Who loves London?

[NorthernLiner]

Personally I do.
Everything about it.
Studied, lived and worked there for a good 15+ years, only moved out to the home counties to buy bigger house when kids arrived.
Just spent 5 days at the in-laws in Zone 2.
Totally satisfied my London fix 😍

Anyone else ❤️ London?

But you are including about 50% of England in that! Bletchley is closer to London than it is to Peterborough, and Peterborough is twice as close to London as it is to Worcester.

Nobody is saying there is more in London than in the rest of the UK combined. But if you have to drive 114 miles to get to an attraction, I’d argue it isn’t exactly “on your doorstep”.

To be fair Southwark was a bit of shit hole 20 years ago. Taxi drivers wouldn’t take you there. Although someone always loses in development, it has to be balanced against the greater gains.

"I opened the thread with some trepidation because it seems popular to slag off London and say how awful it is and how the rest of the country is the proper U.K. I always feel defensive when I read things like that."

@SocksShmocks I had the exact feeling of trepidation when wording the thread but went rogue and threw caution to the wind and thought "sod it!" and openly declared my love for the city 😆
We have lived in NYC (2 yrs) , HK (18months) , and Edinburgh (15 months) and honestly enjoyed the experiences, but we always come back to "but it's not London".
Luckily the DCs love it as much as we do, and the youngest (7) said as we were driving back home yesterday - "when are we coming back?! We didn't get time to do kids V&A!" (They meant Young V&A)
That's just it - there is always something new to do.
Even DH who's 52 said it doesn't matter how many times he goes back "home" (parents Zone 2 house) he always discovers something he'd never noticed before)

Glad to hear there are many London lovers on here!

Yeah I wasn’t going to get into it, but didn’t see much worth bothering with on that list, certainly nothing that would occupy a Londoner for longer than an hour. Stately houses aren’t particularly entertaining to young kids in any event.

I love to visit….I’m 2 hours by train……go about 3 times a year..….get all excited when we get off the train at Euston …….always ready to get back on the train after a couple of nights

@Saschka "The Midlands" is a big place 😂
Obviously if you wouldn't be visiting all the places I suggested in one trip and it would depend where abouts in the Midlands you are.
@80smonster is it suggestions of places for family days out (ie adults with kids) or adults?
Because I'm sure I can suggest both types.
What sort of things do you as a family enjoying doing?

Me ! French living in London - I never want to live ! I love it

Hmm..got mixed feelings about it now..may have lived here too long🤔 30+ yrs..and since covid have stopped visiting all cultural activities. Time out mag used to be the source of inspiration for where to visit but since it's paper demise and the cost of living crisis have stopped going anywhere 🤷‍♀️

Me! I grew up in the sticks but was always fascinated by London, moved here after uni and never looked back! I'm mid-40s with a family in London now, DH would happily move out of London, but I've absolutely put my foot down about that one. I love the life and the vibrancy, and that the vast majority of people my age are in London still because they love it, otherwise they'd have upped and gone by now.

We left London in 2012 after ten years, and left the UK for our home country in 2019, and our London-born DS still teases me and says I get my ‘Oh, London’ face on any time it comes up on film or tv. It was a brilliant place to live. I loved every second (the art alone was worth the black snot), and despite not having much spare money, we knocked out an excellent time doing the kinds of free and cheap stuff that was easy when you lived centrally and had a worklife flexible enough to go to free lunchtime concerts or queue early in the morning for cheap day seats for the ROH or NT. Plus I only realised retrospectively how tolerant and accepting it was compared to the place we moved to (midlands) afterwards.

We still go back for a weekend whenever possible, and I see the appeal of returingbthere.

I am Irish but was born in London . I absolutely LOVE it !! I think I was there 5 times last year for musicals . Have been 3 times this year so far . I could never, ever tire of it .
There is so much to do .
Food, culture and history - it has it all.
Last week after a musical we were standing on the balcony in Covent Garden listening to the string group that play there . I was drinking a glass of extortionately expensive Sauvignon Blanc and I had tears of joy in my eyes 😎!

Yeah I wasn’t going to get into it, but didn’t see much worth bothering with on that list, certainly nothing that would occupy a Londoner for longer than an hour

I’m not sure what you are classing as a Londoner since they aren’t all a homogenous mass. But as born and raised ones, myself & dc had a great time at Warwick Castle. Definitely stayed more than an hr!

Agree with your stately homes point but most of my neighbours are NT members & love a stately home visit with the dc 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Nuggetnuggety yes I was baffled by the "longer than an hour" comment.
One of my suggestions was a theme park 😂

Last time I went to Legoland I think I queued an hour for a ride 😆

Yes.

I have lived in London all my life and could not love it more! I love how different it feels in different parts, there are still areas I've never explored. I lived in a suburb of West London as a child and now live in a neighbouring suburb with my husband. I now find Leicester Square/Covent Garden etc. a bit hassly. I feel it was a real privilege to grow up in London and I hope we will be able to bring up our future children here!

Thats a real shame. There are loads of free cultural activities in London. Its one of the many amazing things about it.

Same. Hopefully by the spring

I'm in a seaside city, so probably the same as you.... Cinema, theatre, gallery, concerts, restaurants - all open 7 days a week here.

And sometimes, we put on our wet weather gear and walk the prom or play golf 😂

I live near Glasgow, plenty to do in all weathers, I love it, but it's still just not London.
I often think about putting my HA home onto one of the swap sites to try and move.

Love it too. We were priced out but are really pleased we left as we have loads of choice and can be there in no time from where we live. I do have enough after a day though. But, as I said we have easy access to it.

If I had no kids, I would live in absolute isolation amongst rolling hills in Scotland, but that's v expensive too 😆

I used to when I was in my 20s but now I'm very meh about it. I come from Northamptonshire and have decided asap to move back home. DD is doing her A's and wants to stay for uni, her dad is London born & bred so she can live with him, I can't afford to be here on my own anymore and think I'll get a better standard of living if I bugger off back. London has given me a lot, like a very good job and a different worldview, but it's running out of steam for me. I used to love the galleries and museums and houses and history but after 27 years...I dunno, it's lost its shine. Can't pinpoint WHY but it has.

I love visiting. It takes 3 hours on the train each way and I love travelling on the tube and seeing and visiting things. I love the history and going on my own so I only have myself to please.

Thanku. Please say more? all I know about free exhibitions is the Wellcome inst.which I visit after medical appts (uclh) bit pathetic really😐