To hate London

I was born and bred in London. Grew up around Victoria/Westminster. Moved to SE London when I met my DH. We moved out of London when our DC's were born. Kent countryside. Good train links for work (London). Good schools. We were renting but managed to buy a small property which we extended. Good luck OP. I hope you managed to move somewhere you will love and settle with you dc.

If you do then just don't respond...

Are you ok? 😆 You accused me of justifying my car use when I said nothing about my personal use?

Do you normally get so triggered by people responding to your responses?!

I PERSONALLY do not need to run a car where I live. Others may have a different experience.

Jeez, sensitive much?

Until a family member had a devastating stroke with lots of hospital stays, rehab, follow up home care I was personally quite naive to how many HCPs rely on cars in London.

@Ginmonkeyagain I haven't justified my car use? I was simply replying to the point you made Also living London means I don't have to run a car and become part of the problem & explaining that for some it's a necessity.

Could you move to a greener part of London? I adore London but if I went back there's only a handful of affordable areas I'd consider looking at, which are the ones surrounded by parks, wetlands, etc. The most central, affordable one of these is Bow.

I wasn't asking you to justify your car use.

And loads of people in London run a car because it's the easier option eg they work shifts, where they work has little local transport. Even getting from SW to SE London can be a pain on public transport if your not in Z1 or 2. You often have to go in to come out.

@Ginmonkeyagain my road is very quiet but the roads I have to traverse aren't. And not everywhere has separate bus lanes so you can be stuck in the traffic. I can't think of any high streets that won't have bad traffic at rush hour etc.

So what possessed you to rent in Central London? There must have been a reason?

@panelbottle it can. We live at the top of a quiet no through road that is a steep hill so we are not as affected. We can't hear the cars at all hear up here.

Also living London means I don't have to run a car and become part of the problem. I simply walk or get the train everywhere.

I always feel there is a certain iront about people moving somewhere very car dependent to "escape trafficand pollution". If you are a driver you ARE traffic.

London is fab but the noise and chaos isn't for everyone. There are some wonderful green areas if you go to zone 4.

Somewhere leafy in the suburbs would be the perfect compromise. Just bear in mind that when your dc is older, good public transport links and things to do nearby is a hell of a lot easier than living somewhere rural. I grew up in north London, moved out as a young adult and now live in a beautiful little village. It’s lovely and peaceful except we spend most of our time driving our three teens to various places and back as rural buses are a nightmare. I now wish we lived somewhere with a bit more going on (they do too!) and where we didn’t have to rely on cars so much. We are looking to move. Pros and cons to both.

Move to zone 3.
Greenwich
Black heath
Dulwich
Beautiful parks and open spaces.
Great shops, good community and schools.
20 mins to central london.

if someone tells HIM the same, how is that helpful.

Nothing wrong in hating or loving London, but if you are not ready to compromise (and you shouldn't have to), of course not BU to hate it and move away. I

I have never made a better decision in my life than when I upped sticks and got the fuck out of London with my then 4yo daughter and moved back to rural Wales, where I was born. It literally felt like I left a fugue of depression and unhappiness behind me. I've never looked back. Some people just aren't meant for cities.

If you hate traffic and noise why on earth are you living in central London?

We live in Zone 3 South London and we are surrounded by parks and there is a literal wood 10 minutes walk from our flat.

Traffic can be shit all over London. Z3 South doesn't escape it.

What about outer zones? London can be tough but as a born & raised one I couldn't live elsewhere, I just don't like it elsewhere.

"My current partner (not the father of my dc)"

Get rid

Oh dear...have you fallen for Sadiq khan's nonsense about pollution?

Move to the suburbs

My husband is from zone 1 I would never live there it's horrendous. We live in zone 3 and it's so green and beautiful... I don't think London is homogenous. Is there a middle ground for you both?

We're all different, of course.

Personally I love London, born and bred, still live here, not intending to leave.

But I am in social housing in a nice area and it makes a huge difference.

If you can afford to rent centrally, you can afford to move to a LOT of different places.

Just try and be sure you're moving towards something you really want, rather than trying to escape your anxieties.

I don't really buy this 'London is not a place for kids' thing. It very much can be. I had an amazing childhood in London and it's great for teens as they have more freedom with public transport etc, not reliant on getting a lift. There is so much to do, here.

It all sounds rather dramatic. Surely the sensible compromise would to be live in an outer zone, say zone 3, rather than the dead centre?