Do you feel your area is on the decline? Crime, rubbish?

[djewkes]

The internet has killed the high street... that and the big companies which meant every high street was exactly the same... I rarely go shopping (except for food) as I can press a few buttons and get what I want delivered the next day without even putting my coat on...

[taffs travels]

I live near Swansea, the village is lovely, 2 butchers, a fish monger, 3 x fruit and veg stores, an independent shoe shop, 3 x independent clothes shops, a lovely bakery and the usual takeaways and charity shops. its a good community i know all my neighbours and we look out for each other ( even the new ones coming in) The only fly in the ointment is litter dog poo and irresponsibly parked cars.
When i go back to see my mum in Dudley I am so sad to see how the market has changed and the area has declined. My mum is 80 and still cleans her windows and has a pretty lower filled front garden but her house stands is the only one in the street that looks cared for

[firsttimer2014]

I am another vote for it's better than it was. We live in Dundee, just a few minutes walk from the new V and A. We have a beautiful new waterfront, four brilliant, huge parks all within walking distance, and the McManus galleries. These are all completely free things to do. If you can pay we have a recently built swimming centre, 2 shopping centres, go karting, trampolining, and climbing, 3 cinemas, a concert hall and a repertory theatre.

The schools have been rebuilt in the last couple of years, the train station has been rebuilt too. We have 2 universities.

It is not perfect though. Sadly we have a lot of drug-related deaths and just last week an elderly man was assaulted and mugged in the street. The council "schemes" (housing estates) outside of the city centre have been overlooked in favour of the city centre which has money poured into it constantly. So we benefit from it directly but other Dundonians don't.

The general feeling amongst the other parents we know though is that this is a good place to raise children, and that we are no longer "Scumdee".

[marlouwrig]

Originally Posted by harryhaflinger

Unfortunately Utopia doesn't exist, I moved from Essex to North Yorkshire 18 months ago, love where I live now however nowhere is perfect, there will always be crime and drugs around. The high st is dying due to internet buying and high rents which independant retailers struggle to pay.Saying that I feel I can walk home safely at night and don't feel intimidated at all and sometimes I finish work at midnight. !

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I moved from Essex (where I was born) to North Yorkshire just last week. Like most places now I think there are some areas that you would want to avoid alone in the dark, but it has been a good place to live. Complicated reasons for the move, but definitely not because I was unhappy with the area in which I was living and I do miss my friends. Although I'm still a bit of a fish out of water as I won't be properly settled until the new house is ready to move into, I am looking to the future and see no reason why I won't be very happy here

[djewkes]

Apparently Chesterfield isn’t as bad as I thought...
dailymail/travel/a...ins-charm.html

[sammykitten]

Originally Posted by djewkes

Apparently Chesterfield isn’t as bad as I thought...
dailymail/travel/a...ins-charm.html

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despite that being a daily mail article, i'm another who likes chesterfield centre. i work there frequently, great shopping (car parking costs are expensive for a town imo) the centre of town seems to be thriving, with still a few specialist independent shops, and its accessible by both road and rail (don't know about the buses). The M1 out/in can be a mare though .

[harryhaflinger]

Originally Posted by marlouwrig

I moved from Essex (where I was born) to North Yorkshire just last week. Like most places now I think there are some areas that you would want to avoid alone in the dark, but it has been a good place to live. Complicated reasons for the move, but definitely not because I was unhappy with the area in which I was living and I do miss my friends. Although I'm still a bit of a fish out of water as I won't be properly settled until the new house is ready to move into, I am looking to the future and see no reason why I won't be very happy here

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Never regreted moving although I do miss my friends, they have been up to visit me though. I can walk out of my house to the top of the road and I'm up on the moors, 5 mins in the car and I'm in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, try doing that in Basildon lol !

[angelbabe]

Originally Posted by djewkes

Apparently Chesterfield isn’t as bad as I thought...
dailymail/travel/a...ins-charm.html

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Originally Posted by sammykitten

despite that being a daily mail article, i'm another who likes chesterfield centre. i work there frequently, great shopping (car parking costs are expensive for a town imo) the centre of town seems to be thriving, with still a few specialist independent shops, and its accessible by both road and rail (don't know about the buses). The M1 out/in can be a mare though .

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I come from Chesterfield and most of my family are still there.

[UncleLatch]

Originally Posted by djewkes

The area I live in is fine (small suburb, lots of countryside) but I know Chesterfield (about 10 miles away and my home town) has gone down, more charity shops, more rough sleepers and not much to venture into the centre for...

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Chesterfield is in decline and I'm sorry to say I can't see the trend reversing anytime soon. We don't go in to town all that often now, no shops we want to visit. Rough sleepers and youths hanging about being generally loud and obnoxious. May as well go to Meadowhell, free parking and plenty of choice. It's really sad..

[vowels]

I am glad to stay in South Lanarkshire.