How it rates

That Banksy’s current exhibition at the usually fusty Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery was kept secret from the local council speaks volumes about the graffiti artist’s home town. Yes, this is a university city with a large student population. It did bring us Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack. But as the “capital” of the West Country, Bristol retains the air of a genteel provincial town underpinned by laid-back enterprise. This is where locals eat “slow food”, wear Fairtrade clothes and grow their own.

Architectural gems

Red Lodge, built in 1580, and Ashton Court Mansion, mostly 16th century, are among the earliest buildings. Fine Georgian squares and houses are a feature of the city. But nothing embodies Bristol’s industrial heritage better than Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge, completed in 1864.

What’s new

Numerous blocks of flats were built during the regeneration of the waterfront, but the downturn has lowered prices by 25 per cent since the peak in September 2007. A decent two-bedroom flat now costs about £250,000, though you can pay less: Chappell & Matthews has a new two-bedroom flat with waterfront views in St Anne’s Park for £184,950 (0117 9738734).

Travel

The M4 links Bristol to London and Wales, the M5 to Birmingham and Exeter. Trains to Paddington take 90 minutes. The city also has an international airport.

Quality of life

Excellent. Bristol has everything you would expect from a city but is far from being a sprawling metropolis. The Downs, 400 acres of parkland, offer plenty of space for football and kite-flying. Plus, the countryside is close by.

Smartest streets

Clifton is still one of the most popular areas. Here a four-storey Georgian/Victorian terraced house can cost about £1.5 million. The same amount would buy a five-bedroom Victorian detached house in Leigh Woods and Abbots Leigh on the other side of the suspension bridge. For family houses under £500,000, head for Westbury Park or Henleaze.

Restaurants

Bordeaux Quay pleases with its “local, seasonal and organic” menu. The restaurant at the newly revamped lido in Clifton serves rustic food cooked in a wood-fired oven. But Greens’ Dining room in Redland is where foodies really like to eat.

Nightlife

Bars on the waterfront attract quite a crowd. Favourites include the Severnshed, Riverstation and the bar at the Arnolfini. There is a wide variety of entertainment venues, including the Bristol Old Vic, the Bristol Hippodrome and the Tobacco Factory.

Education

Clifton College, Bristol Grammar School, Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital school for boys, Red Maids’ School and Badminton are all well regarded independents.

Working life

The Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, Hewlett-Packard Research Labs, Rolls-Royce and Orange are big employers. The BBC’s regional headquarters and natural history unit, are also here.

Upside

Its relaxed, friendly and cosmopolitan vibe, and demand from buyers is increasing, according to Hometrack.

Downside

It suffers from the usual city problems, such as drug addiction, theft and prostitution. Not to mention rowdies in the city centre on a Saturday night.

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