Cardiff - City of the Year

[Eric the Half a Bee]

That's an opinion , because you live here

Going to have to do better than that

Don't worry, the male menopause won't last much longer.

[Der Kaiser]

It's like a Stoke, Coventry , Nottingham with a few extras basically

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThJc...hannel=sYgmata

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Sludge, Cardiff University has arguably the best music school outside of the very top major universities - top 10 in the UK last time I checked. One of the biggest draws for music students is the music scene in Cardiff. So many opportunities in so many areas for music students. You might be shaking your head at the moment, but I can promise you this is true.

Cardiff offers many opportunities for musicians of all types, and all local, on our doorstep. Sorry if some of it doesn't suit you, but Cardiff has a very big reputation on the world stage.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Sludge, Cardiff University has arguably the best music school outside of the very top major universities - top 10 in the UK last time I checked. One of the biggest draws for music students is the music scene in Cardiff. So many opportunities in so many areas for music students. You might be shaking your head at the moment, but I can promise you this is true.

Cardiff offers many opportunities for musicians of all types, and all local, on our doorstep. Sorry if some of it doesn't suit you, but Cardiff has a very big reputation on the world stage.

Opera , classical maybe

But it doesn't have a decent rock , alternative , metal , indie scene ?

It certainly doesn't have the small and mid sized venues that Bristol has

The problem with classical , opera etc is that venues are built but the people don't come

That's not to say that classical is crap , it's clearly not

But Cardiff doesn't produce bands like Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester etc does and considering Cardiff is bigged up .....especially on here and in the local media ......it should really be better

Food is another area that Cardiff is criticised for .....it is , according to those that know , a bit conservative with a small c and samey

Actually I think samey could apply to the music scene too

There are some good hip hop style sounds , mace the great is excellent imo

But the chances of him having a night at the millennium centre is virtually non existent .....but there are opera and classical nights there where the crowds are dismal

[NYCBlue]

It's like a Stoke, Coventry , Nottingham with a few extras basically

No. It absolutely is not.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

No. It absolutely is not.

It's a similar size

Cosmopolitan

Industrial past

Cardiff has had proportionally more investment than the three I mentioned but that's about it really

It's a good city but it's too small really

I think if it had the population of Sheffield for example it would be a lot better

Cardiff Bay sometimes seems too big and the city centre too small for a modern city

[goats]

It's a similar size

Cosmopolitan

Industrial past

Cardiff has had proportionally more investment than the three I mentioned but that's about it really

It's a good city but it's too small really

I think if it had the population of Sheffield for example it would be a lot better

Cardiff Bay sometimes seems too big and the city centre too small for a modern city

The centre and the bay will unify one day……

[the other bob wilson]

That's an opinion , because you live here

Going to have to do better than that

But all you're doing is offering your own opinions back

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

But all you're doing is offering your own opinions back

Cardiff doesn't have many decent music venues , it's ironic that both Newport in the past and now Swansea have modern , seated entertainment venues .....plenty of money was spent on the millennium centre but its rarely used for touring bands , you are more likely to see a puppet show or dancing clowns .....in front of a few hundred people

It has nowhere near the number of art galleries that Liverpool or Glasgow have

Newcastle has an extensive metro system

It's train station is inadequate and small compared to most UK cities

Those are facts not opinions

I would agree it's got a nice civic centre

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Opera , classical maybe

But it doesn't have a decent rock , alternative , metal , indie scene ?

It certainly doesn't have the small and mid sized venues that Bristol has

The problem with classical , opera etc is that venues are built but the people don't come

That's not to say that classical is crap , it's clearly not

But Cardiff doesn't produce bands like Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester etc does and considering Cardiff is bigged up .....especially on here and in the local media ......it should really be better

Food is another area that Cardiff is criticised for .....it is , according to those that know , a bit conservative with a small c and samey

Actually I think samey could apply to the music scene too

There are some good hip hop style sounds , mace the great is excellent imo

But the chances of him having a night at the millennium centre is virtually non existent .....but there are opera and classical nights there where the crowds are dismal

In other words, because Cardiff doesn't do what you want it to, it's crap.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

In other words, because Cardiff doesn't do what you want it to, it's crap.

The irony

plenty of money is put into opera , classical and non contemporary music but very few people pay to go and watch it

A lot of white elephants in Cardiff , the millennium centre being a prime example

This capital city stuff thrown around is nonsense , it's just a name .

Cardiff should focus on getting the basics right instead of trying to be so pretentious

Having a Romanian women's dance group is great but nobody goes to watch them

[North Cardiff Blue]

I'd say the only reason Cardiff hosted a Champions League final (and the plethora of other major events that visit) is because it's a capital city, we pull in lots of events thanks to that, and people love visiting for them.

It's because it has the millennium stadium (the best name) and loads of pubs nearby, it is brilliant for football much better than Wembley.

[JamesWales]

The centre and the bay will unify one day……

The Bay and ity centre, united, will never be defeated! ✊

[North Cardiff Blue]

I doubt you'll find one. My point is that all city centres are looking at alternatives to ramming their roads full of cars.

The main issue in Cardiff is access to the car parks (proper ones St Davids 2 and John Lewis) which are all on the other side of the city centre for most visitors, it could be fixed very easily.

[North Cardiff Blue]

My gripe with Parking, the roads, the council, and Drippy is clouding my judgment, I talk to a lot of people from all over the southwest and up to Birmingham. I would say 90% of people love Cardiff as a City and talk positively about visits for weekend shopping, concerts, sporting events etc, it compares well for things to do with most other Cities in the Country.

[JamesWales]

I think that Sludge has a point on some of the music stuff. Theres things any city is good at and things any city is less good at. I've always felt Cardiff has a good 'top-down' music offer, with the big gigs, venues, opera etc but is pretty poor at grassroots or 'bottom-up' venues, where there is a real lack of choice really, whether it's seeing a guitarist in a pub or paying a tenner to see an upcoming band. If that's what Sludge is saying, then I think he has a point.

More generally, five things I think Cardiff has that would grace any global city:

1 - Bute Park.

2 - Cardiff Bay. Though we have done little with it, most places would love a huge freshwater lake on the edge of its city centre

3 - Millennium Stadium. Until the Bernerbau was recently completed it was the largest coveredarena in Europe

4 - Civic Centre. Our architecture generally isn't much to write about but that is

5 - Cardiff Castle. Loads of cities boast stunning castles but we are also one of them

[the other bob wilson]

Cardiff doesn't have many decent music venues , it's ironic that both Newport in the past and now Swansea have modern , seated entertainment venues .....plenty of money was spent on the millennium centre but its rarely used for touring bands , you are more likely to see a puppet show or dancing clowns .....in front of a few hundred people

It has nowhere near the number of art galleries that Liverpool or Glasgow have

Newcastle has an extensive metro system

It's train station is inadequate and small compared to most UK cities

Those are facts not opinions

I would agree it's got a nice civic centre

They aren’t facts, they’re your opinion - I’d say the only definite, indisputable fact that can be said about facilities in Cardiff is that the lack of a bus station is embarrassing.

[North Cardiff Blue]

They aren’t facts, they’re your opinion - I’d say the only definite, indisputable fact that can be said about facilities in Cardiff is that the lack of a bus station is embarrassing.

The craziest thing ever was not to remove a bus station that was right next to the train station.

[Der Kaiser]

The craziest thing ever was not to remove a bus station that was right next to the train station.

In fairness, the thought process behind redeveloping it wasn't bad, it was an unsightly waste of land that hardly welcomed people to a nice, cosmopolitan capital city.

The handling of the redevelopment since has been a disgrace.

[North Cardiff Blue]

In fairness, the thought process behind redeveloping it wasn't bad, it was an unsightly waste of land that hardly welcomed people to a nice, cosmopolitan capital city.

The handling of the redevelopment since has been a disgrace.

Maybe, but couldn't they have made it look amazing and redeveloped all around?

Either way it has to be replaced.

[Doucas]

Hopefully the metro will sort many of the transport issues, next thing on the list needs to be homelessness and litter.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

They aren’t facts, they’re your opinion - I’d say the only definite, indisputable fact that can be said about facilities in Cardiff is that the lack of a bus station is embarrassing.

It's a fact that Liverpool has more art galleries than Cardiff

It's a fact that Cardiff Central is a very small train station and doesn't have the capacity of Leeds , Manchester Piccadilly , Sheffield Midland , Bristol Temple Meads etc

It's a fact that Newcastle has an extensive metro system , including an underground , Cardiff doesn't

I am all for people being proud to an extent of where they come from but most of the praise of Cardiff seems to be hyperbole and comes straight out of Wales Online

[Moodybluebird]

Hopefully the metro will sort many of the transport issues, next thing on the list needs to be homelessness and litter.

Totally agree with the litter aspect. My grandson lived just outside Malvern and on his frequent visits to us when he was younger, he always questioned why there was so much litter around, especially in the city centre areas. Ironically he's now in Cardiff Met, so I hope during his nights out with his fellow students he's not adding to the problem.

I'm not sure if it's an issue with all major cities in the UK but I know larger cities abroad seem to have it under control. Maybe their residents have more respect for their cities than we have.

[goats]

The irony

plenty of money is put into opera , classical and non contemporary music but very few people pay to go and watch it

A lot of white elephants in Cardiff , the millennium centre being a prime example

This capital city stuff thrown around is nonsense , it's just a name .

Cardiff should focus on getting the basics right instead of trying to be so pretentious

Having a Romanian women's dance group is great but nobody goes to watch them

Does anyone bar a few lost goths like the rock shit you listen to? Isn’t that what the moon club on womanby street doe or one of those places along there? That’s enough isn’t it? Strangely, when I lived in Bristol for 4 years I found myself coming back here quite a lot as there seemed to be a lot more going on. I can’t stand the carling academy either…..

[Baloo]

It's a fact that Liverpool has more art galleries than Cardiff

It's a fact that Cardiff Central is a very small train station and doesn't have the capacity of Leeds , Manchester Piccadilly , Sheffield Midland , Bristol Temple Meads etc

It's a fact that Newcastle has an extensive metro system , including an underground , Cardiff doesn't

I am all for people being proud to an extent of where they come from but most of the praise of Cardiff seems to be hyperbole and comes straight out of Wales Online

Nevertheless it seems that Cardiff Central is a busier station than Sheffield Midland, Newcastle and Bristol TM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._Great_Britain.

And far busier than cities of a similar size such as Coventry, Stoke, Nottingham etc.