London

[User452734838]

I was in London earlier this week and it was manic. Everyone rushing around, tubes packed, people rushing down escalators when the tubes are 2 mins apart. Road noise, Sirens everywhere, People getting trains home at 7.30pm to commute an hour, people stood up on this train. As someone who only visits now and again on business it left me shattered and I was only there a day!

Is this just something you get used to in London? Is late working the norm? Travelling for what seems like hours either way to do a job?

It did feel alive though! Is this part of the attraction or is it a case of being born there and knowing nothing else?

I was glad to get back up North where the pace of life is so much less frenetic. We do have to put up with the awful weather though! It was definitely warmer in London 😂

[dementedma]

I love visiting London. I find everyone really friendly and am awestruck at how efficient the tube is. Seriously. All those thousands of people hurtling from A to B underground

[mustbemad17]

I detest London. Had to go for an interview once & it made me realise actually i don't even want to work there. Far too busy, far too many people too focused on what they need to do. I keep saying we should take DD to the natural history museum...but recalling how horrifically manic it is keeps putting me off!

[Catalufa]

Yes you just get used to it! I lived in London from birth until I was in my 30s. Moving out to surburbia included training myself to walk / drive more slowly which felt weird at first!

[MarshaBrady0]

I grew up somewhere very rural, small and far away but it’s the energy of London, variety and seemingly endless opportunities that is great. Also just how it looks and feels.

But I do like not having to get the tube for any reason.

[Catalufa]

London has pros and cons - I loved growing up there but now we’ve moved out I can see the advantages of being outside London especially when you have DC (house with garden, nice village school etc).

[dantdmistedious]

I live in suburbia and work in London. London is bonkers. I’m so glad I don’t have to get the tube any more as part of my commute. There’s parts of London I love but I can’t ever imagine going willingly to somewhere like oxford street.

[Kursk]

London is my personal Definition of misery. with the London eye being the eye of Sauron overlooking suburban hell.

[ScootieAllan]

Well, I moved here aged 13 and haven't lived anywhere else so don't really know what life is like elsewhere. I do go home at 4 or 5 though, depending on the time I start generally, can't be doing with late evenings.

[LaurieFairyCake]

I don’t find it busy at all. I travel at 9 and 3 and the tubes and trains are quiet. I’m in Central London most days and as long as you stay away from Oxford Street (I never go there) it’s fine.

I think there probably are a few specific busy places.

[Splinterz]

But its civilised with theatres and wine bars. Christ I've been 'up north' and it was bleak.

[ForalltheSaints]

Late working is not the norm, I am back home before 6 most evenings.

[pancakesfortea]

Commuting is the worst bit. So if you live in properly central London it's like being in the most amazing village. I live walking distance from my office, a longer walk or bus ride from theatres, etc. It's amazing.

Obviously not an option for most people (I bought my home a very long time ago) but just making the point that being in London isn't the grim bit it's travelling big distances around London. I hate the tube as much as the next person, but am lucky enough never to have to use it in the rush hour.

[bananafish81]

I grew up in suburbia up North and have lived in London since I was 21. Absolutely no plans to leave - I love the energy. We feel so connected with nothing more than a few minutes away, we can get anywhere we like by public transport - whenever we leave London we're reminded of how much we don't want to live anywhere else, when we have to drive to get anywhere (and where stuff shuts early or is a schlepp away)

The countryside is very pretty but only to visit, living rurally would be our idea of hell - we're definitely town mice rather than country mice. Different strokes for different folks!

[CertainHalfDesertedStreets]

I live in London.

I went to two shops today while ds was at nursery - sainsburys and the dry cleaner next door. In both shops they asked about him and how he was getting on and then gave me a little gift for him - just some snack raisins and a little Halloween bucket - but he was delighted when he got home.

I thought to myself 'the next time someone slags London or londoners off I'm going to tell them about this'.

[catography]

I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else (and we’d both have to take a huge pay cut if we wanted to do so!)

[Sparklingbrook]

I like London but do find Central London a bit too busy and stressful.

[PrincessoftheSea]

I looooove London even the busy tube. Art, culture, such a variety of people.

[PuppyMonkey]

Wine bars charging £20 a glass?

[TwinkleTwinkleLittleEtoile]

I live in the London suburbs and commute in. Yes, the commute can be awful at times, but is mostly ok. The good things about living there far outweigh the bad for me.

[mercurymaze]

i love london and live near but visit weekly. i think i would find it really boring seeing the same people all the time plus i'm quite anti social so all that rushing around ignoring people suits me. i do smile at babies on the tube though

[bluechameleon]

We moved out of London 2 years ago for the standard bigger-house-and-garden reason. I really miss the business and sense of life.

[DB22]

Yes you do get used to the pace. We lived centrally for years and I never noticed it. We now live in surburbia and I find central London to be bonkers. My country mouse sister thinks the same of where I live though. Late working is probably a feature for many, but not most of the people I know. Most can't afford to live centrally so travelling around an hour each way is fairly common. I love London and couldn't imagine moving too far, bit equally I don't think I could live centrally now.

[CamperVamp]

A lot of people work different hours. People do travel home late from work to extend the amount of time in the office they co-incide with American colleagues or clients, for example. Other people travel ridiculously early to communicate with the East.

Also people go out straight from work rather than go home and then go out. Because of the distances and friends might live at opposite ends of the city. So you might meet a friend straight after work for a drink / pizza and then travel home.

I run up and down escalators for the excercise. Lots of people stand on escalators, too. Just don’t ever stand on the Left. We are very particular about that!

[LaurieFairyCake]

I take my dog on the tube every day. At least a dozen people ask to pat her, talk about her, ask questions, introduce her to their children, smile at her fondly.

Every single day London is the friendliest place in the world to my dog.