Londoners, why do you not move?

southoftheriver

I'm born and bred here and I love it. The diversity, the spontaneity and the sights and sounds. I did leave for uni, and i'm very glad that I did. The UK has lots of great towns, villages and cities. I'm mainly back because of family but am facing up to the fact that I can't afford to buy here so am trying to decide when to break away. My friend in Yorkshire can pay her mortgage on a 4 bedroomed detached house with my rent money for a flatshare in zone 1...

Dimey

Parts of London are wonderful but there's the other side......

I know a 90yr old lady who lives alone in a flat near Elephant & Castle in London.

She has to have metal bars over her front door for security. Like a jail door.

The Council sacked the caretaker for the block 5 years ago and since then it's become filthy. Urine and drug syringes in lifts and unclean rubbish areas.

There used to be a little area of communal garden but the Council ripped up three huge old trees (squirrels made homeless) and built more flats just 12ft away from this lady's window. Her view of the garden and sky is now just a brick wall.

Residents sheds have been broken in to so many times the contents have been stolen and the doors are hanging off the hinges.

Cobblestones in the entrance road have been dug up by utilities and never replaced.

Her neighbours in the block don't speak English so she is totally isolated. Last year she fell outside the lift and people walked past without helping her up.

She's the only person who still sweeps the shared balcony outside her flat.

I'm sure there are places like this in many large cities.

The lady won't move out of London as she's lived there all her life and has memories of her late husband in the flat.

She's very sad how the area has changed so badly.
She remembers old friends who moved into the flats when she & her husband did, after World War 2. They all looked after their properties then. They were grateful to get places that weren't bomb damaged. They used to talk to each other, have a laugh & joke and help each other. That was the real old London. Real old characters.

hazyjo

I'm in Chingford, E4 - 25 mins on an overhead train to Liverpool Street.

If my only choice was a poky studio flat, maybe I would consider relocating, but I have a 3-bed house in a lovely area in the quietest road I've ever lived in.

I recently looked at local wages, thinking that I'm now in 'London' again and maybe there'd be something I could walk to with shorter hours than mine currently, but compared with my salary in London (over £35k), all the local ones pay around £12k - and, for that, I would be rushed off my feet with far more responsibility than I have now.

I just can't make anything stack up in favour of moving any further out. The salary's too good, I meet most of my friends after work in London as we all live in various parts and it makes sense for us to meet in the middle (we wouldn't all be able to get together at once if I drove round someone's house as we're scattered wide from each other).

I lived further out (still only Brentwood) and found it very different to London. People were so interested in what everyone else was doing. You only have to watch an episode of TOWIE to realise all they do is talk about other people, relationships, or what others are/have been doing. There's a certain independence you get amongst Londoners that I can't really explain. It's like when you work in a local job - it's very different to working with people from all over the place in Central London. There's something about that which appeals to me.

I couldn't live somewhere busy, noisy, dirty or rushed. Where I am, it feels like you're on holiday every day, there's tonnes of green and forest nearby, and it has nice shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Never really been anywhere outside of London that I've felt I could live. Been out with a few blokes scattered across the country, but would have missed London terribly if I'd moved away.

If I did move further out, which I might do at some stage when I'm older, I'm sure it'll be the outskirts of where I am now with a good train service into London. Wouldn't want to move halfway across England! All my friends and family are south. Would hate to be more than 45 mins max from my mum.

Jx

Cycrow

I Moved to London as thats where i found a job.

after spending years trying to get a job in my chosen industry, i didn't care where it was.

Id rather pay extra to live here than being stuck in a job that i hated

Angelicdevil

After 20 years in London, I moved further south :j

Best decision I ever made, OK I could be earning c£20k more working in London but I have a lovely property (one I'd never be able to afford to buy in London on my own), in a clean and quiet area, with lovely neighbours and a 15 minute commute :j

My family are still up in London, it's only 1.25 hours drive away, so not too far.

The job prospects in my area are great and should I ever want that extra £20k it would only be a 40 minute commute, by train, to London. But I doubt I'll ever give up my 15 minute drive to work now.

Of course it depends on what sector you work in but London isn't the be all and end all.

Goldiegirl

My husband was born and bred in Battersea, south London.

Before we married, when I used to stay with him, I used to think it was fantastic that the West End was just a short bus ride away, rather than the train journey that I was used to.

During that time I was able to explore the city most weekends, and loved the huge choice and diversity of activities that were available.

When we decided to marry, we did consider living in London , but in the end opted for Kent, as it was easier for my work. My husband commuted to London for a few years, but in the end got a more local job.

However, transport links are good. We can go by train to Victoria, or to St Pancras. Or we can stop at Stratford International, and get the Underground into central London.

We still visit London several times a year. Even though we visit on a regular basis, there is still something new to try, or an old favourite to revisit.

I think it is a great city, and there are some very leafy places to live not far from the centre. Some of my husbands relatives live in Woodford Green and others in Richmond, and we enjoy visiting them.

I'm happy where I live, but I could have been just as happy if we'd decided to live in London .

shays_mum

Born & bred Londoner, would miss the family too much as well as the convenience of most things being on my doorstep.

I love going to visit friends up North, it feels so peaceful away from the maddening crowd & all that, but i do miss the hussle & bussle as well after abit.

On a more practical note, London is an investment housewise, everyone wants to be there & sooner or later the ripple effect will hit the outer more crappy boroughs.

I have no intention of living of the state in my old age, so am buying now for the future. My first house has already doubled its value in a decade & even after the crash its still holding its value.

Yes i could most probably buy a whole street in some areas of the UK with one house you could buy in London, but would i want to leave all this behind no way!.

££sc££

salaries are often much higher in London. Depending on your profession you almost need to be in London to get your career moving. Some of these posts make anywhere out of London sound amazing - most innner cities have similar problems. You could pay me a million pounds and i wouldn't move up north for the sake of a cheap house: - family, friends, support network and career are all here

ladymagpie

junglejim2 wrote: »

Property oop north is cheap for a reason.

As someone who moved from the south (from born until i was 19) to the north, I much prefer living in the north.

1. While I love London and the electric feel of the place, I wouldn't exchange my city's crime rate for yours.

2. Bus stops aren't quiet, strangers actually talk to each other.

3. Food and drink are the same but cost less.

4. Ive seen similar houses to the one that I've bought yet costing 200k more, all because they're in a different postcode. My house is not in a main road, not in a crime area and a short walk from a park and in the catchment area for 4 primary schools and 2 high schools.

5. Living in the midlands it does not take long to get anywhere else in the country.

dominoman

berbastrike wrote: »

just a simple question, as if I was living in London I would want to move from there because its simply too expensive.

For the same price of a tiny 1 bed flat, you could move north and get a modern semi...

Unless you have very good careers, then its a bad decision to live there

I'm guessing you've not lived in London?

Compared to London most of the country is just dull and backwards, particularly once you go north of the M4. London is crazy, noisy, exciting, boisterous, and ever-changing - not to mention the best culture, parks and museums of any city in the world.

Houses are ridiculously expensive in London, but I'd still rather have a tiny flat here than while away my remaining years oop north :beer: