You can – just about – find Ipswichness peeping out, in its burgeoning festival scene or the independent shops and 17th-century gables

What’s going for it? Imagine the scene. Early 70s. Handlebar moustaches. Santana on the radio. California comes to Suffolk. OK, it’s an insurance firm, not a Silicon Valley startup. But look at that office: straight outta San Fran. Almost mirror-glass walls. Cool. Rooftop cafe. Escalators. Acid colours. What? A built-in swimming pool?! The Willis building, built by Norman Foster in his late 30s, still looks as if the future hasn’t quite caught up with it. Ipswich’s future turned out more banal than bright.

At least it’s fairly prosperous. Small mercies. But the waterfront slick of office parks and Pizza Expresses is more David Brent than Steve Jobs. Look hard, though, and you can – just about – find Ipswichness peeping out, in its burgeoning festival scene, say, or the independent shops and 17th-century gables amid the Zizzis on St Nicholas Street. For a thousand years, this was a North Sea port up there with Hamburg and Antwerp. Who knows, one day it might be again.

The case against A missed opportunity. Spots of distinction aside – such as the Jerwood DanceHouse, the Tudor-era Christchurch Mansion and the quayside in the sunshine – it’s rather clonesville.

Well connected? Trains: to Colchester (19 mins), Chelmsford (38 to 51 mins), Bury St Edmunds (35 mins), Norwich (45 mins) and London (64 to 83 mins). Driving: 30 mins to Colchester and the coast at Felixstowe, 40 mins to Bury St Edmunds.

Schools Primaries: among many rated “good” by Ofsted, St Mary’s Catholic, St John’s CofE, Castle Hill Infant, Springfield and St Mark’s Catholic are “outstanding”. Secondaries: Kesgrave High, Copleston High, Northgate High and Ormiston Endeavour Academy are all “good”.

Hang out at Ditch the quayside bistros for the real ales in the Fat Cat.

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Where to buy You will find fragments of an old town – 16th-century terraces and Georgian townhouses – in the centre, plus “luxury apartments” at the quay. But the nicest homes hug Christchurch Park to the north, particularly to its west, with avenues of Victorian villas, 20s semis and Edwardian townhouses, also heading northwards across Valley Road. East Ipswich has affluent suburbs, from the modern estates of executive homes in Rushmere St Andrew out to the A12/A14 bypass. Large detacheds and townhouses, £450,000-£1m. Detacheds and smaller townhouses, £220,000-£450,000. Semis, £170,000-£700,000. Terraces and cottages, £130,000-£300,000. Flats, £80,000-£400,000. Rentals: a one-bedroom flat, £400-£700pcm; a three-bedroom house, £675-£1,100pcm.

Bargain of the week A nice three-bedroom, semi-detached Victorian on the east side of town, needs modernisation, £260,000, palmerpartners.com.

From the streets

Bethany Stephenson “Affordable houses (considering the proximity to London); an improved waterfront; Christchurch Park; and the Woolpack, a fantastic, friendly pub with great food, a lovely landlady and good cask ales.”

Will Mott “Briarbank, a small bar and brewery 100 metres from the water.”

Roger Gilles “Still very provincial, considering the proximity to London.”

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