Up the Pools (Hartlepool in general)

Member Name: LisaW82

Product:	Hartlepool in general
Date:	04/05/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great community and cheap to live in

Disadvantages: It is always cold

Whilst I am firmly based in Doncaster, I do have a lot of family that live in Hartlepool so feel I am in a good position to review the town. Hartlepool is a small sea side town just north of Middlesbrough on the A19. On entry to Hartlepool, you can quickly see that it has strong industrial connections but that is something that gets less and less prominent the more you look and the deeper you dig.

Hartlepool has many nice housing areas that almost everyone would be proud to live in, but it does have some very dodgy parts too, but then, where doesn't? The trick is to know where these are and stay clear of them if possible. This is not a huge negative for me though as the pros far outweigh the cons.

The fresh sea air is what hits me first when entering the town. You immediately know that it is a sea side town and by going to the nearby beach at Seaton Carew (part of Hartlepool) you can sample the usually kind of things that you would associate with a sea side. By this I mean arcades, bars and shops etc... I won't glamour this up and say the beach is wonderful and golden because it isn't, but a pleasant walk can be had.

Hartlepool is a thriving town that has seen lots of great new shopping areas go up over the last decade and is home to the impressive marina which is a regular night time venue for stars of Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Sunderland. This is due to the stunning scenery and the bars will no doubt have a part in it too.

One of the other reasons I visit Hartlepool, other than to see my family, is to watch my beloved Doncaster Rovers play against Hartlepool United. Pools have a lovely little football ground and the locals are really friendly towards away supporters. In fact, the locals of Hartlepool are generally really friendly no matter what the circumstances are.

Hartlepool is a really small place in terms of miles from one end to the other and that is something I really like. I am not able to drive and find my time in Hartlepool to be un-restricted by this as you could literally walk from one end to the other in around 1 hour. It is nice and flat for pushing pushchairs on and there are plenty of amenities around.

With the housing prices in the town being really low compared to lots of other places, including Doncaster, it is the intention of my husband and I to end up living there in the next few years as we grow our family and seek new adventures. Hartlepool is a great and manageable place to do this and my husband, Doncaster through and through, feels the same way.

The one gripe I do have, and it is not something that Hartlepool can do anything about, is that it is just always so cold!!!!

Summary: Our next home!