Thanks JJ, we do have some context now. I was born in 1958. Moved to Dronfield when I was 2 and spent my entire childhood there. When you live somewhere like that, Sheffield in the 60's and 70's was utterly buzzing, from the Christmas lights to the Hole in the Road, Redgates, just bright lights. The Petula Clark song "Downtown" came out when I was 6, I've always loved it, and to me it's the Moor at Christmas in about 1966, because I have lovely memories of it. It's not been like that for a very long time, and probably wasn't like that for very long anyway. But we get fixed ideas of places we like at a certain time, but nowhere stays the same.
Weirdly, one of the things that pissed me off for years about Sheffield when I lived there, was the increasing number of "incomers" (usually, but not exclusively, ex-students from the south, or people relocated for work from the south), who occupied ever larger parts of "nice green Sheffield", where I couldn't afford to live (and still can't really!!), and rambled on about how wonderful Sheffield is, which is fairly accurate if you live where they do, but rather less so if you were witness to Sheffield's more southeastern suburbs going down the pan over 20odd years. Because these places had and have nice shops, bars etc., and all other needs were met by Meadowhall (and I don't think it's that bad either), they and loads of others had no use for the city centre, so essentially over time it's died, or at least is in ICU. I agree that the council haven't covered themselves in glory, but I think it's a cultural thing rather than a party political thing, as the same party runs more "successful" cities.
Because I now live in "Greater Barnsley", I see Sheffield in a different and more positive way than when I lived there. I live in a village which is quiet, green, and has one pub and one shop, and amazing walks and scenery. It's lovely, and to live somewhere as nice in Sheffield is utterly beyond what I could afford, especially in the sort of house I live in. But Sheffield is only 35 minutes on the train, it does still have a buzz, and it does have some great pubs, restaurants and bars. Leopold Square is nice, but I haven't been for years.
I think what I'm trying to say is think about appreciating what there is, rather than some vision of what it was in some imagined "heyday", and you may like it a bit more.
Failing that, move to get some nice country air with nice people, and a good rail connection to the "big city ". Worked for me!!!