Exeter

[Maccapacca]

What's Exeter like?

Pretty broad question so here's the context, my firm is looking to open a regional branch there and I may have an opportunity to relocate, the wife and I are early thirties and we have two kids 3 years and 4 months, I don't really want to move wee smelling retirement ville quite yet

Schools
Crime
Transport
etc
etc

The ideal will be to visit quite a bit before we make a decision but just want to know your thoughts and if anyone has done the same, looked at the local website but they quite rightly are biased.

We live atm 15 miles from the M25 in Sussex again for context.

Thanks

 

[Tonyator]

Can't really help in your situation, however, I lived there for three years at Uni and it is the one City I would consider moving to.

Not too big and city like, however big enough to have all the amenities that you'd need, can't comment on schools, however while I was there seemed safe enough, felt safer than I would have in Bristol of Plymouth for example.

Transport again can't comment on as I used a car for almost all journeys. However can't say I heard much bad about it while I was there.

For Context I used to live in Southampton in my childhood, and in north Devon now.

 

[LizardKing]

Its one of the most congested citys in the UK during peak hours, public transport is dire, schools are ok but nothing great, summer is hell thanks to all the holiday makers. Jobs are short of supply (but i guess thats a mute point as you'll already have one )

If you can get past the dire transport links then it is a great place to live, i would move back to East devon in a flash if the jobs were better.

 

[Phog]

Well I've lived in Exeter for 16 years and it's absolutely home for me, so I'll be slightly biased I suppose... But...

Schools - I'm not really sure, there certainly are many good ones out there. Depends if you're looking at private vs state. I would say that generally you will find a good school for the kids. There are certainly a lot of them around!

Crime - In all the time we've lived here, crime has never been an issue for us (apart from being broken into about 10 years ago, but they didn't even take anything lol). Nightlife crime, there is the usual drunken idiots but same old everywhere. I'd say I feel very safe in exeter.

Transport - lots of buses, main route for trains (2.5 hours to london for example) to the southwest.

I've lived away for quite a few years now at Uni, but we have just moved into the centre of exeter (walkng distance from town) and things are actually really much better, IMO. Things are very accessible and I would say it's quite a nice city. The cathedral is beautiful and there are many lovely areas / things to do & see around the area. Generally I think Devon is quite nice!

I'm not sure how interested you are in Nightlife as such, but there are really good restaurants and variety to take your fancy. Tonnes of pubs (ranging from wetherspoons up to nice places!) and not a great selection of clubs if I was honest (I can't say I go). It is a university city so there are lot of students around (maybe 1 in 10? I've heard).

 

[Ev0]

It's a nice place, as said if you've got a good job to move down to it wouldn't be a bad move from where you are imho. You've also got plenty of places nearby to choose from that are a quick commute into town, straight down the A38 or A380 one way there are plenty of places depending on what kind of place you want to live in.

Whilst I've lived mostly in Torbay my life I spent 3 years living there at uni and have worked in Exeter for the last 8 years.

Know quite a few people who have made the move from London-ish areas down here, don't think any of them have regretted it.

Out of interest what's the business, will they have any IT jobs as I'll be losing mine soon

 

[Maccapacca]

it is the one City I would consider moving to

This is one of our drivers, so many people say the same, we have a couple of grads that would jump at the chance

schools are ok but nothing great

Hmmm gotta think about the kids, can't afford public education unless they receive bursaries, schools here are great

I'm not sure how interested you are in Nightlife

Like I say I don't want to move to retirement town it's good to know there's life

Out of interest what's the business, will they have any IT jobs as I'll be losing mine soon

Construction, all our IT is based from Birmingham with roving local engineers

 

[mattjd]

My sister was at university at Exeter for 5 years.

Went to visit her a lot and she told me about the area. Apparently the second most expensive place to live at in the UK (Dont know if thats true or not).

Plenty of social activities. Vue, Bowling, Swimming and plenty of Gym's.

There is a lot of nice restaurants, The quay has some nice ones and I also saw some people rowing on the River so if your into rowing you know that there's a local club near by :L

Obviously its a University town so the shopping centre is nice and modern and litter free. The new part which was built I think 2 or 3 years ago has an Apple shop so that will come in handy if your an Apple fanatic.

Tap Water tastes good (Bit random but tastes better than the stuff that comes out of my taps Seventrent I think is what I get),

Fibre Optics in some areas.

My sister did Teacher training there and she says the schools she went too were modern and well equipped but the students were quite rough but that was only 2 schools out of quite a lot.

I went out walking at night with my dad a couple of times in the city and surprisingly it is quite quiet and there were a couple of prostitutes but you know that's normal... :L

Overall I enjoyed my limited experience in Exeter and my sister loved it there.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I love Exeter but the traffic is awful. When I worked there it took me 30 min to drive 35 miles to the outskirts then another 30 to do the last 3...

 

[Maccapacca]

I love Exeter but the traffic is awful. When I worked there it took me 30 min to drive 35 miles to the outskirts then another 30 to do the last 3...

Oh dear, in my minds eye I was wafting around A roads overtaking the occasional tractor / caravan

 

[Ev0]

Oh dear, in my minds eye I was wafting around A roads overtaking the occasional tractor / caravan

Not in the city centre though

I use the park and ride to get into the town for work, 10 minutes or so on the bus with no hassles.

Does depend on exactly where your office would be though, city centre or on the outskirts somewhere? My wife works on the outskirts and it's just a minute off the motorway.

 

[Fusion]

I went to Uni there for three years, I'll write you a lengthy reply tomorrow or Sunday depending on how bad my hangover is after tonight

 

[Rroff]

I live in the South West tho don't visit Exeter much - but seems nice enough from the times I've been don't think you'd regret moving there at any rate.

Having moved back down here after living a few years in Bromley its a nice change to the pace of life.

Schools down here are pretty average tho there are good ones dotted around if you look for them.
Crime is typically very low, generally its limited to nightlife in the town/city center, football hooligans and the odd person growing canabis.
Public transport won't be anything like your used to in and around London, not as regular or as well thought out.

I think it would be a much better place for bringing up kids tho - safer, lots of great stuff like dartmoor, the coast, etc. easily accessable.

 

[Snax]

I am London born and bred and went to uni at Exeter.

It is a fab place and a great place to bring up a family.

I always had the option of coming home to London for nightlife but apart from theatre, I never found a reason I miss it.