Looking to move outside Cardiff - Areas to AVOID

[StraightOuttaCanton]

Do you mean Penarth?

Autocorrect

[binman]

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!

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Penalty, Sully or Dinas Powys

What, as areas to avoid?

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Penalty, Sully or Dinas Powys

... 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.
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...

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Is Ponty as rough as it once was?!

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![/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.

[Malckent]

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

Great points SLUDGE I am originally from Cardiff but have lived in Barry for 10 years and I absolutely love it.

[Bluebina]

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

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.

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.

[islandblue]

Barry Angling Centre , Park Street ?

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

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.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

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.

gerald was great , I prefer Howard's chippy up the side street, great curry sauce

The park is the only pub around there , its a shame , its a good place

[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.

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.

there are some rough areas of bridgend but its got its good points

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

[J R Hartley]

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.

[valleys caveman]

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.
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.

[J R Hartley]

The smell of toast whenever you drive down the bypass from Dowlais to Pentrebach.
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.

[valleys caveman]

Not a nice smell there in the summer though coming from the landfill site by that bypass.

I haul waste and I'm up Trecatti quite often so I don't really notice it.
What's the chocolate like from OP? Can't say I've ever tasted anything from there.

[Rjk]

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.

[Harry Paget Flashman]

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.

Ponty's finest.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2039845989592825

[J R Hartley]

I haul waste and I'm up Trecatti quite often so I don't really notice it.
What's the chocolate like from OP? Can't say I've ever tasted anything from there.

Me neither tbh. I work about 200 yards down the road too.

[dandywarhol]

Me neither tbh. I work about 200 yards down the road too.

I used to travel up that way when i worked on the electricity board

[J R Hartley]

I think Merthyr has left other valley towns such as Ponty in its wake with our leisure and shopping villages. The town has had a lot of investment the last decade, ironically from EU money even though we choose to leave Europe.

[dandywarhol]

I think Merthyr has left other valley towns such as Ponty in its wake with our leisure and shopping villages. The town has had a lot of investment the last decade, ironically from EU money even though we choose to leave Europe.

That's right. We stopped overnight for the Simple Minds gig in the park. My Mrs is from Abertillery she couldn't believe the difference.
We live in the town where nothing ever happens.Cwmbran.

[Armitage Shanks]

Not to avoid...Caerphilly.
Just over the mountain, by the a470 if you look at Castle View, 10 mins to the M4.
There are surprisingly a few nice eateries in the town now such as Volaire, casa mia and of course wetherspoon lol.
Last train back from Cardiff is about 23.15.

[mbatte]

Some good tips in there, thanks guys :)

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

That's right. We stopped overnight for the Simple Minds gig in the park. My Mrs is from Abertillery she couldn't believe the difference.
We live in the town where nothing ever happens.Cwmbran.

I went out with a woman who lived in that high rise tower block in cwmbran

And I have been fishing in the old boating lake

And the canal

Anything else just ask

[Bluebina]

there are some rough areas of bridgend but its got its good points

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

True the one in Ponty is rough and Aberdare!

[PhyllisStant]

I'd go for Llantwit Major if you have kids as it's (generally) safe, quiet, rural, decent schools and infrastructure. A train every half hour to Cardiff (one via Bridgend) taking about 45 mins.

Price and location wise 100% Bridgend. A train every 15 minutes to Cardiff that only takes 20 minutes. The same going the other way to Swansea. Lots of shops and super cheap housing.

Source: Lived in both towns.