To wish I was rich so I could live in London

[succulentleaf]

... and have a stunningly modern house or flat. Fill it with art and spend my days writing and studying, going to art galleries and museums and just taking in all the culture about ...ah the dream

I'd like to have one of the wisteria covered colourful little houses I saw round by Portobello market

I've lived all over London and currently live in Streatham which I like very much. But if money were no object I'd buy somewhere on Royal Hill in Greenwich or on the river in Kew.

I am asking for a price drop because of curtains. Is 90% a bit cheeky?

I'm also in South London - bought a large wreck, been doing it up for years - should have got one of those TV crews in 12 years ago, so we could have the builders going bust just before I gave birth excitement.

If we want to downsize when we get elderly, I want one of those flats on The Cut so I can have lunch at the Young Vic and see shows there and at the Old Vic in the afternoons, and get buses to everything else happening in London. Bit like my maternity leave only without the 40 min bus to Waterloo first. And without the baby.

Oh good call. If my husband dies before me I shall desert sahf London take a tirribly smart flat in Bloomsbury and fuss over a Pomeranian called Jasper.

We are actually moving out of London.
Lived here for 15 years, used to love this city. Not anymore, it has become unbearable not to mention plainly dangerous.

That sounds great jack. I actually live in a town with a lot of retirees, which I always think is odd because unless you are very involved in one of the local activities - (horses/water sports) there isn’t much to do here. It’s pretty, but public transport isn’t great, and houses aren’t particularly cheap.

If you have the money a city centre (not even necessarily London) seems far more interesting and practical.

Blimey yeah that kitchen design is shite. Perhaps it's for people who don't cook, but in that case, I'd rather have the extra room!

It boggles my mind how my parents generation get to 'we're getting on a bit, let's get a smaller house with less garden and all to look after' (sensible) 'in the middle of nowhere or on a housing estate with no amenities or public transport even though Betty has given up driving and Bob had surgery and couldn't drive for a month' What gets into them?

Thankfully my parents got the builders to do a survey and they sucked teeth and said you don't want to buy here (edge of a gated estate, high service charges, nothing within walking distance, mum doesn't drive now), and they got a similar place which is 15 min walk to a town, which keeps them fit. ILs are in an area full of elderly in bungalows with no services beyond an hourly bus (no seats at the stop so MIL can't use it), and a corner shop about 20 min walk away (MIL can't get that far either). But they have capacity and can't force them not to be so daft...

Meanwhile I've been restricted to 300 yards walking a day and struggle with a wheelchair (walking OK now, thankfully) but am 100m from buses that run every few minutes. So could get myself to places by bus stops or where the floor was smooth enough for me to propel a wheelchair. South Bank was great.

That new Television Centre development is in an absolute SHIT-HOLE.

I wouldn't live there if you GAVE me £4m. I really mean it.

My gran used to live in what is still quite a nice area of NW London. I have fond memories of staying there with the GPs and being just a short bus/tube ride away from London Zoo, Regents Park, the National Gallery, the V&A, the Royal Albert Hall, you name it...

However, I have less than fond memories of just how much hassle that house caused: the maintenance issues, the tenants issues, the middle-flat neighbour issues, the cost, the legal maze. My DF was up there most weeks sorting something or other out that my GPs had neither the money nor the nous to deal with, and because (sad to say) my GPs were both vain and naive enough to think they could handle them, it caused no end of arguments. There is no bigger marriage-wrecker or deeper money-pit than an under-maintained century-old house, and we did see a family friend's marriage crumble over just such a heap of bricks.

Caveat emptor.

Londoner born and bread here. Devoted the first 25 years of my life to getting out (Made it! ).

Yes op my dream to live in London.

No where else compares I love it.

Chopin your right.

It would be legal maze in that situation.

Dream would be freehold and detached house!

@joyfullittlehippo
I was born in Shepherd's Bush! We call ourselves Bush babies...

The old BBC place is across the road from the giant Westfield Shopping Place which is a horrible noisy, hot, crowded place. There is a noisy rattley Tube line that goes past and a busy main road. It's not a great area. My mind is blank to where the nearest big park is.
London is a big place and there are much much better places to live in London if you want the art scene lifestyle. Next door to blimmin Westfield ain't that place!

Hammersmith Park is around the back of Television Centre, Ravenscourt Park is in Hammersmith and Holland Park is just over the borough boundary in Kensington & Chelsea.

I'm a Bush Baby, too.

Another thing to think about, the human crush and the traffic caused by QPR playing at home are quite something.

Television Centre is just across the road from White City Underground Stations, one of the closest to Loftus Road.

Ooh I may seek out Hammersmith Park next time I go to Westfield (I only go there for the Lego Store)!

Having just read an alarming article about air pollution in London (and levels around schools), not one (state or private sector) comes within the WHO recommended as acceptable levels. So be careful what you wish for, OP. Goodness knows what potential lung/breathing related problems are in store for children growing up in London.