People in West Bridgford have spoken out about life in the area which has "everything" they need. With “thriving” businesses on Central Avenue, at night, the Nottingham suburb has been compared to Soho in London.
West Bridgford is home to over 47,000 people. With bars, cafes, independent businesses, the City Ground, home to the Nottingham Forest Football Club, Trent Bridge Inn Wetherspoons and more residents have no complaints about their area.
People from different areas of Nottingham too have shared their thoughts on West Bridgford. Sophie Alexander, 25 moved to West Bridgford after living in the area as a student in Nottingham.
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Sophie, who is a data analyst, is originally from London. She said: “I live minutes away from Central Avenue and at night, with all the little lights and decorations from restaurants, it's like Nottingham’s very own Soho.
“It may not be as big or as packed as Soho but it's that sort of thing. Restaurants from the top of my mind that I love are Botanist, Yumacha and Uchi.
"I think that Beeston and West Bridgford are two alternative places for a night out rather than going into the city centre."
Sophie continued: “I think we have everything here. The Coop is quite expensive but ASDA isn’t too far to drive or on the bus.
“When I was a student, I fell in love with the area and I like that the houses haven’t been modernised.” West Bridgford is also home to Nottingham-born England goalkeeper, Mary Earps.
Mary Earps has had a Trentbarton bus named after her and two murals: one located near Lady Bay and another at a side entrance of Nottingham’s Train Station after being a part of victory when the Lionesses won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Championships. Mel Greene, 46 lives in West Bridgford.
The nurse has lived in the area since she was a child. Mel enjoys West Bridgford as it means she rarely has to go into town.
She said: “Even though the town isn’t far, I rarely go there anymore. The only thing I think West Bridgford needs more of is clothes shops!
“I have found a few good-buys in charity shops but I do most of my clothes shopping online. West Bridgford is it’s own town, on a sunny day it’s nice to see Central Avenue and our strip of shops packed. One of my favourite shops is Waterstones and I go into Birds on a regular basis too.”
As well as Mary Earps, other famous people from West Bridgford include Leslie Crowther. Leslie, a comedian, died in 1996.
Jamie McKenzie, 34 lives in West Bridgford. He has called the area home for nine years.
He said: “It’s a nice area, not much happens here which is good. You feel safe here in West Bridgford and there’s plenty of retail options.
“I don’t have anything bad to say about the area. Portello Lounge provides great service and my wife and I like the White Rabbit Teahouse.”
Jack Dermentt, 70 is from Sneinton. Now retired, Jack sometimes visits West Bridgford. He said: “It’s a nice place, there are plenty of shops and people are friendly.
“We usually go to the chippy around the corner, it’s nice here, I come now and again.”
There are many chip shops in West Bridgford. Including: Bridgford Fish Bar, the Cods Scallops and Rectory Fish Bar.
Marian Southern, 75 is from Cotgrave. Now retired, Marian remembers Snippers, an old night club in West Bridgford.
Despite not being from the area, she said: "I love it here. The scenery, the people and even though I love Cotgrave, there's a lot more shops here.
"Here, it's like a mini town and it feels safe. I've been coming here reguarly for about 50 years and it's been good for years. It was a shock when revently the HSBC bank closed down."
The HSBC bank in West Bridgford was on 22 Central Avenue. The bank shut on September 15th.
Susan Reed, 78 is now retired. Susan, who is from Langar, a Nottinghamshire village, comes to West Bridgford a few times a week.
She said: “It’s lovely where I live, there’s a pub but no shops so I mainly come to West Bridgford to shop, there’s lots of places to go.
“I think that the area could do with a Wilkinsons, there was once a hardware store in the area but it's closed now. It’s a treat to come here.”
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