Bristol in top spot as ‘small city of the future’

“Samuel88 & Charlespk I totally agree with you both. There are many things lacking here, but it really has a wonderfully inimitable vibe and look. When an ex-Scouser remarks that: 'there's so little here yet so much going on', and an ex-Edinburghian, living here some 16 years said succinctly: 'Bristol is good at DIY-culture', really sums up what the City is about. A New Zealander, who had worked in London, then moved to Edinburgh (which she loved), but had to return to work in London, visited last summer just for the day. She immediately felt it was a place she could live in, and that she'd never seen such activity as along the harbour-side with the throngs of happy people just chilling. I've helped two people make up their minds to move to Bristol. A veggie, teetotal, cycle fanatic, had returned to Birmingham two years ago but felt like a freak there. He's well travelled, and had a business in the US for many years - six months on here and he feels he's found the place he wants to stay. He says there are just so many great places to ride out to; he doesn't break sweat doing a 75 mile ride - so, Devon awaits! A young woman has for the first time travelled solo, moved from Toronto and studying here. The City attracts a certain type of character - free-spirited (whatever their age), adventurous and accepting. Even my 65 year-old brother & his wife (veggie, organic, arty. Oh, and non-white) who often visited Edinburgh, have become totally enamoured with Bristol, so much so that they want to rent out their B'ham house and stay here for a few months. If it's as bad as some of you state, then I wonder what is keeping my London-born daughters here? After all, I brought one her at 16, and the then 27 year old, came as a stop-gap for a 'few weeks' after a split - but six-and-a-half years later they're still loving it!
People often ask me if I'd go back to London - never! All pizzazz and spirited, but totally soulless and heartless.”

“Wow with half Whiteadies Road empty, half the central shops gone (or at least moved to Cabot Circus), eyesores for decades like Westmoreland House, Carriage Works and Tempe Meads Sorting Office, I shudder to think what could be worse than Bristol?
Manchester really pulled its socks up with the Commonwealth Games whereas, sadly, Bristol is now losing sports facilities.
The main improvement would be LESS tinkering from BCC”

“Below is a link from the FDI magazine it does not say what the evening post has reported

http://tinyurl.com/6mbxe6f”

“Ha ha Ha ! ...." Bristol " your 'avin a laugh ! how much did the lib-leftCouncil wallies pay the spin mag-chine !
Bristols demise in full swing headed by council cok ups, gridlocked, failing transport systems,no prestigeous venues, BBC gone large Business gone,two football teams to be relegated, high unemployment and acres of empty shops and units, grafitti and anti social behaviour.

All thanks to the "CUSHTY Liberals" of Clifton,Redland,Henleaze,Westbury on trym.
ELITISM RULES ! those eggieveggies who run the City to suit themselves not the other three quarters of the City who struggle to make ends meet ! The heart soul of the city are left with mayhem and mistakes.”

“I'm pretty devastated by some of the comments on here casting Bristol in negative light. Having lived in numerous cities in the UK, I always gravitate back here. Bristol's charm isn't about having the same cultural offerings as other UK cities...it's the opposite. It's unique place, that by doing things differently, and breeding talent in specialised areas, has put itself on the global map. People in film industry look to Bristol as the 'Green Hollywood' with more wildlife documentary filmmakers here than any other city on Earth...Aardman, a small Bristol company, will once again rival Pixar at the box office next week...We are synonymous with innovating both musical and art genres internationally...there's a greater population of people here with degrees than other city in the UK...we're one of the most racially diverse cities in the country, with one the lowest levels of race related crime! The best part of all of this is that we have a council that recognises a lot of these things, and invests heavily in ensuring both their continuation and growth! For those of you complaining about how hard it is to drive here, get involved in something else that Bristol is famous for, and buy a bike!”

“Even during Bristol's 'Hey-days' of the Omnibus Company and the many, many hundreds of buses, they could never really get you where you wanted to be, at the time you wanted to be there.

It was the Motor Car that eventually gave us that freedom. . Continually congesting and blocking the city's roads, is as stupid as breaking a child's legs would be when you were trying to teach it to walk and then run.”

“I came to Bristol in 1980 as I was told it was going places. I must be stood at the wrong Bus stop.”

“If Bristol wins this now just think what would happen we had an arena, two new stadiums for football and rugby, a new stadium for cricket, a new Ice rink, a new classical concert hall and an international standard conference and exhibition centre ............then we would have a city that couldn't be bettered!”

“It's a great city as long as you don't want to get anywhere either by car or public transport, watch any sports, hold a conference or see any major international musicians/bands.

As the article tellingly says, it's Bristol's infrastructure that holds the city back and until this is properly addressed, then Bristol will never be the 'great European city' that Janke constantly blathers on about.”

“City council leader Barbara Janke said: "We pride ourselves on being a business-friendly city and we are determined to create the right conditions for new investors to locate here and create jobs."

Is this the same council who want to tax firms in the center £1 per car space...?”