{"id":2637,"date":"2021-08-08T15:24:07","date_gmt":"2021-08-08T15:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yopa.co.uk\/homeowners-hub\/?p=2637"},"modified":"2021-08-15T16:04:19","modified_gmt":"2021-08-15T16:04:19","slug":"whats-it-like-to-live-in-southampton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dy36-2.stage.yopa-dev.co.uk\/homeowners-hub\/whats-it-like-to-live-in-southampton\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s it like to live in Southampton?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A city and\nport based in the desirable county of Hampshire on the south coast; Southampton\nis one of the most popular places on The Solent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boasting an ideal coastal location, a\nmodern seafront plaza, easy access to The Isle of Wight, the New Forest, and\nthe rest of the South East, and plenty of top-notch local amenities to boot, Southampton\nis a city on the up. Unsurprisingly, Southampton has consistently placed highly\nin the Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index<\/a> in recent years which lists\nthe best places to live and work in the UK. The index is based on a number of wide-ranging\neconomic wellbeing factors such as employment, health, income and skills,\ncommuting times, environmental factors, the number of new business start-ups\nand housing affordability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, when it comes to properties,\nSouthampton is a very competitive proposition given its south east location.\nThe average property price in the city over the last 12 months was \u00a3264,136. On\npar with the national average and certainly more affordable than both Hampshire\n(\u00a3386,147) and the South East region (\u00a3459,794) overall, particularly pricey local\nhotspots Soberton (\u00a31,022,692), Droxford (\u00a3980,650) and Hambledon (\u00a3731,667).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know?<\/strong> The Titanic (tragically nicknamed, \u2018the unsinkable ship\u2019), actually set off from Southampton carrying 3,327 passengers and crew on its fateful voyage to New York.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So, whether you\u2019re a budding\nprofessional, a growing family, or retirees in search of a little fresh sea air\nand an impressive range of amenities, Southampton has plenty to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is\nit actually like to live there? Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transport links <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Southampton is a well-connected city\nwith a choice of reliable transport options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main train station is Southampton Central<\/a>, which offers regular services\nlocally and further afield to destinations such as Portsmouth, London Victoria,\nLondon Waterloo, Cardiff, Bristol, Poole, Bournemouth, and Brighton \u2013 most of which\ntake less than two hours. <\/em>Ideal for\nfrequent commuters and adventurous day trippers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also a number\nof smaller, local train stations across the city connecting residents with the\ncity centre including Swaythling, St Denys, Millbrook, Redbridge, Bitterne,\nSholing, Totton and Woolston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearby Southampton Airport<\/a> (actually located to the north of the city in Eastleigh<\/a>) offers a range\nof domestic and international flight options and also has its own train\nstation, Southampton Airport Parkway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re travelling by\nbus, you\u2019re in luck, because Southampton is served by an extensive network run by FirstBus<\/a>. Covering the\nentire region while providing fuss-free connections to nearby villages, towns,\nand cities, Southampton\u2019s buses are trustworthy and frequent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For motorists,\nSouthampton is served by the M27, M271, and M23 \u2013 each offering direct access\nto most of the country\u2019s major routes and regions. All bases covered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southampton is also the\nUK\u2019s largest cruise port<\/a>, with many of\nthe luxury cruise liners departing from the city\u2019s four terminals and ferry\nservices available to nearby Hythe plus two car ferry services<\/a> and a speedy catamaran passenger service to East Cowes\nand Cowes on the Isle of Wight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools and education<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Southampton is home to a solid\nselection of primary and secondary schools as well as institutions offering\nsuitable SEND (special educational\nneeds & disabilities)<\/a> provision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are over 60 primary schools<\/a> within Southampton\u2019s general\ncatchment area, with around 20 in the centre of the city itself. And, according\nto official ratings, most of these schools score Average<\/em> or Above\nAverage<\/em> in all key academic areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are 23 secondary schools<\/a> in the area, with a number of  institutions (including Saint George Catholic\nVoluntary Aided College & The Cantel School) sporting a performance rating\nof Above Average or Well Above Average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further and higher\neducation, Southampton is home to Southampton City College<\/a> \u2013 a vibrant modern\ncampus offering an extensive range of academic qualifications, vocational\ncourses, and dynamic apprenticeships \u2013 and two universities: the Global Top 100 University, The University of Southampton<\/a>, and industry focused Southampton Solent University<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and not forgetting\nthose smaller members of the family, Southampton is also home to plenty of accredited nurseries,\nplaygroups, and pre-schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leisure and\namenities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re looking for everyday\nessentials, rare vintage items or a regular fix of high street retail therapy,\nSouthampton delivers in abundance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only is the city peppered with cool\nvintage stores like the quirky, long-standing Southampton resident Beatnik Emporium<\/a>, but the popular Westquay Shopping Centre<\/a> offers an amazing waterside shopping\nexperience. Here you will find over 100 big-name high street retailers like\nJohn Lewis, Apple and M&S, a bustling food court, and an ongoing lineup of\nevents and children\u2019s activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brilliant Southampton City Centre Market<\/a> also runs every Friday and Saturday,\nplaying host to an ever-growing lineup of local food vendors, record stalls,\njewellery, craft makers, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the big weekly shop, there is no\nend of choice. Southampton is home to an Asda, Aldi, Sainsburys, Budgens, and\nChinatown Supermarket to name but a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you like to get active and work up a\nsweat, there are several swimming pools and leisure centres dotted around the\nregion. The Shirley Swimming Pool<\/a> is one of the most popular\nspots for a family dip, and the David Lloyd gym<\/a> boasts a range of cutting-edge\nexercise facilities as well as fitness classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to fresh air and scenic\nviews, there is plenty to enjoy in and around the city. There are many relaxing\ncoastal walking routes to explore and there is a great choice of adventure playgrounds,\nnature reserves, and country parks<\/a> on the doorstep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s on? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a city that has undergone a great\ndeal of transformation in recent times, there is always something going on<\/a> in Southampton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city is known for its lively music\nscene in particular. In addition to an endless lineup of grassroots music\nevents and community gatherings taking place throughout the year, Southampton\nhosts plenty of big name acts as well as its increasingly popular Let\u2019s Rock Festival<\/a> every summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you like a meal out or a few drinks\nwith friends, you will be spoilt for choice in Southampton. From quirky\nmetropolitan bars to traditional-style boozers, fish restaurants and\nsteakhouses to vegan cafes, no eating or drinking is\nleft unturned in this city<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights include the 1932 Bar<\/a>, Afritopia<\/a>, the Baboo Ji Vegetarian Kitchen<\/a>, Ennio\u2019s<\/a>, The Cowherds<\/a>, and\nthe Dancing Man\nBrewery<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some other must-see spots in and around Southampton:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n