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Hi all, currently live in Canton, used to live in Llanishen but since lock down and the fact that my work has propably now changed for good I'm going to be working from home a lot more so need the space. Money obviously goes a lot further outside of Cardiff, some lumpy houses in Pontypridd but what areas should I definitely avoid?
Wouldn't want to go further than a 25 min drive to Cardiff.
Any help or advice welcomed. Cheers.
Llantrisant area? Whenever i''ve worked there it's seemed quite civil, I find that the test is visiting the local corner shop and seeing how many people are buying alcohol before 8am, if it's only a couple then you've got a chance. Bargoed was particularly bad when I visited. The locals had a penchant for 3 litre bottles of zappo super strength cider. Good luck.Quote:
Originally Posted by mbatte
I’m originally from Llantrisant and it does get busy with all the retail parks in Talbot Green.
It might be worth taking a look at nearby Pontyclun and Miskin, as they offer slightly better access to the M4.
Barry. Obviously.
Pencoed/Llanharan area is ok and good access to M4
I live in Miskin, definitely recommend it as a place to live.
Bridgend has literally everything you need , good basic shopping , train station , easy link to M4 , lots of lovely countryside , its got its rough bits but everywhere has , the bridgend valleys are quite isolated but I know people who have lived there for years and would never move
Llantrisant, Pontyclun , Talbot Green , lots of facilities , right on the M4 , train etc
Don't know enough about the valleys and towns to North of Cardiff like pontypridd , aberdare , merthyr, porth Treorchy, , Caerphilly etc but lots of good people up there and loads to do
Barry is a hidden Gem as far as I am concerned . It has its bad side , any coastal former sea port that has seen better days is going to have .
But I find its a town I can go to that is like a mini cardiff and has lots of facilities without having to go into the city
I only go into cardiff to watch city , go to rock concerts and fish . I cant stand trawling up and down places like St davids 2 or Queen Street
With barry its got the waterfront which has morrisons , Asda, argos etc , Holton Road has some good places to shop , broad street isn't my scene at night but high street has lots of independent retailers , park Street on the way to Porthkerry has a decent pub and chippy , a fishing tackle shop for the likes of me , a lovely park , rommily, Porthkerry Park for families
The west side of Barry, Porthkerry, knap , pontypridd Road, marine drive etc is more expensive but its nothing like the exclusive parts of cardiff
I know people who live on the east side such a Cadoxton and they love it
Train station into cardiff in minutes
Living by the sea , whats not to like
Of course there are people who are dodgy but thats part of life
I like bridgend for the same reason as Barry but would say out of the two Barry has more going for it
Every single suburbs price has gone through the roof
Where?Quote:
Originally Posted by WJ99mobile
LlantrisantQuote:
Originally Posted by goats
Caerphilly
Llantwit Fadre
Prices have gone up I’d say 5-10% in the last 12 months
Barry for me, it's as rough as ****, although my kind of rough. Reminds me a bit of Cardiff, the people that is. I love the island and the surrounding area.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
Cheers all.... My sister lives in Llantrisant so that may be an option and I was put off Barry because of the reputation but as you say there are rough bits everywhere.... Where I am in Canton can sometime be ropey (Lansdowne Road between the Lansdowne pub and Lansdowne primary).
I will miss this area though as I can walk from my front door to my seat in the stadium in 24 mins!
Is Ponty as rough as it once was?!
Llantwit Major.
Possibly nearer 35 minutes drive but there is a direct train and prices are reasonable for the Vale.
I am not into going out in pubs , the only time I go into a pub is before a city match or before a gig , I avoid the Saturday night crowd so barry bridgend or cardiff at night don't bother me because apart from gigs I don't bother . I have never had any hassle in barry but there are areas where you have to be careful and sadly sometimes people are the victims of crime but you would expect that in a town which is one of the biggest in Wales.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuerto
It is very much like cardiff on a small scale , the accent is very similar , it had a seaport past , if you want trouble you will find it but on the whole its great . Plenty of facilities , beaches , the knap pebbles , Porthkerry Park, friars point for walks and I have to say it the best kebab house outside of bridgend . And thats a serious issue .
I went to the Grangetown carnival a few years back , a great day with people from all backgrounds and cultures enjoying themselvesQuote:
Originally Posted by mbatte
But my friend lives in another part of Grangetown and its not very nice around there at night .
Llantwit is a great town , train station , large independent supermarket so although it costs a few more quid you don't have to travel , a great community centre CF61 , a spar , co op , chippy , kebab House, Chinese, Indian, good school , a good mix of housing with low cost and council housing , lovely walks along the town and coast , old llantwit which is lovely , the beach in the summer , surfing , fishing , st Donats arts centre near by and loads and loads of cardiff city fansQuote:
Originally Posted by Majorblue
A few rough around the edges characters but far better in my opinion than a lot of the vale which is very pretentious and like rural Sussex, Kent and the rest of the home counties
How very dare you.Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCBlue
Although the town centre is one of the worst in Wales, Bridgend is a good area. Coity, Coychurch, Pencoed, there is lots of new house building, and has everything. the new developments in Coity are 2 mins to the big outlet store McarthurGlen and odeon cinema. 2 mins away from M4 junction for easy access to Cardiff or Swansea. 5 mins away from my golf club in Coychurch. and 10 min drive to Ogmore by sea, and 15 mins from Porthcawl.
Sorry to report the fishing tackle shop closed a year or so ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
Any lockdown areas , move to West Wales
Great river full of trout in bridgend , also river Ewenny near PencoedQuote:
Originally Posted by chris lee
Bridgend has a big tescos, Halfords , curry's, homebase , Asdas , aldis , lidl , home bargains , a great hospital , bridgend industrial estate , b and q , some old school shops in the town centre , some areas that are a bit rough , like all big towns but loads of big new estates and traditional housing
Porthcawl has some good fishing , in the ponds and off the sea wall and is a nice place to take the family in the summer . I wouldnt advise going around there at night and like bridgend it has pockets of poverty, deprivation and drug abuse
But I think bridgend and its surrounding towns are on the whole good places
Barry Angling Centre , Park Street ?Quote:
Originally Posted by islandblue
Good bloke old Gerald, a right old sea dog
You could buy anything in there . Ramblers would come in looking for army surplus winter walking gear and boots
Great place
Spent hours in there chatting to Gerald and jesus , his second in command
Real shame its gone
Trebanog. An undiscovered jewel in the lower Rhondda.
Penalty, Sully or Dinas Powys
Do you mean Penarth?Quote:
Originally Posted by StraightOuttaCanton
AutocorrectQuote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
Is Ponty as rough as it once was?![/QUOTE]
There is lot of investment in the town centre however the high street has been blitzed with many of the decent shops now occupied by charity shops. That said the market is still quaint and has some really good fresh meat, fresh veg and fruit stalls. It has some good pubs in the Llanover and the Bunch of Grapes which is also a good restaurant as is La Trattatoria. There is the strangest pub in the universe in the Wonky Bar (The Patriot).
I love Ponty - yes there are problems in the town centre with the spice heads but that seems a countrywide problem now. The park is beautiful and its main selling point. It has upmarket areas in The Common and rough areas such as Glyncoch.
Llantwit Fardre is way over rated - it just has good access to a few decent schools - If you don't have kids I wouldn't bother there its over priced
You can get a lot of house if you look properly in Ponty
It was in The Times 100 best places to buy property for investment purposes as well - I did choke when I read that though!
What, as areas to avoid?Quote:
Originally Posted by StraightOuttaCanton
... and if, as I suspect, you are putting these places forward as areas to move to, then remember the OP stated he is looking for somewhere where money goes a lot further.Quote:
Originally Posted by StraightOuttaCanton
Penarth and Sully property prices are generally a lot higher than those of Canton (OP's current abode).
Or perhaps the relatively high prices of the aforementioned areas is why you are saying to avoid? - that would make sense, I guess...
:hehe:
There is lot of investment in the town centre however the high street has been blitzed with many of the decent shops now occupied by charity shops. That said the market is still quaint and has some really good fresh meat, fresh veg and fruit stalls. It has some good pubs in the Llanover and the Bunch of Grapes which is also a good restaurant as is La Trattatoria. There is the strangest pub in the universe in the Wonky Bar (The Patriot).Quote:
Originally Posted by binman
I love Ponty - yes there are problems in the town centre with the spice heads but that seems a countrywide problem now. The park is beautiful and its main selling point. It has upmarket areas in The Common and rough areas such as Glyncoch.
Llantwit Fardre is way over rated - it just has good access to a few decent schools - If you don't have kids I wouldn't bother there its over priced
You can get a lot of house if you look properly in Ponty
It was in The Times 100 best places to buy property for investment purposes as well - I did choke when I read that though![/QUOTE]
I was born and raised in Pontypridd and IMO it’s very tired.
I’ve lived in Llantwit Fardre for the last 20 years and it’s head and shoulders above Pontypridd.
Great points SLUDGE I am originally from Cardiff but have lived in Barry for 10 years and I absolutely love it.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
No offence, but I've worked in most areas in and around Cardiff and found Bridgend the most depressing area, the colleagues I worked with were mostly very down and the public in general, and that Wiitherspoons in town had some of the strangest characters I've ever seen.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
But I suppose i've never lived there, so you will definitely know it better than me.
West end of Barry is quite nice I agree.
Yes half way up Park Crescent, think Gerald Porter retired and nobody wanted to take over. A big loss as there's nothing else like it in the town. At least Irene's chippy is still there but I've heard rumours Brains are thinking of closing the Park hotel pub further up.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
gerald was great , I prefer Howard's chippy up the side street, great curry sauceQuote:
Originally Posted by islandblue
The park is the only pub around there , its a shame , its a good place
there are some rough areas of bridgend but its got its good pointsQuote:
Originally Posted by Bluebina
Any weatherspoons has its fair share of strange people , anyone who spends a long time in a pub on a regular basis I tend to avoid . The one in broad Street barry , the one in bridgend , the gatekeeper by the castle , boring drunk people
Merthyr Tydfil. Gods country.
30 mins to the big city.
45 mins to the Gower and it’s beaches
10-15 mins to the countryside and Brecon Beacons.
The smell of toast whenever you drive down the bypass from Dowlais to Pentrebach.Quote:
Originally Posted by J R Hartley
Apparently the aroma comes from OP's chocolate factory and its not toast, its the ingredients they use to make the chocolate. Does it for me though.
Not a nice smell there in the summer though coming from the landfill site by that bypass.Quote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
I haul waste and I'm up Trecatti quite often so I don't really notice it.Quote:
Originally Posted by J R Hartley
What's the chocolate like from OP? Can't say I've ever tasted anything from there.
I'm from Cardiff originally, but I've lived in Caerphilly and Pontypridd as well.
Just like Cardiff, there are better and worse areas in both.
You can get more house for your money in Caerphilly compared to Cardiff, but even more in Pontypridd.
I'd say that Ponty feels more like a cohesive town, whereas at least half of Caerphilly is effectively a Cardiff suburb. If you live far enough out to need to get in the car to pop to the shops the you may as well drive a bit further and go to Cardiff.
The town centre shopping in Ponty is probably the best of the valleys towns (assuming it picks back up from the double whammy of storm denis and covid 19), and the park in the centre is really good (the kids playground is better than any in Cardiff). I never really took to the town centre in Caerphilly, it's just a bit of a weird layout.
Pubs and places to eat they're pretty similar.
Moving back to Cardiff soon, and I can see myself visiting Ponty on occasion, whereas probably wouldn't bother with Caerphily.
That said, in pontypridd you do occasionally encounter people in the town centre clearly on some kind of drug or other, which I havent noticed really anywhere else.