Best Places to Live 2022 Northwest
PAUL THOMPSON; HOWARD HARRISON/ALAMY
Rise and The
Fall A mural
of Mark E Smith
in Prestwich by
Akse P19. Left:
windsurfers
on the Marine
Lake, West
KirbyApril 10, 2022 33PRESTWICH, CHESHIRE D
A word of warning: residents
of this smart northern address,
with family-friendly Victorian
homes, leafy streets and parks
and outstanding schools, don’t
like it being labelled the “new
Didsbury”. So much so that
the constant comparison
with Manchester’s smugger
suburb inspired locals to
launch its own arts festival in
2018 to add to Festwich, its
tribute-band bunfight.
“I was so sick of hearing
people saying that Prestwich
is the new Didsbury. It’s its
own place, with its own
community and lots of talent
of its own, so we decided to do
something to show it off,” says
Jane Thomson, the DJ behind
the roving club night Take Me
to Church. The festival now
involves 500 volunteers and
theatre, music and art events,
bringing Prestwich’s enviably
diverse communities together.
It has left its mark, not least
on the walls. There are giant
murals of local legends
Victoria Wood on the side of a
tattoo parlour and Mark E
Smith, next to Chips@No 8, a
superior chippie, painted by
street artist Akse P19. The
bleak-at-best Longfield
shopping centre is due for a
council revamp, buteverything you need is here,
from a Greggs sausage roll
to sourdough and organic
veg at the Village Greens
co-operative. There’s a pet
shop, chemist and hardware
store, all bookended by a large
Tesco and an Aldi.
The pub scene is
companionable, the dining
scene lively — you can’t move
for craft beers, cocktails, oat
lattes and smoothies on New
Bury Road — and the scenery
life-enhancing. Walk along
Prestwich Clough, a pretty
valley that will take you all
the way to Bolton without
crossing a road, or stay closer
to home in Heaton Park where
on Saturdays 400 runners
gather for a parkrun. On
Thursday evenings, amateur
astronomers gather to scour
the dark skies, proving that
this really is the Northwest’s
starriest address.
Best place to live if... You want
a Manchester suburb that’s
fun, funky and affordable.
Best address Sheepfoot Lane
or the Poppythorn Lane
conservation area.
£245,500WEST KIRBY, MERSEYSIDE E
To join the procession of
dog-walkers, joggers and
buggy-pushers on a circuit ofWest Kirby’s Marine Lake is a
magical experience. On the
seaward side you’ve got the
view across the Dee estuary to
Wales, look inland and you
can watch wildfowl foraging
and windsurfers darting
across the clear water.^
When the tide’s in, it feels
(and looks to your TikTok
followers) like you are walking
on water; when it’s out you
can watch the curlews and
godwits pecking in the sand,
or extend your stroll as far as
Hilbre island.
The high street is a lovely
place to while away a morning
— even the Morrisons has a sea
view. Two butchers, three
bakers, Colin Lunt’s brilliant
greengrocer and a large
Majestic wine store near by
ensure that nobody goes
hungry or thirsty. There are
a few gifty/homeware
shops and boutiques, but
otherwise it’s all about
enjoying the lifestyle.
Away from the water, life
revolves around the ever-
growing cast of cafés. There
are plenty to choose from — a
new coffee-and-cocktail joint
seems to spring up every
month. Best of all, they’re
always busy and ringing with
the happy buzz of chatter.
Best cafés include Lateral
(which does a great grilledcheese sandwich), Aubergine,
The Nook and the popular
Toast, between the station
and the big brutalist library.
At night, there are bars for
all tastes, from noisy gigs at
the Wild Inn to the book
groups at the Wro, and the
Blind Pig for two-for-one
cocktails and half-price
prosecco when it rains.
Not a problem when this tip of
the Wirral peninsula — 12
miles from Liverpool — is one
of the sunniest spots in the
region. Local yoga crew
Yogasmiths runs indoor
classes as well as beach
sessions, and work has
started on a new health
and wellbeing centre.
Best of all, West Kirby
works for everyone, from
families coming for fresh air
and forward-thinking schools
— West Kirby Grammar is the
ninth best state secondary in
the Northwest, according to
the Parent Power guide, while
Calday Grange came 17th — to
silver surfers looking for an
active outdoor lifestyle with
café culture comforts.
Best place to live if. ..
Caffeine and cocktails are
your seaside Dee-lights.
Best address To the south,
especially in the catchment
area for St Bridget’s primary.
£409,000On the up...
It hasn’t been the best few
years for Liverpool, with
scandals and arrests at the
council, and the loss of
World Heritage status for
the waterfront. However,
it’s still a good bet for the
future, with houses that
at least some young
people can afford,
investment piling in,
excellent public transport
and culture and energy
oozing out of every pore.
Elsewhere in the
Northwest, the future is all
about the battle for
supremacy among
Manchester and its
satellite towns. Piccadilly
East remains the most
promising spot in the city
centre, with the giant
Mayfield development
under way and the well
designed Phoenix and
Crusader Mill projects —
where investors aren’t
welcome — filling up fast.
Young families who want
houses, gardens and
schools should check out
Stockport, 15 minutes by
train to Manchester, which
is doing its best to prove
that town centres can offer
stylish homes and
amenities to match city
centres. There’s a £1 billion
regeneration programme
under way, which includes
Capital and Centric’s
conversion of Weir Mill.
Gastronomically, it’s already
a match for most places,
whether you’re eating the
£75 tasting menu at Where
the Light Gets In, grazing at
Produce Hall, or pigging
out on Foodie Friday.
There’s edible fun in
Macclesfield, too, at the
Lord of the Pies restaurant,
the Flour Water Salt bakery,
or the Picturedrome food
hall (from the team behind
Altrincham Market), plus
the bonus of easy access
to the Peak District.
There’s a similar process
under way north of
Manchester — although
it’s not quite as advanced.
Farnworth, in Bolton and
Rochdale are already
seeing the benefits of
town-centre regeneration.
Also keep an eye on
Littleborough, which is just
outside Rochdale, branded
the friendliest place in
Greater Manchester.