Where to live in Bristol - Spotlight on Clifton Village

Looking to move to Bristol and now sure where to base yourself? One of my favourite places in Bristol is Clifton Village. With its wealth of Georgian and Victorian Architecture it certainly is a pretty interesting place to live. In fact I love Clifton so much that my logo takes inspiration from the magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge!

If you are looking to buy a home in Bristol and you have a big bag of cash then this is where I would head. There is a certain ambience about the place which makes it very special and it is close to the City Centre and easy to get to the motorway for commuters. But best of all when you live in the village you can ditch the car and walk everywhere.

There are a swam of Estate Agents in Clifton village all lined up ready to help and advise you, and a great range of properties available. If your bag of cash is huge then a Grade II listed townhouse in Worcester Terrace, believed to date back to circa 1850, will set you back around £2.2m but you will have 7 bedrooms to accommodate all your friends and family who will want to come and visit just to experience the delights of Clifton. On a more modest budget £200k would buy you a one bedroom apartment but still situated within one of the grand period properties and benefiting from high ceilings and beautiful sash windows. You will find that the vast amount of property is now apartments. There are still some lovely period houses but they are much fewer in number.

For those of you with children there are some great schools situated close to the Village. St John’s Primary School, Clifton High and Clifton College all have fantastic reputations and are based within walking distance. Many people choose to live in Clifton purely because of the schools.

So on your leisure time, what is there to do? If you like sight-seeing then Bristol Zoo, the Observatory and Suspension Bridge are all within walking distance. For me the Zoo is one of my best loved places and I remember being taken there as a child. It’s changed significantly since then, of course, but the Gorilla enclosure is amazing you feel so close to the magnificent creatures and the penguin pool where you can watch the penguins swim over your head are my firm favourites.

The more energetic of you will love the open spaces of the Downs where you can play endless games or Frisbee and football or it’s an amazing place to go for a run. If, like me, you like to indulge in a spot of shopping there are many up-market independent boutiques such as Hus which specialises in Scandinavian designers, alongside a sprinkling of bigger names such as Crew and Mint Velvet. There are also plenty of galleries and gift shops where you can always find special presents for people.

Finally to indulge one of my favourite pastimes – eating and drinking. For the foodies there are just so many delis, cafes and restaurants you will be spoilt for choice. Primrose Café has been a favourite of the Clifton people for many years and on a nice day you can sit outside and indulge in a bit of people watching. If you are looking for a more sophisticated dining experience, the recent opening of The Ivy Brasserie in Clifton Village has caused a huge buzz. I’m booked to go soon, but in the meantime I am enviously watching my friend post excellent write-ups about the beautiful surroundings and excellent food. We like a touch of sophistication in Clifton Village and it makes us Bristolian's even more proud that big London names will venture this way.

When you have finished your meal then why not venture to one of the local drinking establishments? Now I have to limit my recommendations or this blog will be endless as there are quite a few nice places to go. But first time visitors must visit the Coronation Tap, just for a quick half of the famous Exhibition cider, make sure you limit your intake as it is so strong you may forget the rest of your evening. On a beautiful sunny evening you cannot beat sipping a glass of Pimms on the terrace at the Avon Gorge Hotel, which offers beautiful views over the Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge. But I just have to mention my favourite bar, The Brunel Wine Bar, based on the Mall so in a central Village location. Okay you are not going to get quite the interior décor of the Albion or The Somerset, which are close favourites, but The Brunel just has that mix of life, sometimes eccentric locals, maybe a visit from the local rugby team, or just random people dancing on Soul Night, but venture in and it is a friendly place which may just surprise you.

So all-in-all choosing to live in Clifton Village may be quite a good option.