Anyone moved to London in their 50s and loved it?

I do and I love it ! Always something to do, public transport is fab and it’s such a rich mix of people I couldn’t be anywhere else. .

I am retired, live on a modest income in a v gritty part of London and I love it.

It is not a designated ‘naice’ area in MN terms but neither is it crime-ridden, and the public services are declining towards the lamentable provision that has been the norm in my wider family’s coastal rural idyllic for years! Difference being I can get to a choice of 3 top hospitals v easily on the free (O 60) excellent public transport rather than being nearly an hour away by road (no public transport)

Likewise I can get to a huge array of wonderful free activities, and because I live here I can take advantage of last minute theatre deals etc without having to plan.

I have lived in London for donkeys but there are still parks, neighbourhoods, new places to explore and visit.

Plus living at the epicentre of the rail network means it is easy to book cheap day returns for day trips, easy connections and fast trains for further destinations. Choice of airports if I go abroad. (I don’t, much, but the flexibility makes it more affordable). Easy public transport to the airport, no costly parking fees etc.

If you can find housing in your budget OP, go for it!

I live here and see lots of older people downsizing from a big family home to a two bed flat and having a fabulous time volunteering, going to classes and doing a lot of cultural activities.

My friend moved to London in her sixties. Her children were grown up and gone. No husband.

She loves it. She's out all the time at events! She is very into The Arts.

ETA - she inherited a big townhouse in Hackney, though. One of the old Victorian ones with the big windows and three storeys that is still a single home. It has its own (established) garden. She is not living in a pokey little flat in Ilford. This probably makes a difference.

I’m in central london (zone 2). Dh and I had thought about finishing careers/retirement elsewhere but we currently think we will be staying put!

Amenities are all walkable and public transport is great. We have so much on our doorstep - museums, restaurants, parks - and so much is free. We live a v active life as a result. Our experience is public services work better here vs our family elsewhere (E, SE, SW, NW).

You’d have to assess if london weighting made your salary sufficient to live. Housing is naturally expensive but as a quality of lifestyle, if you can move - do!

I know of a couple who moved to London. He was 55 amd she was 53. They love it.

Their two children had moved to London to study and then remained so this may have been a pull for them.
They enjoy the city and what it has to offer.
Ease of transport and entertainment.
Also they wanted to be near facilities as they got older and not need a car etc.

Well i’m doing the opposite - moved to South London in my mid 20’s, heading back to native north west next year when youngest DC goes to uni. It’s so expensive here, but a great place to live. Where I am now (Surrey / South London border) I have countryside on my doorstep, but in central London in 30 mins. I’ve always said i’d love to live in central London for 1yr. I absolutely love London, it makes me feel alive, even after 25yrs. It’s one of the greatest cities in the world. Go for it (if you can afford it!).

How much can you spend on a property, and what kind of area would you like to live in?

That probably makes the biggest impact on what the experience will be like, particularly thinking about lifestyle as you move
towards retirement.

I live in zone 6. I fully intend to stay in London at retirement.

where I am now has loads of parks and green spaces but I’m 20 minutes on bus from end of the tube and 15 minutes by car from trains that run through the night on the Gatwick line. Train from my local station is about 25-30 minutes to central London. 5 minutes drive from my house I can go for a walk through fields with horses, goats and chickens and buy fresh eggs.

i think it’s a great spot - near enough London to easily get there for stuff and get home
in the evening but still nice and green and open.

I lived in London for a decade in the 90s and early 00s.I visited last week for a few days ( I now live in Oz), and while we had a ball, I wouldn't want to live there now unless I was very rich (and had a lot more energy!) And it is so busy, well I guess it always was it but seems busier now! So I agree with the poster above, if you can afford a lovely garden flat somewhere nice, why not give it a go? If your budget is more New Cross than Hampstead, I wouldn't bother.

Not if you can’t live in a really nice part of the city.

There’s a lot of aggro, pollution, crowds, crap public services, crime. I wouldn’t embrace that in middle age for anything.

Move to a nice bit of the home counties near a good train line - then you can do theatre and restaurants all the time, but without the downsides.

No but I’m that age range and lots of London friends having that conversation about whether to stay or move out to retire. Most want to stay and make the most of everything London has to offer (inc the free travel!).

Depends what you can afford really. A house with a garden in Richmond - great! If it’s a studio flat in a sketchy area not so much.

I personally don't know of anyone but if you want to do it, 50 is not "old" anymore (just listened to a radio program that even said 70 is the new 50!).
Not having a car is wonderful, the art and theatre are wonderful, parks galore. But I do find the crowds get me down. So. Many. People. Anyway good luck, I don't think its a bonkers decision by any means.