Although the high streets in many of our smaller cities serve up the predictable chains, York enjoys a thriving independent restaurant scene, with particular favourites including The Star Inn the City and Skosh, near 12th-century Micklegate.
York was named the best place to live in the UK by The Times in 2018 for its combination of heritage and hi-tech (it’s the UK’s first ‘Gigabit City’ — and has ambitions to be one of the best-connected hubs in Europe). There’s also the racecourse, two universities, the Theatre Royal and last year’s launch of York Mediale — a biennale celebration of media arts — which mean there’s always plenty going on.
‘A great deal of the downsizers we see come from the surrounding countryside, as well as those returning to York from a career in London when they retire,’ explains Ben Pridden of Savills. It offers much better value than its southern cousins, with a four-bedroom house in the city starting from £500,000.
This gorgeous four-bedroom home in a row of Georgian townhouses located on a popular street is a great example, for sale via Savills at £720,000.
At £1.15 million, Carter Jonas have a very different home for sale: a five-bedroom home in a new development on the edge of the racecourse, utterly immaculate inside and out:
If that price is a little high Ashtons are selling a home just to the east of the centre for £325,000 which is a classic 1920s semi at a price which will make those relocating from down south rub their eyes in disbelief.
Credit: Alamy
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