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What is Bradford like?

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Original post by 3awargalb
Thanks for the replies everyone, but I still haven't found any good apartment buildings, for example it looks like Saltaire comprises houses where you can rent an apartment. What I was looking for was a development made specifically for apartments (not a house) if that makes sense, where there would be a security/receptionist downstairs and you can only enter the building with a key code, some of them even have a gym, pool, car park for residents only. Something like the Great Northern tower in Manchester... does Bradford have anything like this? I'm not familiar with the idea of living in a house that's been converted


How about this: http://www.citywidestudents.co.uk/property/lennon-house-bradford-student-studios/
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Bradford
Reply 21
[QUOTE="Fujoshi;72859504"]How about this: http://www.citywidestudents.co.uk/property/lennon-house-bradford-student-studios/[/QUOTE]

Looks fab, thanks! There's also a place called Longside house - Mezzino that looks good, but what makes me worry is the age gap, places like these with shared living area or kitchen are mainly for freshers and undergrads, right? I think as a postgraduate I'm better off living alone for more quiet to focus on studying, but then again I don't want to be a complete loner.

thinking about this is hurting my brain now :colonhash:
Reply 22
Original post by s12047
Hi there, :wavey:
I don't live in Bradford myself, but as it is the nearest city to me and I have a lot of family there, I find myself there quite often, and I would say that whilst it definitely isn't the nicest city, a lot of the things you hear about it can be over exaggerated, especially by people who don't really know the city. In general, the people are usually quite friendly, but tend to keep to themselves. Yes, there are lots of chavs, and you will run into rude and obnoxious people, but that's just like any other city in the UK.
The majority of the population in Bradford are Asian and do identify as Muslim, but again, the VAST majority are good people, who keep to themselves. As a white girl myself, I can say truthfully I have had far more problems with the white population of Bradford than the Asian community, so I'm sure as a white girl you will be fine as well if you are worried about being a minority in the city.
The city has seen better days, but it does have some beautiful architecture, especially in the centre, but as it has been neglected by the council, the city does appear to be a dump. However, regeneration is underway, as mentioned above, and the city has a brand new shopping centre. The town centre isn't great, but that is due to most of the business relocating from the old shopping centre at Kirkgate to the new one.
I don't really know much about social or night life, but Bradford does have lots of bars and restaurants open in the city centre. I'm not really involved with that, so I wouldn't know I'm afraid.
In terms of where to live, I myself would avoid Manningham. That really is a dump in my opinion. You may be better off looking for flats or housing away from the city centre. Really, you may be better off in places such as Leeds or Bingley, as these are great for shopping, and may fit in better with the lifestyle you want. Additionally, living in these places would be better in terms of transport. Bradford does not have a tram system, so you would have to take the bus or a taxi. Driving through Bradford isn't great really, especially on match days, so if I were you, I'd consider living outside the city near a train station and walking to Uni, as was mentioned above. If you want to be near the city, in a nicer area with a station, Saltaire is quite nice, so you might want to look there.
Obviously this is my opinion, and many will disagree with me, but the only way you can get a feel of Bradford is if you come to visit and see for yourself. You might hate it, but you can always move elsewhere. I hope this was of help to you, and I definitely think you should give Bradford a go if you want to go the uni. Who knows, maybe you'll love the city.


Thank you! Honestly the students and university don't look bad at all, its just the city's rep that's off-putting due to crime and poverty and dodgy neighbourhoods (nothing against the Asian community!) and lack of night life but then again Leeds is nearby. And you're right I should give the place a chance before letting the negative reviews get to me. I'll look into the places you mentioned... and thanks for taking the time to write that out, I appreciate it
Original post by 3awargalb
Thank you! Honestly the students and university don't look bad at all, its just the city's rep that's off-putting due to crime and poverty and dodgy neighbourhoods (nothing against the Asian community!) and lack of night life but then again Leeds is nearby. And you're right I should give the place a chance before letting the negative reviews get to me. I'll look into the places you mentioned... and thanks for taking the time to write that out, I appreciate it


No problem! There is crime in Bradford unfortunately, but with vigilance and care you'll be just fine. Don't be discouraged by some of the things you hear, but if you don't like Bradford, there are some beautiful parts of West Yorkshire (I was born and raised here). If you don't mind me asking, where are you moving from?
Reply 24
Original post by s12047
No problem! There is crime in Bradford unfortunately, but with vigilance and care you'll be just fine. Don't be discouraged by some of the things you hear, but if you don't like Bradford, there are some beautiful parts of West Yorkshire (I was born and raised here). If you don't mind me asking, where are you moving from?


I completed my undergrad in Liverpool so it feels like quite the transition
Original post by 3awargalb
I completed my undergrad in Liverpool so it feels like quite the transition


I've been to Liverpool a couple of times, and what I saw seemed lovely. Liverpool had quite a bad repetition from outsiders before they regenerated the dock and city centre.
I suppose the transition will be as difficult as you make it really. If you can get settled in a nice area with transport links and a good social life then it should be easy. If you could manage the move from abroad to Liverpool, then Liverpool to Bradford should be fine. Good luck with your search! :biggrin:
Reply 26
Original post by Fujoshi
Saltaire is nowhere near Lister Park I think you mean Frizinghall? Also there's a difference between being part of Bradford city and part of the borough (i.e. the constituency) - no one I know considers saltaire and bingley to be parts of Bradford lol (technically I think saltaire is a part of shipley).
And seeing as Bradford is the 4th largest city in the UK it definitely is bigger than most but is also cheap as you've said; probably because it's fairly poor (like most of Yorkshire is tbh).
Btw OP if you're mainly going to be based in the school of law and management then living in Frizinghall would put you within walking distance while living in a nicer place than the area around the city campus.


Not really, its not that far. Just a short bus/car ride away. Really haha, i wouldnt go as far to say its 'poor' lol.

Technically theyre still part of Bradford though right? I consider Shipley a part of Bradford whereas places like Ilkley im not so sure.

Frizinghall isnt that nice though? I dont know much about it (only driven past) but people who used to live there/still there say its not as nice :s-smilie:
Bradford isn't as bad as people make it out to be. I've lived here all my life and, as an 18 year old female I have never encountered any issues that others have spoken about above. The area is going under some regeneration too.
As for somewhere to live, have a look at Shipley or Baildon, they both have train stations and lots of buses to get to the city centre quite easily
Original post by kiiten
Not really, its not that far. Just a short bus/car ride away. Really haha, i wouldnt go as far to say its 'poor' lol.

Technically theyre still part of Bradford though right? I consider Shipley a part of Bradford whereas places like Ilkley im not so sure.

Frizinghall isnt that nice though? I dont know much about it (only driven past) but people who used to live there/still there say its not as nice :s-smilie:


I guess but if you're in saltaire why not go to hirst wood instead lol (Although lister park is really nice when the weather's good).

Yorkshire and Humberside (and the North East in general) gets the least amount of funding per head of population in the UK so in terms of government investment it really is poor (even though it doesn't feel that poor because the region itself looks glorious - got to love the moors lol)

They're part of the metropolitan borough rather than the city.

Yeah Frizinghall isn't great but it seems quieter than some of the rougher parts of Bradford?


Well it haven't been stabbed yet so I'd say its a pretty safe place
Original post by TheGoodPharaoh
Well it haven't been stabbed yet so I'd say its a pretty safe place


are you sure?? you're pretty dead to me
Original post by 3awargalb
Also, dare I ask, what's the lgbt scene like, if it even exists? :K:


There isn't much of an lgbt scene at the uni but there's been efforts this year to do more in terms of societies and events. Tbh the uni is fairly apolitical in general which imo is why we don't have as much advocacy for various communities rather than there being a lack of tolerance. If this is something you're passionate about then I'm sure the women's and campaigns officer at the student's union will be happy to help raise awareness etc :smile:
Original post by lmaooome
are you sure?? you're pretty dead to me


Yeah drop DEAD gorgeous
Reply 34
Bradford, much like many cities, has positive and negative aspects. Similarly, it has good and bad areas. Now trust me on this, some of the worst areas in Bradford are akin to nursery cribs when compared to those of Leeds, Manchester or even London. The only difference is that Bradford is decidedly smaller and therefore the bad areas and good areas are miles away from each other. That being said, what's described as a bad area in Bradford mostly consists of annoying, anti-social behaviours. Whilst there is (like many cities around the world) issues with violence, it normally tends to be within certain target groups stemming from family ties or internal issues, very rarely does it spill out and affect people who aren't part of those groups. So as long as you ensure that you're surrounding yourself with good people, you shall be fine. The reason why I'd argue that Bradford is in fact a good choice when compared to Leeds is because firstly, it is far far cheaper. Living costs here is amazing, you can buy your entires week shopping for under £20 if you know the right places to go. (Which I can let let you know if you want) secondly, transport is really good comparatively speaking. We have a lot of buses, trains and taxi's at competitive pricing. And thirdly, within leeds, if you're staying there, there's high rates of violent crime in some areas. That being said, it's fine for me, because I know where those areas are and stay away from them. However, if you're new to the city that could end up nasty. Furthermore, the bad areas in Leeds don't at first glance even look that bad. It can be decieving.

If you were to move to Bradford and your studying from the management and law faculty (my sibling studies there!) then I'd suggest getting accommodation in Shipley, Saltaire, Frizinghall or even Manningham (although, this is probably one of the lesser areas, it's cheap and really easy to get to and from the city campus)

You mentioned wanting apartment like accommodations. Naturally, since the city isn't as big, they're in short supply. However, I suggest having a look at the Lister Mills. It's an old Mill factory that has been converted (quite nicely, I may add) into apartment / flat complexs. Furthermore, if you're worried about safety, it's really close to a police HQ I believe. The surrounding area can be a bit packed but it's on a main road that has good transport links.

This is a link to one of them, however I'm sure there's more and cheaper too - https://m.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/43554641?search_identifier=5eac2201a9923b4d9394654ddda828c7
Bradford is the nicest city in the world! The City puts Beverly Hills to shame.
Just visited Bradford for the very first time today. I have to say what a picturesque city it is. I love the architecture and there was hardly much traffic even around midday which surprised me. I'll be honest and say that I was apprehensive about coming here and expected to be in a minority surrounded by peado gangs running riot in their mercs and beemers. But, it wasn't like that at all. In fact everyone I saw was.. shock horror.. 'white'!!! It's not like the media makes it out to be. There is something I really liked about the city. Some of the views from the roads and streets that went uphill were fantastic. And I loved their type of terraced house. Maybe it was the type of brick and masonry but the houses looked more solid and I like that.
Well Muslims tend to have a low standard of living wen it comes to areas considering most of them and there culture comes from the east were most countries that are not Dubai are **** holes it’s not racism it’s just coincidence that most of em come from the east and Bradford is very **** Leeds is leugues beyond it
Moved to University of Bradford forum. :smile:
Studied in Bradford in 2007-2008 for a Master's Degree, but decided to live in Leeds. Coming from a bigger city (Rome), 30-40 minutes to commute wasn't a big deal at all (used to live in Hyde Park and going to School of Management at Emm Lane). It is at least what it would take in any bigger city to commute to your Uni or Job.
Leeds has a completely different vibe. Many more things going on, much more open internationally/culturally speaking, many more clubs, restaurants, high street shops and so on. Love the student life in Leeds. Downtown, Hyde Park, University of Leeds area, Headingley, etc, there is always something to do. Spent only few weekend in Bradford with some of friends over there, never regret to get up 30-40 minutes earlier than them, rather than living in Bradford. Do not want offend anyone of course, it's just my point of view, but I would never lived in that city. Rather, did enjoy a lot the University in Bradford, campus facilities, etc.
(edited 3 years ago)

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