City Centre Living

[goldenface]

I almost am scared to post in this thread after reading some of the posts .

I was brought up on the Falkner Estate off Parliament Street - very dire, and I now live and work in the city centre.

My job isn't well paid and it isn't minimum wage either, but if you look around there is new build property for less than £500 / month which if you share with your partner, isn't that expensive. Especially when you think of what you could gain by living and working the city.

• No commuting - saving money!
• No parking fees - saving money!
• Everything on your doorstep, Church Street, a myriad of restaurants and bars etc
• The River - great for evening walks etc
• The general city centre buzz

People have the impression that people in the city centre are some sort of different breed out of towners, but nothing could be further from the truth. I know plenty of people who work in clothes shops, students, bar workers who all live in the city centre and there is nothing 'out of town' about them at all.

As regards the empty property - its just a matter of time before these are filled. If you take into account how many apartments have appeared in the last few years, Kings Dock, Manolis Yard on Colquitt Street, London Road, Beetham Tower and all the rest, it can hardly be expected to fill all these straight away, especially when you consider that it wasn't so long ago that Liverpool City Centre was almost a ghost town.

I would love to live out in Aigburth, (I'd get a dog straight away ) but I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to afford a car and the travel costs would be expensive too. I wouldn't be able to afford to park my car even if I did have one and there are too many cars on the road anyway so that doesn't bother me.

What Jericho says is true. I don't think the city centre is the best place for bringing up kids, there simply not enough green space etc.

Also, I agree with Liverpolitan on the Polish issue. They should be welcomed to the city. We should by all means try and encourage our own to take apprenticeships and learn the skills that the city needs but what happens when they just don't want to do them or there is a shortage?

I think anyone who complains about 'these foreigners' coming not just Liverpool but the UK, should do a quick google and find out how many people from Liverpool or the UK go abroad each year to find work.

How many times have we heard about the 'falling population of Liverpool' and the 'great exodus out of the city'? Where have all these Scousers gone? Hopefully they have all found new jobs and got new lives, we wouldn't wish any less for them.

Well if Brits and Scousers can be welcomed into other countries / cities then its only fair that we do the same isn't it?

[snappel]

I'm sure as Liverpool's redevelopment becomes more progressed, more people will move in to vacant properties. I can see the point about families, etc, but they won't really want to live in the city centre anyway. These huge blocks of apartments are produced by companies and investors that want the highest return - they're not going to do as well if they build houses in Kirkdale.

Regarding cost of living in the city centre... I've found that it's not vastly different to the suburbs. As far as renting goes, a mate of mine got a spacious part-furnished one-bedroom flat near Met Quarter (seperate bathroom, kitchen, living room, etc) for under £400 a month.

Personally I prefer to live outside of the town centre, as parking is easier, there's less traffic and it's quieter.

[Max]

Well said Howie lad ..F**** the Arty farty type out of towner's who would normally turn their noses up at yer..get some decent properties built for the people of Kenny/Granby Etc..

Most of the family homes around here are being sold to landlords to rent to students when the *******s are getting student flats made In the city centre for them.

Ah well, at least I know I'm superior to anyone who needs a shopping trolley to carry a mutlipack carling even theres 3 of them to carry It.

[snappel]

I don't know what your problem with students is. They bring a lot of money into this city, which is just as well really.

Property owners and land developers will do what's best for them. If I could afford to, I'd buy some terraced houses in Kensington and rent them to students - at least you'd know they'll pay the rent and not turn the house into a crack den.

I see plenty of houses for sale all round the city, most of which are for families. However, the prices are high (as is the council tax), but this is a nationwide problem. Also, look at all the derelict and abandoned properties, such as on Prescot Road and off Prince's Avenue - these could be redeveloped, but who's going to invest? There's just far more money to be made with inner city developments. If anything, the news article in the Daily Post is good news - if the city market is saturated, investors will have to move to the suburbs to develop.

I want to move south eventually (sorry guys!) and there's just no chance of doing that right now as the situation is even worse there.

[Shapers]

Student carrying packs of ale? Lead me to them, some students hold great parties. Called having a life.

[Gerard]

Most of the family homes around here are being sold to landlords to rent to students when the *******s are getting student flats made In the city centre for them.

Ah well, at least I know I'm superior to anyone who needs a shopping trolley to carry a mutlipack carling even theres 3 of them to carry It.

Good for you Max..Keep blowing yer own trumpet Lad.

[Gerard]

I almost am scared to post in this thread after reading some of the posts .

I was brought up on the Falkner Estate off Parliament Street - very dire, and I now live and work in the city centre.

My job isn't well paid and it isn't minimum wage either, but if you look around there is new build property for less than £500 / month which if you share with your partner, isn't that expensive. Especially when you think of what you could gain by living and working the city.

• No commuting - saving money!
• No parking fees - saving money!
• Everything on your doorstep, Church Street, a myriad of restaurants and bars etc
• The River - great for evening walks etc
• The general city centre buzz

People have the impression that people in the city centre are some sort of different breed out of towners, but nothing could be further from the truth. I know plenty of people who work in clothes shops, students, bar workers who all live in the city centre and there is nothing 'out of town' about them at all.

As regards the empty property - its just a matter of time before these are filled. If you take into account how many apartments have appeared in the last few years, Kings Dock, Manolis Yard on Colquitt Street, London Road, Beetham Tower and all the rest, it can hardly be expected to fill all these straight away, especially when you consider that it wasn't so long ago that Liverpool City Centre was almost a ghost town.

I would love to live out in Aigburth, (I'd get a dog straight away ) but I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to afford a car and the travel costs would be expensive too. I wouldn't be able to afford to park my car even if I did have one and there are too many cars on the road anyway so that doesn't bother me.

What Jericho says is true. I don't think the city centre is the best place for bringing up kids, there simply not enough green space etc.

Also, I agree with Liverpolitan on the Polish issue. They should be welcomed to the city. We should by all means try and encourage our own to take apprenticeships and learn the skills that the city needs but what happens when they just don't want to do them or there is a shortage?

I think anyone who complains about 'these foreigners' coming not just Liverpool but the UK, should do a quick google and find out how many people from Liverpool or the UK go abroad each year to find work.

How many times have we heard about the 'falling population of Liverpool' and the 'great exodus out of the city'? Where have all these Scousers gone? Hopefully they have all found new jobs and got new lives, we wouldn't wish any less for them.

Well if Brits and Scousers can be welcomed into other countries / cities then its only fair that we do the same isn't it?

Have you seen the Bottom of London Rd lately goldenface..
Its Scum like this that people dont want in this laughing stock of a dumping ground..Sorry..Country..

I Imagine you and others on here haven't got a clue what Im talking about have you..
Just go down London Rd at 10 PM any night and you will see what I mean..
And its not the Hard working Poles I am on about either..

And as for people not wanting to Live in the City Centre...I do..I was brought up in the Scotland Road area and would quite like to stay here.

Not enough green space..Whats that...Something you stuck in a Green shield stamp book.
We had none of that green space thingy either and we grew up in a very happy enviroment I can tell yer..

My Mam felt the same way too but sadly the Council had other plans and moved Her and all the other residents out of a perfectly happy Enviroment to make the Block on St Anne St into Luxury apartments ..
These local people only lived in this area all their lives and their parents and grandparents before them as well..
Walk through this block now at any given time and it is like a ghost town..
No Kids playing out..A once friendly enviroment gone to make way for money people
Strangers who have lived there for the last 10 years or whatever and dont bother with the local community..
Is this how this City is going to End up...Luxury and Security gates everywhere at the expense of Local Community...I really hope not.

[Shapers]

Ladies of the night you referring to Gerard? Or the heroin addicts and alkies that hang round TJs and the bus stops?

[Gerard]

Ladies of the night you referring to Gerard? Or the heroin addicts and alkies that hang round TJs and the bus stops?

Neither Shapers,

[Ged]

Like a few others on here including Gerard. We were brought up in the same tenement square (I think you might just know which one by now), you'll never get those times again, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way with 'Town' on your doorstep. Council policy then was to move everyone out, funny how it's gone full circle but sad for those disposed at the time. City centre living is back in vogue, what price our tenement block now, only its 170K apartments now instead of flats left to become run down.

[Gerard]

Evenin' mucker..

[Ged]

Alright Gerard. Did those cannons rattle your windows yesterday then?

[goldenface]

@Gerard

I'm sorry mate but I don't think I have got a clue what you mean, you might have to elaborate on that one.

The times I go London Road is to go to TJ's (bargains!) or to go the pictures, I like London Rd.

There is still family housing in the city centre, very nice little oasis it is too. Have you seen the little community at the bottom of Park lane, behind Duke Street?

You couldn't get more central than that really, at the far end of Paradise Street.

Though, I think that the issue your bringing up is not one thats belongs to Liverpool alone.

If you look at the history of Liverpool, even back when Liverpool had its influx of Irish immigrants after the potato famine the city centre consisted of nothing but the horrendous courts and back to back housing, people uprooted and moved out to the great merchant houses of Falkner Square, Abercormby Square, Canning Area, Woolton Village etc and I don't think they ever moved back - until now.

Its fine to hark back to the good ol' days of the Bullring, Myrtle Gardens, Caryl Gardens, King, Essex, Sussex Gardens East and West, Windsor Gardens to name but a few, but to be honest mate, they weren't ideal places to live.

I remember the last days of Myrtle House and Myrtle Gardens, there are pictures of it on this very forum, it was horrible mate, really really horrible. Nothing to do with the people who lived there for years, but times just change.

That concept just didn't work anymore, people living on top of each other? Pissy smelly staircases and lifts? If the lifts ever worked they probably had no lights in!

What kind of place is that to live in? Really?

If you could speak to anyone who lived in the 1880's in the old Court Housing, off Park Lane and Scotty Road and the tenements behind William Brown Street, then I bet you any money they would say the exact same thing, 'oh the community was great', 'oh our front door was always open', kids playing out all day, but times change don't they?

[Jericho]

Have you seen the Bottom of London Rd lately goldenface..
Its Scum like this that people dont want in this laughing stock of a dumping ground..Sorry..Country..

I Imagine you and others on here haven't got a clue what Im talking about have you..
Just go down London Rd at 10 PM any night and you will see what I mean..
And its not the Hard working Poles I am on about either..
.

I am also trying to work this one out. That part of town always looks deserted to me at that time unless a show has just finished at the Empire. It's like a cliffhanger - I'm waiting for the next installment.

[Jericho]

The history of the city centre has a theme of one community displacing another. We're clearly in the middle of another change. I'm hoping for a bit more integration this time around rather than one community moving out as another one moves in.