Londoners, why do you not move?

ladymagpie

dominoman wrote: »

Errrr. Surely another reason to stay in London. Why would I want to talk to someone at a bus-stop. At least in London when that happens I know it is a drunk or someone from the mental rehab unit on day release.

The purpose of the metaphor is that people around here talk to their neighbours rather than carrying on in their own sphere.

Not quite true. London has the best cafes and restaurants in the country by a mile. There is so much competition that anyplace that is sub-par goes bust and closes, so the cafes and restaurants that thrive generally are excellent. You can't say the same thing once you leave London. I pack my own food when I leave for the badlands so I don't have to risk it.

So if you pack your own food when travelling to the wild north, how do you know that London has the best restaurants?

Something I've learned from this thread is that instead of just recognising that people don't want to move because this is where their life is, people are taking the opportunity to bash people who live further north than they do. I'd like to think not all of the people of London are snobs but this is just illustrating the reasons why many people up here would hate the idea of going down there, which is a shame.

Not all of us who live in the north walk around with grubby hands, singing "my old mans a dustman" while eating out of burger vans.

Angie_B

ladymagpie wrote: »

Something I've learned from this thread is that instead of just recognising that people don't want to move because this is where their life is, people are taking the opportunity to bash people who live further north than they do. I'd like to think not all of the people of London are snobs but this is just illustrating the reasons why many people up here would hate the idea of going down there, which is a shame.

Hang on for a moment there - this entire thread started out implying that everyone who lived in London had made a bad decision and were basically fools for living there. You can't blame people for defending themselves, their home and their decisions.

As I said in my first post, each to their own as far as I am concerned. I've lived on the south coast, I've lived in the Midlands and I've lived in London. I am aware of the pros and cons of each but right now, I choose to live in London and I love it.

ladymagpie

Angie_B wrote: »

Hang on for a moment there - this entire thread started out implying that everyone who lived in London had made a bad decision and were basically fools for living there. You can't blame people for defending themselves, their home and their decisions.

As I said in my first post, each to their own as far as I am concerned. I've lived on the south coast, I've lived in the Midlands and I've lived in London. I am aware of the pros and cons of each but right now, I choose to live in London and I love it.

Defending themselves = good.

Being just as judgemental as the OP = bad.

An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind. It doesn't seem like defending is the only thing going on here, more like outright attack. Saying "but there are good reasons for living in London" is different to referring to anywhere north of London as "the badlands".

freeisgood

Drove from the suburbs to Embankment on sunday night, 30 min drive. Parked for free, and then caught a river bus along the breathtaking Thames (12 mins), disembark at tower bridge and had a lovely meal with spectacular river views of tower of london, Gherkin, Tower bridge and HMS Belfast etc. whole journey in reverse,(boat/car) in bed by 11pm. Thats why!

Okydoky25

I spent the 1st 25 years of life as a Londoner then moved out to Cambridgshire and I've not looked back. I don't miss my little flat and now having children the way of life here IMO is far better for them than the childhood I had and that was in the 80's it's far worse there now.

The final straw for me was when my new neighbours moved in and started putting their kids in the local bins to see what they could find!!

I am lucky that my husband can work from anywhere so we moved here as he has family this way.

Marshflower

I love going in to London.
And I love coming away again!
I grew up a 25 minute train ride away and spend most weekends there in my late teens and lots of time visiting friends at uni in my early twenties.
It's a fabulous, crazy, hustling, bustling, hyper, 24 hour melting pot of a city and I wish I'd lived there in my early twenties - I'd have loved it. But I could never have settled there. I'm a country girl and would have felt too hemmed in.
I've moved around a lot including Milton Keynes (great city, bit strange), Manchester (hated it), Leeds (fun), Birmingham (suprised to find I loved it), Bristol (very like London - great fun but too built up and busy for me) and Marseille (part of my heart will always be there) to name but a few.
In my late twenties I moved to Bath and I know this is my "forever" place. It's a stunning city with lots of culture, it's small enough to walk across within the hour, it's surrounded by open country and it's frantic tourism is countered perfectly by the laid back South-West vibe which permeates every Bath-stone brick. I may not stay within the city forever but I know I will always be nearby.

I can see why people adore London, it's just not for me
Sad to hear most places in the UK other than London described as "dull and backward" though. Very narrow minded and I can say from my personal experience, certainly not the case.

Marshflower

Just to add after realising I didn't respond to the OP: I find the whole premise of this thread rather daft. Why doesn't anyone move from anywhere? Because it's your home and you'll only move if you want to/have to. I'd never move up North. It's too far from my friends and family. I'm far enough from them as it is. And I love the South West. I cannot bear "Londoners" or "Southerners" being basically accused of snobbery because they don't want to move North. It's not snobbery to love your home and what's familiar.

Werdnal

OP, you could ask that question about any inter-city area anywhere in the world. Same things apply and you will likely get the same answers.

People live where they live for any number of reasons - family ties, work commitments, good schools, social scene ...

You may be able to get a cheaper house elsewhere, but could sacrifice something else - worse rated schools, lower wage, higher cost of living, poor transport links, no friends or family nearby.

Depends what you want in life, what you feel is important and whether you value the bricks and mortar around you over other aspect(s) of your lifestyle that may be more valuable to you!

wobblegobble

Interesting thread. I'm not from the UK and arrived in the UK in my 20's. Loved living in London and for someone in their 20's probably not a better place in the world to live. Now live in the East Midlands and would never move back. "Dull and backward?" I bet most of the people making those comments have never been outside London.

Still have friends there who have been up here to visit us who are amazed at the quality of life we have up here, how big our house is for the amount we paid, amazed that we have Michelin (2) starred restaurants here too which cost significantly less than the ones in London, that a lot of the West End shows also tour the country so you see exactly the same performances you do in London (for considerably less money of course) Yes of course we like shopping in Waitrose in fact we have one in our town. Also amazed that our son goes to an outstanding rated Ofsted primary school and that we didn't even live in catchment for him to get a place. Futhermore that our local catchment primary school a half mile away is also rated outstanding and yet house prices in our area aren't any more expensive than the rest of the town. I could go on and on...

When they mention something that they have done in London we don't have here I remind them Kings Cross is 75 minutes away by train and I'll go visit it soon as well. Soon keeps them quiet

None of them willing to admit that they wish they had the guts to be brave and look beyond the big salary.

Meanwhile our other friends in London who haven't been north of London (believe it or not there are loads of Londoners like that), well many of them are the ones posting ignorant comments on here

Yolina

Not from the UK either and arrived in my early 20s too :rotfl: was in the West Midlands for a few years and moved to London after that. Bought my flat (which I absolutely love) just over 14 years ago and, for now, I'm perfectly happy where I am - though I am quite open to moving somewhere else in the future if I ever decide that London's not for me anymore (and shock horror, I could even move back to France, however certainly not to my hometown)

Edit: I do sometimes find London annoying, in which case I disappear off to other parts of the country for a few days, but I'm always happy to come back