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davieG

Is the City of Leicester a dump?

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Guest Markyblue
10 hours ago, Rob1742 said:

I rarely go. Had to get the lads school uniform unfortunately. It was a have to go experience I am afraid. 

Would love it to be a situation where you enjoyed going, but it ain’t, because it’s shite.

What paradise do you live in.!

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10 hours ago, Rob1742 said:

I rarely go. Had to get the lads school uniform unfortunately. It was a have to go experience I am afraid. 

Would love it to be a situation where you enjoyed going, but it ain’t, because it’s shite.

I come back every month mate and enjoy it a lot. The problems you constantly cite I see in every major city of this country. It’s not unique to Leicester. 

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24 minutes ago, Markyblue said:

What paradise do you live in.!

It’s not a question of where I live, or whether it’s better or worse than anywhere else. People get defensive, which I can understand to a degree, but rather than be defensive, it’s worth looking at what we have got and what needs to be done. I was born in Leicester, I want it to be great.

But being realistic, the City is pretty poor. Yes it’s improving, and I am pleased to see that. Soulsby is doing a terrific job in making it a better City.

Leicester is very much like Middlesbrough and Sunderland. It attracts the poorer people only, and the people spend their earnings elsewhere, outside of the City, which needs addressing.

There is money in Leicestershire, but people are not spending it in the centre as it isn’t desirable. 

As an example we were looking for a night out the other weekend and we fought with the idea of Leicester. Wanted to stop somewhere decent rather than get taxis, wanted a nice restaurant and nice bars etc. We have a youngster too.

There just isn’t anything or quality, it’s poor or average. Nothing good. 

We toyed with the Grand Hotel, but it’s only average and I just couldn’t get my head around paying for a hotel to walk out onto the delights of Granby Street. 

If you want to spend money, you go elsewhere

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10 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

I come back every month mate and enjoy it a lot. The problems you constantly cite I see in every major city of this country. It’s not unique to Leicester. 

Cardiff is ace, it’s much better than Leicester, much more upmarket. Great place in comparison. Happy to spend time in Cardiff

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1 hour ago, Rob1742 said:

Cardiff is ace, it’s much better than Leicester, much more upmarket. Great place in comparison. Happy to spend time in Cardiff

I don’t live there anymore but I do work across the country. I work out of a Lot of inner city offices and the problems you describe that blight Leicester, I see every time I have to walk through a Cardiff or a Manchester or a Leeds or another large city.

In fact Manchester and Birmingham the problem is huge. And yet I find parts of both cities absolutely brilliant. In fact, I’d be as brazen to say Birmingham’s city centre is a total dump outside of the Bullring but if you look close enough there’s Colmore Row or the Gas Street Basin. 

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Guest Markyblue
3 hours ago, Rob1742 said:

It’s not a question of where I live, or whether it’s better or worse than anywhere else. People get defensive, which I can understand to a degree, but rather than be defensive, it’s worth looking at what we have got and what needs to be done. I was born in Leicester, I want it to be great.

But being realistic, the City is pretty poor. Yes it’s improving, and I am pleased to see that. Soulsby is doing a terrific job in making it a better City.

Leicester is very much like Middlesbrough and Sunderland. It attracts the poorer people only, and the people spend their earnings elsewhere, outside of the City, which needs addressing.

There is money in Leicestershire, but people are not spending it in the centre as it isn’t desirable. 

As an example we were looking for a night out the other weekend and we fought with the idea of Leicester. Wanted to stop somewhere decent rather than get taxis, wanted a nice restaurant and nice bars etc. We have a youngster too.

There just isn’t anything or quality, it’s poor or average. Nothing good. 

We toyed with the Grand Hotel, but it’s only average and I just couldn’t get my head around paying for a hotel to walk out onto the delights of Granby Street. 

If you want to spend money, you go elsewhere

Sorry but that is a very blinkered view of Leicester. I travel around the country and most city's of the size of Leicester are very similar with some very nice areas and some crappier areas.to paint a picture of other big cities with no problem areas is frankly ludicrous. 

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3 hours ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

I don’t live there anymore but I do work across the country. I work out of a Lot of inner city offices and the problems you describe that blight Leicester, I see every time I have to walk through a Cardiff or a Manchester or a Leeds or another large city.

In fact Manchester and Birmingham the problem is huge. And yet I find parts of both cities absolutely brilliant. In fact, I’d be as brazen to say Birmingham’s city centre is a total dump outside of the Bullring but if you look close enough there’s Colmore Row or the Gas Street Basin. 

It’s the percentage of excellence v poverty stricken areas that I think we suffer from. You mention Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. All three have very good areas as you say, whereas Leicester is very limited.

Bristol, Norwich, Newcastle, Liverpool  and Leeds are other examples where there are decent areas that encourage people to come and spend in the Cities. Leicester just don’t have enough of to encourage people to come in. 

 

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6 hours ago, Rob1742 said:

It’s the percentage of excellence v poverty stricken areas that I think we suffer from. You mention Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. All three have very good areas as you say, whereas Leicester is very limited.

Bristol, Norwich, Newcastle, Liverpool  and Leeds are other examples where there are decent areas that encourage people to come and spend in the Cities. Leicester just don’t have enough of to encourage people to come in. 

 

Let’s hear your good areas of these cities then. 

Because they will all be hugely gentrified. All doctors or high level professionals who’ve bought property where no else can afford.

There’s no local feeling and quickly independent business are pushed out as developers increasingly purchase pockets of land/properties.

Some of these inner city surburbs are Moseley, Harborne, Chorlton, Didsbury, Chapel Allerton, Jesmond, Clifton. At stretch Crosby in Liverpool too. 

Sounds a lot like Queens Road in Leicester in fact doesn’t it? 

In comparison of those cities I’ve mwnrioned all of them have a comparable area to Granby Street in Leicester. Dale End and Broad Street in Birmingham is ghastly. The area around Manchester Piccadilly awful with homeless people. Nottingham has the backends of Lace Market. 

You show no rationale that these are huge cities facing the same problems. You are only seeing what you seek. You visit most of these other cities as a tourist who reads up the best places to visit and thinks this looks lovely. Whereas Leicester, you have a purpose visiting certain things. 

I will add as well that this weekend I probably visited more unique, affordable business (restaurants, pubs and stores) in Leicester than I did in Manchester, two weekends ago watching City. And Manchester is a city I love 

Edited by Cardiff_Fox
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7 hours ago, Stadt said:

I think Birimingham is shit for a city that size.

It’s a pretty evident when you speak to most Brummies. Nowhere near the same pride as a Scouser or a Manc. The city is so fractured in its layout and you really have to search for its uniqueness. 

As soon as a Brummie makes their money, they move to Sutton Coldfield or Solihull or Lichfield or Bromsgrove

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47 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

It’s a pretty evident when you speak to most Brummies. Nowhere near the same pride as a Scouser or a Manc. The city is so fractured in its layout and you really have to search for its uniqueness. 

The midlands lacks regional identity, particularly us in the East. I think northerners enjoy playing the martyr "we're so ignored and repressed bad blah blah" as a generalisation but the East Midlands has it much worse in terms of investment and awareness. I'd say East Midlanders are too humble for our own good, instead of saying Leicester is a burgeoning city most would say "It's shit, don't know what you'd come here for", in my experience people from Nottingham say the same; you couldn't imagine anybody from the North West, Leeds, Sheffield or Newcastle saying the same.

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12 hours ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Let’s hear your good areas of these cities then. 

Because they will all be hugely gentrified. All doctors or high level professionals who’ve bought property where no else can afford.

There’s no local feeling and quickly independent business are pushed out as developers increasingly purchase pockets of land/properties.

Some of these inner city surburbs are Moseley, Harborne, Chorlton, Didsbury, Chapel Allerton, Jesmond, Clifton. At stretch Crosby in Liverpool too. 

Sounds a lot like Queens Road in Leicester in fact doesn’t it? 

In comparison of those cities I’ve mwnrioned all of them have a comparable area to Granby Street in Leicester. Dale End and Broad Street in Birmingham is ghastly. The area around Manchester Piccadilly awful with homeless people. Nottingham has the backends of Lace Market. 

You show no rationale that these are huge cities facing the same problems. You are only seeing what you seek. You visit most of these other cities as a tourist who reads up the best places to visit and thinks this looks lovely. Whereas Leicester, you have a purpose visiting certain things. 

I will add as well that this weekend I probably visited more unique, affordable business (restaurants, pubs and stores) in Leicester than I did in Manchester, two weekends ago watching City. And Manchester is a city I love 

The last City I visited was Newcastle. A large building has just been demolished to make way for small independent shops, more like pods. Looks amazing and can’t wait for it to be finished.

Fenwicks for lunch. What an amazing store, much better than the Leicester version was, a real icon up there. At Christmas there are queues to see the window Christmas scenes there.

Off to the large shopping centre, above the metro station which is great for bringing people in.

Then to the market for a browse. An enjoyable experience rather than the poverty stricken feeling you get wandering around the Leicester one. There is a lovely cafe in the Newcastle one, I don’t think anyone would want to hang around our market for lunch. 

Not on this visit, but on previous ones I have enjoyed stopping at the quayside, Malmaisson, a decent hotel, one of a few they have, which we don’t. Nice restaurant and bars around there.

Been to the match before and on the way back stopped off at Chinatown for a meal. 

So without going through them all, if you take Newcastle, it’s a fantastic City to walk around. 

We obviously want a different outcome from our visits to the Cities if you prefer Leicester. But that’s fine, we all are after different things. Tell me the great news about Leicester. The things you enjoy that make your visit so special? 

Edited by Rob1742
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Listing places like Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle etc. is a bit bizarre considering these were regional capitals and local industrial powerbases in the past. People have been drawn to these places from closer conurbations, in Newcastle it's Sunderland, Gateshead, Middlebrough etc. Leicester was known for is hoisery and is in a fairly rural area flanked with Derby, Nottingham and Coventry and Birmingham only 45 minutes away. It was never gonna get the massive investments cities like Newcastle and Cardiff were gonna get, but still its homeless problem is nowhere near as bad as any of the cities mentioned, and area by area improvements are being made. 

 

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Most%20popular%20county-01.png

 

Oh dear

 

Leicester itself came did not do too well either

The survey of 42,000 people placed the county in 45th place, just above Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, with only 49% of people asked in the YouGov poll saying they liked Leicestershire.

Derbyshire fared a lot better, being ranked the 10th most popular county, while Rutland and Nottinghamshire came in 35th and 36th.

It didn't fare much better for cities in the East Midlands, with Nottingham, Derby and Leicester being named as the 41st, 46th and 50th most liked cities, respectively.

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2 minutes ago, hairy said:

Most%20popular%20county-01.png

 

Oh dear

 

Leicester itself came did not do too well either

The survey of 42,000 people placed the county in 45th place, just above Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, with only 49% of people asked in the YouGov poll saying they liked Leicestershire.

Derbyshire fared a lot better, being ranked the 10th most popular county, while Rutland and Nottinghamshire came in 35th and 36th.

It didn't fare much better for cities in the East Midlands, with Nottingham, Derby and Leicester being named as the 41st, 46th and 50th most liked cities, respectively.

 

Rutland's a beautiful county and Leicestershire has plenty of great spots. I doubt many of those 42,000 have even been to Leicestershire off the M1 tbh

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23 minutes ago, Finnaldo said:

Listing places like Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle etc. is a bit bizarre considering these were regional capitals and local industrial powerbases in the past. People have been drawn to these places from closer conurbations, in Newcastle it's Sunderland, Gateshead, Middlebrough etc. Leicester was known for is hoisery and is in a fairly rural area flanked with Derby, Nottingham and Coventry and Birmingham only 45 minutes away. It was never gonna get the massive investments cities like Newcastle and Cardiff were gonna get, but still its homeless problem is nowhere near as bad as any of the cities mentioned, and area by area improvements are being made. 

 

I mention Newcastle as I just visited it and enjoyed it. I spent a weekend there, as Leicester isn’t a good option. So although it is a regional capital, it just highlights the need for this consumer wanting more than Leicester has to offer, despite living in the region.

Our City is getting much better, massively so, Soulsby being instrumental in this. But we need a big draw, an area where restaurants and bars can thrive that brings people into the City. 

The big positive for me was how independent businesses created the Braunstone Gate area in the past. An horrendous place really, but independent business people made a real go of it at the time and it thrived. We need another area created, where independents can grow, which will bring huge revenues into the City. I know that isn’t easy, but with the demise of the high street in many Cities and Towns, hopefully we create an area over the next decade or so that includes a great social hub for bars, restaurants and leisure that will see a change in our outlook

Edited by Rob1742
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Those of you casting aspersions about Leicester should really go and spend some time in Northampton. 

It'll change your view of the world completely, I guarantee it.

The place makes Damascus look like a f**king utopian wonderland.

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Funny how people I know who aren't from the area, but have visited Leicester either for a day out or a weekend, always mention to me how much they enjoyed it (they're the kind of people who'd tell me straight if they thought it was shit too).

Sometimes people like a city that isn't too much up its own arse, where they can find out what it's all about for themselves without feeling hassled to do touristy stuff.

But then again, these are people who are looking to enjoy themselves and aren't specifically wandering round areas they don't rate in order to repeatedly find fault with them...

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1 hour ago, Rob1742 said:

The last City I visited was Newcastle. A large building has just been demolished to make way for small independent shops, more like pods. Looks amazing and can’t wait for it to be finished.

Fenwicks for lunch. What an amazing store, much better than the Leicester version was, a real icon up there. At Christmas there are queues to see the window Christmas scenes there.

Off to the large shopping centre, above the metro station which is great for bringing people in.

Then to the market for a browse. An enjoyable experience rather than the poverty stricken feeling you get wandering around the Leicester one. There is a lovely cafe in the Newcastle one, I don’t think anyone would want to hang around our market for lunch. 

Not on this visit, but on previous ones I have enjoyed stopping at the quayside, Malmaisson, a decent hotel, one of a few they have, which we don’t. Nice restaurant and bars around there.

Been to the match before and on the way back stopped off at Chinatown for a meal. 

So without going through them all, if you take Newcastle, it’s a fantastic City to walk around. 

We obviously want a different outcome from our visits to the Cities if you prefer Leicester. But that’s fine, we all are after different things. Tell me the great news about Leicester. The things you enjoy that make your visit so special? 

The things you've cited great about Newcastle are independent shops (yeah plenty in Leicester), a department store (which is facing the very same problems - the Leicester Fenwicks store did https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/fenwick-outlines-significant-job-losses-14579023), a market (go to any major European market of a major city, they are all scruffy as hell - and talking of cafe, there's a cracking pub/restaurant within a minute of our market) and a shopping centre (got one of those thanks). That's hardly worthy of some cultural award.

The last time I went Newcastle is totally washed with people completely and utterly pissed particularly around 'the Gate', a Greggs what opens 24 hours and roadworks creating an absolute pain in the arse to flag down a taxi. As a result I stayed in Jesmond, down the road, away for it all. Your hotels point is valid for Leicester - however using Malmaisson has an example - an over-rated, 'boutique' chain who charge £200 to £250 per hotel is hardly valid. 

Okay I'll take Saturday then. 

I drive into the city, park at my childhood home. An affordable, safe, above average area within 20 minutes walk. Stroll into the city passing the absolute huge development going on opposite Highcross - intriguingly I have met people from the main investor for this project, they have managed money into various developments across London and in Birmingham. They have chosen Leicester for their first 'provincial' investment - they say a calculated risk as unlike major cities, the rents for students and private are comparable but they believe there is a lack of affordable accommodation for a generation post university. 

I stroll to the High Street, visit Wellgosh - an independent fashion store managed and owned by a gentlemen who once lived on my childhood street. They've just expanded. Country known; they stock products which are exclusive - just this morning they had 300 fashion items exclusive to about 10-15 stores in the country.

From here I can take a view at Tin Fish Shoes, another independent company what's continued through good times and the bad. Plus other businesses in the Arcades. Then onto into the Lanes where there is umpteen cafes all independently owned. 

I drank in the 'Two Tailed Lion', a pub specialising in craft beer, ran by a couple with no major brewery backing. I ate at 'Rosie and Oscar's Pizzeria', an independently owned Pizzeria who have two stores, anoher in Nottingham. I had other options such as Crafty at St Martins or Crafty Chicken at King Richard III. I could have gone down London Road and ate at Oggy - drank at Landsdowne or Parcelyard or Marquis Wellington - chains admittedly but owned by a local. Maybe even pop down Queens Road - Barcelonata, or Jones. 

You want Leicester to be some gentrified city where everything is up market. It isn't that. It never will be. It's a mixture of cultures which oddly possesses the most inner-city green space of any other English city. Everything you constantly praise about these other cities involves 'money' - Fenwicks is a store for the middle classes, Malmaisson is a hotel for the middle classes. The same things don't exist in Leicester because there's no market for it. There is however an appetite for unique businesses who offer something affordable. 

 

Edited by Cardiff_Fox
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46 minutes ago, hairy said:

Most%20popular%20county-01.png

 

Oh dear

 

Leicester itself came did not do too well either

The survey of 42,000 people placed the county in 45th place, just above Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, with only 49% of people asked in the YouGov poll saying they liked Leicestershire.

Derbyshire fared a lot better, being ranked the 10th most popular county, while Rutland and Nottinghamshire came in 35th and 36th.

It didn't fare much better for cities in the East Midlands, with Nottingham, Derby and Leicester being named as the 41st, 46th and 50th most liked cities, respectively.

All that survey has done is followed a pattern of tourism. All top ten counties are where people go for their holidays. It's pretty useless in fact. 

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