Why We Love Chester!

09 July 2020 Fun and Event

Why We Love Chester! | Top 10

 

If you’re spending 3+ years of your life in a new city, you at least want to make sure it’s a good one and you have plenty of good memories when you come out of the other end! Here's our top 10 things we love about living in Chester:

 

  1. The River

The river is a lovely place for an afternoon stroll or if you want to get an ice cream and have a sit down in the sun! You can have some food and a cocktail at Hickories overlooking the river, and if you go for a wander across the bridge you’ll end up in the Meadows which is a lovely place for a walk, run or picnic!

 

 

  1. The Parks

Grosvenor Park is famous for its very confident squirrels! They will happily come running up to you and it’s a great photo op, however you are advised not to feed them so keep that in mind. There’s plenty of room to walk, run, explore or have a picnic. There’s also lots of nice features and flowers if you want to get creative and take some artsy photos.

 

 

  1. The Coffee Shops

Chester has a huge variety of independent coffee shops and cafes dotted all over the city. If you’re vegan or fancy a change, the Jaunty Goats Northgate street branch is completely plant based! There’s also the Flower Cup if you’re looking for something very insta friendly, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice here.

 

 

  1. The Bars

Although chester nightclubs aren’t really anything to write home about, this city is home to some pretty great bars! Red Door, the Guild, Church bar and Havanas are all firm Abbey favourites, as well as Popcorn, The Gold Room and the Alchemist. Palm is also fab for a night with the girls to get THAT fire insta pic.

 

 

  1. The endless restaurants

It would probably take you a good year or so to get through all the different restaurants that chester has to offer! There’s Italian, Turkish, Greek, Indian, Chinese and many more, so whatever you’ve got a craving for you’ll definitely be able to find something to match. Check out our blog ‘Where to eat in Chester’ for some inspo.

 

 

  1. The scenic spots

Chester is full to the brim of lovely scenic places to visit. The cathedral is a great place to start, and Eastgate clock is the second most photographed clock in the UK after Big Ben. If you run out of places in the centre, there are some very nice walks just a short drive away, such as Delamere Forest, Wepre Park and Moel Famau located in North Wales.

 

  1. The History

Chester was a Roman fortress formed in AD 79, known as ‘Deva Victrix’. It is a complete walled city with lots of Roman, medieval and Victorian architecture all across the city, including the famous Rows which are a double level of shops in the centre (there are underground, street level and first floor shops and bars!). There’s also a roman amphitheatre right in the centre which you are free to explore which is the largest in Britain, where gladiators used to fight wild animals and each other. As well, theres also the Roman Gardens where the moonlight cinema is held annually!

 

  1. The Shopping

Chester centre is home to many different shops, ranging from small independents to large chain stores such as Topshop, Next and River Island. There’s a huge variety to choose from and keep you busy for hours, but if that’s not enough then Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is only a 10 minute drive away in Ellesmere Port.

 

  1. The Countryside

Although Chester is a city, there’s still plenty of nature on our doorstep here! There’s natural areas dotted around the centre, such as the Meadows and Grosvenor Park. There’s also Chester Zoo if you want to see some exciting animals, and there’s other hikes around the area such as Sandstone Trail, Countess of Chester Country Park, Caldy Park and Gowy Meadows Reserve.

 

 

  1. The Races

The Roodee racecourse in Chester is the oldest in the country being built in the 1500’s, and is also the smallest at only 1.8km long! Chester races run from May right through to the end of September, with lots of different events to offer such as ladies day. It’s a great reason to get all dolled up and get your best kit on and enjoy some drinks, socialising and racing in the sunshine!