23, back from travelling, and can't afford a house in London

westernpromise

Moby wrote: »

Interesting thread. Originally from Wales I did an Msc at Jesus College, Oxford and loved Oxfordshire but moved to London to work and have stayed there ever since, (27 years). I don't actually like it very much and resent being charged £6 for a small glass of prosecco in a local bistro in Palmers Green. So why do I stay? I think a lot of people end up in places due to work, relationships etc and end up staying there even if they don't like it very much. London is such a place. It's a metropolis that draws you in. It's an impersonal rat race place, dominated by transient individuals who will be often planning to leave but sometimes never do. I wonder if I will?
On a side note we are now at 60 murders in the capital this year up to April. The life that you can have in London can be a good one but for millions of people who don't have the economic security to insulate themselves there is a grim reality to living in a transient metropolis:-
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/26/lordship-lane-the-london-road-paying-a-heavy-toll-for-gang-warfare

The murders are largely of scum, by scum. I wish there were more such murders, because then there'd be fewer scum.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I work with people at the top of their field in engineering, doing industrial research for global multinationals; a handful of our researchers went to Oxbridge, but the majority did not. We collaborate with specialists at other universities, including such dreadful places as Nottingham and Manchester. The point being that world class research is undertaken in many UK cities, providing good salaries for those that don't want to live in expensive places like London, Oxford and Cambridge. Warwick has done well by being a commercially-minded campus university; many staff and students prefer that to being slap bang in the middle of a big city.

Never been quite sure which I find more annoying; arrogant Londoners who think anyone who doesn't live here is stupid, or parochial non-Londoners who dismiss everyone who does live here as stupid.

kabayiri

westernpromise wrote: »

The murders are largely of scum, by scum. I wish there were more such murders, because then there'd be fewer scum.

According to ONS figures, you and your fellow Londoners are going to acquire another 2 million within the next decade.

And you know what?

You just don't know what they will be like. They could be saints. They could be sinners. Statistically you will get a mix.

I wouldn't hold your breath on there being fewer.

kabayiri

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

...
Never been quite sure which I find more annoying; arrogant Londoners who think anyone who doesn't live here is stupid, or parochial non-Londoners who dismiss everyone who does live here as stupid.

Most of us are not going to change our home, so in a way it's academic.

I've worked in parts of London, just as I've worked elsewhere. I quite enjoy visiting London, but no more than Paris or Edinburgh in truth.

A recent report said that 1/3 of grads are heading to London. Now, I'm curious as to whether that is a good thing / inevitability / sign of an imbalance in the economy.

Will we care where our knowledge workers live in future? I deal with an independent guy in India quite a lot business wise, and truthfully, I'm not quite sure where he is in India ! It just doesn't seem important. I bet he doesn't care where I live too.

Filo25

ilovehouses wrote: »

As much as the devout rave about London they ought to take a look around. It's one of the youngest cities in the UK which means they need to prepare for the grief of leaving or being one of the oldest on the tube ride to work.

I do get the impression that there is a fair amount of trolling going on in this thread at times!

I love living in London and don't envisage moving elsewhere pre-retirement (or maybe even post retirement, the better (free) transport would be appreciated in retirement I suspect), but as I already said each to their own, the world really would be phenomenally dull if we all liked the same thing.

Equally if you head out to the 'burbs in London, you will find plenty of retirees around, not as many as in other cities I'm sure but still quite a few, you just don't tend to see them too much when you are travelling in rush hour.

That said I would quite like living in some of the University towns/cities as well I'm sure,

westernpromise

kabayiri wrote: »

According to ONS figures, you and your fellow Londoners are going to acquire another 2 million within the next decade.

And you know what?

You just don't know what they will be like. They could be saints. They could be sinners. Statistically you will get a mix.

I wouldn't hold your breath on there being fewer.

But if scum are killing each other there will be fewer scum than if they were not, yes?

SingleSue

kabayiri wrote: »

Most of us are not going to change our home, so in a way it's academic.

I've worked in parts of London, just as I've worked elsewhere. I quite enjoy visiting London, but no more than Paris or Edinburgh in truth.

A recent report said that 1/3 of grads are heading to London. Now, I'm curious as to whether that is a good thing / inevitability / sign of an imbalance in the economy.

Will we care where our knowledge workers live in future? I deal with an independent guy in India quite a lot business wise, and truthfully, I'm not quite sure where he is in India ! It just doesn't seem important. I bet he doesn't care where I live too.

Eldest son initially concentrated his grad applications to the London area and just outside as he had got used to just jumping on a train and within 30 minutes being in the city at university. He then, after seeing how much rent would be, switched to applying for a grad role 12 miles from his home town where he is being paid a smaller but not by much salary but with vastly decreased housing costs for a much bigger property (sharing a two bed house with a friend instead of renting just a room) and that is with paying a premium for being centre instead of in the outskirts.

The savings in accommodation costs means he still visits and enjoys London on a regular basis (Liverpool Street in one hour from his new 'digs') and still has money to spare.

kabayiri

westernpromise wrote: »

But if scum are killing each other there will be fewer scum than if they were not, yes?

Lol, technically yes.

Can you envisage a couple of million knife attacks in 10 years? If not, then you will just see more people.

Maybe you will need a backup people reduction plan.

Filo25

SingleSue wrote: »

Eldest son initially concentrated his grad applications to the London area and just outside as he had got used to just jumping on a train and within 30 minutes being in the city at university. He then, after seeing how much rent would be, switched to applying for a grad role 12 miles from his home town where he is being paid a smaller but not by much salary but with vastly decreased housing costs for a much bigger property (sharing a two bed house with a friend instead of renting just a room) and that is with paying a premium for being centre instead of in the outskirts.

The savings in accommodation costs means he still visits and enjoys London on a regular basis (Liverpool Street in one hour from his new 'digs') and still has money to spare.

I can't say I blame him, if I was just starting out on my career I wouldn't be moving to London unless either the increased salary compensated for the increased costs, or the development /career prospects from the London role were better (the second point is probably more important that the first earlier in your career anyway).

GreatApe

westernpromise wrote: »

But if scum are killing each other there will be fewer scum than if they were not, yes?

If you want fewer delinquents you need to stop them being created in the first place a few dozen stabbings isn't a solution.

Most the problem kids have had terrible childhoods. Maybe the state needs to step in more and take kids away from bad parents but then does the state do a better job?