When it comes to living in Glasgow, there’s no shortage of amazing places to choose from, whether it’s being in the heart of the city or the trendy west end. But have you considered the southside? Once dubbed an ‘up and coming’ area, it’s now one of the most sought-after places to stay. With traditional sandstone tenements to new build developments, the range of property styles is vast and suitable for all budgets.
Not only are there great places to live, but there is an amazing social scene, packed with restaurants, bars and cafes, independent shops, too many parks to count and a strong community spirit.
The Southside is packed with little pockets of different areas, varying on property styles and prices so we’ve put together a little guide covering from Shawlands to King’s Park to Giffnock, Newton Mearns and over to Bellahouston Park.
When people think of the southside, Shawlands is probably the first name that pops in their head. Right next to Queen’s Park, this is where you’ll find great prices on traditional tenement flats with huge rooms, high ceilings and lots of character and original features. As always, prices can depend on the condition of the property, but you could bag yourself a 1 bedroom flat for around the £130-140,000 mark and a 2 bedroom for over £160,000.
You won’t be short on places to eat and drink, as Shawlands is one of the hottest spots in Glasgow. For coffee, brunch or lunch, visit Café Strange Brew, Gnom or Gusto and Relish. If a wee sweet or savoury treat to take away is more your thing, you can’t go wrong with the Deanston Bakery – buns of dreams. For dinner and drinks, you’re spoiled for choice, our personal favourites are McMillans, Julies Kopitiam, and Salt & Vinegar for a classic chippy. The Allison Arms and The Shed wins for nightlife, a staple visit for anyone living in or visiting Shawlands on a night out. Don’t forget to visit Aume for all your home interior shopping, the perfect place to pick up a new housewarming gift for you, or a friend.
A bit closer to town, you’ll find Govanhill, recently depicted by CN Traveller as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the UK, as they state definitely ‘not without grit’, but home to some of our favourite wee restaurants come takeaways. We’re sure Nanika, Bar Vini and Little Hoi An, need no introduction to Glasgow’s foodies, but if you’ve not had the pleasure, simply go. Once you’ve tried them and just need to be in walking distance, you’ll be repaid with an abundance of creativity, community spirit and low cost living with flat prices starting at just £50,000. For now, as it’s an area on the up.
Just a short distance away you’ll find Battlefield and Mount Florida, similar tenement style flats but also a new build development with 3-4-bedroom houses. Again, not short of places to eat and drink, Grain and Grind being a popular choice for coffee drinkers and Church on the Hill is perfect if you fancy a drink but want to take your dog along too – very popular for their Sunday Roasts and chilled atmosphere, plus a great sized beer garden. Don’t forget another icon of the southside, the Battlefield Rest located next to the New Victoria Hospital and a short walk from Langside College. They offer amazing full-time, part-time and evening courses. Plus, there’s a great little hot yoga place across the road! Battlefield insiders also rave about The Big Bear Bakery, tucked away on a residential street, but hard to miss with the queues for their baked goodness.
Jump off the train at Mount Florida and you’re hit with plenty of little cafes, shops and places to eat. Pop into Market for a quick coffee and sweet pastries, hit up HOOKED for a nice chippy or if you fancy something stronger, Clockwork is great for a pint. If you keep heading beyond Mount Florida area and into Langside you’re getting close to Hampden Park. Great location if you love the odd football match or seeing amazing live acts – when we’re able to of course!
If you’re looking for a property under the £100k mark or even a great buy-to-let opportunity, then upper and lower cottage style flats are extremely popular around the King’s Park area. You could bag yourself a 3 bedroom for under £90,000 but you may need to compromise on the size of kitchen as they are notoriously small in these types of flats. Although you will find some really nice 3-4 bedroom houses, but they go quick so you’ll need to act fast.
Train lines run through the southside, stopping at all of these main areas and head directly into the City Centre of Glasgow, with the journey taking between 10-15 minutes.
Now we’re going to take you a bit further in to the southside to explore prominent areas such as Giffnock and Newton Mearns.
Continuing to entice families and business professionals, Giffnock has a mix of generously sized semi-detached properties, detached homes and flats.
You’ll know you’re in Giffnock by the huge sandstone houses and wide, tree-lined streets leading to the impressive Rouken Glen Park boasting various activities for kids, many of which are free and a lovely garden centre and Boathouse cafe overlooking the pond – perfect for lunch with a view.
There are tonnes of places to eat along the main street like CATCH for fish and chips (yes, we hunt down the best chippie no matter where we are…) and Pane E Vino specialising in Italian and Continental food and wine and home interiors shops. Don’t forget, essential food shops like ALDI and Morrisons, but if you’re looking for a gluten free treat, make sure you make a visit to Wild Flours bakery. Giffnock is a hot spot for car dealerships too, from Mercedes-Benz to BMW so if you’re in the market for a property and a car then you could be in for a winner here.
Property prices in Giffnock can vary, for example, a 1 bedroom modern flat just off Fenwick Road starts at around £140,000 whereas you can also bag yourself a 6-bedroom period home for just over £1 million.
Mansewood just next to Giffnock is a bit more affordable with prices starting at the £80,000 mark, making it affordable and still within reach of all Giffnock has to offer
For prime, high end, property, the suburb of Newton Mearns continues to be one of the most affluent areas in Scotland with some of Scotland’s best performing schools in St Ninians and Mearns Castle, with houses starting from £200,000 and leading up to (and over) £500,000.
Boasting some of the city’s most impressive houses, the majority of homes here are detached with three, four or five bedrooms.
Typically more of a residential area, but you’ll still find some lovely places to eat out, like La Vita and Miller & Carter. Fancy some retail therapy? Then the Avenue Shopping Centre is the perfect place for weekend shopping sprees or picking up last minute bits in the evening without having to head into the City Centre.
Let’s head over to the Maxwell Park and Dumbreck area now, near Pollok Park and just off Nithsdale Road which leads from the Strathbungo area of the southside. You’ll find similar, larger properties around this area as you would in Giffnock, especially leading along Nithsdale Road and up to Bellahouston Park itself. You’ll also find Sherbrooke Castle Hotel in this area, a very popular wedding destination. You’re not only a stones throw from the nightlife of Shawlands but also right next to the motorway with links to the City Centre, west bound to Braehead Shopping Centre, Paisley and beyond.
Not to mention being close to Bellahouston Park to enjoy walks with your four-legged friend, picnics with family and in recent years, a popular festival venue. Take a visit to House of an Art Lover, designed by Glasgow’s most famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. With stunning design features, it’s become a very popular wedding venue, but you can also take a tour and stop off for lunch in the café.
You’ll know now that the south of Glasgow is packed full of different places, all with their own character and highlights. So it’s really down to your own personal preference as to where is the right fit for you. No matter what you’re looking for and what price range you have in mind, Glasgow South has something for everyone.
If you’re ready to make your move, check out the impressive properties to buy or rent on s1homes.com right now.