Where are safe areas in Portsmouth?

What are the good areas and bad areas of Southampton and Portsmouth? Which is better to live in?

• I've heard Portsmouth is a bit rough and naval, and there are quite a lot of service people in town. I've heard Southampton has better nightlife. But I've never lived in either, and my (sketchy) source good be biased. Do you / have you lived in either, and what would you recommend?

• Answer:

  Southampton and Portsmouth are only about 19 miles apart and there are regular trains between the two. If you live in either, you can travel back and forth very easily for lunch, shopping or to go out; this is quite common among university students, especially when they go book hunting at the start of semesters (a lot easier to travel 40 minutes and get a book than wait 2 weeks for it). Don't worry about it too much; if you don't like where you decide to go, just move on a few miles, it's hardly a life-changing experience! There are three parts to Portsmouth. Most of the clubs and rough areas are somewhere near Southsea (non-drinkers tend to avoid that area and anywhere else in town people are likely to be sober!). Then there is the university and the harbour (including the expensive new apartments and shops), generally safe except late at night, that's everywhere between Portsmouth and Southsea station and Portsmouth Harbour train station. The rest is anywhere else (Fratton, Hillsea, etc) - not too much to do and largely residential; there are buses but because of the traffic it would be quicker to walk. Accommodation there is cheaper but you may find that one the resons is that parking is not easy to find. Southampton's night life centres around the city centre which is walking distance from the train station. Unlike Portsmouth, if you're taking a train there, your only realistic option is Southampton Central so you cannot avoid the city centre if you travel late as the other local stations are not really within walking distance.