Any of you lot made the switch from living in the city to the valleys, or vice versa?
If so, are you still there? What are your views on the area where you live now, compared to where you were brought up?
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Any of you lot made the switch from living in the city to the valleys, or vice versa?
If so, are you still there? What are your views on the area where you live now, compared to where you were brought up?
I've considered making the switch but the one and only put off is the A470 and that's enough.
City to Valleys that is.
I'm often stuck on the 470 in rush hour too (skip driver) Makes a big difference when the schools are off though.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bob Banker Spanker
I grew up in the valleys but have been living in Cardiff for 20 years. I liked growing up there and have many family and friends that live around the valleys, but I just prefer the convenience, transport, facilities, nightlife, eateries, shops, big events, etc you get with City life. Plus getting to home games is so easy.
One thing I often hear is that people are more friendly in the valleys and no one knows their neighbours or talks to you in the City. I think that is just a big pile of horse shit. I’ve lived in various different parts of the capital and generally speaking I’ve found people to be great.
Moved from the valleys to Cardiff, finally landing up in Pembs 30 odd years ago.
Valleys and Cardiff people very friendly, Pembs not so much, surprisingly.
Not originally from Cardiff, but moved from Canton to the Cynon Valley about 8 years ago, mainly as a money saving exercise.
Pros - some lovely scenery, always close to nature. Cheap property. Arguably quieter roads than in Cardiff. Schools are less rough.
Cons - commuting to Cardiff. Trains are crap, buses are not worth considering, the A470 during peak time is a car park. Commuting beyond Cardiff is even worse. Bugger all happens, there's no vibrant community with lots going on. More narrow minded neanderthals without brain cells. Less cosmopolitan.
I was born in Ebbw Vale, grew up in Garnlydan and Risca before doing uni in Stafford, then worked in London for ten years before moving to Cardiff.
The valleys are great for nice peaceful living, but job opportunities and transport are crap.
Getting around in London on bus/tube was easy - having a car was a burden, jobs are relatively plentiful, but London is a dirty, expensive shithole. My mrs is a Londoner, and even she says she'd never want to go back.
In Cardiff, we have the best of everything (ok, nearly the best)
In Cardiff, we have the best of everything (ok, nearly the best)[/QUOTE]
we still ain't got a railway station in east cardiff bobh :furious:
more chance of the M4 relief road being built oh hang on a minute !!
I moved up to Porth ‘for love’ having been in Penarth and briefly Barry.
I do miss being close. I travel to Cardiff and back every day on a shitty cramped train but I have a house that would be £500k+ with under £30k left on my mortgage mean8ng we can afford to go on two or three holidays, buy season tickets, etc
We went for lunch down th Bay yesterday. 45 mins. Ogmore 45 mins. it’s not as if we are miles away. If we want to eat out in Cardiff we sometimes stay over as a treat.
We’ve decided not to move back....
we still ain't got a railway station in east cardiff bobh :furious:Quote:
Originally Posted by MOZZER2
more chance of the M4 relief road being built oh hang on a minute !![/QUOTE]
But we ARE getting a railway station in St Mellons.
They told us so 30 years ago.
Gosh you have suprised me , I visit Pemroke a lot and found them lovely , however its usually places like Saundesfoot, Tenby, Bluestone .Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremy corbyn
I drive through Brynna and Pontyclun yesterday. They seem nice and it got me thinking perhaps Cardiff ain’t the be all and end all and as I’m on the road a lot I’m thinking it might be worth the switch.
I lived briefly near Church Village ,hated it , always lived near a City love its urban drive.Quote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
I probably saw my new location at it's best in May, but, my early morning walks with my dog and remaining cat were a pleasure last month as I wandered about in some beautiful settings in a light that was so clear and crisp - some mornings I'd think that if my black and white missing cat was wandering about on one of the mountains, the view was so clear I would have been able to see him.
I'm only into my third month of living up the valleys, but,at the moment I don't regret it at all. There are some locations quite close by where the nearest shop seems miles away, but I'm lucky because there are a few where I can buy all of the "basics" within five minutes walk of here.
The biggest "con" for me is the road transport to Cardiff - I'm sorry, I cannot have too much sympathy for those complaining about the A470 when the main road in the upper Rhondda is so narrow that it only needs someone to double park and it causes terrible queues at certain times of the day. Similarly, buses (which are, for me, too frequent because they always seem virtually empty at certain times of day) are impossible to pass in certain areas if they are stopped. I mentioned before that the difference in roads to Cardiff and Swansea from where I live is huge - Swansea is a little further away than Cardiff from where I am, but the only time I drove there, at quite a busy time of day, it took me half an hour less than what it normally takes when I drive to Cardiff.
That said, the last time I visited where I used to live in North West Cardiff, I had to wait at three sets of recently installed traffic lights within about a mile on Llantrissant Road - I think I picked the ideal time to move out of that part of Cardiff!
Cardiff born and bred, part of a big city supporting family based in Cardiff and the Vale. Moved to Aberdare about 7 years ago as my partner has a high management position here and is a typical valleys girl having lived in the same house for about 40 years! We were both fed up of travelling back and fore the A470 so it was me that relented in the end! Obviously miss aspects of living in my home City and it was strange at first, but ultimately the right decision for myself. Ironically, within the last couple of months my niece and her boyfriend have just got their foot on the property ladder and moved in around the corner. They too have settled really quickly. Only takes half hour back to my brothers home in Radyr so ideal for her although my brother wasn't impressed when she made the decision initially!!
Gunner lives in Brynna. I’m originally from tonyrefail but lived in rumney for 2 years hated it nothing in Cardiff appealed to me so managed to convince my cardaffian mrs to move to porth she now loves it, I drive down broadway,rhydfellin and taffs well and there is a difference to the a470.Quote:
Originally Posted by CardiffIrish2
If you’re on your way home just past pandy asda do you turn left towards cwmparc or go up past the hospital?Quote:
Originally Posted by the other bob wilson
Usually go past the hospital, I tried the alternative route once, but it seemed to take longer - maybe I should give it another go?Quote:
Originally Posted by jamieccfc
Bridgend works well for us. 25 mins to CCS by car, 15 mins to Southerndown or Porthcawl or 20 mins Intercity into Cardiff Central.
We are looking to move soon, the difference in price to parts of the valleys is quite startling.
It would have to be near a train station with direct links though as the a470 was horrible when I used to briefly travel that way for work.
Thing that puts me off is the extra effort to get into Cardiff, perhaps the lack of stuff going on and if we ever wanted to move back that price increase wouldn't be nice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the other bob wilson
" I mentioned before that the difference in roads to Cardiff and Swansea from where I live is huge - Swansea is a little further away than Cardiff from where I am, but the only time I drove there, at quite a busy time of day, it took me half an hour less than what it normally takes when I drive to Cardiff."
Is this because no one with any sense travels to Abertawe Town :hehe::hehe:
Isn't Caerphilly just part of north/ greater Cardiff
Certainly not-and I don't mean that in a snobby way, I live in Birchgrove but was brought up in Ely-Llanedeyrn, so I've seen it all. I know i'm going to piss a few people off, but Caerphilly is a shithole, the town centre is dire, loads of very fat people or others with sticks, it's a poor area, the people have suffered. The further you go up the valley, the worse it seems to get. The levels of social poverty and lack of job opportunities is shocking. Something needs doing, I certainly wouldn't want to live there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Armitage Shanks
I should have said that, although it may be just down to luck, I used the Rhondda Valley trains quite a lot before I moved and never had a problem - three trains an hour to Cardiff from Treherbert station and it takes slightly less than an hour, I'd definitely use the train if I had to commute to Cardiff to work every day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trigger
Cheeky Kent! Caerphilly is a lovely place to live. I moved here seven years ago after living in sunny Splott for many years and not regretted it once. On the rare occasions I drive down to Cardiff via Caerphilly Road/Birchgrove I see far more obese people with sticks in Birchgrove than in Caerphilly. The town and the retail park just outside contain everything I need to buy,although I must admit bar grocery shopping i get more and more stuff online these days. I can easily walk to the town which is less than ten minutes away for me. I have a dog and love walking and have some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK on my doorstep. I have a train station three minutes walk away, and from there it only takes 19 minutes to get to Queen Street.What the feck has Birchgrove got, that Caerphilly hasn't? I know the area very well having been brought up in Whitchurch. I can't think of one thing in it's favour, apart from the Cypriot cafe next to the Birch pub which I visit once a year whilst my car is being MOT'd by an old mate. I for one, have never regretted moving here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuerto
Cardiff is full of ***** who seem to think they’re better than the rest of South Wales nobody could argue that the valleys transport is shit but tbf for a capital city Cardiff’s transport is very poor plus I’ve driven through Cardiff in many places and thought I’ve entered a completely different country I’d rather live in the beautiful mountains before that flat nothing CardiffQuote:
Originally Posted by Tuerto
I love it down here and would never consider moving. Have made friends,partly through the work I did, partly through politics.Quote:
Originally Posted by life on mars
Funnily enough none of these friends were born and bred here in Pembs. I have long accepted that I will never be seen as a local
by those born here, although friendly enough you rarely get invited in for a cuppa,like I did when I lived in Ponty, where I was raised and Cardiff where I live for many years.
Pembs still is a big village, although changing, its locals with a different mindset to the Valleys and a City.
I'm not saying that Birchgrove is special, it isn't, just replying to the poster who asked whether Caerphilly was-is an extension of North Cardiff, it isn't. I'm not doubting the scenery. I don't like Caerphilly, worked there for a couple of months and the amount of people in the town centre who look ****ed, obese or in need of a walking aid was incredible, and they weren't that old. Obviously, there are plenty there who aren't like that, the majority, but i'd say that there is a fair bit of poverty in Caerphilly and the borough, which brings plenty of other issues. I wish that there wasn't, but that's just my observation. Save the Children did a study in Caerphilly borough and came to the conclusion that 18% of the children living there are in severe poverty, although that was about five years ago. Personally, I just don't like the place, i'm not that endeared towards where I live at the moment either.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68
Good for you.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamieccfc
Two train stations in Ebbw, now Bobh.Quote:
Originally Posted by bobh