The seaside city somehow named UK's second best and third worst place to live
The coastal city of Portsmouth has received mixed reviews with polls showing it to be both one of the best and worst places to live in the UK.
The city is Portsmouth is uniquely located on Portsea Island and has been voted as both the second-best and third-worst place to live in 2023 in two conflicting polls.
The divisive coastal city in the south of England, connected to the mainland by road, is the most densely populated in the UK and home to some 208,100 people.
Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard is home to HMS Victory and King Henry VIII’s Mary Rose while the city centre has plenty of shops, a university and close proximity to Southsea Beach.
The waterfront designer outlet Gunwharf Quays is also a popular location for shopping, eating and leisure activities, with the Spinnaker Tower offering spectacular views over the city and towards the Isle of Wight.
The city’s amenities, the affordable housing market and good transport connections led to Portsmouth being named the second coolest place to live in a ranking from Nomad Nation at the start of 2023.
The website’s feedback praised Portsmouth, which finished behind London, and said: “Set on the south coast of England, Portsmouth is a surprising small city by the sea with tons of history and a lively student scene.”
Portsmouth North MP and Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt also shared her thoughts on the result on Twitter.
She wrote: “We've come a long way in the last decade, and I'm very proud. The regeneration of the Lido and Hilsea Lines will further improve quality of life.”
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But just days later the annual online poll by iLivehere, released in February, ranked Portsmouth as the third worst place to live in England.
Some 105,598 took part in the survey which saw the city finish behind Luton and Peterborough as the most unpopular place.
The review for the city included in the results video said: “Portsmouth was an island and I bet people are wondering why they connected it to the mainland and didn’t let it just drift away.”