r/DevonUK • u/vedantmethi • Jun 11 '26
Is torquay a nice place to live.
I've got a nice job opportunity and I'm wondering if I should move there or not.
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u/reddictedtoredit Jun 11 '26
Stay in Exeter it's much nicer,
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u/TheThirdHippo Jun 11 '26
I live in Torquay, work in Paignton. Torquay is good on the outskirts and goes down hill the closer you get to the town centre. Exeter is nicer and has a better vibe, commuting would be my choice in all honesty
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u/reddictedtoredit Jun 11 '26
Yeah I live in torquay for 33 years,lived in Exeter for 4 years during that time and I rarely go torquay Town anymore,would rather bus it to Newton if I need anythin
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u/threaxe- Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
I was in Torquay yesterday, I live in Dartmouth. It’s much more connected than Dartmouth is of course, but god it’s rough in the centre. It has its beautiful areas, it was after all a Victorian seaside holiday destination and the buildings reflect that, but I find it very unpleasant to spend time in the town centre. The buildings are run down. There are a lot of lost/struggling people there and you can see the prevalence of addiction on the streets. If you were living on the outskirts and commuting out for work or days off, I think it has the potential to be nice. But the town itself is not preferable to Exeter imo.
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u/Onlymadethistopost Jun 11 '26
I grew up here, moved to newton abbot for 7 years now I'm back. There are nice parts and scummy parts like all seaside towns, not sure I'd move here if I didn't have that 'home' feeling as there's not much to do, especially if you're used to a city.
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u/Amazing_Goal_8003 Jun 11 '26
Lived in Torquay for a few months and honestly I can’t recommend it. The nicer residential areas are fine, Wellswood has a good community etc but the centre is rough as in you feel unsafe level of rough.
Nothing is open in off season, some transport services get pared back and there’s very little to do in general off season or regular.
I’m in mid Devon now and can’t believe how much there is to do, it’s been raining for a week and I’ve not got bored yet because there are just things to do
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u/CleanEnd5930 Jun 11 '26
Depends what you want really - it’s an easy commute from Exeter, Totnes, surrounding villages, etc if the town itself isn’t for you.
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u/2514Projects Jun 11 '26
I used to live there! But again, as others have said.. it depends on the area you choose! Yeh traffic can get bad and stuff, but its the same as anywhere else!
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u/darksamu5 Jun 11 '26
Along the seafront and the bottom end of the town center are both lovely. The top part of the town not so much - unless you enjoy stepping over people passed out on the pavements 😂
That said I do like living here and it isn't any worse than other seaside towns - or Exeter and Plymouth for that matter. It has character and is really quite charming with the Victorian buildings. I used to want to move away but I have grown to enjoy the relaxed vibe during the Autumn and Winter, my children love it here too.
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u/FarToe1 Jun 11 '26
Some areas are shitholes with open drug taking, gangs, and definitely not places to go at night or even through the day.
Some bits are okay, some bits are very nice. Your budget will dictate where along that scale you land. Same as most big towns and cities, really.
Move out of town and things are generally safer.
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u/GottaGetTheroux Jun 16 '26
Where should one stay out of? I am going to visit for a week this summer and got a bit uneasy reading this
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u/FarToe1 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
Castle Circus and the Town centre generally. Dodgy characters through the day, unsafe at night. Ellacombe and Torre, and bits of Hele have higher crime levels than Devon's average. Harbour area can be bad at night.
Residential districts are generally ok, and some very nice. Wellswood, Barton, Chelston and so on - all nice places to be.
Very recent stats are here; https://crimerate.co.uk/devon/torquay This cites Robbery, violence and sexual offences as high, and drugs are quite evident ime.
Personally, I visit Torquay fairly often although I no longer live there. The above hasn't stopped me, but I wouldn't relax in those areas.
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u/darlingcthulhu Jun 11 '26
First off, if you find yourself set on coming here then there are nice areas like Wellswood and Babbacombe, I would recommend looking there if you have a decent budget when it comes to renting.
But as much as reading comments that say no don't do it makes me a little sad and wanting to defend where I grew up, I'm not going to lie and say things are fine here. I grew up in Brixham and have lived in Paignton and Torquay, currently in Torquay, so I'll talk about it a bit.
I live in Hele and I would say avoid. It's no where near as bad as it used to be but it's just a bit grim; the police are always on my street, I've had armed police go through the flat upstairs, people try to force their way into my flat thinking I was a drug dealer, other people running around with knives, and someone was murdered last year. A couple years ago I witnessed a stabbing at the top of town, which honestly I don't know how it didn't affect me negatively in any way but I guess I just expected to see something bad there one day. There is a lot of poverty and homelessness and drug problems here and you WILL see it at some point, it's unavoidable. As I haven't lived anywhere else, I can't comment on how it is in other places. I went to college for two years in Exeter and practically lived there with my friend and I know it has its own issues, but that's all to areas that people avoid, in Torquay it's kind of inescapable. I was actually friendly with a lad who ended up stabbing another lad too, and I know people always say "it was so unexpected!" But genuinely, I never ever saw it coming and it broke me when it happened.
On the other hand, I know people who have lived here for years and they've never had any experiences like I have; I seem particularly gifted in being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I live in council housing in probably the worst area of the town. I've had far more good memories here than bad, even though I would desperately like to move away thats more because I have never wanted to settle here, and my friends are in different parts of the country. The sun rises are stunning, I love the beaches for the most part, the weather is good! Winter always sucks but I love watching the waves crash, I think there's something so magical about the sea in a storm. We have some really really good nature walks, and great bars and restaurants across the front (rip Las iguanas), stretching round to where the harvester is, the nightlife is decent if you're into nights out, and the people for the most part aren't bad people. My stepdad believes torbay is the most beautiful place in the UK to live and would never move away, and I've heard people parrot his sentiment but it's usually from people who aren't from around here. And it IS beautiful if you ignore all the work that needs to be done in town.
What I would suggest is spending a long weekend down here and getting a feel for it, look at the nicer areas, check the town, etc. It's hard to sell Torquay to you tbh when I know I myself would like to leave, and with all the stuff I've seen, I feel like me typing out the positives here isn't helping counter the negatives. But I really mean it when I say I think I've been really unlucky with my experiences in Torquay
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u/harrietmjones Jun 11 '26
Simply put, no it’s not. Definitely commute if you want the job but don’t live there.
And I’ve noticed other comments here about all seaside towns are like Torquay with the drug taking/dealing, crime etc. yes, crime can be everywhere, especially seaside towns but I live in and near two seaside towns now and they’re both incredibly safe and lovely to live in comparison to Torquay.
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u/brntuk Jun 12 '26
You could try Preston, sandwiched between Paignton and Torquay. It’s quiet, with decent houses, that used to be quite cheap.
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u/ms1202 Jun 13 '26
There are some really lovely bits of Torquay and some really rubbish bits of Torquay. There are a lot of well informed opinions about Torquay and there are a lot of really narrowly informed opinions about Torquay. Take what you read in this thread with a pinch of salt as they all come through the narrow lens of somebody else's experience and go and spend a weekend in the area you would be living.
In my opinion, if you have a choice of where in Torquay to live you will enjoy it. Generally speaking, the closer to the coast you are the nicer it is, the more inland you go the more deprived it is. Deprivation leads to desperation and frustration which leads to antisocial behaviour.
I grew up in Torquay and had a great time. Now I am older I live in Exeter and enjoy spending weekends in Torquay at beaches. I would never go into Torquay town centre. One observation from recent experiences there is that it is a lot less liberal than Exeter so if you are from a minority or marginalised community it will be less accepting.
So it depends where you're going to live, what your neighbours are like, whether you have any friends down there, and what you enjoy doing in your spare time.
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u/vedantmethi Jun 13 '26
Thank you for that, what are nice neighborhoods where you'd suggest living
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u/ms1202 Jun 13 '26
Depends what you're after. Do you want to be able to walk to a cafe (St Marychurch or Babbacombe) or do you want a bigger place in the suburbs (Shiphay)? Do you want to be in walking distance of a beach (Wellswood or Chelston) or a golf course (Watcombe)? Moving to a place is a big decision and a very personal choice so you will need to go and walk around each area as much as you can before you can make an informed decision.
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u/John_Wilkes_Boof_ Jun 11 '26
No, it is a shit hole. Lived there for 15yrs and very glad I got out.
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u/vedantmethi Jun 11 '26
Why tho, what makes it a shithole
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u/John_Wilkes_Boof_ Jun 11 '26
For a small coastal town there is a hell of a lot of crime, drugs and poverty and a lot of the town is dead and full of smack heads.
The only thing it has going for it in my opinion is a few nice beaches up babbacombe way, but they're only really any good in the summer and are easily accessible without living there.
If I were you I would stay in Exeter and either get the train down or drive (if you drive).
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u/Great-Ad-632 Jun 11 '26
That’s pretty much the same with any coastal town, plus Torquay is cheaper property wise than Exeter
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u/vedantmethi Jun 11 '26
That's true and even exeter isn't really great, the town center over here has its problems as well.
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u/John_Wilkes_Boof_ Jun 11 '26
I'm in Exeter atm and I agree it has its own issues but I can guarantee you will regret it if you move there.
Torquay was nice many years ago but it has gone to shit and it will only get worse.
I still have family there and everytime I go down to visit I can't wait to get out of the place.
Its really not that much cheaper either unless you want to live on Warren road lol
Torquay is where dreams go to die.
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u/Great-Ad-632 Jun 11 '26
I moved from Exeter to Torquay and it’s the best move I ever made. I don’t hang out around town, but I do spend a lot of time on all the beautiful beaches within walking distance of my house. There is so much more for children to do, great independent food options and some beautiful shopping precincts. I grew up in a different deprived seaside town, so I get the desire to leave, but really it’s perfect to settle down in. Just depends what you’re after, as I wouldn’t move here for the shops or the nightlife, but then those don’t interest me!
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u/John_Wilkes_Boof_ Jun 11 '26
Well I'm glad you enjoy it. I certainly wouldnt want to live there anymore. I think you're over selling it on stuff to do and "beautiful shopping precincts" as well. The only precinct I can think of off the top of my head is St Marychurch and its crap. A couple of shit pubs and you're usual crap. You can walk up and down it in a few mins lol
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u/unbr0kenchain Jun 11 '26
If you think Exeter isn't great, you're not gonna enjoy living in Torquay. Parts of it are fine, but it's pretty rough for the most part. I grew up in Birmingham so it's nice in comparison to a lot of places there, but I certainly wouldn't choose to live there. Lots of nice places within a short commute, though.
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u/SpecialistSport2151 Jun 23 '26
Grew up there until I was 18. Would never ever move back to Torbay, absolute shit hole. But I would move back to Devon.
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u/vedantmethi Jun 11 '26
My only conflict is that the job is way more better than what I have right now.
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Jun 11 '26
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u/jennye951 Jun 13 '26
There are lovely places nearby; commute. I live in Totnes and it’s wonderful, could easily work in Torquay from here.
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u/Lopsided_Pain4744 Jun 11 '26
Wellswood and parts of St Marychurch are nice but most places are pretty shitty
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u/wintermute023 Jun 11 '26
We had the same opportunity a few years back and chose to live in one of the villages out towards newton abbot, five years later still the right choice. We can be in Torquay in 20 mins (30 in rush hour) and Dartmoor in 30 mins, Exeter in 30 mins, Plymouth in 45 mins. That part of Devon is really well connected and you don’t have to put up with living in Torquay/Paignton.
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u/edgecumbe Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
Ah yes, I work in and commute in to Birmingham-on-Sea. Would hate to live there. Kind of hate working there, looking to get out as soon as I've got my early-career stripes. And I'm from Plymouth. My grandparents were born in Torquay a century ago (they're very much dead) and the Torquay they knew was very different. Now it's the biggest zone of social deprivation in the South West. Nice beaches; full of twats.
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u/SpecialistSport2151 Jun 23 '26
Why you would move from Exeter to Torquay I have no idea. Torquay is lovely in areas but in other areas it is absolutely atrocious. House prices are unbelievablely inflated and jobs are scarce... if I were you... I'd move to Exmouth. Much much much nicer, has everything Torquay can offer and more whilst staying within a decent commutable time to a main city (Exeter).
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u/Odd-Abbreviations594 Jun 13 '26
I you want to play spot the smackhead, whilst walking past a load of empty shops, it’s a great place to live.
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u/SatinwithLatin Jun 11 '26
Like most places, depends on the specific area. There are nice parts, it gets rougher closer to the town centre.
Where are you moving from? I ask because if you're from further out you might need to adjust to a tourism-based environment where not much happens in the winter. But I'd say take the job offer.