To wonder why there is so much snobbery about Milton Keynes?

I live a few miles outside it so spend a lot of my time there. I used to think I'd never want to be in the city itself but now, idk. No, it's not pretty but it's got everything and it's very safe and convenient. Some difficult areas but no more than anywhere else.

The theatre is fabulous. Lots of woodland and green areas within and around it. Great links to London and elsewhere.

It's just a silly stereotype of concrete cows and roundabouts, I think. Probably because it was a purpose built town rather than having a traditional history.

I do get hugely different reactions depending on whether I say I live in Buckinghamshire or near Milton Keynes though.

Some people just like to find a reason the feel superior to others.
I lived in MK for a while, absolutely loved it.

I love MK. I actually like the layout and the many walkable areas where there is a lot of green spaces. It is also quite diverse which I love and the hospital easy to navigate. I found it nice to walk around without having to constantly stop or wait for cars to let me pass or acknowledge me.

I wouldn’t dare call it soulless having walked all over it.

It is somewhere I would move to if we weren’t settled where we are.

My husband and his kids lived in Milton Keynes before I met him and I used to take the mick out of him because of it. Then one day we went to see a house in MK and ended up buying it. His son who lived with us said he would rather die then go back and he decided to stay in London and his daughter laughed at us and said she would never go back to live in MK.

However I got a beautiful 4 bed house with garden, garage and off street parking for 2 cars for less than my 2 bed flat in dodgy part of London.

So many people laughed at our decision and asked how we could live there. Who would have thought it but I loved living there. The shopping is great and there are so many little villages round with great boutiques and restaurants. So many open spaces, cycle paths and within 5 mins we were out in the country. We both worked in London and it was an easy commute. I travelled all over the UK which was so easy from MK. This included traveling to Glasgow weekly. Hoped on a train and got off in Glasgow.

Within 6 months of us moving to MK both my step-kids had also moved back and are still there.

I know MK well and I agree with you. Most people don't see the communities, the estates built with playing fields at the heart and easy safe bike routes that gives the kids so much freedom. The free places to takes kids like the playground at Willen Lakes. Or the activities like ice skating, ski slope etc. They'll just drive round the ring roads congratulating themselves on not living there.

It’s snobbery, I think. I had similar when I moved from a ‘nice market town’ to a larger house somewhere not as desirable. There are threads on here about how great Swindon actually is to live in but I am from over that way and would guess that they probably get similar comments.

People have different priorities that’s all. Some people prioritise proximity to work/family/friends or standard of nearby schools, other people prioritise property size or beauty/character of the local area, etc. I kind of agree that MK is soulless and I wouldn’t choose to live there personally, but if your friends are happy with their decision to move, then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.