Tell me about Yorkshire

It's a wonderful part of the world! I wish I could afford to live that way! Look around Tadcaster area, it's a wee bit less expensive, but the A64 can be an absolute nightmare. More affordable? Depends where you're coming from! Depends on lifestyle etc... The cost of living in the UK is high. Wages are low. I don't know how a lot of people do it...

The weather where I am (between Leeds and York but towards the south side) is pleasant. It does get cold in winter but that's what central heating is for! Snow here rarely settles. Closer to Harrogate I think does get colder weather (a bit more snow more often) as you're closer to the Dales?

The seasons are so pretty you soon forget about the weather. Plus, it's what British people talk about the most!

Making friends: people are very friendly but it's difficult to make true friends as a comer inner. I've made most of my friends through work. So depends what you're going to do!

Again people are very friendly on a more day-to-day/ superficial level, but true friendships are hard to make. People can get a bit standoffish if you try to be too friendly too quickly. Get involved... it's hard to make new friends as an adult!

Finally have applied for the position! Now onto the visa process (after the market test). Took so long since I wanted to make sure my student loans will be paid off before I go and a position has been open for ages. I hope it goes well and I didn't screw myself my waiting.

The manager also mentioned Tadcaster. The position is in Wetherby and have been looking there. I think initially that is good base to have. I just always heard that the north was more affordable although housing honestly doesn't look more affordable than the SW.

How much is your heating bill? Our place in the SW was terrible to heat so it was either cold or our bill was super high (near £200 and I was still cold). Even when seriously cold indoors (I am too embarrassed to say how cold it was), we spent more on gas than the surrounding houses (maybe near £100?).

I agree it is just hard to make friends as adults. I would say the same about Americans being superficial etc. I have good neighbors now though so it will be hard to start over.

Harrogate is considered a great place to live. Fairly expensive. Harrogate traffic is a pain, but since I'm retired I can usually avoid the worst of it. My wife's daughter lives near us but is a nurse in Leeds.....during rush hour it can take 1.5hrs to make the trip (less than 20 miles). There are plenty of places in the York/Harrogate/Leeds triangle that would be nice to live...I like hilly places, so York wouldn't work for me. We had some snow back in the winter of 2009/10+ 2010/11.....it was enough to sit on the ground for several weeks.....roads only bad for a short time. Just depends on what your view of what "cold, winter weather" is. For me......the weather is pretty well never cold here in Yorkshire, but I came from where -10 to -20C is pretty normal (but it's a dry cold!!). 

As far as making friends.....my wife and I are both hermits....which is why I play golf, it gets me out and sociable a little bit. There are plenty of other groups/clubs I could join if I wanted. Pretty normal I would think.

Many at the job seem to live in Harrogate, but yes, the traffic the 2 times we were there was bad. Not as bad this past September though. The traffic really makes me nervous about looking at places outside of Wetherby. Previously, I just walked to work and enjoyed that so a commute doesn't appeal to me. I am from ND so I hope I can handle the cold, but I haven't been there in a while so I am not so sure. I think I will have to dress more appropriately than I do in NC.

I will be moving to Yorkshire soon (hopefully. .. as I am still waiting the decision on my spouse visa).
We have bought a house in a village near Huddersfield. .. the scenes are beautiful ... quiet (maybe too quiet) and doesn't stop raining (not sure I can actually cope with that ...I am a summer person and winter depresses me)
Good luck with your move ... as far as I remember Harrogate is a very nice area ... but be mentally and emotionally prepared for the rain 

Dima, have you moved? How do you like it? How was your first winter?

Hi! I lived in Yorkshire for about three years and am currently looking at moving back to Leeds! I was born & raised in Texas so getting used to the weather was a bit of a process but it's all relative to what you're used to. Its not the cold that got to me anyways, it was the winter grey!

The Ilkley/Otley area is really nice but as previous posters have mentioned the traffic can be pretty bad. Avoid Keighley, Bradford, and Dewsbury. We are looking to live in the Tadcaster area. Wetherby would be ideal but unlikely.

In regards to making friends, I never really had much luck so I got a dog

Hey, was hoping to get an update from you.

Many at the job seem to live in Harrogate, but yes, the traffic the 2 times we were there was bad. Not as bad this past September though. The traffic really makes me nervous about looking at places outside of Wetherby. Previously, I just walked to work and enjoyed that so a commute doesn't appeal to me. I am from ND so I hope I can handle the cold, but I haven't been there in a while so I am not so sure. I think I will have to dress more appropriately than I do in NC.

I guess it just depends on priorities. I always wanted to live less than a 30 minute drive from work.....and always was able to do that. For some people, a 30 minute commute is nothing and they handle it without blinking. I've always lived close enough to work (less than 10 miles) to either walk or bike if I wanted (and spent years doing so). Depending on your job in Wetherby, the commute from Harrogate might not be bad....certainly less than 30 minutes. I live on the complete other side of Harrogate....about as far away from Wetherby as you can get so I would have to fight my way through all of it to get to Wetherby but I think I could do it in 30 min or less, although if traveling at the worst of the commuting time I'm not sure. Now.....if your job allowed you to leave slightly earlier or later that would be a help on travel time. I play golf with several guys from Wetherby, including the current mayor.....since I know very little about Wetherby I could ask them the good places to live....depending on which part of town you will be planning on working. They would have a better idea than me on traffic as well.

Just talked to the mayor this morning at the golf course. He basically asked how much money do you have? He lives on what he calls Spofforth hill (not sure where that is, I know where Spofforth is)....he says he walks into town all the time, about a mile. He also said there are some really nice apartments along the river. He also said that if you have any particular place in mind to let me know and I can ask him and he will let me know how it is.....since he is the mayor, he does seem to know things /. If you haven't yet, getting in touch with estate agents might help, and definitely get on something like Rightmove to check out places.

Just talked to the mayor this morning at the golf course. He basically asked how much money do you have? He lives on what he calls Spofforth hill (not sure where that is, I know where Spofforth is)....he says he walks into town all the time, about a mile. He also said there are some really nice apartments along the river. He also said that if you have any particular place in mind to let me know and I can ask him and he will let me know how it is.....since he is the mayor, he does seem to know things /. If you haven't yet, getting in touch with estate agents might help, and definitely get on something like Rightmove to check out places.

This is great, Fred! We have about £1000 budgeted. When I moved to Devon, I contacted estate agents and no one responded until I was actually there so I don't think I will have much luck getting a place before moving. We also have pets, which limits options and needs a more flexible landlord since basically all places I have seen say no pets. I was planning on getting a place when I moved, but I will reach out to estate agents anyways and see what happens. I have been looking at rightmove quite regularly though. I do quite living near the town centers and when I visited work was about 12 minutes from the town center by foot. I have seen some places by the river for rent. They do look nice. I don't remember the cost though. If I find a place I like, I will be sure to ask you. Thank you so much. Your asking someone for me was very nice.

Just talked to the mayor this morning at the golf course. He basically asked how much money do you have? He lives on what he calls Spofforth hill (not sure where that is, I know where Spofforth is)....he says he walks into town all the time, about a mile. He also said there are some really nice apartments along the river. He also said that if you have any particular place in mind to let me know and I can ask him and he will let me know how it is.....since he is the mayor, he does seem to know things /. If you haven't yet, getting in touch with estate agents might help, and definitely get on something like Rightmove to check out places.

Fred, you have to tell the mayor to bring back the train station!

Fred, you have to tell the mayor to bring back the train station!

I don't think he has any real power.... those positions are ceremonial. There are a lot of people who wished they hadn't torn out so many of the train routes.

Hi - I am originally from California, and moved to the UK in 1965.  After three years in Cambridge, I moved to Yorkshire.  I live in a large village outside Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire.  Apart from the weather, I love living here.  But, I must say that the weather this May has been fabulous!  Apparently the hottest  May since records began.  Hull has been an economically depressed area since the fishing industry collapsed.  But amazingly, Hull is the UK City of Culture for 2017.  I would say, in general, that the stereotype of Northerners being more friendly than Southerners is accurate.  Certainly we have a slower pace of life here.  And in many ways, things are a bit more old fashioned.  People tend to be very polite.  Neighbours look out for each other.  We are lucky in our area that crime isn't as dreadful as in other big cities in the UK.  Mostly domestic violence, burglary, and some drug-related crime.  Very few murders.  At age 74, I feel safe walking home from the centre of my village after dark.  Where I live, it is an easy train ride to York, Bridlington, Scarborough, Beverley.  A fairly short trip to the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.  It seems to me that no t many Americans get up this way and are missing out on some great places to see and things to do.  I wouldn't live anywhere else!  Please get in touch of you have any questions.

Hi - I am originally from California, and moved to the UK in 1965.  After three years in Cambridge, I moved to Yorkshire.  I live in a large village outside Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire.  Apart from the weather, I love living here.  But, I must say that the weather this May has been fabulous!  Apparently the hottest  May since records began.  Hull has been an economically depressed area since the fishing industry collapsed.  But amazingly, Hull is the UK City of Culture for 2017.  I would say, in general, that the stereotype of Northerners being more friendly than Southerners is accurate.  Certainly we have a slower pace of life here.  And in many ways, things are a bit more old fashioned.  People tend to be very polite.  Neighbours look out for each other.  We are lucky in our area that crime isn't as dreadful as in other big cities in the UK.  Mostly domestic violence, burglary, and some drug-related crime.  Very few murders.  At age 74, I feel safe walking home from the centre of my village after dark.  Where I live, it is an easy train ride to York, Bridlington, Scarborough, Beverley.  A fairly short trip to the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.  It seems to me that no t many Americans get up this way and are missing out on some great places to see and things to do.  I wouldn't live anywhere else!  Please get in touch of you have any questions.

Thanks for the positive review! Yes, I look forward to being closer to the Lake District, Dales and the Peak district.