What’s your city centre like in 2023?
Discussion
I’ve not really had time to kill in Southampton city centre for a long time
Yesterday whilst waiting for my wife, me and our toddler were having a mooch about, really depressing stuff
Everything dirty, worn out, wobbly
Few normal people shooting around heads down
Lots of drunk adults at 10 am, shouting at each other
Lots of homeless asleep
Lots of druggy types hatching plans, talking about getting revenge / money / stuff from xyz
Constant beggars who stand over you when sitting with a kid and take 20 seconds to bugger off (Lisa Dawkins Southampton legend was there)
Syringes in door ways
Random people trying to flog perfume, vapes, headphones etc out of a carrier bag and getting s
tty when you say no thanks
Market trollies selling drug paraphernalia with a few mobile phone bits thrown in to presumably keep town hall happy
Large round families dropping litter without any shame whilst their husky dogs wind up guide dogs
A bit if it might be I now have a kid, but it seems really bad
Was it just a bunch of coincidences, or is it a sign of various services etc not being funded like in the past
Yesterday whilst waiting for my wife, me and our toddler were having a mooch about, really depressing stuff
Everything dirty, worn out, wobbly
Few normal people shooting around heads down
Lots of drunk adults at 10 am, shouting at each other
Lots of homeless asleep
Lots of druggy types hatching plans, talking about getting revenge / money / stuff from xyz
Constant beggars who stand over you when sitting with a kid and take 20 seconds to bugger off (Lisa Dawkins Southampton legend was there)
Syringes in door ways
Random people trying to flog perfume, vapes, headphones etc out of a carrier bag and getting s
tty when you say no thanks Market trollies selling drug paraphernalia with a few mobile phone bits thrown in to presumably keep town hall happy
Large round families dropping litter without any shame whilst their husky dogs wind up guide dogs
A bit if it might be I now have a kid, but it seems really bad
Was it just a bunch of coincidences, or is it a sign of various services etc not being funded like in the past
They are actually doing something with my local town centre. Taking a big old wrecking ball to most of it.
Demolishing the half empty shopping centre and other large ex-department store units to be replaced by smaller shop units with several storeys of housing above it.
The council claim they will be retaining ownership of the shops and prioritising having open shops rather than just maximising income. We shall see if that works or how long they can resist selling out to a pension fund.
Their other wheeze has been to shut the local bus station, conveniently located next to the train station, and sold off the land (fancy flats that will be advertised as being within 45mins of central London). The buses now do not stop at the train station and now wait at random points around the town centre. This seems to have increased foot fall of people walking about but you are f-ed if you are elderly or disabled and want to combine buses/trains/other buses/etc.
On the subject of ne'er do wells, the council claimed there were no 'homeless' in the town, by which they meant 'rough sleepers' - but all the people in temporary accommodation have to loiter on the streets during the day as they are either kicked out or can't meet with people and/or smoke or drink where they live.
Demolishing the half empty shopping centre and other large ex-department store units to be replaced by smaller shop units with several storeys of housing above it.
The council claim they will be retaining ownership of the shops and prioritising having open shops rather than just maximising income. We shall see if that works or how long they can resist selling out to a pension fund.
Their other wheeze has been to shut the local bus station, conveniently located next to the train station, and sold off the land (fancy flats that will be advertised as being within 45mins of central London). The buses now do not stop at the train station and now wait at random points around the town centre. This seems to have increased foot fall of people walking about but you are f-ed if you are elderly or disabled and want to combine buses/trains/other buses/etc.
On the subject of ne'er do wells, the council claimed there were no 'homeless' in the town, by which they meant 'rough sleepers' - but all the people in temporary accommodation have to loiter on the streets during the day as they are either kicked out or can't meet with people and/or smoke or drink where they live.
Edited by Truckosaurus on Wednesday 13th September 08:35
Spare tyre said:
I’ve not really had time to kill in Southampton city centre for a long time
Yesterday whilst waiting for my wife, me and our toddler were having a mooch about, really depressing stuff
Everything dirty, worn out, wobbly
Few normal people shooting around heads down
Lots of drunk adults at 10 am, shouting at each other
Lots of homeless asleep
Lots of druggy types hatching plans, talking about getting revenge / money / stuff from xyz
Constant beggars who stand over you when sitting with a kid and take 20 seconds to bugger off (Lisa Dawkins Southampton legend was there)
Syringes in door ways
Random people trying to flog perfume, vapes, headphones etc out of a carrier bag and getting stty when you say no thanks
Market trollies selling drug paraphernalia with a few mobile phone bits thrown in to presumably keep town hall happy
Large round families dropping litter without any shame whilst their husky dogs wind up guide dogs
A bit if it might be I now have a kid, but it seems really bad
Was it just a bunch of coincidences, or is it a sign of various services etc not being funded like in the past
I think it depends to some degree upon how affluent the surrounding area is.Yesterday whilst waiting for my wife, me and our toddler were having a mooch about, really depressing stuff
Everything dirty, worn out, wobbly
Few normal people shooting around heads down
Lots of drunk adults at 10 am, shouting at each other
Lots of homeless asleep
Lots of druggy types hatching plans, talking about getting revenge / money / stuff from xyz
Constant beggars who stand over you when sitting with a kid and take 20 seconds to bugger off (Lisa Dawkins Southampton legend was there)
Syringes in door ways
Random people trying to flog perfume, vapes, headphones etc out of a carrier bag and getting s
tty when you say no thanks Market trollies selling drug paraphernalia with a few mobile phone bits thrown in to presumably keep town hall happy
Large round families dropping litter without any shame whilst their husky dogs wind up guide dogs
A bit if it might be I now have a kid, but it seems really bad
Was it just a bunch of coincidences, or is it a sign of various services etc not being funded like in the past
Near here:
Nottingham makes your local city sound posh. A post-apocalyptic s
thole.Leicester isn't perfect but seems to be making an effort by comparison.
^ That sounds similar to my local town, except it's much smaller and further away from London. Main shopping row in the town centre knocked down, bus station knocked down, lots of empty shops, everything taking ages. They've now started building a multi-storey car park, except there's hardly any reason to come into the town centre now. More shops are now closing down in the town centre because it's reached that point where there aren't enough open to justify whatever extra it costs to be in an old building in the centre of town. The retail park seems to be the destination for those who are staying open, except that's got limited space (built on a triangle between two main railway lines and a road) so can't be extended, one exit/entrance so queueing is awful when it's busy, and a little bit out of town with (as I recall it) no bus service (certainly no bus stops on site), so if you can't walk there and don't have a car, you're stuffed.
In a fraction of the time it took them to knock down the row of shops, on a nearby site Aldi knocked a store down (less than ten years old, but now "unsuitable"), cleared the site, built a new store and opened it up. It's probably been open a year, meanwhile all we have in the town centre is a plywood wall and a nearly-finished car park.
I've no idea what the people are like, I don't generally make eye contact. I expect it's the same as anywhere else, a mixture of unpleasant types and perfectly normal people.
In a fraction of the time it took them to knock down the row of shops, on a nearby site Aldi knocked a store down (less than ten years old, but now "unsuitable"), cleared the site, built a new store and opened it up. It's probably been open a year, meanwhile all we have in the town centre is a plywood wall and a nearly-finished car park.
I've no idea what the people are like, I don't generally make eye contact. I expect it's the same as anywhere else, a mixture of unpleasant types and perfectly normal people.
Liverpool is really good always something going on they dragged the Eurovision out for about 6 months with free gigs across the city as well as paid ones the buzz was great. Lots of new developments still going up across the city new trains bought for the underground etc… not such a massive homeless / drug problem you get it in lots of cities but it’s not on every street.
We went to Liverpool a while ago it was really nice. A big surprise to be honest.
Our local city has been destroyed. A combination of suicidal road planning and poor parking access has led to people just voting with their feet (cars) and going elsewhere. Why fight to drive in to Hull when in half an hour more you can be in York which is nicer in every way.
It was sad I watched a YouTube video a while ago (it was a bus spotting video but I wasn't watching it for the buses) and it's hard to believe how alive and bustling it was even around 2000. The one way systems, narrowed roads, bus lanes, closed roads and city centre "revamping" have all just decimated it. Looks like something from 28 days later now.
Our local city has been destroyed. A combination of suicidal road planning and poor parking access has led to people just voting with their feet (cars) and going elsewhere. Why fight to drive in to Hull when in half an hour more you can be in York which is nicer in every way.
It was sad I watched a YouTube video a while ago (it was a bus spotting video but I wasn't watching it for the buses) and it's hard to believe how alive and bustling it was even around 2000. The one way systems, narrowed roads, bus lanes, closed roads and city centre "revamping" have all just decimated it. Looks like something from 28 days later now.
Louis Balfour said:
I think it depends to some degree upon how affluent the surrounding area is.
Near here:
Nottingham makes your local city sound posh. A post-apocalyptic sthole.
Leicester isn't perfect but seems to be making an effort by comparison.
Have a pop to Peterborough, beats both of those places hands down.Near here:
Nottingham makes your local city sound posh. A post-apocalyptic s
thole.Leicester isn't perfect but seems to be making an effort by comparison.
Utter, utter s
thole. I'd happily say, Stamford where I live is much better, although the homeless are now starting to turn up on the first train of the day from Peterborough, so that's something to deal with..
Bristol appeared on ‘turd towns’ on YouTube fairly recently with a pretty accurate guide:
https://youtu.be/mbBrx3nQ4Jo?si=QB-kiZAKNXfQYb3B
The actual city centre is a little better, but taking your ‘city centre’ to mean ‘main shopping area’ as opposed to historic centre. Either way, I give both a miss unless absolutely necessary.
https://youtu.be/mbBrx3nQ4Jo?si=QB-kiZAKNXfQYb3B
The actual city centre is a little better, but taking your ‘city centre’ to mean ‘main shopping area’ as opposed to historic centre. Either way, I give both a miss unless absolutely necessary.
Newcastle city centre is pretty grim - lots of empty units, lots of homeless and people off their tits on allsorts of pharmaceuticals, lots of charity shops, cheap shops, betting shops, very little (if anything) unique, overpriced parking - joys of the harshness of daylight.
It improves on an evening and nighttime and the "alive after 5" aspect with good restaurants and nightlife is still up there in the top handful in the UK, but thats helped by the daytime sights and sounds seeming to dissolve into the background.
It improves on an evening and nighttime and the "alive after 5" aspect with good restaurants and nightlife is still up there in the top handful in the UK, but thats helped by the daytime sights and sounds seeming to dissolve into the background.
Richard-390a0 said:
In reply to the O/P - IIRC there's a family of ten or more immigrants whose daily job is leaving the Dolphin &/or Star hotel (which is full of them) & then begging all along Above & Below Bar in Southampton.
I was wondering about that situation there, they must be in a newer extension around the back, never see lights on at night on the front (presumably nicer listed bit of the hotel)I know the front doors are locked up and the back gates often have a security guard on duty.
Curious times
Oxford is nice enough.
Trouble is the town planners have completely fckued it and now it's basically a no-go area for anyone that doesn't live there, unless you want to spend an hour in traffic just to find no parking when you finally do arrive, or sit on a sweaty park and ride bus.
Not been there for 2 years now and have no plans too, whereas we used to go at least once a week. Fortunately, some of the smaller surrounding towns have made major improvements, and can provide almost everything I would have needed from the city centre. The rest is found online.
Trouble is the town planners have completely fckued it and now it's basically a no-go area for anyone that doesn't live there, unless you want to spend an hour in traffic just to find no parking when you finally do arrive, or sit on a sweaty park and ride bus.
Not been there for 2 years now and have no plans too, whereas we used to go at least once a week. Fortunately, some of the smaller surrounding towns have made major improvements, and can provide almost everything I would have needed from the city centre. The rest is found online.
MisterWhippy said:
I'd happily say, Stamford where I live is much better, although the homeless are now starting to turn up on the first train of the day from Peterborough, so that's something to deal with..
As it happens I am going to be in Stamford in about an hour’s time. Lunch at the George I think.dundarach said:
Hull is great.
Shops seem okay, money being spent on buildings and upgrades, pubs are wonderful, packed during Freedom Festival.
(just please don't come and keep thinking it's crap, we like being well away from everything!!)
Hull is alright, could be better Shops seem okay, money being spent on buildings and upgrades, pubs are wonderful, packed during Freedom Festival.
(just please don't come and keep thinking it's crap, we like being well away from everything!!)
Depends what you want from your city centre, i think the shops are rubbish, princes quay needs a big kick up the arse and i think some branded bars would go down a treat but apart from that i like it,bit of a diamond in the rough
born here and live here.Louis Balfour said:
I think it depends to some degree upon how affluent the surrounding area is.
Near here:
Nottingham makes your local city sound posh. A post-apocalyptic sthole.
Leicester isn't perfect but seems to be making an effort by comparison.
I went to Leicester yesterday for the first time in ages, it's our nearest big city. A post-apocalyptic sNear here:
Nottingham makes your local city sound posh. A post-apocalyptic s
thole.Leicester isn't perfect but seems to be making an effort by comparison.
thole was exactly what came to mind.
Truckosaurus said:
Demolishing the half empty shopping centre and other large ex-department store units to be replaced by smaller shop units with several storeys of housing above it.
The council claim they will be retaining ownership of the shops and prioritising having open shops rather than just maximising income. We shall see if that works or how long they can resist selling out to a pension fund.
Its how they revitalised Leeds in the 1970s - the Merrion centre was built and the council agreed to lease the office space above for something like 50 years which gave the developer the confidence to build the overall shopping center, which was the first major covered shopping centre in the city. The council claim they will be retaining ownership of the shops and prioritising having open shops rather than just maximising income. We shall see if that works or how long they can resist selling out to a pension fund.
Ryyy said:
Hull is alright, could be better
Depends what you want from your city centre, i think the shops are rubbish, princes quay needs a big kick up the arse and i think some branded bars would go down a treat but apart from that i like it,bit of a diamond in the rough born here and live here.
Me too however, shaddap you face, remember how horrible the city of culture was when all those 'forrin-ers' arrived.Depends what you want from your city centre, i think the shops are rubbish, princes quay needs a big kick up the arse and i think some branded bars would go down a treat but apart from that i like it,bit of a diamond in the rough
born here and live here.The quay is a bit pointless now, it should go and they regenerate the dock into a leisure space.
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