What place did you hate living in? And which did you love?

[Coffeetree]

Have you ever lived in a place you just couldn't get along with?

For me it was Seattle in the 90s. Beautiful city with loads to do, good job, but when my then-partner and I moved there we could just not get comfortable. Lots of very cool people, so hard to make friends. More of a "scene" than a community. We had a party with RSVPs and no one showed up. That sort of thing. Never happened before or since.

Conversely a small village in Cheshire was the warmest and most genuinely welcoming community I ever lived in. I felt at home from the day I arrived.

Yep same as you @adriftabroad I was in the exact same place in my early 20s and could punch myself in the chops for not buying a flat when I could just about have managed it!

I've never lived anywhere I hated just places where I've known I wasn't meant to settle and there would be another move. It's taken us so long to get back on the property ladder I'm determined to love where we are now in non-coastal E Sussex!

If you're late 40's/early 50's we probably know each other!

Ridley Road bagel bakery

I wish the Midlands didn't suck as a place to live - there is countryside and cool places but you're stuffed if you haven't a car and there are so many green and grey deserts. Good luck finding nice woods or wild swimming (or even a lido) in Birmingham.

Hated living in a town in Worcestershire. So boring and soulless with endless dual carriageways.

LOVE living in Solihull.

I loved Christchurch NZ. Mixed feelings about Murchison NZ. Really didn't enjoy Richmond, Nelson NZ, very much at all.

Hated, hate, hate, HATED Toronto Canada.
Really not keen on Swindon.

Loved London - lived in Paddington, and Brent Cross. Brent Cross was fantastic!

Highworth in Wiltshire, was lovely, too.

@JohnMcCainsDeathStare

I wish the Midlands didn't suck as a place to live - there is countryside and cool places but you're stuffed if you haven't a car and there are so many green and grey deserts. Good luck finding nice woods or wild swimming (or even a lido) in Birmingham.

Droitwich has a Lido which is in the Midlands, as does Malvern

Still a long way from most of the Midlands though. It's a perfect example of what happens when you bodge up post-war recovery and slowly murderise your industrial base but don't update it.

Love - central London, less keen on living further out.
Love Newcastle

@DameHelena

Also interesting how much love there is for London on here - it often gets a bad rap on MN but I'm guessing that's from people who've never lived there. I find that in RL; people are very keen to tell me exactly how much they hate it, then it turns out they lived in Surbiton (which I'd hate too) or base their opinion ('too busy, no one smiles') entirely on one trip through King's Cross at rush hour. Still think their opinion trumps mine when I've lived here 20+ years

Agree with every word of this!

Absolutely detested North Warwickshire. Lived in a small town near Nuneaton. It was the worst 3 years of my life. There was widespread xenophobia and racism, and I'll never forget posting on a local Facebook group to ask for recommendations for a childminder and getting 20-odd replies incredulously asking why I had had a child if I didn't plan to stay at home with him and bring him up myself. I worked 2.5 days a week I cried with relief as I drove away on the day we moved.

Am now living in Formby in Merseyside and it's incredible - cannot recommend it enough. We have a beach, we have pinewoods, we have excellent state schools, lots of activities, and most people are friendly, open-minded and tolerant. I love it here.

HATED:
Telford - awful, miserable, ugly, racist, mean-spirited
Watford - straggly commuter dump
Shepherd's Bush - never felt safe
Colliers Wood - arse end of Wimbledon

LOVED:
York - magical place to raise children
Oxford - (see above)
Northern Germany - wonderful people, food, beer!
Belfast - I cried when I left and always swore I'd live there one day.

Liked:

• Copenhagen. Great infrastructure, safe, green, clean. (Though the people can be a bit unfriendly).
• Sheffield. Cheap, fun, interesting history, great nature nearby.

Disliked:

• Cambridge. I haven’t missed it for a moment! Cute city center, but not so great if you’re not loaded or a student at the university. Overtouristed, bad food scene and surprisingly far from anywhere else (London fast train excluded).
• Coventry. Not sure I need to elaborate!

Sydney was shit. The cbd anyway. All the other Aussie cities are nicer greener and cleaner. Alice Springs is a bit depressing.

Manhattan was everything I dreamed it would be

Hated Thamesmead
Love West Sussex, made so many friends and d much to do.

Hate Leicester with a vengeance. Weird, parochial, ugly. Not just unfriendly people, literally from another planet all Leicester born and bred. The opposite of worldly and global. Uninspiring.

If you want somewhere to feel joyless, lonely and like life is one big grey Monday then Leicester is your place. Run don't walk.

I still shudder when I see the sign for Leicester on the A1.

Hated Wilsden Green and Epping (Epping was like living in a village it’s so cliquey)

Love South London east and west

Really do not like LA love Sydney

Haven’t loved anywhere yet

Hated Plymouth - the Barbican is the only redeeming part

Rural east Lincolnshire- flat and boring, absolutely nothing to do

South/west Yorkshire - feels very insular and unwelcoming if you’re not from Yorkshire

We’re considering places to move in the next few years and Newcastle is on the list so it’s lovely to see all the positive comments

Hated Grantham and Lincolnshire in general, such small minded people and nothing to do. Grew up in Edinburgh and found it cold, unfriendly and small, prefer Glasgow, which feel a smidge of guilt about. Loved Marrakech,but not for ever. Love Utrecht and Vancouver. Found Glastonbury to be pretty but town centre has an off vibe.

Hated Falkirk
Loved Sydney

Hated Calgary as well. Ridiculous weather. 10 degrees one day, and -30 the next. Brown a lot of the year too. Depressing.

I haven’t lived anywhere else. Im in Snowdonia. Couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

When I visit london or Manchester (rarely buy i have) i can’t wait to leave! The noise, traffic, miserable people. Cities grate on me.

Loved;

Belfast
Manchester

Hated;
Dublin
Rural Northern Ireland

@NeedleNoodle3

Hated Thamesmead Love West Sussex, made so many friends and d much to do.

Anywhere particular in W Sussex?

Hated Oxford
Loved Berlin