If you adore living in the UK but feel as if you haven’t yet found the city that’s right for you and feels like home, there are many more cities out there than you might have previously thought about.
For those who want to live in an exciting and up and coming city with all the resources and facilities they need on hand, here’s a guide to some of the coolest cities that you can live in and that will be good for your physical and mental well-being within the United Kingdom.
1. Bristol
Bristol is an excellent city to move to if you’re passionate about the arts and are incredibly creative, as it’s filled to bursting with urban culture and is littered with landmarks that can both move and inspire you. Not only this, but Bristol is also within a few hours’ travel of London, ensuring that you can quickly get to the capital for meetings and opportunities if needs be.
Bristol also has a lively social scene and nightlife, with an endless array of bars and clubs that you can while away the night in when you fancy socialising with your friends. You’ll also only be living a few miles away from Bath, Bristol’s fancier and more traditional sibling, a place that has beautiful architecture and literary history a plenty.
Then, if you’re young and still looking for a thrilling city where you can build a life with many career and education options on your doorstep, you should look to move to cool cities like Bristol.
2. Brighton
However, if you’re looking for a bright and vivid fairytale of a place that’s home to counter-culture galore with streets brimming with vintage shops and creative outlets, you should consider heading down to Brighton, a city that’s well known for its LGBTQ community.
You’ll be able to spend your days lounging at the beach, engaging in water sports, or trying out the coffees at a vast range of independent and veggie cafes. Brighton is also incredibly dog-friendly if you want to share your life with a treasured pooch, and it’s also incredibly walkable, meaning that you don’t have to worry about the extent of your carbon footprint.
Then, if you want to live in a place that’s within a few hours of, but feels a world away from, London, Brighton, with its thriving tourist attractions and endless fish and chip restaurants (angry seagulls included), could be the city for you. However, the cost of living in Brighton can be higher than the rest of the South coast due to high demand.
3. Southampton
If you’re looking for a seafront city that’s a little more metropolitan, you should consider staying long-term in Southampton. Southampton is an excellent city for those who are interested in naval history and are passionate about nautical pursuits, as well as those who love to lead the high life, shopping and eating out every night.
Southampton is also the perfect destination for those who love to travel and who want to get between locations in the South easily, as there are good transport links here to the rest of the UK, including Portsmouth, Bournemouth, and the New Forest.
4. Cardiff
Whether you’re passionate about theatre, television, or eating out, Cardiff is another city that has started to attract a younger and livelier population in recent years. As well as the fact that it’s home to a few universities, such as Cardiff University, there’s an almost endless stream of events in the city throughout the year, and it’s also an easy trip from here to rural escapes and sites of natural beauty, such as the Brecon Beacons.
You’ll also be able to enjoy the best of both worlds as once again, Cardiff is by the sea, ensuring that you can enjoy a variety of seaside pursuits, such as dockside walks and paddle boarding in Cardiff Bay.
5. Liverpool
You might associate Liverpool with The Beatles and its major architecture, such as the Liver building. However, Liverpool is also a city that never gets dull. Not only is there an array of cultural attractions, such as the Tate, to enjoy around its expansive dockside, but Liverpool is also the home to a lot of world-class restaurants and cafes, as well as endless tourist attractions that can help you to understand the history of the city better.
Why not take a trip out on the water, or even take a day trip to the Isle of Skye if you want an escape from everyday life for a while? Liverpool is also a great place to live if you’re a sports fan, being the home of both Liverpool and Everton football clubs, meaning that there’s something to attract almost everyone to this bustling and growing northern city.
