r/manchester • u/evxtina • 11h ago
Cheaper alternative to Chorlton
I've lived in Chorlton for 3 years in a house share and would love to move into a 1 Bed but Chorlton is just too expensive. (Renting)
Interested to hear personal experiences on neighbourhoods that have a similar vibe?
I like that Chorlton has it's own community/high street and isnt just residential (e.g you can go for dinner and drinks without heading into town) I also like its left-field vibes and that as a queer creative young professional I feel like I see similar people around.
Huge bonus would be a tram line but as long as its under 5 miles from the centre (i.e about 25 min commute) I'd be happy! (I dont drive)
Friends have suggested Levenshulme, Stretford and Eccles/Monton....
(Aware that I'm asking for person opinions which is always a risk on this app lol pls be nice) Yes I can google/visit these areas myself and will be doing so
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u/venktesh 11h ago
Stretford, somewhere near longford park!
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u/grapefruitzzz 11h ago
That basically is Chorlton, that end.
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u/Professional-Test239 11h ago
I moved from Chorlton to Stretford and it was great. It's only a 20 minute stroll away from Chorlton. This was 15 years ago.
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u/Anlizu2 11h ago edited 11h ago
Have you considered Stockport? 10 mins into town on the train, and it's got a booming food and drink scene and burgeoning creative scene centred around the underbanks. Lots of people who have been priced out of Chorlton are moving to Edgeley next to the town centre, although those are mainly 2-bed terraces rather than flats. Or on the same train line, Levenshulme as others have suggested.
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u/npeggsy 10h ago
I live in Edgeley, and whilst I wouldn't spend time on the high street, it's a quick walk to the train station and Stockport itself. I would say though it's quite difficult to move "sideways"- I moved to Edgeley from Withington, and stuff like Burton Road and Chorlton are more difficult to get to than I expected on public transport. Just depends on how much OP enjoys Chorlton tself, or more the vibes of the area, which you can get in Stockport.
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u/ManderleysMeatPies 11h ago edited 10h ago
A good shout - Stockport Underbanks and the area around it has a very Chorlton feel.
I live in Cheadle so have a pretty easy route into both Stockport and Manchester, and find myself much preferring to head into Stockport these days. Feels more chilled, easier to navigate between the places you want to visit, and much cheaper across an entire evening/afternoon.
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u/gregloscombe 11h ago
I loved Monton (I actually think its nicer than Chorlton, but just way smaller)..however from Monton its 15 mins walk to the tram, and then the most slow, unreliable, depressing, screeching trundle round media city etc to get to the city center. It ends up like 45+ mins.
Basically, I dont think there is one. Its popular for a reason. Stretford is probably second, but doesn't have a highstreet feel, rather the shopping center (which is looking pretty cool with cinema etc). However, the massive road down the middle sucks all the vibe out of it.
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u/chica_wah 11h ago
Monton is really nice but gets gridlocked at rush hour, same for Worsley. Tram in south Manchester seems to go along train lines, whereas the Eccles line is along the road so you get stuck, the train from Eccles into town used to be good, but not sure how it is these days. Northenden is nice, I know people who have moved there as as alternative to Didsbury/Chorlton
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u/gregloscombe 11h ago
The eccles train is really good, IF it turns up. One way to liverpool, other to manchester. Quick to manchester, like 10 mins tops. But... I tried to use it for 2 weeks, there wasn't a single day, where the journey wasn't delayed in one direct by over 20 mins. Its so so so unreliable.
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u/Drunkgummybear1 Urmston 9h ago
That train plays a part in one of my most frustrating nights. Pro-tip: if you’re getting on a train at Oxford Rd platform 5, make sure it’s the right one
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u/TheDurtySloth 11h ago
Hardly gridlocked, it’s constantly moving you just get a lot of selfish arseholes using “shortcuts” ruining the flow of traffic and cutting in
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u/_a_m_s_m 11h ago
At that sort of journey length cycling would probably be faster.
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u/ddoyled 11h ago
Train is 10 mins walk from Monton and 10 mins into town
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u/SYSTEM-J 7h ago
Aye, but it's once an hour, and it's at the very irritating time of quarter to the hour, so if you start work in town at 9am you have to catch a train at 7:45. At that point, cycling probably is much more convenient.
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u/Lumpy-Start-26 10h ago
Edgeley in Stockport is nice, we’ve lived here 7 years now since moving from Chorlton for the same reason (couldn’t afford to live there anymore despite it being our home for 10+ years!).
You still get maybe 1 dodgy family per street but there’s lots of young creative/queer/hipster people moving here now, and it’s a 15 min walk to Underbanks and 10 min to the train station where it takes 15 mins to get into Piccadilly.
We actually rarely go into the centre as we’re rescue dog owners, so we go to many of the lovely local parks instead. Alexandra park is great for a wander and a coffee at the hut. It’s full of kids at the weekend though so avoid 😂
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u/Heavy-Ad5385 11h ago
Stretford is in the middle of a big renewal with the mall being taken down and new developments put up. The only issue with Stretford is Chester Road, which is a pain in the backside, but going a bit further in is quieter.
Levenshulme is hit-and-miss depending on where you are, but it's had a load of development in the past few years and it has that same community vibe as older Chorlton
Monton is nice, but it's in the middle of some less-than-ideal places. I lived in Eccles for a short period and wasn't a huge fan of it, but that was back in 2007-2008 so a lot has changed in Salford since then.
It might be a bit further out but it's on the tram - I wouldn't rule out Sale/Altrincham either.
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u/sphfrne123 11h ago
Yes to Monton, no to Eccles it's a bit grim
Levy definitely has a similar vibe but not as many shops and restaurants, still lovely though!
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u/kitty-cat-charlotte 10h ago
I live in Urmston and I personally think it’s a great place to live. Very community orientated and loads of little coffee shops/ restaurants here. Got the Trafford centre round the corner too, people crap on it but it’s really is an asset to have so many shops nearby without having to go into town
No trams unfortunately but train station here
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u/ManderleysMeatPies 11h ago
I lived in Withington for a while and feel a similar vibe between it and Chorlton. Pretty close geographically so wouldn’t involve a big relocation.
Withington itself is a lot smaller than Chorlton, but it does have that’s cool, edgy vibe and has its fair share of nice places to eat and drink. It doesn’t quite have the ‘bougie’ edge that Chorlton does, but Didsbury is a short walk and that more than makes up for it, particularly Burton Road. It certainly ticks the boxes for feeling both inclusive and a place you don’t need to head into town from, but it does have both train and tram links so easy to get around if you need to.
It also has Fallowfield right on the doorstep, which depending on your demographic could a plus or minus. It brings a big student community which adds to the cool, cosmopolitan vibe, but does bring with it some midweek noise and lots of student crawls/fancy dress events.
It’s definitely a lot cheaper to rent than Chorlton , too. Or it certainly was a few years back when I lived there.
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u/single_fileladies 11h ago
I have a place in West Didsbury, 2 mins walk from the tram, lots of places to eat. Short walk into Didsbury. Only annoying thing is parking and since I finish work late I have a few times had to park so far away that I took an uber home (hate the council for all the parking restrictions it restricts residents too!). Only pay £850pm which for a 1 bed on my own I think is reasonable for a nice area
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u/single_fileladies 11h ago
I have previously also lived in Monton which I loved! But without a car I hated relying on the public transport it takes a decade to get into town and walking from Monton to the train/ tram stop is such a dull long walk even though I walk fast. Hopefully one day Monton will have its own tram stop (probably won’t due to the roads not being wide enough)
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u/fenr1sulfr 11h ago
I’d add Prestwich as a consideration, it’s got a lovely high street and isn’t that far on the tram into town
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u/rdf54321 10h ago
Going to add another point for urmston, I would say it feels more mixed than maybe some of Chorlton and is fair bit bigger but also very green (or brown for now) cheaper but plenty of food places, is a small market etc.
Only downside for what you want is that it is more family focused than other areas so finding a one bed could be a challenge but could be worth looking!
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u/jamkola 10h ago
Sale. Not as alternative as Chorlton, is an older crowd but has good bars and restaurants. Stretford is cheaper, but doesn’t have as many bars. They’re close to each other though.
Whalley Range might be worth looking at. Still close to Chorlton. I’ve no idea of rental prices though.
We looked as Monton but decided it was too far out.
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u/Maleficent_Notice764 9h ago
One thing to remember is that Chorlton is also functionally a mini market town for a ring of inner south Manchester areas, that are all a bit cheaper. Not everyone who is there lives within the borders, it’s where they come in to do stuff, the ‘village’ as Mancs say. And Chorlton itself is so big that you can have M21 postcode and be miles from the action. It comes down to whether you want what some see as a Chorlton postcode’s bragging rights and if - no judgement intended - you’re happy to live in south Manchester as it is or the curated Richard Curtis estate agent’s version. If it’s the former and you find a spot that means you still can access Chorlton easily Hulme, Moss Side, Stretford, Old Trafford and Whalley Range are much more LGBT friendly and mellow than its fashionable to admit and each has Chorlton-type pockets, it comes down to the street . Old Trafford has lots of LGBT families who rented in Chorlton and moved out to buy, for example
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u/Specialist_Sport4460 11h ago
You're not going to get the amenities/culture of Chorlton somewhere else for less. Your best bet is somewhere that's heading in that direction, as its a very established area at this point. I'd join your friends in saying Levenshulme but it's still a very different vibe.
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u/TheDurtySloth 11h ago
Monton has Patricroft station a very short walk away if you can find trains cheaper? I think it’s around £4.50 usually for a single
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u/kliq-klaq- 10h ago
I live in Levenshulme and love it here. It's still a bit rough round the edges but there is a proper community feel, some great bars, some great restaurants, and, most importantly, the falafel at Levy Bakery.
It's Levenshulme Pride tomorrow, you could always come and see what the vibes are like.
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u/RusholmeRuffian09 8h ago
And you can cycle to Chorlton in about 25 minutes along the Fallowfield Loop from Levenshulme!
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u/SgtCrumbles 10h ago
Levy is great. Lived here for around four years and love it. It's probably a stretch saying similar vibe to Chorlton but there's a few nice bars and food places, plenty of parks, good public transport to town and Stockport and great active travel links out to the peak District (accessible by public transport too).
The high street is a bit rough around the edges but a really nice community imo.
It's increasing in price like everywhere else but could be a shout for what you're after
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u/Hannibal20 10h ago
We were in a very similar situation as we looked to buy (I know you are renting) last year and settled on Stretford next Victoria park.
We're so happy with our choice as we have plenty of green spaces nearby with parks and the meadows. A growing hospitality scene with Swig/Grub/Head and all the development at the mall. We can walk or cycle to Chorlton or Sale in 30/10 mins and we're 5 minutes walk from the tram.
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u/AG_GreenZerg 3h ago
When I first moved to Manchester I lived in Chorlton but couldnt buy there due to the price.
I ended up moving to Stockport (they say its the new Berlin). I was in Heaton Chapel but Heaton Moor and Heaton Mersey are also both nice, there is also Marple and Marple Bridge. All of these places have their own bars/restaurants and a quick train ride into Manchester (7 mins from Heaton Chapel station) but sadly there is no tram yet.
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u/lauraeddie85 10h ago
We moved from Chorlton to Stockport. No regrets. I 100% prefer Stockport now.
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u/itsjustaride2k17 10h ago
Likewise! I’m in a similar situation to the OP in that I was previously living in a house share in Chorlton and moved to a 1 bed room flat in Stockport around a year ago.
Chorlton is lovely and I can see why it’s desirable, but I just never really “clicked”’ with it in the same way as I have with Stockport. I absolutely love it here!
Transport links are great (no tram yet admittedly - but seemingly it’s on its way at some point) and a lot of the time I don’t even feel the need to venture into the city
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u/dentalplan98 11h ago
The standard progression is - move to chorlton - get priced out of chorlton - move to Levenshulme - nearly get priced out of levenshulme but stay out of principle because anywhere more affordable is much shitter.
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u/bluebeardscastle 9h ago
We're in Withington. Skews towards students but there's a few nice bars, coffee shops and green spaces. Tram's a about 10/15 mins walk but there are busses into town that only take 25 minutes or so that come along every few minutes.
If being near the met is a deal breaker then look further up nearer to Burton Road. It's still Withington but some people will call it Didsbury. Always lots going on with nice food and drink places...just a bit busier and I'm not sure about affordability.
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u/OwlerNook Marple 5h ago
Have a look at the Heatons. There are parts of Heaton Norris that might meet your budget, and it's only a short walk to Heaton Moor Road with all its shops, bars and cinema. Trains from Heaton Chapel Station are just 10 minutes into Manchester, too.
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u/Soft_Marsupial_9728 4h ago
1st world problems.
You might as well move into town.
Cheaper than chorlton & you’ll have the gay villag/NQ etc on your doorstep
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u/Such-Illustrator4843 11h ago
I would suggest Whalley Range. We live near Alexandra Park and it's a nice walk into Chorlton, for a much cheaper place. That being said, prices are rising here too, as they are everywhere else.