If you were in 2 minds leaving London… and did… did you regret it?

[lking679]

Just that.

If you lived in London and weren’t sure about leaving… then made the move and did…
did you end up regretting it?

Left London after 6 years of living there, back to the North (not my hometown but a northern city). Always knew I would leave and so glad we did. I think it depends on your lifestyle. I am a homebody so my personal space means more to me than the amenities on my doorstep. I think city living is better suited to those who like to live outside their homes more. A park will never substitute a garden for me.

Wish I'd never left!

We left London 7 years ago to live in a rural area (1 hr into London by train). Very happy here, great for kids, big houses, nice people.

I spent 15 years in London, and moved back to my home town 4 yrs ago. Do i miss it? Yes, sometimes. Would i move back? No way!! What i got tired of in London eventually, was the constant commercialisation of life. You cant go Anywhere without the need/temptation to buy at least a coffee or a juice, or merchandise or pay for entry.. And all those people!! Now we can have lovely days out in the nature for free. And peace and quiet.

The main thing I love about London is the ability to get on the tube in 10 minutes and get anywhere in the city. Almost 24x7. I have become so used to this I have turned down high paying job options that need me to drive instead.
It's an expensive city no doubt and not for those who can't afford it. But if you can, and you don't go to all the crowded/busy places regularly, you can have peace, quiet, green alongside buzz, transport and diversity. What's not to love?

The main thing I love about London is the ability to get on the tube in 10 minutes and get anywhere in the city.

I love this but loads of people in London aren't near the tube & still have a 20/25 min walk to the train.

I left ten years ago and now I live in Sheffield. I wish I hadn't. It's nice here, but it's not home. I can't afford to go back now.

I absolutely 100% regret it. We left over 10 years ago, moved to another city, DH said we could try it for a while and we'd be able to afford a house instead of a flat (we had a garden flat, bloody gold dust!). But as London house prices then massively outpaced where we are, there is no way we could afford to move back. So it turned out to be a one-way move.

I moved to Somerset and the only thing that I miss is the diversity of the food that can be delivered. And the selection of pubs available. But mostly the food.

You could be me! I also love the Southbank, canal walks around Kings Cross. Like you the Hindi Temple is on my list and also have never been to Highgate Cemetry, Hampstead Heath, Greenwich etc etc

There's always something going on in London. I know people who retired and came back.

The saying is "when a man is tired of London he's tired of life" - but you pretty much summed it up and for me that holds true just as much today as it did in 1777!

I wish I’d considered more about the town we moved to rather than it being London. The town is okay but it’s a mixed bag.

Think towns in Essex are nicer but at the time the commute to work in west London would be mad.

Now my oldest in school and have a childminder we trust plus spent a lot on the house can’t justify moving! But the idea situation for us would be being an hour or so away from London on the train but in a nice town with a community feel!

We moved from a city, to somewhere semi rural to raise our family, great for little ones, but nothing at all for teens, PITA to get to college before DS1 passed his driving test at 17 our DS’ are now grown up, we now live in another city, would not move away from a city ever again, so much more convenient. If you love London, don’t do it, I think you will be disappointed once the novelty has worn off. But it’s your choice OP, and wishing you all the best.

I left after only 6 years but even after 19 years away, I'd love to move back. Best place on earth to me.

People seem less interesting elsewhere. But more relaxed.

Wimbledon - Sheffield, best move ever for us, never looked back. It's a great place for kids/teens.

I wouldn't live in London now if someone paid me, tbh. I need wild spaces around me now

No regrets

but I work in London 1-2 days a week and often go in on a weekend so still go a lot

Absolutely not.

We moved nearly six years ago to the middle of nowhere in Scotland and we couldn't be happier.

Mind you, we had already retired by then, but still, we do not regret anything.

Our DC come to see us frequently and we go to London to see them, too.

I was forced to move out post divorce as I just couldn't afford to buy in London. Born and bought up in London, lived there all my life, DD first 12 years spent there.

The medium sized seaside town I'm in now is lovely and punches above its weight in terms of great places to eat/drink and stuff going on. Also I'm mortgage free which is a blessing at the moment. Very friendly place too.

However, I still miss London awfully. In the years to come when DD has finished her education etc and I probably will have some inheritance I will seriously consider moving back - would downsize to do it without a moments hesitation.

I think it's because I didn't choose to move but had to if you see what I mean. I miss the London buzz and for me London just is home. It feels like home - even Oxford street!

when a man is tired of London he's tired of life

I never quite get this (as someone who's moved out of London). I never felt tired of London, per se, but it cannot deliver everything, and I wanted the things it can't deliver.

London's great to visit now, but I think getting tired of living in London, or just wanting to live somewhere else, is pretty normal. I never want to only have lived in one place, even London.

Never regretted it for a minute. I live in Manchester so plenty of big city advantages plus I can actually afford a naice house with a garden. I loved living in London but realistically didn't use and couldn't afford most of it. So relieved I was never a parent in London

Moved to a rural Bedfordshire village. It was weird at first, not bad, just a bit weird. I didn't want to leave in the first place, DH was desperate to leave and that's the only reason I agreed. That was 20 years ago and we've honestly never regretted it. I love it here, it feels like home now.

Depends where you go. I’ve got friends who’ve moved to the Kent coast, some years ago and some more recently.

All of them say that the lifestyle is great but if you don’t drive you’re at the mercy of bus/train companies and it’s not at all like they were in London.

I visited my aunt recently in Dymchurch, met friends in Canterbury but wanted to drink so didn’t drive and ended up in Folkestone getting a cab which cost a fortune as few/no late buses.

I’ve got a friend who currently lives just outside Croydon and is toying with the idea of moving to near Eastbourne where parents are. It is a big move/shift in ideas.

What I found about friends who moved say 20 years ago is any trip to London for them is a big thing now. They think fashion/hair is different by the sea.

One of them last time she was up went to Vidal Sassoon to get “the London look”. She only lives in Broadstairs!

It’s interesting, as a lot of my friends are leaving London and bits of Croydon (Coulsdon, etc) are being thought of as options. We don’t consider that to be London at all!

No I don’t miss it. The only thing I miss is the country park near my house. But I always lived in the suburbs. If I want to go out for the day and visit a museum or whatever DH drives me to the tube in the next town over.