Gransnet forums

House and home

Ryde Ilse of white

(13 Posts)
Lovelife1978 Mon 08-Aug-22 21:52:36

Good evening to all I am new to this site so hope I am doing this right ?..
My wife and I and our 6 year old son are looking to move to Ryde on the ilse of white..
Please can someone tell me what it's like good and bad.. it's hard to tell when only having short breaks there I would be so grateful for any information you can give .
Thank you

MawtheMerrier Mon 08-Aug-22 21:57:21

May I ask what draws you to the Isle of Wight?
Is it work? It is a lovely place and I understand the pace of life is gentler but it can be costly if you have to travel back to the mainland regularly and I imagine the extra shipping costs could make living there more expensive.

Chewbacca Mon 08-Aug-22 21:58:40

Like everywhere else, it has lovely parts and less lovely parts but it's a very well catered for town. Plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes etc, good transport links by bus to all around the island and, if you want to nip over to the mainland, you can jump on the hovercraft that goes from the beach on the Esplanade.
I think there are 2 GP surgeries in Ryde, St Mary's hospital in Newport is just a bus ride away; overall, it's a good place to live.

Lovelife1978 Mon 08-Aug-22 22:08:26

Thank you we just want a change and to give my son a better life to be honest.
Work is not an issue for me as I can not work my partner has a very small cleaning business witch she would like to carry on with in ryde maybe

Chewbacca Mon 08-Aug-22 22:10:27

The general cost of living isn't especially more expensive on the Island than anywhere else in the UK from my experience there. Island residents qualify for reduced travel costs back to the mainland, by both Red Funnel and IOW Ferries. Bus passes, for those who qualify are accepted on all Vectis bus routes.

Lovelife1978 Mon 08-Aug-22 22:11:56

Is there alot of crime in ryde ?

Chewbacca Mon 08-Aug-22 22:18:54

No more than anywhere else but you could always check newspaper (County Press) for recent crime incidents. Same as most places, the Esplanade attracts rowdy, drunken/drug behaviour on a weekend.

Nacky Mon 08-Aug-22 22:23:58

I live on the Isle of Wight. I brought up two children here as has one of my daughters (they live in Ryde). The pace of life is slower than many places and there is a good sense of community. In many ways it is a lovely environment for children with sandy beaches, great wildlife, lots to do, attractions (adventure parks, museums, water sports etc). Downsides include the expense and hassle of the ferries (cancellations and strikes at the moment) and some people can feel cut off. Ryde does have some of the issues common in seaside towns, can be rowdy and a magnet for people with problems.
Is this a work move? Unemployment can be high especially in winter but there is a high number of small (often single person) businesses. House prices have risen more here than most places due to people relocating after lockdown. I would suggest you read local media such as Isle of Wight County Press and OntheWight website to get a 'feel' for the place, come over and chat with local people - it is a very friendly place! I could go on...feel free to message me.

Nacky Mon 08-Aug-22 22:38:23

ps - just caught up with the other messages. A couple of thoughts about transport - the reductions for residents can be minimal and ferries are very expensive for us too (look at Red Funnel and Wightlink for prices, you will see scale of difference for residents and visitors). I enjoy driving here but it is challenging with lots of small narrow roads and we have a high rate of accidents (recently quoted as one of the most 10 dangerous places for driving). While the Island is generally a safe place to live, I would say Ryde has a higher crime rate than other places here. There have been several recent serious assaults and at least one murder (see local press), quite a lot of vandalism such as car damage - I would not leave mine in main street (Union Street) in Ryde after dark.
Having said all that still a great place to live with lots of community events and sunshine!

Chewbacca Mon 08-Aug-22 22:46:45

Sorry to hear that the crime rate has increased Nacky but I suppose it has pretty much everywhere these days. I'm surprised that the ferrie's reduced fares for residents isn't as good now, I used to get a monthly ticket, which was reasonable.

merlotgran Mon 08-Aug-22 22:57:17

Why Ryde? There are nicer places to live on the Island.

Lovelife1978 Mon 08-Aug-22 23:01:27

Thank you for your comments we chose Ryde as it was a council exchange before we say yes I'll be back over to look around again the crime is a worry for me I have seen online about different areas of crime just didn't want to be in the middle of it

ElaineI Mon 08-Aug-22 23:05:09

My friend and I did our midwifery training on the Isle of Wight many years ago. We shared a flat in Cowes which was lovely. Travelled all over the island as we had Yamaha 90's and had a wonderful time and a good training. The hospital was in Newport opposite Parkhurst prison - there were 3 prisons and lots of babies from prison officer's wives and a fair few from people on holiday.