Bye, bye big city (From Penarth Times)

Bye, bye big city

A FORMER local woman has quit the stress and gloom of London to live in "top quality" Penarth.

Kirsten Dodd, 31, has spent the last ten years in the city but has come to live in Penarth as the quality of life is better.

Kirsten is one of an estimated 60,000 people who will wave goodbye to the big smoke this year and return to the provinces.

Now Kirsten has bought a two-bedroom apartment in Bellway Homes' Windsor House at Penarth Marina, the latest addition to the Sophia Mansions development.

Kirsten, who manages a team of investment writing managers for a leading fund manager, said: "I think the availability of new apartments of this kind, with views over the marina and Cardiff Bay, will help both attract people to the area and keep others at home.

"What's also great about modern apartments such as Windsor House is that they have got really large balconies, which means you can combine indoor and outdoor living."

Currently commuting to London during the week, Kirsten is only able to be in Wales at weekends, but is looking for a job in the area and hopes to be a permanent resident soon.

She said: "London has been a fantastic experience and I'd recommend it, but you simply cannot compare the quality of life and standard of living to a town such as Penarth."

Helen Popham, sales director of Bellway Homes' Wales division, said the demand for apartments in leading locations such as Cardiff Bay and Penarth was unabated.

She said: "Prices for apartments in this region are still very affordable, while improvements in architectural design and fit-out quality made over the last decade have been dramatic."