Bradford

Then you look at about 20 miles away in Barnsley for instance, still 99% white indigenous , just sayin'

 

Nope, wrong again, I have worked around that area for over 30 years, after a rough time in the 80's Barnsley has found its feet again, great people despite that they keep voting red when they are not like that at all when you talk to them....

 

Don't expect a revival anytime soon. Latest UK retail sales figures saw a big drop. Worrying for any city centre never mind Bradford.

 

I lived in Barnsley up to the age of 24. Full of racists. Only black guy I ever saw was Charlie Williams. Poles were resented for being hard workers. Bit like today, really.

 

Little germany looks stunning tbh, what's the main user around there, residential, office. Looks like a great place to start any regeneration from. Born and bred on the south coast so not too in touch with the history up your way.

 

Wish more of the Victorian buildings in Bradford remained.

 

This thread makes interesting reading. You'd think that every other city was the epitome of incredible architecture, picturesque tree lined avenues and suburbs where everyone lived happily ever after. They aren't. Leeds is a good example. Whilst the city centre has received huge amounts of investment (it's starting to look a bit lego land like for my tastes, wait until they date) and of course Leeds has affluent areas it also has many areas that are complete shtholes - I've lived and worked in a couple of them. I think they are actually worse than anything Bradford has to offer. I mean seriously. I walked down a couple of streets in Harehills and I began to wonder if I was the one in prison or the residents. I've never ever seen the sheer number of metal bars adorning doors and windows in any street in Bradford. Hunslet is hardly uplifting. I could go on. Bradfords real problem is the number of empty retail outlets in (largely) the upper end of the city centre. Depressing. The lower end of town around city hall and market street is fine. I find it nicer (it's certainly greener) than Huddersfield (for example) but one thing I will give Huddersfield city centre: it's open.

 

Yes residential and office(I work there).. but many residents are unemployed and many of them are into criminal activities.. never a day goes by without a police visit or two.

 

Looks prime for a joint private/public regeneration scheme but essential not lose the character or price out real people. Could turn into a real gem within Bradford looking from the outside.

 

Mainly residential now, i've worked in a few buildings around there now. The big modern glass building is resident to mainly low paid migrant workers as are most of the others around that area. If the area was in central Leeds it would be a really nice place to live, unfortunately it isn't. Bradford City centre is 5 minute walk but at night is a desolate shithole with no reason to go there.

 

Rogered beat me too it, any other City and it would be considered one of if not the place to live, Sadly due to how dodgy it can be at night most young professionals won't touch it.

 

Good points. We like to get around and have a look at other cities & much of Bradford is at least as attractive - architecturally - as anywhere we've been.

Hull - last years capital of culture - on Friday was dead. We were the only ones knockong about in the museum quarter.

The 'fruit market' area - I'd liken it to North Parade in terms of it being a drinking street - was dead in the evening. We still had a top time because if there's a pub or 2 we always do.

But I don't think Bradford is so far behind other cities as folk sometimes say. Most city centres are struggling. Oxford Street in London was no busier than Leeds on a recent trip.

That said, the cafes on the Hull waterside pulled decent crowds eventually (at lunch) and yesterday the docks in Leeds were lively.

As @SOUTHSAXON & @abbomf have said, more should be done to promote Little Germany, perhaps.

As an aside to this, if the BID gets approved in Bradford (businesses vote in Sept), the 4 'pillars' that will be focussed on are:

Clean
Safe
Alive
Promote

Could be a positive move.

 

This "dodgy at night" thing is just summat I rarely see. Certainly no more than in other places.

 

More on reputation to the outside world. I've walked alone from North Parade to up past the Alhambra and in the other direction towards little Germany and the interchange at midnight onwards, and never had problems. But reputations stick, and Bradford's is god awful, wherever I go in the country if I jump in a taxi and tell them where I'm from people always have something to say, and it's never good. Professionals will only come to the area if that can change, it would take a lot of work, and I don't think our council is capable of doing it.

 

Aye, fair enough.

The more I read about the BID stuff - businesses being responsible for a kitty of money to make improvements in the centre - the more it seems the best way forward.

Taking some power and decisions away from the council, basically.

 

I didn't know who the residents (in general) were. Disappointing to read that as the small hope I ever had for any regeneration was via Little Germany.

 

Just at the new light cinema . Impressed . Hopefully a few food places open up under it soon

 

We shall expect reports on future culinary experiences.