Three Greater Manchester areas have made the prestigious Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live list for 2023 – including Manchester city centre. Of the 72 UK locations featured, seven North West locations have been named, with Liverpool taking the top spot for the region overall but Greater Manchester having three areas in the regional list.
The judges said that Manchester’s “street cred” was in danger of “being washed away by a tide of investment flats,” but the city is back in the game thanks to Ancoats, which is setting “the benchmark for hip urban living.”
The annual rankings are compiled by a panel of expert judges, who have travelled to each location, assessing them on factors such as schools, transport, green spaces, culture, broadband speed and health of the high street. House prices have also been examined by the list’s sponsor, Halifax.
This year, Wadhurst in East Sussex is the country’s best place to live, according to the Sunday Times judges. They say it has “pretty much everything needed for modern life in miniature.”
Helen Davies, the editor of Best Places to Live 2023, said: “When times are tough, where we live matters more than ever. Attractive surroundings, good neighbours and a comfortable home are the best defences when the stresses of modern life seem overwhelming. This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2023 from Orkney to Felixstowe, the Chew Valley to Manchester city centre. Whether you’re downsizing, trading up or getting onto the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.”
Here are the seven North West locations on the 2023 Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live list. Apart from Liverpool, which is the region’s number one, the locations are not listed in any particular order.
1. Liverpool
Liverpool has been named as the best place to live in the North West by the Sunday Times. The judges highlighted the city’s science and tech industry as a reason for its selection, along with house prices. They said: “This is one great city where you can buy a house without breaking the bank – but you also get a lively city centre and beautiful beaches close at hand.” (Photo: Adobe Stock)
2. Manchester
Manchester is one of the seven North West spots on the Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live 2023 list. The judges said that Manchester’s “street cred” was in danger of “being washed away by a tide of investment flats,” but we are back in the game thanks to Ancoats (pictured), which is setting “the benchmark for hip urban living.” (Photo: Marketing Manchester)
3. Penrith
Penrith is located in Cumbria’s Eden Valley. The judges said: “With its handsome red sandstone buildings and windswept scenery, Penrith is a go-to location for lovers of the great outdoors of all ages, and families who like the highly rated selective schools, and WFH-ers who like the excellent road and rail connections.” (Photo: Adobe Stock)
4. Stockport
Stockport has been praised in the Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live list for 2023. The judges said: “What was once a bog-standard former mill town has reinvented itself as a funky, family-friendly alternative to Manchester’s Northern Quarter.” (Photo: G-Man via Wikimedia Commons)