{"id":440546,"date":"2025-09-21T08:54:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T08:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/440546\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T08:54:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T08:54:16","slug":"charming-greater-manchester-market-town-thats-a-commuters-dream-makes-uks-best-places-to-live-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/440546\/","title":{"rendered":"Charming Greater Manchester market town that’s a ‘commuter’s dream’ makes UK’s ‘best places to live’ list"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been named as ‘one of the most exciting towns around’Stockport has been praised for ‘offering the buzz of Manchester with a side of community charm'(Image: Mark Waugh \/ Stockport Council)<\/p>\n

A charming <\/a>town in Greater Manchester<\/a> has been featured on a new list of the best places to live in the UK.<\/p>\n

With its community charm, blossoming food and drink scene and ‘dream’ commute to Manchester, Stockport <\/a>is the only part of our region that has made Muddy Stilettos’ guide<\/a> of the top 300 ‘Best Places to Live in 2025’.<\/p>\n

With help from estate agents Knight Frank, Muddy Stilettos travelled all over the UK in search of the city spots, towns and villages that offer the best of everything – from commuting to top schools, house prices<\/a>, amenities and culture.<\/p>\n

Stockport<\/a> came in at sixth place in the ‘Best of the Rest’ category, alongside nearby Cartmel in Cumbria in eighth place and Clitheroe in Lancashire which came in ninth.<\/p>\n

Sign up to our Manchester property newsletter <\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Stockport was highly commended for its affordable house prices, buzzing food and drinks scene and its ideal eight-minute commute to and from Manchester.<\/p>\n

Here is what the experts at Muddy Stilettos had to say: “Stockport, dubbed the \u201cGateway to the Peak District,\u201d combines the charm of a historic market town (since 1871) with the buzz of a vibrant urban centre.<\/p>\n

“Named as \u201cone of the most exciting towns around\u201d, it\u2019s just a stone\u2019s throw from Manchester. But with the landscapes of the Peak District practically on your doorstep, it\u2019s a perfect mix of city life and countryside.<\/p>\n

“Stockport is renowned for its beautiful viaduct, its old town with cobbled streets and historic buildings that house a burgeoning new centre of independent shops.”<\/p>\n

Semi-detached houses are the most popular property type in Stockport(Image: Getty Images)’Affordable’ properties<\/p>\n

Many people who are being priced out of Manchester<\/a> may get better value for their money by searching for properties<\/a> in Stockport, and it’s also a great place for families to settle down.<\/p>\n

The average house price in Stockport is around \u00a3295,634, making it an affordable choice compared to Manchester city centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Terraced houses average around \u00a3234,387, while semi-detached homes hover around \u00a3311,128. For something a bit more spacious, detached properties fetch \u00a3490,208.<\/p>\n

According to Rightmove, the majority of properties sold in Stockport during the last year were semi-detached homes.<\/p>\n

Where The Light Gets In has been recognised in the guide for Stockport(Image: Manchester Evening News)Vibrant food and drink scene<\/p>\n

Stockport\u2019s food and drink scene has blossomed in recent years, offering everything from cosy caf\u00e9s and hipster hangouts to fine dining spots.<\/p>\n

Following their visit, Muddy Stilettos has commended Laco Cafe & Bistro in Stockport\u2019s old town for its ‘giant brunches’, and Where The Light Gets In for its ‘unique, ever-changing menu’ that celebrates locally sourced ingredients.<\/p>\n

Stockport Market, one of the north west\u2019s ‘oldest and most adored markets’ also gets a mention for its fresh produce as well as The Produce Hall, a vibrant food market offering everything from wood-fired pizzas to gourmet burgers.<\/p>\n

“When the evening rolls around, make sure to check out The Allotment, Stockport\u2019s beloved vegan restaurant that has garnered rave reviews for its innovative dishes,” the guide says.<\/p>\n

“For yummy and authentic Italian food, head to Alfredo\u2019s Social in the historic, Grade II listed Winters Buildings, right in the heart of the town centre\u2019s indie parade. (Try their gigantic wood fired pizzas if you\u2019re hungry).”<\/p>\n

The town has a close-knit community feel(Image: Getty Images)Bursting with culture and community<\/p>\n

Stockport’s community is thriving with all kinds of events from tea dances and secret street parties to choirs and kickboxing, as well as the ‘Foodie Friday’ event where the town\u2019s Market Place transforms into a lively hub of street food and live music.<\/p>\n

“Stockport\u2019s got something for everyone. It\u2019s like a social buffet\u2014whatever you fancy, it\u2019s on the menu,” Muddy Stilettos says.<\/p>\n

Stockport was crowned the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture in 2023’ with Stockport Plaza at its heart, a ‘lovingly restored art deco gem where you can catch everything from dazzling West End musicals to stand-up.’<\/p>\n

“For those who like their tunes live and their comedy indie, the Spinning Top<\/a> is the place to be,” the guide adds.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s where you can nod along to bands you\u2019ve probably never heard of (but will pretend you have). <\/strong>For <\/strong>art lovers, visit Arc Gallery<\/a>, where contemporary art meets \u201cI could have done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

“If your idea of culture involves a big screen, reclining seats, and a cheeky cocktail, The Light Cinema<\/a> is where luxury meets popcorn.”<\/p>\n

The town has great commuter links(Image: Mark Waugh \/ Stockport Council)’Dream’ commute to and from Manchester<\/p>\n

Stockport has been dubbed a ‘commuter\u2019s dream,’ being just a short 8 minute train ride away from Manchester city centre, ideal for anyone who works in the city.<\/p>\n

The town\u2019s railway station offers 280 trains a day to Manchester, as well as London, with around 54 trains per day, just two hours and 30 minutes away.<\/p>\n

For drivers, the M60<\/a> motorway circles the town with speedy access to the wider Greater Manchester area and the M6 for journeys further afield.<\/p>\n

There are huge plans for Stockport over the next 15 years(Image: Getty Images)The future of Stockport<\/p>\n

The future of Stockport is bright, thanks to a \u00a31bn town-centre regeneration project<\/a> dubbed \u2018the largest in the UK\u2019.<\/p>\n

Part of Stockport town centre is set to change beyond recognition with a blueprint to build three new neighbourhoods over 15 years.<\/p>\n

The changes are aiming to build a new riverside community with a public park, and plans to \u2018open up\u2019 the water for future residents and visitors.<\/p>\n

A new neighbourhood is also planned on the land around Piccadilly, with new homes, areas for businesses, and green space.<\/p>\n

In total, there are 4,000 homes planned to the east of the A6 as part of the vision, and 8,000 planned across the town centre as a whole in the next 15 years.<\/p>\n

The future vision for Stockport also includes transport upgrades, with improved walking, cycling and public transport links around the town and to other communities in the borough.<\/p>\n

Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group <\/strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It has been named as ‘one of the most exciting towns around’Stockport has been praised for ‘offering the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":440547,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,393,4884,1269,2465,10003,1288,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-440546","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-house-prices","12":"tag-manchester","13":"tag-property-news","14":"tag-stockport","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115241449665975555","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}