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Teesside University

Middlesbrough

Teesside a good place to live?

I've been offered an unconditional place at Teesside University to study computer character animation. I've heard a lot of bad things about the area, and about how dangerous it is. If anyone could tell me a bit about the area and/or the university I would be grateful :smile:

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Reply 1

TopsyTurvyTasha

It's all dependent on where you live and what type of person you are. Obviously, it's a bit rough around the edges, it's Northern England, but I find it's a wonderful place to live.
You do feel a bit uneasy sometimes, and you have to be very street smart with your phone when it's dark, but honestly you should be like that regardless of where you live.
I can walk from my boyfriends house in King Edwards Square, with my female friend, back to our accommodation in Woodlands Hall without fearing for our lives (KES is the very first thing on campus, Woodlands is the second to last, you literally walk the entirety of campus). You'll also find the police presence here is VERY much visible. Police are constantly walking around (occasionally trotting round on the absolutely gorgeous police horses!)
They're also very attentive on campus. Once when me and my friend were walking from KES > Woodlands, and as we crossed the road near the student union, a police car let us use the crossing. They then didn't pull away, and due to the two guys stood outside the student union, stayed where they were in the middle of the road, and watched us walk home and only pulled away when we were no longer in the sight.
I've lived here since September, and never felt particularly unsafe. The university have a very large security team, who can be phoned 24/7 and if you tell them you'll be entering the campus gates, or anywhere on campus, and wish to be walked home as it's dark, they will escort you home. The only time I've ever felt uneasy is when I stupidly walked home on my own in the dark, and didn't phone them, and there was a lot of drunken fellow students being very laddish and yelling things at me lol.
But, honestly, it's an absolutely lovely place to live, people here are super friendly, and the town has a bad reputation, and I don't fully understand why, because it really is no worse than anybody else in the country.
Hope that helps!
Trust me, you'll absolutely love it here. :biggrin:

Teesside University

Middlesbrough

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Reply 2

Gary Barlow

UTB
Boro's fine. You might get a few scallies harassing you for some garlic n chips on a night out but thats about it.

Reply 3

SarahE453

Thank you

I feel a bit better now

Reply 4

sw30141624

Yeah, I agree, it's not as bad as people make it out to be, and as long as you don't walk home alone you should be fine. :smile:

Reply 5

bethp1994

i know, i've heard loads of bad things about it as well and i'm kind of worried about it. Hope its not full of chavs and scallys on a night out

Reply 6

Ashmj92

Ive fallen in love with the place recently, never thought id ever want to study in middlesbrough but i love it. Ive been on a few nights out and never had any trouble its like most places though there are the rough ones and rough areas. The campus is well lit and as mentioned before theres security. Ive walked with a friend from linthorpe road to parkside and been fine. Theres boro taxis who have set rates for students really good if you go to the cinema and its late/dark when you get out and dont want to walk on your own/the two of you

Reply 7

TheIllustrator

To answer the real question here.

Is Middlesbrough town centre a good place to live?
It's grim,dull,polluted, depressing and full of chavs.
But I do agree that its not as dangerous as people would make it out to be. It's still wise to keep your wits about you and I advise you not bring your car if you have one.

the answer quite simply is No. It's not a good place to live and for those who say otherwise I dread to think what you think a "bad" place is.
Its been proven that middlesbrough has the highest rate of people on anti-depressants then anywhere in the country. Also there are further statistics that paint a much grimmer picture.
People who try to counter this fact you will find are either from the local area hence they are used to the atmosphere and it doesnt bother them.
Or are from very small towns and villages that make Middlesbrough seem to them an exciting place in comparison.

Please bare in that the majority of people who go to Teesside live at home or is from the local region. Thats why its often dubbed a "local University".

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 8

sw30141624

Where the hell do you come from? I have seen much worse states of affairs in parts (not all) of Leicester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, and Sheffield in terms of roughness to Middlesbrough.

Fair enough it's not a pretty town overall (not a city), but in terms of atmosphere compared to everywhere else I have been, it's a much friendlier place. I worked in Newcastle and really disliked the way the locals would treat me, similarly, I didn't feel paticularly safe in Sunderland, or any of the other places I mentioned earlier.

It's a great town with lots to do, plenty of nightlife vairiety in the town, and fairly decent shopping facilities. Albert park is great on a nice day for BBQs, or fishing in the pond, renting a swan boat, and other sports activities like tennis courts in the park. Bowling allies and cinema or also available in the town centre. Other good points is it's in close proximity to the seaside, nice for a look out during warm days off, and easily accessible by bus or train if you can't drive.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 9

TheIllustrator

Original post by sw30141624

Where the hell do you come from? I have seen much worse states of affairs in parts (not all) of Leicester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, and Sheffield in terms of roughness to Middlesbrough.

I am from a big city, and have lived in other parts of the country good and bad.
So I can say this with no apology Middlesbrough is an isolated dump with a clear racial divide among it's residents. I should know since currently I live in the beginning of the "asian part".
The only way its ever going to get out of the dark ages its stuck in now, if people like you stop living in denial about this and face up to this fact.
It may hurt some locals feelings, but I can back my arguement not just with my experience or others but with statistics. Change can happen when truth is acknowledged.

Here is yours (and most of the local defensive lobby problem), all these places (believe since me and my housemate have actually been to most of them), are CITIES! and 100x better than middlesbrough may I add.
If you had listed places like Stoke,Bradford,Hull which are other places known for its grimness. Then the arguement may have be
But my former housemate who is from Birmingham (well in her case dudley) and had a boyfriend from Bradford, thought boro was an utter bore compare and is looking forward to when she leaves.

If Middlesbrough is so great why do virtually of Admin/Academic staff of Teesside Choose to live purposely outside of it?

I mean c'mon comparing Leeds to Middlesbrough, thats a joke.
Have you been to the town centre of either Liverpool or Leeds?
A diverse,cultural,busniess hubs with a cosmopolitan vibe. The restaturants, the galleries, the history, markets tec
Places with many DIFFERENT accents. The place is 10x bigger in population and probally even more so in terms of geography. So Ofcourse it's going to have "rough parts" as any city would. Same for newcastle which has a population of over 1.1 million. You have the nice student/professional enclave of Jesmond then you have the rough estates
of Walker and Heaton.

Middlesborough is NOT diverse in this sense the look some people give me when they here me speak you'd think they have never heard a non local reigional accent in their lives. Not a rude way but its still annoying after a time. It goes to show what an isolated place it is.

Original post by sw30141624

Fair enough it's not a pretty town overall (not a city), but in terms of atmosphere compared to everywhere else I have been, it's a much friendlier place.

The majority of "friendly people" don't live in the town centre that is instead swarming with chavs or druggies/thugs. They live in either the outer suburbs or nicer villages surrounding.
My next door neighbour who we dont even know knocked on our door asking for cash and plays loud music sometimes till 4 am, while the other one recently got out of prison and constantly fights with his girlfriend. What's astonishing is the place I used to live before the neighbour was much worse. Go figure.

Original post by sw30141624

worked in Newcastle and really disliked the way the locals would treat me, similarly, I didn't feel paticularly safe in Sunderland, or any of the other places I mentioned earlier.

I would bet good money, that you are from the either the local area or a very town or village? like the majority of students here suffering from city-phobia hence why Middlesbrough appeals to you. You can avoid the big bad city people while live under the pretence that your in an exciting new environment which I'm sorry to shatter this illusion you are not.

Original post by sw30141624

a great town with lots to do, plenty of nightlife vairiety in the town, and fairly decent shopping facilities.

Again with what I said earlier if you're from a small town/village like a majority of the students are. Then you are clearly going to be content with limited commodities that Middlesborough has offer.
But if you are from a city then the amenities of what Middlesbrough has to offer is a joke. The only redeeming factor being the amount of cheap shops.
The nightlife sucks (with Empire being the only exception) and the shopping mall although reasonable a fair bit limited.
Virtually all the shops close at 5pm.
I mean the big sainsbury's closing at 8pm? What a Joke.

Original post by sw30141624

Albert park is great on a nice day for BBQs, or fishing in the pond, renting a swan boat, and other sports activities like tennis courts in the park.

You need to stop reading the University prospectus.
I use to live near Albert Park. Its a very dodgy area, I still remember the car break-ins during broad daylight on student cars (in the halls carpark btw) from last year.

Reply 10

TheIllustrator

Original post by sw30141624

Bowling allies and cinema or also available in the town centre. Other good points is it's in close proximity to the seaside, nice for a look out during warm days off, and easily accessible by bus or train if you can't drive.

1. Bowling alley is in stockton and the cinema is near the red light district where the prostitutes hang out that is opposite the rail station.

2. Why is it when people try to jump up on how great Middlesborough is they 90% of the time find themselves having to use places that aren't even in Middlesborough as example! Like you have done with Redcar & Saltburn. It's exactly like what a Guardian article did that used a picture of Guisobrough to show how "beautiful" the area of Middlesbrough is when the place got voted and proved by stats as being the worse place to live by location location.

Apparently the fast food places on the high street have protective screens up in front of the tills (like those in a bank) and you get served through a little hatch.

I think that says quite a lot about the area.

Reply 13

Gary Barlow

Original post by TheIllustrator

Why is it when people try to jump up on how great Middlesborough is they 90% of the time find themselves having to use places that aren't even in Middlesborough as example! Like you have done with Redcar & Saltburn. It's exactly like what a Guardian article did that used a picture of Guisobrough to show how "beautiful" the area of Middlesbrough is when the place got voted and proved by stats as being the worse place to live by location location.

Because it's a small town centre and those places are in the surrounding area. When people live in Leeds/Manchester they don't exclusively mean they live in the city centre. You should try moving out of the town if you don't like it, the rents in places like Guisbrough, Saltburn and Redcar are dirt cheap compared to what you'd be paying anywhere else in the country. And they're alright little towns. Trains/buses into Boro are regular as well.

I can understand it being a bit naff living in the centre of Boro.

Reply 14

TheIllustrator

Original post by Gary Barlow

Wow the polemic rantings of someone who clearly himself has a chip on his sholder DOES NOT LIVE HERE! He is more attacking people from not the area with sweeping generalisations (which are mostly false btw).
I would like to see this man who is from Hartlepool and I am sure lives in a nice house and earns a few bob , volunteer to live and to set up shop here? Me thinks he would shut his mouth before doing that.
He can have my house, with stupid chavs trying to break in during broad daylight.
I have dealt with many of his sort. One of the reasons why I don't have a filter in what I say anymore.
I do not go to the "ganges on holiday" nor do I like skinny lattes. But I do have standards. Which this place lacks when some people feel its to go out in their PJs.
I came from a low-income family and raised in social housing and virtually all of my father's family were/are manual workers. So I get sick of these inward attacks when confronted with facts.

1. Yarm is not in Middlesbrough its closer to stockton
2. the Mima is a superficial display to disguise the fact the place is a dump, full of mass unemployment. The exhibitions are few and what is on offer in terms of artwork is sparse.
The "university" serves a similar purpose in that respect.
3. Middlesbrough does not have beaches
4. Who cares if a few minor famous people come from there? it does change the fact the town is (as proven with surveys/stats) a depressing dump.

As for me leaving the area if I don't like it. You're wrong. I hate it.
The ugliness, the poor lifestyle, the depressing atmopshere.
I am already doing this! can't wait!! even if means being higher debt!

Reply 15

sw30141624

Original post by TheIllustrator

2. Why is it when people try to jump up on how great Middlesborough is they 90% of the time find themselves having to use places that aren't even in Middlesborough as example! Like you have done with Redcar & Saltburn. It's exactly like what a Guardian article did that used a picture of Guisobrough to show how "beautiful" the area of Middlesbrough is when the place got voted and proved by stats as being the worse place to live by location location.

Because most people can be bothered to walk about 5 minutes to go to Stockton, because it's just over a bridge? Like Gary Barlow said, when people talk about other Manchester, they don't exclusively mean Manchester City Centre. Also, that "research" done by the most credible of all scientific institutes, "Location Location on Channel 4", was done in 2009. If you bothered to do some research, Right move did a Happy at Home Index just earlier this year, Middlesbrough was not in the bottom 5, bottom 10, or bottom 30 worst towns to live. In fact the majority of the bottom 10 were comprised of areas in London.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/files/2013/03/Rightmove-Happy-At-Home-Index-2013.pdf

Reply 16

TheIllustrator

Original post by Gary Barlow

Because it's a small town centre and those places are in the surrounding area.

No. because there is very little good that can be said about the actual area.

Original post by Gary Barlow

You should try moving out of the town if you don't like it, the rents in places like Guisbrough, Saltburn and Redcar are dirt cheap compared to what you'd be paying anywhere else in the country. And they're alright little towns. Trains/buses into Boro are regular as well.

Redcar is alright and I do like Saltburn. I never been yet to Guisborough.
Although those places are better (well virtually anywhere is compared to Middlesbrough). For the course I do commuting is not a viable option plus being from a city I would dead bored in those places aswell with the lack of diversity and things to do and places to go.
Its a myth that Middlesbrough "is really cheap" maybe compared to London or many cities in the south.
Newcastle and Cardiff have similar rent rates in much better houses and areas. I was actually shocked when I saw them for myself. I felt conned.

Reply 17

sw30141624

Original post by TheIllustrator

No. because there is very little good that can be said about the actual area.

Redcar is alright and I do like Saltburn. I never been yet to Guisborough.
Although those places are better (well virtually anywhere is compared to Middlesbrough). For the course I do commuting is not a viable option plus being from a city I would dead bored in those places aswell with the lack of diversity and things to do and places to go.
Its a myth that Middlesbrough "is really cheap" maybe compared to London or many cities in the south.
Newcastle and Cardiff have similar rent rates in much better houses and areas. I was actually shocked when I saw them for myself. I felt conned.

How is it a myth? I have been to these places myself. I tried to rent a house in Newcastle during my year of working there, and it was not possible to get accommodation for less than £80 a week, no bills included. Also the price of an actual night out in Newcastle is stupendously expensive compared to Middlesbrough, some clubs try and charge you £10 just to get in.

Reply 18

TheIllustrator

Original post by sw30141624

When people talk about manchester (since its an actual city) and refer to other areas apart from the centre, those areas are part of its district and its unitary authority. That counts. Claiming another town and village does not.
But stoctkon is NOT middlesbrough its a completely different town.
trust me it's not a 5 minutes walk. But stockton has more claim to eaglescliffe and yarm since they fall under the borough of Stockton's unitary authority.
The taxi there is around six quid one way. Stockton town isn't even that great either. It rivals Middlesborough in grimness.

Reply 19

TheIllustrator

Original post by sw30141624

Also the price of an actual night out in Newcastle is stupendously expensive compared to Middlesbrough, some clubs try and charge you £10 just to get in.

Newcastle is a cosmopolitan city so ofcourse the price will be slightly higher than an isolated place like middlesbourgh town which has nothing but boarded houses, a few shops and loads of unemployed chavs!
As for the comment about the nightlife.
LOL its one of the N.1 places in the world to go clubbing people rush there all over the country and choices of clubs to go are endless, Its a proper student/professional city. The same can't be said for Middlesbrough. You get charged around 6 quid for empire which is alrite place but still a high entrance fee. 3-5 quid for the S.U which is utter ****e.

I know a girl who rents a house in Jesmond for £65 a week a nice house give you that. Majority of the houses in Middlesborough town centre are old and cold.
I'm moving to another city this year and the houses there are much better along with area and guess what the rent is only slightly higher but considering the location better value for money.