Chester is an attractive and historic city in Cheshire, near the border with North Wales. It is a walled city, with Roman roads and ruins, fine Tudor buildings, and extensive development by the Georgians.
Residents therefore have a wide range of property styles to choose from – there is everything from new apartment buildings overlooking the canal, near the station, to Georgian terraces within the city walls. Standard Victorian terraces can also be found, as well as Edwardian semis and new detached houses.
Along with good housing stock, there are plenty of amenities for families, including good schools and green spaces. However, students and young professionals also benefit from living in this area, which has good employment opportunities and excellent transport links, including road and rail links around the city and beyond. All residents benefit from excellent local amenities, including a great selection of restaurants, pubs, and shops.
The rolling hills of the Cheshire countryside and the River Dee make a pretty natural setting for a lovely city, and provide a wealth of outdoor entertainment options for residents. There are also great parks and green spaces within Chester’s centre, including the Chester Meadows and Grosvenor Park.
In 2016, Chester was rated the second best place to live in the UK by the CACI Hot Housing Index.
Chester, and the surrounding areas, is known for having friendly locals.
The area is also home to a food range of locally-owned independent businesses, many found away from the tourist-filled city centre.
Chester is a relatively safe place to live. Between April 2016 and March 2017, there were 5,254 crimes in Chester City, or an average of about 438 per month. The most common type of crime was anti-social behaviour at 38%, followed by violence and sexual offenses at 19% and public order at 10%. In March 2017, 505 crimes were reported.
The College of Policing compares Cheshire West to similar areas, and finds it has fewer crimes than the most similar group’s average. There is less crime in Cheshire West than in Maidstone or Canterbury, for example. In the year ending in June 2015, crime dropped by 4% in Cheshire, for the fourth largest reduction in England and Wales.
The more central homes in Chester tend to have limited parking. There are several park-and-ride car parks with buses into the city centre, but there can still be traffic jams and trouble parking.
Chester has a good range of pubs, bars, and restaurants – however, cultural nights out are limited. There is also an active nightclub scene.
Shopping in this area is good, with characterful ships along The Rows – Tudor streets with two levels of storefronts. There is no cinema in the city centre, nor is there a theatre.
Chester has the full range of housing, from grand Georgian townhouses to modern flats, but with many affordable and modest semi-detached family homes in between. Victorian terraces, Edwardian and Twenties semis, and modern homes offer options to suit any family, as well as large flats.
There are good green spaces in Chester, including Grosvenor Park and Chester Meadows, as well as several smaller parks and playgrounds, the Chester Zoo and a couple of golf courses. The River Dee and the canal offer waterside walkways. The city is also surrounded by outstanding countryside.
Schools in this area are generally good, with high-achieving state primary schools and good independent secondary schools.
Property in Chester varies widely, but includes many of the sorts of properties that are suitable for pets. Flats, cottages, semi-detached, and detached houses are all on offer, and many have outside space.
There are good green spaces in Chester, including Grosvenor Park and Chester Meadows. The River Dee and the canal offer waterside walkways. The city is also surrounded by outstanding countryside.
Chester is well-connected to other parts of the UK by road and rail. Trains to Liverpool take 45 minutes, while trains to Manchester take between an hour and 90 minutes. Crewe is under half an hour away by rail.
The M53 connects Chester to Liverpool, and the M56 to Manchester. North Wales is half an hour away on the A55. Manchester and Liverpool airports can both be reached in 45 minutes by road.
Travel around the city is facilitated by park-and-ride car parks and local buses.