Need some info about portsmouth

Soldato
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Everyone mentioning Southampton and then Portsmouth and now Croydon, is making me sad :(

OP there are lots of nice towns in the UK all around, Portsmouth and Southampton are known for being somewhat rough but the areas nearby are nice. It's likely the job isn't in the town itself anyway so I'd recommend you look at towns a reasonable drive (5-20 miles) away and you'll be fine. That is, so long as the job is one you'd like. Otherwise there are plenty of nicer places that may have good jobs too.
 
Associate
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The best part of Portsmouth is the M275 going north!

Portsea Island itself is very built up (my wife came from the east end of London and says it reminds her of that).

Chichester or Petersfield are much nicer, but more expensive (esp Petersfield), but then you have to get on and off the island every day (only 3 roads), the traffic can be a nightmare
 
Soldato
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The best part of Portsmouth is the M275 going north!

Portsea Island itself is very built up (my wife came from the east end of London and says it reminds her of that).

Chichester or Petersfield are much nicer, but more expensive (esp Petersfield), but then you have to get on and off the island every day (only 3 roads), the traffic can be a nightmare
Yep, commuting on and off the island is one of the main reasons we’re moving off the island in two weeks.
 
Soldato
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Dude, we have an IKEA.
And a area in the middle now known as Rape Park. Guess what's its notorious for on a weekend, I'll give you a clue. Its not football.

Portsmouth is like everywhere else it has its good and bad bits. The middle of the island is very busy and very packed of houses. It's mostly to be avoided like any place that has a large population. (it was devastated during Ww2 or obvious reasons and rebuilt with closenit terraced houses)

Southsea at the end of Portsmouth is nice enough, but because there are only 3 main roads out of Portsmouth if you at the end of it you might as well stay there as traffic can be pretty bad.

If your able to drive then living over the hill (Portsmouth island is low and everything outside is behind a big hill) . Then there are plenty of lovely villages within 10miles.
 
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Soldato
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And a area in the middle now known as Rape Park. Guess what's its notorious for on a weekend, I'll give you a clue. Its not football.
Sense of humour failure... Jeez you Portsmouth lot need to lighten up.

(but if we're going there I count 3 or 4 reports in the news over the last year. If nothing else it highlights the dangers of lone females walking through secluded areas at night, like anywhere. Also, "notorious" Rape Park? You mean the page on Facebook with all of 12 followers?)
 
Soldato
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The only thing the central parks in Southampton are notorious for of a weekend is idiots from Solent beating each other up on the way back to halls :p
 
Soldato
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The people who thinks it's rough have probably only visited.
Frankly I would walk through any part of Portsmouth at night and not feel unsafe. Lots of chavvy looking people, your local alcoholics with no teeth etc and the buildings could do with a paint but it's not dangerous.
I think there's been 1 murder here in about 10yrs.
 
Associate
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Like any other city there are nice and rough parts. Portsmouth offers a reasonable mix of the main things most people would look for in a city of its size and some extras such as large open green spaces around the common, outlet shopping at Gunwharf quays and a seafront. There is a ferry port to Europe and a historic dockyard as well. A couple of good schools (PGS and St. John's, for example but these are private) are located on the island itself.

Due to the limited amount of land available (as Portsea island is an island) the area is quite built up and densely populated.

I have never experienced any crime personally whilst resident there. I only lived in Southsea, however and am sure that there is higher crime in the rougher areas e.g. Somers town and Paulsgrove.

If you're looking to stay on Portsea island I'd recommend at least having a look around Southsea. People casting shade have probably never been there. Make your own mind up.
 
Man of Honour
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I think there's been 1 murder here in about 10yrs.

Oh bless you. Portsmouth is still relatively safe, but the murder rate is much higher than that.

It is worth noting that most people who die from being murdered are involved in crime themselves. So if you're not involved in that stuff, the likelihood of dying from being murdered is very low indeed.
 
Associate
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I went to uni there from 2002 to 2006. It's not the loveliest of places but I'm not sure it's quite worthy of some of the snobbery exhibited here. I survived four years with no problems.

With row after row after row of terraced housing, it is densely populated. It can get very cold in the winter with the wind blowing in off the sea but I expect that's the same anywhere on the UK coast. As others have said, maybe consider somewhere a few miles outside the city.
 
Soldato
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Oh bless you. Portsmouth is still relatively safe, but the murder rate is much higher than that.

It is worth noting that most people who die from being murdered are involved in crime themselves. So if you're not involved in that stuff, the likelihood of dying from being murdered is very low indeed.

You can patronisingly say that but apart from a recent few, I have never heard of many in the local news or papers in my 36yrs.
Even looking on a crime map only showed a few in recent times and Googling showed news articles from 2018 and then nothing really. I think there were some news articles for 2013 and 2007.
So unless they've gone unnoticed and unwritten. I think the general murder rate around here is fairly low.
Amazingly low compared to London and probably the UK average.
 
Associate
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You can patronisingly say that but apart from a recent few, I have never heard of many in the local news or papers in my 36yrs.
Even looking on a crime map only showed a few in recent times and Googling showed news articles from 2018 and then nothing really. I think there were some news articles for 2013 and 2007.
So unless they've gone unnoticed and unwritten. I think the general murder rate around here is fairly low.
Amazingly low compared to London and probably the UK average.
There's definitely been way more than 1 in the last 10 years.

Do you remember this one: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-23423898? I knew Hilder, and had met the victim and his dad numerous times in the past. It's still quite a shock thinking about it now.
 
Soldato
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Yeah I was being a bit frivolous with the facts. What I meant was I could barely remember more than 1. (should use less Americanisms in my language and be more factual on a forum)
It's not a vast number is my point given everyone who doesn't live here thinks its rough.
 
Soldato
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Generally when people are discussing somewhere being rough, they're more concerned about teenagers vandalising stuff, their bike being nicked from the garden shed and drunks getting lairy in the streets, rather than fearing getting murdered.
 
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