London - A bit of perspective

[Slowhorses1]

I grew up in London, have lived here all my life and always loved it. However, the last year I haven't felt as safe. This summer was the first time I've ever felt edgy going into town with my kids. Everything just feels a bit grimmer than it ever has before.

That said, I don't know if its just me. My daughter has been suffering a bit from anxiety so I don[t know if its just rubbed off a bit on me.

I know some people have always found London grim, so this is directed more to people who have previously / still enjoyed it and to see if anyone has noticed this change.

Quite. Skinheads roaming around beating people up. Pubs you couldn't go into if you were a PoC or with a PoC. People getting bottled and knifed.

I think maybe it's reversion to the mean.

I have lived in South London for nearly 40 years and it is much gentrified compared to the 80s. I have luckily never been a victim of any crime, and haven’t felt unsafe - usual sensible strategies when a mentally unwell person is close by or not waving my phone about as I walk around.

My DC were born and grew up here and are probably more aware of dangers as they have affected school/team-mates - these dangers do seem to affect young people particularly.

Yes, The difference in leafiness is extreme across a very large borough… but actually Norbury is a strong community based place to live.
Scruffy and lacking in TLC from a bankrupt council, but it has excellent active community organisations, good parks supported by ‘Friends of’ volunteers, some fab restaurants, trendy coffee shop, tapas and cocktail bar, friendly people, low crime (for London ), and some ‘outstanding’ and ‘good’ primary schools.
And not an unsafe place to walk the streets in the evening. More likely to be struck down by heart disease due to the excess of fast food shops than by a mugger.

I'm glad to hear it @PenelopePitStrop - I wasn't denigrating Norbury at all, the high st just feels like it needs a bit of TLC (to be fair, at the Croydon end far more than the Streatham end).

Squats for sure
168 Swaton Rd E3 was mine! Condemned by GLC because of bomb damage
It was like a time warp inside
True East End house.
Happily it was rescued and done up
The wooden shutters I’d painted with cannabis plants are still there, but a tasteful shade of Farrow and Ball blue

Still have a mini Guinness bottle from that lovely little house ( on Rightmove 😍)

There were loads of squats in Richmond and Notting Hill as well.
One on Richmond Green ( Coach house near Palace yard)

Its not just London.

The UK is on it's arse at the moment. Years and years of decline have happened and the cracks are starting to show.

City Centres are just where it's most obvious. Rubbish isn't getting cleared up as quickly, there are more homeless people around, people with untreated mental health conditions and alcohol and drug addicts.

Be careful it isn’t your anxiety rubbing off on your daughter……

Where I live (West London z1) things have really gone downhill since COVID. Lots of aggressive begging, very visible drug problems, lots of rubbish and fly tipping on the streets, things look run down, and it generally feels more grim as you say OP. And so, so, so much theft - I’ve had to mute the neighbourhood chat as people are constantly pinging it to report stolen parcels, smashed car windows, attempted break-ins, etc.

Interesting to hear this is not a universal experience - I guess it really depends on your immediate environment.

The thing is about standards, whether that's standards of behaviour or dress or manners or street cleanliness, is that they're not a concrete thing- they have to be maintained and upheld. Things have slipped and it's up to the public to decide whether they allow things to slip further or to improve.

I moved to Finsbury Park (from Harringay) in 2003, and the park was pretty much a no go area. In my opinion it’s far safer now than it was then.

I went to the London Palladium the other night to see Hello Dolly, and felt very safe both there and travelling to and from.

The pubs and restaurants were buzzing and it was a great atmosphere.

It feels the same to me and some areas are radically different/better - Kings Cross, Southbank.

That’s interesting@fufulina It still seems so grim to me. But can understand it used to be worse. I never really went to Finsbury Park years ago, but remember Victoria park was similar, as was London fields .

But how would we approach that?