SHEFFIELD =Worst city ??

[discodown]

I wonder why the moaners that live her don't move.

I wonder why thats always the first defence - "if you don't like it then leave" well, how about no?

 

Whats wrong with wanting the city to be better? We live here, our kids go to school here, our friends are here and while Sheffield has plenty of fine, redeeming qualities in others its way, way behind other cities.

 

Theres nothing wrong with wanting to upgrade your surroundings and be better, it seems to be a uniquely Sheffield thing to take pride in lagging behind and being decades behind. I was in Liverpool a couple of weeks ago and we were in the city centre on friday night at 7.30 and everything was open and busy and most of it was way more impressive than Sheffield. We were in Leeds a couple of months ago and Saturday night at 8.00 and, again, everything was open and, again, most of it much better than anything Sheffield has to offer. Its like Sheffield thinks it'll turn into a pumpkin at 5.35. One of the biggest cities in the UK and after 6pm just about the only thing to do in the centre is go to bars or restaurants. Its ridiculous. We're way behind everywhere else and we shouldn't be.

Edited May 21, 2017 by discodown

[Cyclone]

It's not a "defence" it's a valid comment. Why would someone continue to live somewhere that they disliked so much?

 

Wanting something to be better is very different to unfairly criticising it and claiming that other places are better... And at a guess the complainers do little to improve things, they just want to moan.

 

"Way better" - be more specific, what was way better? You're talking about city centre retail, so specific shops were 'much better' and 'way better' in what way?

 

I agree that it would be nice if the city centre stayed open later, it's a shame that everything closes at six. But when you ask the moaners what exactly is wrong, this is pretty much the only thing they can ever come up with. Oh, the shops close too early and there aren't enough of them... This thread is about which city is best to bring up children, city centre shopping in an evening isn't a priority for raising a family is it?

[Dannyno]

Nobody has pointed out the obvious fact that the headline "Sheffield named one of worst cities in Britain to bring up a family." is simply not accurate. Or no more accurate than one that said "Sheffield named in top 30 best cities in Britain to bring up a family."

 

The moneysupermarket.com survey included only 35 cities - but there are 69 (officially designated) cities in Britain. And obviously many more large towns like Rotherham which are as big as some cities but not officially designated so.

[Longcol]

One of the biggest cities in the UK and after 6pm just about the only thing to do in the centre is go to bars or restaurants.

 

Looks like we've got our priorities right then

[silentP]

Late evening shopping does add a different vibrancy to a city or town centre. It is unusual for one to close down so early, now whether you're the only city living in the 70's I don't know but the extra footfall can only be a good thing for businesses all round, even shoppers like to eat and drink.

 

You ran an Alive after 5 campaign last year.. what happened with that?

[AmberLeaf]

Late evening shopping does add a different vibrancy to a city or town centre. It is unusual for one to close down so early, now whether you're the only city living in the 70's I don't know but the extra footfall can only be a good thing for businesses all round, even shoppers like to eat and drink.

 

You ran an Alive after 5 campaign last year.. what happened with that?

 

Looks like they're doing it again this year.

https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1510914

[Mister M]

I wonder why thats always the first defence - "if you don't like it then leave" well, how about no?

 

Whats wrong with wanting the city to be better? We live here, our kids go to school here, our friends are here and while Sheffield has plenty of fine, redeeming qualities in others its way, way behind other cities.

 

Theres nothing wrong with wanting to upgrade your surroundings and be better, it seems to be a uniquely Sheffield thing to take pride in lagging behind and being decades behind. I was in Liverpool a couple of weeks ago and we were in the city centre on friday night at 7.30 and everything was open and busy and most of it was way more impressive than Sheffield. We were in Leeds a couple of months ago and Saturday night at 8.00 and, again, everything was open and, again, most of it much better than anything Sheffield has to offer. Its like Sheffield thinks it'll turn into a pumpkin at 5.35. One of the biggest cities in the UK and after 6pm just about the only thing to do in the centre is go to bars or restaurants. Its ridiculous. We're way behind everywhere else and we shouldn't be.

 

Having said that, London is at the very bottom of this particular list, and that has a buzzing, thriving city centre that is open, pretty much 24 hours a day.

[silentP]

Having said that, London is at the very bottom of this particular list, and that has a buzzing, thriving city centre that is open, pretty much 24 hours a day.

 

Well there you go then. It's buzzin' because it's open

[Brian Equato]

Yeah but sorry to burst your bubble but that is not Scotland Street 100 years ago. The UK has been majority urbanised for a long time and what you describe is absolutely not the norm. The people you describe as lowlifes are a manifestation of rampant and well documented rural poverty.

 

That said even going back 30-40 years the UK was a very different place. In every town pubs and clubs the centre of social life. Local sports leagues aplenty - football, darts, snooker, pool, bowls, bar billiards, cribbage etc... etc... The whole lot.

 

Now who was it that smashed up communities and told us there was no such thing as society?

 

So let me get this right, we won't be able to blame the EU for anything that goes wrong in Britain from the very day we (Hopefully) leave but can still blame all Britain's ills of today on one woman who left office nearly 30 years ago. Arf.

[DnAuK]

As far as I can tell this series of observations are entirely unfounded.

 

The city centre isn't largely a building site, I can tell you that fargate, the peace gardens, the winter gardens, west street and division street have no development ongoing or started.

The 'things to do' argument, what cities are you comparing it with? Not the ones high up in the list, that's for sure.

Transport is poor, by what measure, there are trains, trams, buses and driving. What do you want, a personal chauffeur?

 

Now this is the reply of someone who is so blinkered to the rest of the world its unreal. Yet you yourself has said there are fewer bars you like to go in town these days.

 

In terms of similarly sized cities - there is more to do within 1/2 mile of Leeds station than in most of Sheffield. Newcasyle is the same. Liverpool has lots to offer, and don't get me started on Bristol, which doesn't get voted 'best place to live' for nothing. That's without looking at the really big places like Manchester or Birmingham.

 

As for transport. I live in Barnsley. Recently I have been to a couple of gigs in Sheffield. One was a comedy show at the Lyceum. Had to walk out before the end to get the last train home. Another was a music gig at the O2 Academy which facilitated a taxi ride home. Is this really acceptable for such a large city? And does NOT happen in any of the other cities I listed. Probably why they are always buzzing on an evening and Sheffield is not. Or why it can't sustain evening life very much.

 

As for not being a building site - you have looked around recently haven't you? The places that you mention which have no development going on still have areas that need some. West Street is about to have an area demolished for more student flats. The areas of Division Street where Rare and Racy is has a similar short order. There are areas on Wellington Strret down from the Dev Cat that have been empty for so long they are now overgrown. Same with Cambridge Street. And you only have to look at half of the Moor to see why that is next on the demolition list.

 

As I said, I hope it improves once all this work is done. If it does I'll be happy to stay. If not, I'll be looking elsewhere.