What do non-Londoners think of London?

[savedbyanalien]

We live (just inside) zone 1, so very central. We're very much "big City people" and couldn't imagine living in the suburbs or the countryside, or even a provincial town.

I was at London Victoria station earlier today and saw reams and reams of day-trippers (Hen and stag do's etc) and tourists getting off the Gatwick express with their luggage.

I wonder, what do you think about london when you get here? Big, noisy, busy, pretty, exciting?

Nice to visit every now and then. I'm married to a Londoner but we live up North. He doesn't miss London and I wouldn't want to live there.

Too much energy when I get off the train. Just too much. Too many people, too crowded, too noisy.

But some parts are lovely with great pubs. Some parts are shitholes.

I lived in Sydney (a roughly comparable city) and was always horrified by the dirt and really poor housing when visiting a relative in a surburb in london.

I love visiting it, but I also find it exhausting. I'm bringing DS in the OCtober half term and have had some great recommendations form other MNers. I had no idea there were roman remains!

Ive only been a couple of times but love London for a weekend trip to do all the tourist bits. I live in a small town in the north east and enjoy visiting busy cities. Even my mum who generally hates cities as they're too busy for her,loved our trip to london

I work in London, but live out in a nice leafy city. I find London filthy, it stinks and when you come home you have a layer of grime on everything. Apart from that I guess it's nice to have a pret every 20m if you like sandwiches.

I plan to retire to London. I'm looking for a house now. Always lived in the sticks, now live in a very pretty South East Market town.....but I'm bored. I'm not 50 yet. I plan to work part-time and spend every free day doing and seeing something different. I've always loved North London. I also love some areas of East London. I've always lived close enough not to feel like a 'real' tourist, and I've never had to do a commute to work which might have put me off London.

You’re talking about 58 million people. I’m sure they have lots of different views.

What is the smell everyone is going on about?

Where were you?

I’ve never noticed a particular smell

I used to live in London and it’s got it’s pros and cons. In the 90s as a teenager it was a great place to live and my contemporaries were a wonderful and diverse mix and much more mature and friendlier than previous experience of living in the provinces. Although it wasn’t a friendly place per se and public resources were massively stretched compared to the rest of the country at that time.
London is massively different to living anywhere else in the country. When we go back now unfortunately it just comes across as exceptionally dirty (even the children comment on it) and generally unkempt and comically pretentious. Plus just a generally stressful place to be

I live in a Northern city, and I love London. I visit multiple times a year, whenever I can. My fantasy is to retire there & to live on my own in a beautiful, central flat. Sadly, property prices mean that I would never be able to afford it.... but I can still dream!

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale

I love visiting it, but I also find it exhausting. I'm bringing DS in the OCtober half term and have had some great recommendations form other MNers. I had no idea there were roman remains!

There are several bits of ruined Roman wall around the Museum of London and the museum itself has some great Roman London artefacts - as well as lots of other very good areas giving historical context to London. It also used to do great daily talks from the curators who would explain, in a really accessible way, something about Roman or medieval or Tudor London - whatever their speciality was. I can't see anything on the MoL website about it but I used to take my kids a lot and, if your son is about 9 or 10 or above, and likes history, it would be worth phoning up nearer the time and seeing if they still do them.

From a former archaeologist and (fairly) friendly Londoner

I've only been twice as a tourist and honestly I loved it first time we did the tour bus etc second time was more relaxed and we did the West end and a show. Dh didn't like it said it was too busy for him,

As visitors, love it. I’m Scottish, and while Glasgow and Edinburgh are corkers, London has a vibe that can’t be beaten.

It's big, noisy, busy and Over There. Used to stink of traffic fumes, I wonder if it still does, is it still blackened by it?

I may get round to visiting in again. But I may not bother. I think much the same about most cities.

I found it really exciting when I went regularly, in my teens and 20s. My tapping 60 self finds the idea of it daunting.

I love it for a few days' visit from Scotland. Generally people are very friendly, I find, though not on the tube,

When I come back home my town seems so small and dull at first, but then I settle into it again and realise a few days at a time of the big city is enough for me.

I moved from city (not London) to rural over 30 years ago.
All cities now feel busy and dirty and they all smell. They are places to visit for a purpose: an event, a particular attraction or a get together. Just processing the bustle is exhausting when you aren't used to it.

London is just the biggest busiest example in the UK.

I love it. Noisy, exciting, busy, pockets of peacefulness, great food, museums, omg the shopping, the concert halls, the bonkers street entertainment along South Bank. A big up to TFL staff, always ALWAYS happy to help country mice like me.

Whatever people think of London if they only visit will be wrong because they'll just be central and not see where people actually live (which are often leafy, green and neighbourly).

This imo. Yes the road behind Victoria Station smells (it’s mainly because of the Burger King in the station!). Other bits don’t smell, aren’t unfriendly, aren’t overcrowded. I live in Zone 2. This morning I took my kid to a playground and then a café. We went to a lovely local park, we saw a few neighbours on the way and stopped to chat. You know, normal life that I expect is replicated in every city and town in the country. Living here isn’t the same as visiting.

I live in a small rural market town Oop north with a population of about 8000.

I love visiting London. There's so much to do, you are never bored. Rainy days where I live are very limited unless you take the view to go outdoors anyway.

Public transport in London is incredible. I can't even get a bus to my office 11 miles away before 10am.

The amount of restaurants and takeaways you have is incredible. You can order sandwiches and dessert on Deliveroo etc and experience food cultures from all over the world. Here we have one Chinese takeaway that delivers, an overpriced Italian restaurant, and an Indian restaurant.

But, London is dirty, and there are more people in your green spaces than there is on my high street. I could never live there. It's too claustrophobic and I'm always relieved to be leaving after a trip.

@everythingcrossed in the City under the Bloomberg building is the excavated Temple of Mithras. It’s worth a look and I think is free. The Museum of London is also great - not just for Roman stuff

I think it is a fun place to visit for a few days but I wouldn't want to live there. I like my nice quiet spot on the east coast of Scotland! However my DD2 lives in London and adores it, and although she likes a trip home to the quiet coast, she looks forward to getting back to the bustle of the city.

Have lived in London for the last 30 years and I love it as much as ever- so varied, exciting, beautiful. I grew up in the country (which I also love) but would never not have a home in London now.

Downsides- expensive housing, air quality in some areas.

[quote LittleBearPad]@everythingcrossed in the City under the Bloomberg building is the excavated Temple of Mithras. It’s worth a look and I think is free. The Museum of London is also great - not just for Roman stuff[/quote]
Sorry this was meant to go to @StrictlyAFemaleFemale

@ssd

I love London. But i find your opening post vaguely patronising *@savedbyanalien*. Big city people? You mean you can afford to live there, thats all.

What No. I mean we are the kind of people who like living in big cities.

Get that chip off your shoulder.

I was first brought to London when I was about 10 by my Mum who grew up in deepest rural Ireland but who moved to Dublin to work.
I inherited her love of London.
Seeing the sights, going to a show at the West End, the shops...
Travelling on the tube - oh the wonder of it at 10 - we only had buses and trains.
I still love to visit as do my children.
Thank goodness for Ryanair as their entry into the market brought competition and flights to London got much much cheaper.

Looking forward to my next trip there. 🤞