Not only does Southampton hold the record for the highest recorded temperature in the UK, it is also recognised as one of the happiest and most vibrant places to live! Couple this with the fact that Southampton ranks exceptionally well in economic and quality of life studies based on jobs, health and skills and you start to see why this is such a great place to live.
You’ll never be bored here, the city has plenty of things to do and see! With its historic connections to the sea and the “Titanic Trail” you have chance to explore the past and present of Southampton. Starting at live music venue Southampton Guildhall, the trail passes through The Platform Tavern and The Titanic Postal Workers’ Memorial. Then you move on to Ocean Village, where you’ll find cinemas, pubs and bars alongside the water to relax at.
Southampton also has its fair share of shops and businesses including the bustling WestQuay retail park, which balances boutiques with brand favourites. Then, there is the recently completed WestQuay Watermark development which was built with the impressive investment of eighty-five million pounds!
WestQuay Watermark brings a large array of food, drink and entertainment to Southampton. With everything from Hollywood Bowl’s ten-pin bowling, Cinema De Lux and Casa Brasil, to the Real Greek and Project Pie. Other fantastic venues include: Franco Manca, Thaikhun, All Bar One, Red Dog Saloon, Cau, Bill’s, Jamie’s Italian, Nando’s, Five Guys and many more! You won’t manage to try everywhere in one visit, but you won’t want to wait for a second…
Whether you’re a visitor or a local to the city, you’ll appreciate the rich maritime history of the Southampton. By just walking around the city you come into contact with beautiful historical sites, such as the famous city walls of 1417. This was the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England known as “God’s House Tower”. Meanwhile, the SeaCity museum is the place to go to see relics and artefacts spanning the last century. Here you can learn by being delighted with gripping stories from World War II, and then find out more of the Titanic. They not only talk about the facts and figures, but also go into the history of the people involved, so you can imagine their lives and their stories.
On that note…
Let us take you back to when the news first came in that the Titanic had sunk on her maiden voyage. Hundreds of families rushed to the red bricked offices of The White Star at Canute Chambers in Southampton. It was an anxious time, and White Star employees worked flat out for more than 36 hours trying to get news to the families and friends of those onboard. The offices still stand, and are marked with a plaque that remembers all of the Southampton people lost in the tragedy. One of the most striking features of the offices were the building’s imposing doors, which had begun to decay after standing proudly for 150 years. Today, they have been restored to their former glory thanks to period woodwork specialists Vincent Reed.
Back to the present day and there’s even more to celebrate in Southampton, this time in the form of a £300 million cash injection for the University of Southampton! This represents the largest capital investment in the university’s 155 year history and will provide half of a £600m total investment that the university is aiming for over the next 10 years. The rest will come from internally generated funds and we wish them the best of luck with the development. The university has a global reputation for education, research and innovation, and is proud to be in the top 1% of universities in the UK. The investment is to be used to ensure it continues providing a world-class teaching and research environment for students and staff.
As well as the enormous investment into the University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton (UHS) is proud to have been the first site to offer its patients a revolutionary procedure to remove kidney stones. Nationally, the approach could save up to 10,000 NHS bed days per year! It is fantastic that we already have it here in Southampton, benefiting our citizens and moving our vibrant city forward.
Whether you are buying, selling or letting a property, the continuing prosperity of Southampton means good news for you as well. This is a superb city to live and work in, with excellent possibilities for the future. You can always give us a call, or pop into our office to discuss your property needs. We will be happy to give you the best advice possible.