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Original poster

What do non-Londoners think of London?

387 replies

savedbyanalien · 09/04/2022 12:31

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?

OP posts:

LittleRedRidingHood187 · 09/04/2022 13:41

I don't mind going for the day but I wouldn't want to live there. I grew up in a village and although I live in a relatively large city now at least we're on the edge so three minutes from the countryside

I don't like the traffic and crowds of people in London. Everybody just seems to walk around like zombies making no eye contact staring at their phones

I would like to live in a village again in the future

kitcat15 · 09/04/2022 13:41

I love to visit...been twice this year to see shows and stayed over........we visit about 4 to 5 times a year....could not ever live there though...always happen to be pulling out of Euston back to my little NW market town ...where everyone knows everyone

kitcat15 · 09/04/2022 13:41

Happy not happen

greenlynx · 09/04/2022 13:42

I used to live in a big city (not UK) so obviously projecting my past experience. I think that most Londoners are better off then average, they have more opportunities and public transport is better. From the other side London is noisy, air pollution is high, and crime rates are probably higher then average.
I expect life in zone 1 would be different then on outskirts of London.

gogohm · 09/04/2022 13:42

Busy, privileged, expensive ... I'm an ex Londoner and saw the light thankfully.

gogohm · 09/04/2022 13:45

Fine to visit but not to live

WeSellAnyBra · 09/04/2022 13:47

As a Londoner, I find these threads funny. I think people base their opinions of the city on a day trip into the centre where they are trying to fit a lot of sightseeing in and dashing around like mad people shopping and battling the crowds.

I live in a Zone 4 suburb, like probably half of Londoners do. I imagine my day to day life isn’t that different to that of residents of any city or town in the UK. We have gardens, local parks, a local high street. It isn’t particularly ‘dirty and smelly’ . It benefits from having much, much better transport, public services and amenities than anywhere else in the UK, but it’s probably not hugely different to living anywhere else (bar a rural location) on a daily basis.

There are a lot of strange attitudes towards London and Londoners on MN! There are about 9 million of us, living in one of the biggest cities in the world. It’s not one uniform place or population.

otherbookmarks · 09/04/2022 13:48

I couldn't live in London, but do like to visit. It's ridiculous to use a generic 'they' - every Londoner isn't exactly the same, are they? I'm not keen on central London (although I love visiting Zedels for their two course special!).

I used to occasionally work in London, and my car was broken into in Hackney one day. Some locals saw it happening, called the police then when I arrived they supplied me with home made cake and tea until the window repair people arrived - they and their cake were lovely! Wherever you go there are people who are friendly or unfriendly.

BobbyGentry · 09/04/2022 13:48

buy bottled water, “drinking water could have been through numerous pairs of kidney before it reaches a person in London” Paul Johnston. Statement kinda sums up London really. Public transport smells of wee and there’s unwritten rules. There’s always someone encroaching on your space at any point of the day. Need to be in the right mindset. Never further than 3 metres from a rat.

Rubyroseyposey · 09/04/2022 13:49

Lovely for a visit, Marylebone high street I really like and I enjoy the embankment 😂 but I couldn't live there. I'm from Suffolk I need my greenery.

newstart1234 · 09/04/2022 13:49

Underwhelming.

LadyMacduff · 09/04/2022 13:50

That's not what the OP was asking though. If you visit my small city, you'll see the historic but somewhat run down city centre and judge it on that. You're not going to walk down my road and visit the park I take my children to either.

Most places probably are much of a muchness, but just like there are lots of people who could never leave London to live in the "provinces", there are lots of people who can't fathom why people pay that much to live there if they have other options (not everyone does, I know.). There was an odd thread a few weeks ago from a woman living in London, seeming genuinely confused as to what people who lived outside London did with their free time .

BoredZelda · 09/04/2022 13:51

London is great to visit and great to leave behind after a few days.

miscellaneouspancakes · 09/04/2022 13:52

I used to live in London and absolutely loved it. All that there was to do, all the easiness of pretty much anything.
Then I moved to the dreaded countryside which at first I absolutely loathed but two years in I love it.
The peace and tranquility you don't really realised visiting the countryside for a short time how good that is for your health. No noise, no constant police sirens or wondering where they're going to.

London is amazing though and still my favourite city and I've lived in and visited a few. Am thinking of buying a place in london just so I can indulge when I want to but won't live there again.

miscellaneouspancakes · 09/04/2022 13:53

Oh and every single time I go into london now the pollution hits you like crazy!

bluebaul · 09/04/2022 13:53

buy bottled water, “drinking water could have been through numerous pairs of kidney before it reaches a person in London” Paul Johnston.

I don't know who he is but isn't all water recycled in the same way?

DinaofCloud9 · 09/04/2022 13:53

I love London. So much to see and do. I go once a year. The kids love it too.

shiningcuckoo · 09/04/2022 13:53

I love London. Never really lived there - just for a year or so when I was in my 20s. My parents could never understand why I liked it - too busy, too dirty, too dangerous said they sitting in their big northern city, famous for its knife crime. But then I can't actually recall that they ever even visited London - it was a no go area for them! London is so diverse and busy and interesting. I'd love to live there in my old age visiting galleries, markets and exhibitions, but I wouldn't be able to afford that. Some of my old friends moved to London straight from Uni and Have stayed there. My only criticism is that some people seem to believe that the world ends at the North Circular and can be a bit of a dick about places outside of London.

spudjulia · 09/04/2022 13:53

I like visiting London. It's great for a short visit. I wouldn't want to live there on our income and I imagine working is a ball ache in terms of commuting. But I do like swanning round London like a lady of leisure now and then.

CoralDaffodil · 09/04/2022 13:54

I like to visit for the day or maybe 2. I love the theatre. But honestly I always feel like I need a shower when I leave. I find it too dirty, busy, noisy and built up for me. Fine for a visit but I would never live there.

spudjulia · 09/04/2022 13:56

Now I think of it, half the people I know in my (v small, rural town) 'used to live in London'.

Eskarina1 · 09/04/2022 13:58

I grew up in a small rural and my dad (a Londoner) would take us back to visit. I'd always end up with a splitting headache, it was so full on. I loved driving to my great granny's though, we'd detour past Buckingham Palace and it felt very special.

As an adult I've moved to a different city and spent a fair bit of time in London both for work and with close friends. The village type areas are great - my friends can easily walk to a lovely high street. But I could not stand the transport. There's very little in my city I can't walk to if I really want to. I've been stranded in London during strikes (late at night and we hadn't realised how busy the black cabs would be) and that just wouldn't happen at home. The tube took me ages to figure out - I was once horribly late for a meeting because I was polite while getting on the tube, so obviously couldn't get on until rush hour had passed.

Pinklimey · 09/04/2022 14:04

Its a place. I couldn't live there. But then, I couldn't live where I live now, but l do.

Its full of people, as big cities are. Some are even nice. A bus held up once while a lady helped me to pick up my spilled oranges.

SoupDragon · 09/04/2022 14:05

@BobbyGentry

So, like every other city then.

Dancer47 · 09/04/2022 14:05

I worked in London 88-94 and absolutely loved the place. I went everywhere on foot. There were places to be avoided of-course, but that was easy to do. The one thing that did haunt me was King's Cross where I went a lot and seeing the little rent boys in floral Bermuda shorts (their uniform) in the depth of winter getting in and out of very nice Daimlers and Mercs. It has haunted me every since.

I went back to London for a 6 month stint in 2016. The lovely buildings and topography were the same, but the feeling was very different, and parts of South London felt dangerous. I had some very bad experiences and won't be going back. I didn't meet very many real cockneys like I had previously. I liked them. They have moved out to Essex.

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