Chorlton

I'm just thinking of which accommodation to pick and I've really liked Chorlton as a place in the accommodation prospectus.. However, what puts me off, is the distance from the centre - 3 miles.. How bad would commuting be? And how much does a bus pass cost? I'm also worried about being isolated from other students.. I will need to find a part-time job - how hard is it to find some in Chorlton? Or would I have to commute again?

And in general, how is it as a place? And Hardy Farm?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

AT82

Chorlton is great, the bars are all localy owned so you don't get all the tack you get in Didsbury and Fallowfield, there are lot of good pubs as well. There are a lot of students in Chorlton but they tend to be post grads or live in private accomdation.

Living privately is the best thing to do in Chorlton as you can live near the centre and there are some very high qualility places you can rent.

Hardy Farm is not near the centre, it is on the edge of a council estate but the estate is not a bad one, ex council houses there cost £150K to give you an idea. Hardy Farm is also just that, student halls located on old farm you're right next to the Mersey Valley countryside which is great for getting away from the city life.

There is plenty of jobs in Chorlton, the centre has loads of shops,bars and pubs so you will not have a problem getting a job.

Hardy Farm is 15 minutes walk to the centre though but there are also plenty of places nearer where you can get jobs.

Transport wise this is where Chorlton compares badly to Fallowfield or Didsbury, you only really have one choice, Stagecoach, this means a weekly ticket can cost £9 week unless you send off a for a student term pass which works out at £4-5 week.

It can take anything from 20-35 minutes to get into town depending on traffic, or about 15-25 minutes to get to university which is only 2-2.5 miles away from Chorlton.

I hope this helps a bit.

Reply 2

Monii

thanks

i'll probably put Hardy Farm as my 3rd choice then

Reply 3

RosW

I live in Chorlton though I'm not going to uni in Manchester. Its quite nice lots of cafes etc, not too much crime, lots of trees etc. A bit more expensive than some areas though for a flat, don't see that many students so it might be a bit isolated. The transport can be annoying though. A lot of students live in Fallowfield and it can be difficult to get to. Theres meant to be a bus every 45 mins but last week 2 buses didnt come when I was trying to get from Fallowfield to Chorlton so I had to wait forever. Its about an hour to walk to Fallowfield and an extra 20 to get to the uni. Its quick to get into Manchester normally but when theres loads of traffic it can take forever.

Reply 4

AT82

The easiest way of getting to Fallowfield is to get the 86/85 to Booth Street, cross over then get the usual 42/142/43 etc. It takes about 40 mins doing it that way.

The 46 and 168 are the only direct buses to Fallowfield sadly due to lack of regulation.

The walk is more like 35 minutes and there is a dedicated path which cuts out any traffic lights. You can cycle it on this path too in about 10-15 minutes, and again no traffic to worry about.

I don't think there is much in between Fallowfield and Chorlton in terms of distance to uni, they are boith the same at around 2.5 miles. The 86 bus goes straight past the university shopping centre and its 20 mins from Chorlton to there, the 86 suffers from traffic congestion a lot less than Wilmslow Road, but the buses are a lot more expensives and less regular although I am not currently campaigning to get this sorted.

My sister is from Chorlton and currently lives in Fallowfield but she still visits Chorlton a lot because of the bars and all the festivals which Fallowfield dosn't have in the same way.

Reply 5

dogmop

I lived at Hardy Farm in Chorlton last year. It's very nice halls and Chorlton is a lovely area, just a fright when Stagecoach play around with the buses - there was a time when they forgot to include any bus that came down to our halls.

If you don't mind a 30 minute bus ride (or a slightly quicker cycle ride - as most students of Hardy Farm opt for), it's a really nice place. It's remoteness creates a communal atmosphere and with Chorlton Water Park nearby, it's nice if you like a bit of green.

Personally, I couldn't take another year of 30 minutes+ bus ride each way so I'm moving to a more central location - but I can certainly understand the appeal of Chorlton.

edit: Forgot to mention about jobs.

There is a CO-OP Late shop just at the top of the street that the halls are on, that is always looking for staff there. From my block (of 10 people), we had 5 people working there at one stage, and my ex-gf who also lived in the halls worked there. There are a few other places, mainly retail around if you're after that kind of work.

Up barlow moor road (about 5 minute bus journey) there's a place called 'Caldwell Communications' which is a call centre if you're after that kind of work, they also take on part-time student workers.

The bus pass is £140 this year I think, best to purchase it online from www.stagecoachbus.com as you get a discount, and is a very vital item for living in Chorlton.

Reply 6

gangstarr

i also lived in hardy farm last year - the atmosphere was really nice, lots are really friendly people. AND its much more fun then most halls due to how easy going the staff are. Bob the manager is a LEGEND

Reply 7

gangstarr

lol allen is that you ?? its vik

Reply 8

dogmop

Hey Vik, yup it is. :P

Reply 9

AT82

By the way this part of Chorlton is located out of the way in South Chorlton via the Mersey Valley, central Chorlton is closer to city centre and is only 10 minutes to Fallowfield via an off road cycle path.

It seems to be very favourable with post grads (As far as I can work out Chorlton has the highest amount of graduates in the country at 54% in 2001, and this figure has certainly increased since).