The city of music, a paragon of Victorian splendour, and the world’s friendliest capital, Glasgow is Scotland's largest seaport. With its promising employment opportunities, steady economic growth, and welcoming community, Glasgow is highly favoured as a place to live for Britains as well as expats.
Totaljobs’ Quality of Living Index ranked Glasgow third in the UK for overall quality of life. Its robust economy, driven chiefly by finance, generated a £48 billion GVA in 2021. The city also boasts a promising creative technology landscape, with the industry’s turnover exceeding £1 billion in 2024.
Perched on the River Clyde, the city is a time capsule of the Scottish Enlightenment, hosting valuable heritage sites such as the oldest music hall in the world, the Glasgow Cathedral, the Scottish Ballet, and the National Theatre of Scotland. Characterised by stately Victorian architecture and dotted with myriad museums, Glasgow is shrouded in a rich cultural tapestry.
Read on to discover the best areas to live in Glasgow.
Blythswood Hill
Located in the heart of Glasgow, Blythswood Hill is the city’s luxurious den. Built to be the "magnificent New Town of Blythswood," the neighbourhood is home to a high-end residential square and a flourish of upscale restaurants, cafes, and bars.
The lands comprising Blythswood Hill once belonged to a Glasgow merchant family. The region started opening up to the public in the 19th century with the establishment of housing, indoor public baths, Europe’s first hygienic dairy, and so on. The mercantile expansion of Glasgow endowed the neighbourhood tremendously, and many wealthy businessmen made Blythswood Hill their home.
Blythswood Hill is Glasgow’s richest and healthiest locale. The symmetrically laid out neighbourhood is replete with Georgian and Victorian architecture, in addition to churches, finance companies like Blythswood Associates, tearooms, and art clubs. From ornate cream-hued mansions to red-brick manors and soaring skyscrapers, Blythswood Hill is a quintessential playground of the well-heeled.
Detached properties in Blythswood Hill cost around £481,000.
Hillhead
Hillhead is Glasgow’s very own avant-garde West End, situated to the south of the River Kelvin. The locale derives its name from the Hillhead House, a pavilion-styled villa that was perched on a drumlin in the region. In the 19th century, the area was set aside for feuing, which led to its development and population spike. Hillhead evolved into an independent police burgh in 1869 before becoming part of Glasgow in 1890.
Hillhead is home to the prestigious University of Glasgow and a miscellany of gorgeous terraced homes, creating a breathtaking cityscape. The city’s intellectual elite, such as BBC journalists and academics from the university, reside here. Charming stone-paved streets are complemented by rich green expanses like Kelvingrove Park, while the majestic Great Western Bridge and Kibble Palace evoke a sense of enchanting wonder in the neighbourhood. The ornately fashioned, honey-hued Kelvinside Hillhead Church is the area's crown jewel. A favourite family-friendly neighbourhood, Hillhead also hosts two esteemed schools for young children.
The neighbourhood’s Victorian splendour is highly coveted in the city. The average price of a home in Hillhead is £400,000.
Shawlands
Shawlands is known as the “Heart of the Southside.” With a vibrant social scene and sophisticated architecture, The Sunday Times named Shawlands one of the best places to live in Scotland in 2022 and 2023. Calling it the “city's best area to live and socialise,” TimeOut came to the conclusion that Shawlands is one of the world’s “coolest neighbourhoods.”
The region was once an unbounded open field, with few settlements cropping up only in the 18th century. The region evolved tremendously during the 19th century when Glasgow reaped the riches of the British Empire's colonial ventures. Local businesses flourished, and the area became densely populated.
Shawlands is renowned for its myriad independent shops, dated architecture, baroque terraces, and public parks. Novel restaurants, pubs, and cafes throng the streets, leaving residents and visitors spoiled for choice. Lined with redstone tenements and Victorian properties, Shawlands offers a great homestead for young adults.
Admired for its bohemian spirit and lively atmosphere, homes in Shawlands typically cost around £250,000.
Merchant City
Merchant City, located in the heart of Glasgow, is one of the city’s oldest and most elegant neighbourhoods. Like many of Glasgow's locales, Merchant City began as a very modest settlement. In the 18th century, the area suddenly rose to prosperity due to the thriving tobacco industry. Tobacco businessmen and merchants made Merchant City their new home and even established their warehouses here.
Merchant City is to Glasgow what Covent Garden is to London – affluent, cosmopolitan, and culturally rich. It is a stunning harmony of old-world charm and contemporary glitz. A walk through the neighbourhood will reveal brilliant street art, mediaeval sites such as the 17th century Tolbooth Steeple, and modern gems like the Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre. This neighbourhood is also the site of the annual Merchant City Festival, a highly anticipated extravaganza featuring circus tricks, theatre shows, dance performances, comedic skits, and so on.
Mansions, tenements, and semi-detached properties make up the locale’s real estate sector. Properties in Merchant City are priced between £200,000 and £300,000.
Bearsden
Bearsden is the northwestern fringe of Glasgow, tucked away from the bustle of the city. A quiet, verdant neighbourhood abounding with Victorian villas and modern amenities, Bearsden is the ideal postcode for families. The area began as a two-acre Roman settlement and evolved into an agricultural hamlet in the Middle Ages. After the industrial revolution, Bearsden grew into a cosmopolitan colony, with businessmen settling down here to enjoy an elevated country life within close proximity to the city.
Today, Bearsden is a serene suburb decked out in lush verdure. Home to the Kilmardinny Loch Nature Reserve, residents can embark on outdoor adventures or go on soothing nature walks. There are also five golf courses, including one of the world’s oldest, the Glasgow Golf Club. With premium schools, good infrastructure, and a well-connected transport network, there’s little to be missed here.
From Victorian residences to contemporary developments, homes in Bearsden cost around £450,000.
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a scenic neighbourhood located in the western region of Glasgow, renowned for its tranquillity and striking Victorian architecture. Initially, Scotstoun was a bountiful estate that passed on from one family to another throughout the 16th to 18th centuries. In the 19th century, the estate disintegrated and was revamped with an assemblage of private residences and a public park.
With its tightly-knit community and wide range of amenities, Scotstoun is a steadfast favourite among families. Tree-fringed streets are lined with imposing terraced residences, epitomising Glasgow’s utterly unique Victorian charm. There are two schools here, the Scotstoun Primary School and the Jordanhill Secondary School, in addition to leisure centres and museums, crafting the ideal environment for young children. Residents can relish a rustic, unperturbed life with easy access to Glasgow’s urban dynamism.
A breathtaking historical haunt and a commercially thriving metropolis, Glasgow is a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity. It is also a rich cultural repository, brimming with art, music, and architectural finesse. The city delivers on all fronts, from economic prosperity to communal kinship and an elevated quality of life. From the decadent lifestyle of Blythswood Hill to the idyllic existence of Scotstoun, these are some of the best areas to live in Glasgow.
