Yes, Hackney! Worst place ever. I know - I live there. Essentially it has very little to offer.

However, you really wouldn't want to be:

Right by Victoria Park, with green spaces, a lake and a deer sanctuary;
15 minutes from Canary Wharf, Columbia Road Flower Market or Shoreditch’s art scene;
25 minutes bicycle ride to the West End (traffic’s too slow to be dangerous);
Buying your meat from a butcher; fish from a fishmonger and fruit and veg from local organic farms (not a supermarket);
Eating at an amazing variety of quality, well-priced, non-chain restaurants;
Nowhere near a Starbucks;
In proper pubs with live bands;
Having neighbours you actually know, some of whom are not even white!

Crime-wise Hackney’s more at risk compared to most other places but the chances of being a victim are still very low in the first place.

Schools-wise, be honest with yourself and tell me you don’t see thick kids where you live then turn to their thick parents.

Stay away from Hackney – we wouldn’t want you to get a pulse!

I'm quite amused at the way they pretend there's some logic behind the sensationalist presentation of the "verdicts".

Hello? What do you mean by Manchester? The urban area has 2,240,230 residents and the programme is comparing it to a small welsh town (Merthyr Tydfil - population 55,000)?* In Manchester we have over 35,000 students at one university!** It's like comparing Leeds to Devon, or comparing a Chinese takeaway to a monthly shop for a family of four. It's possible to do, but there's no merit in the exercise as the results are completely meaningless.

And there's no point in commenting that more people have moved out of Manchester than anywhere else in the country, without saying how many have moved in. It doesn't mean anything. Is the implication that it's slowly emptying?! Someone's buying all those luxury apartments that Phil harped on about, because they keep building them.

I appreciate that the plural of anecdote is not data, but...

I moved to Manchester after living in Bath for ten years.

I now earn more than I ever did in Bath, working for the country's largest and most popular university*** (incidentally we won University Challenge as well!). While my income has increased my cost of living has fallen dramatically and I actually own my own house, 10 minutes walk from my work. Home ownership was never more than a fantasy in Bath, but my house price is increasing much faster than a lot of the "best places to live", in part due to the ongoing investment in South Manchester. Also, as the programme bizarrely seemed to spend half of the "10th worst place to live" feature pointing out, there is a lot of cool stuff in Manchester (I go to ballroom dancing lessons, manchester ceilidh, a kitesurfing club, etc, etc). I get to see bands I've actually heard of in the third best venue in the country**** 20 minutes walk from my house. I have easy access (the busiest bus route in Europe) into town which contains the majority of the facilities and services available in the capital, but all in a much more manageable city centre.

In fact my Mum saw all this, and moved from her sleepy Devon village to Manchester too, and was able to get a better job and a larger cheaper house (no more mortgage!), as well as indulge all of her interests. She enjoys watching the odd game of footy at Old Trafford and has never had such a busy social life.

So, crime. I got my bike nicked in Manchester, but I got my bike nicked in Bath too. The benefits here far outweigh the disadvantages.

And as for Channel 4 having the gall to thank the Museum of Science and Industry, after using shots of one of their magnificent steam engines for a cheap snide remark about Manchester "running out of steam"?!

If the results of the nonsensensical "methodology" keep Phil and Kirstie's sister (whateverhernameis) out of Manchester permanently then so much the better, but maybe Channel 4 should think a little harder in future before broadcasting such sesationalist and potentially harmful tripe.

I was expecting to see Manchester in the top 10!

Tim (PlasticManc)


* Please note I've nothing against Merthyr, I'm just pointing out the inherent ridiculousness of the "methodology".
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_University
*** http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/facts/statistics/excellence/
**** Manchester Academy. Voted 3rd best venue in the country in the latest NME readers poll.

Some people ask me, How or where do you get a grant?

I always say from the government or private foundations, there are over 80,000
different grant foundations.

Anyone else live in Lakenheath??

PlasticManc


I agree that the best and worst lists have no credible method of comparing areas that are environmentally, infrastructurally and demographically different.

The only convincing argument I can find in favour of Kirsty and Phil's (now) annual pop parade is the credibility that I know many local authorities place in it . . . if publicity concentrates minds in Town Halls up and down the country and makes them pull up their socks and address the environment, crime and how they invest and manage schools, I feel it can only be a good thing.

I would, however, like to add to the criteria for assessing different parts of the country . . . I would like to see the inclusion of a 'Value-For-Money' element that takes into account the cost of living in a particular area for what one get's in terms of quality of life and amenities . . . the Bang for Your Buck equation!!

So, come on CHANNEL 4 . . . let's give this one another try!?

I've been reading the posts on here and I think some of them are a little confused . . . they (appear) to be commenting on last years list!?

Am I the only one that's noticed this?!

We're living temporarily in Coventry, and it's not all that!!!

Can't wait to move back to Birmingham!!

The Pigster

Cowster

Fantastic choice of name!

*testing*

I'm surprised this one is still pinned near the tops of the 4Homes General forum, especially given that there has recently been a "Best and Worst Places to live 2007 "