Ipswich but am wanting to move to Isle of White.

Any further questions let me know.

I think best city are Lichfield staffordsdhire England

I'm biaised because I live nearby but I love Brighton. It's a lively and interesting city by the sea, with some brilliant sights, it's trendy with a fun hippy streak, not far from Gatwick and London and the beautiful Downs. It's not cheap but then, where is cheap unless you live far up North?

Don't forget Plymouth. There is a fantastic waterfront, an interesting history, and it is a good base to explore Dartmoor, the English riviera and the Cornish towns and beaches!

The question was the best places to live in ENGLAND.

You mention Wales and Scotland in your reply.......neither of them are in England.

As expat is International it is important that members worldwide know that England is one of 4 Nations which comprise of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

Wales Scotland Northern Ireland and England.

Trust this clarifies this point.

Bournemouth is still my fav place to live though many consider it as a city for retirement, but i dont agree as there are many places for clubbing pubs and the beach is the best. Lots of international schools and multicultural town, not far from London or any other bigger cities. and the weather is just lovely, many things for active live like jogging along the sea, swimming, sailing, surfing etc. and i love and prefer southwest rather than south east.

It depends entirely on budget. The south is extremely expensive compared to the north. I've lived in Guildford and wouldn't recommend it unless you got money to buy a property. There are pleasant villages around Guildford, though they still suffer inflated prices. I prefer Winchester, a similar sized town, but far more pleasant, similar distance to London, easier access to the sea. Plenty of expats in the area from across Europe and the US.

Manchester is in contrast a very cosmopolitan city, and fairly affordable still in comparison..and it's huge.

Birmingham seems to be attracting business from London due to the much lower rental prices, so opportunities may arise.

Cambridge is a no-go area nowadays.

I know a number of people who have left Cambridge. Although the same can be said of other UK cities. 

The cost of housing is sky-high especially in the city centre, parking space is very limited and buildings are old, so no energy efficient. As far as I am aware, it is the second most expensive city in the UK, with Oxford right behind in third place.

Salaries are no-way near London's, unless you work as a qualified accountant, lawyer or life scientist in the tech industry, but are on average slightly higher than those in the north of England.

Last but not least, as affordable housing is in short supply, people live in the outskirts, so the road infrastructure get grid-locked every now and then during the rush hour (8:00 - 9:30), especially in winter. A 9-miles car trip can take some days over 1 hour drive which can be frustrating when the same trip is just 20-30 minutes drive on a saturday or sunday. In summer time (end of May-early Sept), as there are less students, the road congestion tend to ease off.

On the other hand, Cambridge is young, vibrant, multicultural and .... more open-minded than other areas in the UK. There is work, but job competition is fierciful as the brightest minds come from all over the country and abroad. If you move to any of the countryside villages the feeling is more conservative, rural and close-minded, which is not everyone's cup of tea.

I have lived in and around Cambridge more than 10 years.

AHH

Loved reading this. We are emigrating to the UK in October and decided a while ago that we will settle in the Bournemouth/ Christchurch area. We have 3 very young children and want that quality of life for them. Husband is in construction so we are hoping he will be able to get a job near home, I'm thinking perhaps Portsmouth which is not too far and quite a booming city.

Bristol is a wonderful city for families with kids! There are so many things to do in the city and around in the suburbs. Each area regularly has street parties in the summer, lots of play parks and so many coffee shops and restaurants that you will find something for the whole family.

Bristol was recently selected as one of the best cities to live in Europe and it is true! On a sunny cold day the city is beautiful with lots of old buildings and green open spaces. There are also many good schools in the area, a wide variety of shops and facilities for families.

Bristol has a lot of things to do and see. From the @Bristol science museum, to the SS Great Britain in the habourside, this city has so much life & energy!