A Guide to Living in South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a county in the north of England, situated midway between the cities of Manchester and Leeds. It has an area of 1,653 square miles (4,295 km2) and a population of 1.1 million people. The region was heavily industrialised during the 18th century but contains some beautiful countryside too, giving it an excellent combination of urban and rural areas for prospective homebuyers.

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Average Location Score

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Best places to live in South Yorkshire

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

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Where is South Yorkshire?

A ceremonial and metropolitan county in England, South Yorkshire is bordered by the counties of West Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. It was created in 1974 following a split from its northern neighbour, West Yorkshire.

Areas in South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is divided into 28 districts, each with its own distinct identity, that are gathered together into the four larger metropolitan boroughs of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Sheffield

Sheffield is the largest city in South Yorkshire with a population of over half a million and offers a wealth of amenities to its residents. Buyers looking at properties in Sheffield will find everything from apartments to large detached homes available.

Renowned for its steel industry as well as being one of the greenest cities in Europe, thanks to its many parks and woodlands. The city centre is home to lively nightlife and an array of shops, while its outskirts boast some of the country’s most

Doncaster

Doncaster is the second-largest city in South Yorkshire and is home to Doncaster Racecourse, as well as a number of other attractions including museums and theatres. Homebuyers looking at Doncaster will find a range of properties available, from terraced houses to apartments and detached homes.

Rotherham

Rotherham is the third-largest city in South Yorkshire and offers buyers a variety of housing options, including period properties, cottages and new-builds. Rotherham also boasts excellent transport links, making it an ideal base for commuters working in nearby cities such as Sheffield and Leeds.

Barnsley

Barnsley is South Yorkshire’s largest town and has a population of around 89,000. Prospective home buyers looking at Barnsley will find a wide range of property types available, from apartments to detached homes. The town also has a number of cultural attractions, including theatres and museums such as the Hepworth Gallery.

South Yorkshire Universities

South Yorkshire is home to a number of universities, including the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University. These institutions offer a range of courses across a variety of subject areas, making South Yorkshire an ideal location for students looking to study in the UK.

The University of Sheffield – The University of Sheffield is a world-renowned institution, ranked in the top 100 universities globally. The university offers a wide range of courses across faculties such as arts and humanities, engineering, sciences, and social sciences.

Sheffield Hallam University – Sheffield Hallam University is the largest university in Sheffield, and the fourth largest in the UK. The university offers a range of courses across faculties such as business, law, health, and social sciences.

Barnsley College – Barnsley College offers a wide range of technical, professional, commercial and academic courses to students from across South Yorkshire. The university also has campuses located throughout the region including at Doncaster, Rotherham and Wakefield.

Top schools in South Yorkshire

Prospective home buyers looking at primary or secondary education in South Yorkshire will find that the area has a number of top-performing state and independent schools. There are a number of excellent schools located throughout South Yorkshire, catering to pupils from nursery age through to the sixth form.

Some of the best-known schools in the area include Ecclesfield School and Silverdale School in Sheffield, the King James School in Barnsley and The Mount School in York. The majority of schools in South Yorkshire are state-funded, although there is a good selection of independent schools available.

Population of South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is home to around two million people, making it one of the most populous regions in England. This makes it a great place to live if you’re looking for plenty of things to do and places to go.

Featured developments in South Yorkshire

Reviews in South Yorkshire

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Good but some issues

Verified Resident

Review Date Nov 2023

Good. Local shops close. Not much parking. Car alarms nearby annoying and distract me from working. Should be easier to cross road outside building.

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Good. Doors sometimes don’t work though. Gym and terrace nice. Something could be done to avoid wasps on terrace in summer. Lounge events should take place outside working hours. Parking spaces reserved on street outside would be good. Staff friendly.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Rental amount – worrying it is more than the contract I signed

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Trying to get rental amount issue fixed, quite frustrating

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Modern apartments in heart of the city with great communal amenities

Verified Resident

Review Date Nov 2023

Ecclesall Road is a 5 minute walk and has some of the best cafes, restaurants and bars in the city. Several supermarkets in different budget ranges within a 10 minute walk away too.
Parking is difficult unless you have residents parking. No significant issues with noise when windows are closed, but sometimes can hear antisocial behaviour in early hours of morning if windows are open (which is necessary in summer).

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Modern and efficient building design with some attractive looking communal areas such as co-working space. Facilities are very good with this, rooftop terraces, pet terraces which make toilet ring easy for pets and a 24/7 gym. Also a very secure building.
On-site staff and management always friendly and planning events to make the building more social. Fairly frequent changes to times that staff are onsite but generally not a problem as security are around.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The apartments become uncomfortably hot when the outside temperature is above about 18 degrees Celsius. May be unsafe for very young children and animals unless measures are taken by tenant to significantly cool the apartment.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Always quick to respond, frequently within the hour.

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Fantastic reception team

Verified Resident

Review Date Oct 2023

Fantastic location close to the city centre, with plenty of shops, bars and takeaways in walking distance.

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The reception team here are fantastic and have taken care of us exceptionally during our 3 years as tenants. Free residents gym is clean and accessible, and rooftop terraces are fantastic in the summer months. Building is kept clean and security precautions make the development feel safe

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Car Parking is expensive and on street parking limited and patrolled by wardens often.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Small issues handled quickly, larger issues felt ignored and often the landlord would opt for unsuitable cheaper repairs.

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Great gym, workspaces and rooftop terrace, but poor management

Verified Resident

Review Date Oct 2023

The local area is great in terms of proximity to the city centre, green spaces, cafes and bars and good connections to public transport. There are plenty of grocery stores in a walking distance of about 5 minutes. However it is often noisy, we have observed antisocial behaviour, fireworks have occasionally been set off around the area as well as dogs from within the property urinating and defecating in close proximity to the community doors and reception

Please review your development:

Great gym, workspaces and rooftop terrace. There are often breakdowns of lifts and doors which are seen to in a fairly timely manner. The reception staff are always an absolute delight and we’ve seen a fair few of them in our 3 years. They have always looked after us well. However the grainger property management team are an absolute joke, they only seem to care about squeezing every penny from clients so beware.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I would make sure to ask for any outstanding repairs to be done prior to moving in. We had been promised it would be done in a timely manner and it was not! Thus, for 6 months we were living in an unsafe, mouldy flat with fungal spores. However that being said it is truly a lovely place to live and the reception staff are an absolute pleasure to see, they always go out of their way to assist. Due to it being a pet friendly facility you will frequently hear, see and smell dogs if this is not for you I would reconsider. There are always mini events on and it is a very community minded space, film nights, breakfast and coffee mornings, treasure hunts, Christmas gifts and seasonal decorations. It really is a space for everyone

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Yes – but not in a timely manner. It took over 6 months for the management team to address unsafe living conditions and poor quality repairs. Grainger care only about cutting costs and avoiding expenses. I find the in person management representative for Brookplace to be a feckless man who lacks compassion for his tenants.

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