Bristol has a popularity problem. It’s so good that everyone wants to live here — and with good reason. From dog walks on the Downs and posh cocktails in Clifton to down-and-dirty plant burgers in Stokes Croft, it has everything: it’s urban and rural, posh and gritty, homely and highbrow, even ugly and beautiful. From some angles it looks like Watford’s undistinguished cousin, from others it’s a multicoloured steampunk Venice. But there are side-effects: a cut-throat housing market, terrible traffic and grumbles over a new clean-air zone and the e-scooter scheme designed to help it.
But Bristol being Bristol it will keep ploughing its own furrow. New no-dig allotments are planned for Leigh Woods, campaigners are calling for rent controls and the Wapping Wharf developers are gearing up to start work on the final piece in the harbourside jigsaw. Over the next few years the shipping-container shops, restaurants and yoga studios will move to a permanent home, complete with a market hall and hundreds of new flats, many of them affordable.
Proximity to Wapping Wharf and its pedestrian and cycle routes is what makes the increasingly desirable areas Bedminster and Southville, with their easygoing enclaves of attractive Victorian houses, our top spots for anyone wanting to be close to the action. Bedminster has thrown off a shaky reputation, thanks to some judicious investment and an influx of groovy shops, bars and restaurants, making BS3 the destination of choice for those young families who like to have both a city farm and a natural wine bar on their doorstep.
Those less drawn to urban edge might be happier on the other side of the city, in the sensible suburbs of Henleaze and Westbury Park. There are a few Georgian houses, but this is where Victorian terraces bleed into Thirties semis and off-road parking is a possibility. With the Downs on the doorstep, it’s supremely family-friendly with a strong sense of community, much of it based on primary school networking. There’s a cool indie cinema (next to Waitrose, natch), interesting shops on North View and Henleaze Road, and an all-year, members-only swimming lake with a high diving board — and, alas, a lengthy waiting list.
What are the best shops and restaurants in Bristol?
All manner of good things await on North Street, which divides Southville and Bedminster. Zero Green was Bristol’s first zero-waste shop, Mon Pote has cool homewares and Rhubarb Jumble is one of the city’s best vintage shops. Everyday needs are met in fine style too, whether it’s hardware at 50-year-old Lion Stores or freshly baked loaves from Mark’s Bread. There are also butchers, greengrocers and much more. Bedminster’s big attraction is the Bristol Loaf, a dog-friendly bakery and café.
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There’s no shortage of places for a good night out: try the Middle Eastern fare at Souk Kitchen, or grab whatever’s going at the funky dining hall attached to the natural-wine bar Kask. Things are a bit more sedate in Henleaze and Westbury Park. The former has a greengrocer and a good butcher (there’s another in Westbury Park) and one or two indies, notably Max Minerva’s, a brightly coloured book and boardgame shop.
Where can I travel to?
From Southville it’s a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bike ride to Temple Meads railway station, which has direct trains to Bath (10-15 minutes), Cheltenham (40 minutes), Cardiff (from 50 minutes) and London Paddington (1 hour 35 minutes) — although with an anytime return to London costing about £250, many occasional commuters are choosing the coach instead. Megabus services, for example, take from 2 hours 45 minutes and cost as little as £3.95 one way. Bedminster station has trains to Temple Meads (from 3 minutes) and Weston-super-Mare (30 minutes).
The Harbourside has a ferry service and Bristol promotes itself as the UK’s first cycling city, with more than 300 bike parking spaces and a network of free-to-use bike pumps. Bristol’s many hills are a big reason the Voi e-scooter scheme is proving popular. A day pass costs £7 and a monthly pass is available for £50.
How fast is the broadband?
About seven in ten homes have access to an ultrafast FTTP (fibre to the premises) connection, usually through the Openreach network. Virgin Media has a big presence in the city too, covering about 80 per cent of homes.
What are the best schools in Bristol?
South of the river, Ashton Gate Primary was rated outstanding by Ofsted in 2012, while Holy Cross Catholic was deemed good in 2017. Looking north, there’s a choice of three outstanding primaries: Elmlea Junior, Henleaze Junior and Westbury Park. Bristol has two state secondaries rated outstanding: Redland Green (2022) and St Mary Redcliffe and Temple (2015). Bristol Cathedral Choir School is deemed good (2022). Independent options featured in the Sunday Times Parent Power guide include Bristol Grammar (from £5,391 per term) and Clifton College (£9,155 per term).
Where is the best area to live?
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Bristol’s big money tends to gravitate towards Sneyd Park or Stoke Bishop, on the edge of the Downs, or across the Clifton Suspension Bridge to Leigh Woods, but don’t expect much change from £1.5 million. It’s why we like the semis in Bedminster (£450,000), Southville (£550,000) and Henleaze (from £750,000).
What are the house prices in Bristol?
Average property price: £374,000
Source: Halifax using Land Registry data
See all the best places to live in 2023 and more of the best places to live in the southwest
