Am I alone in saying I dont like London and don't see the attraction ?

[Bertybamboozle]

I am SE based and can be in London in around 20 mins on the train. I cannot stand the place. There is no reason to visit, unless you are a tourist. I really cannot see the appeal and apart from the tourist things, there is nothing else especially special/different to do. I can do pubs/cinema/shows/shopping anywhere.

I feel like I am the only one who thinks this.

Loads of people have the same opinion. Probably the majority of the country! I live in London and love it. But i am aware of all the reasons people might not. I just love big bustling cities, and nothing else comes close for me.

You’re not alone. I spend a lot of the year at another part of the UK and abroad and find it necessary to recharge in nature away from London.

A lot of friends have moved away to the country and abroad to Ireland, Spain etc

At the moment for me, London is to be endured

I won't say the only one. but I think you are in a minority.

I was brought up 25 mins by rail from Victoria and went to London every chance I could manage.

Love the place and part of me still regrets moving so far away.

It regularly infuriates me but I wouldn’t be without it.

If you don't have a reason to do, then don't go. No-one is making you, surely?

You don't have to be a 'tourist' to visit and discover new things though - the museums have ever changing exhibits and are just as good for 'visitors' as 'tourists'. And the availability of theatre and shows is just way better than anywhere else in the country.

I probably go twice a year (am 90 mins away by train). I wouldn't class myself as a tourist, but as a visitor, and I think there's always plenty to see and do.

But you're an adult - you can choose what you want to do, and if London isn't it, then leave that for the people that do enjoy it!

Of course you're not alone, there are about a million people on here who leap at every possible chance to discuss what a disgusting dirty crime-ridden overcrowded hellspace they think London is and express faux horror at the property prices and here they all come again.

You are not alone in not liking London. But I think you're being a bit faux surprised that other people do.

It's easy to see the appeal - the energy, the variety of shops, restaurants and activities, the diversity, the busyness, the "coolness", the "edginess". Its okay for you not to find any of that appealing but are you honestly saying you can't even imagine why other people (millions and millions of them, from every country in the world) DO find it appealing?

Perfectly reasonable to say you don’t like London and prefer a smaller place. But if you think there’s nothing to do in London that you can’t find in any medium-sized regional town… then you’re clearly not looking hard enough, because that’s simply not true.

Do you really think that everyone feels the same way about everything? I find it hard to believe that for your whole life you’ve only met people who feel exactly the same way as you?

I love London.
However, it's a bit weird to think you are the only person who doesn't.

Where do you like?

I agree OP. The UK is full of beautiful places but I find London ugly, shabby and crammed.

Yes this is exactly it - loads of people don't like London obviously but it's absolutely stuffed with things that you can't do in a small town. Really weird to claim otherwise.

Lots of people don’t like big cities. That’s ok.

I love them; my brother thinks I’m a weirdo and would stay in the same small village forever if he could.

Yes, this too. I live 30 minutes from London. If I want variety of food, or really high quality food (in most cases), I have to go to London. If I want to go to a museum or art gallery... London. If I want to go to IMAX.... London. If I want to watch a live gig (not My neighbour Pete and his buddies at the local) ... London. If I want to shop in a wide variety of designer shops... London. If I want to see street art or street musicians.... London.

I am very happy where I live and there are loads of great things here, but I'm very glad I live close enough to London that I can also take advantage of all these other things.

This with bells on. You could spend weeks inside 'just' London's museums - our town has two dusty rooms dedicated to our nearby bridge. And no side to the lovely volunteers who maintain and look after it, it's a great two rooms. But that's it. Oh and the local panto. Sum total of 'culture' available on my doorstep. Thank fuck for lovely London.

My eldest (22) is in London at Uni and loves it.

I go for work sometimes as we have offices on south bank, opposite Parliament. I enjoy being down around there for a while, but can't wait to get back home (South West). It's ok for a day, but I wouldn't want to do any longer.

Oh come on you can’t seriously think you’re the only person who doesn’t like London.

What is unusual is to live so close to London that it will be making your life very expensive, while hating it. Most people in that distance live there because of the proximity. So perhaps those are the people you are comparing yourself to.

It depends what interests you. Galleries, museums, exhibitions, parks, theatre, ballet… if you aren’t interested in any of that then it’s probably not for you. I wouldn’t go into London to go shopping or to the cinema either. You can do that anywhere. I go in socially or just by myself to do stuff 3 or 4 times a month, but I’m interested in a lot of history, art, culture stuff…

You're not unreasonable to not like it. I personally, absolutely love it. The diversity, the parks, the theatres, museums, history. I go every chance I get.
Walking around London in tbe Summer is probably my favourite thing to do!

I love it. I love the energy and looking at the wealth (sorry, I just do!). The history all around. Spending a day at the fabulous museums is my idea of bliss. Hyde Park in the spring once made me cry because the flowers and blossom were so beautiful. I'm always glad to see the green fields as the train leaves, but London makes me feel alive. I'm really sorry you don't feel that way. DD's friend thought Paris was boring. Oh well. Each to their own!

I love going (30 mins by train)
Every time I go I wish I went more often.

I’m not a fan of big cities, I was a weird backpacker I kept on ending up in these tiny villages on the coast in Italy/France/Spain I felt like I was box ticking famous sites in cities but I felt alive/ really connected when in nature.

Well it's the cultural things and architecture which makes it special as is the same with Paris, Edinburgh, Barcelona if you get rid of all the touristy cultural places then no one would want to visit anywhere.

I don't think it's unusual on MN to proclaim you don't like 'London'.

But I always wonder where people are actually talking about when they say this - as if 'London' is one homogenous mass, when in reality it is a series of small villages and neighbourhoods, each with its own amenities, good and bad bits, lovely and not-so-lovely, pastoral and urban...

To me, saying 'I don't like London' is like saying 'I don't like Hertfordshire.'
What? All of it? Where? Where do you mean?!

No, you're not some crazy original thinker OP, lots of people don't like London. Lots of people love it. Same with anywhere really. Some people love the countryside, others hate it. Some love the coast, other people not so much.

It's barely worth posting about tbh!