Darlington is truly a mixed bag. It consists of the best and the worst, and by the worst, I mean you’ll feel like you’re in Mogadishu or Baghdad.
Unlike other nearby towns, such as Middlesbrough, Hartlepool or Stockton which are all universally **** throughout, Darlington consists of several okay areas in which you’ll find old people with manicured front lawns leading up to their detached homes with their double garage. This you’ll find mostly in the “West End” of the town, including one or two smatterings of niceness elsewhere.
However, there are numerous no go zones where you literally risk your life and your health. The terraced streets off North Road (notably Eldon Street) are drug, drink and crack dens. The local amenities are boarded up and groups of ***** spit and phlegm on the street. You will find needles and junkies here. This area is the epitome of poverty. It’s so random because only half a mile away you have nice cul-de-sacs with detached bungalows and nice cars. In sum, in Darlington you have nice neighbourhoods very close to ***** neighbourhoods (but Darlington does at least have nice neighbourhoods, unlike Boro).
The town centre is okay, but there are lots of pasty shops. At least the town square looks relatively quaint! Darlington has several in between neighbourhoods as well, notably Eastbourne (which features some decent terraces near the railway station but also a grim estate called Firth Moor). In sum, this town is a total mixed bag. I’d suggest that 20% are upper middle class in big homes, big cars with big jobs (mostly in the West End and parts of Whinfield). I’d suggest that 60% are in between, with basic jobs, basic cars and okay neighbourhoods. I’d suggest that the final 20% are horrible underclass ******** who live off North Road or in one of the Estates such as Red Hall or Firth Moor. Just ignore them and you’ll be fine. If moving here, move to the West End or to parts of Whinfield or parts of Eastbourne on the Matalan side of the railway station (absolutely not on the Victoria Road side of the station, you have been warned.)
Welcome to Darlo.
