If you left London, do you regret it?

[Hareyy]

Both DP and I are Cornish. We’ve spent almost a decade of our lives living in London. Live in a small flat in Z1 and walk everywhere. Do a lot of cultural things. But feels like we’re starting to yearn for space. We can’t afford anything more than a one bed here, and the thought of living in suburbia gives me the creeps.

So we’re thinking of leaving London for somewhere more affordable. Back to Falmouth? To Edinburgh? To Bristol?

If you left London, do you regret it?

No (Moved to South Wales) but did on and off for about three years.

Miss aspects of London now and considering retiring there but don’t regret moving out overall and would do it again. It suits us at the moment to be in Wales.

No - miss some aspects, but when I go back now it seems sooo crowded. Just hope my kids can afford to live there one day - everyone should have a few years having fun living in London!

We did almost a decade in London but left because we wanted more space and knew that we’d want kids and that the schools near us were rubbish.

we moved to Yorkshire and had DD 18 months later. Initially missed London so much but once she came along, we realised the things we missed weren’t really child friendly so didn’t matter so much. Love, love, love living in Yorkshire and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Not in the slightest, you couldn’t pay me enough money to move back there.

Not sure either Edinburgh or Bristol can be classed as affordable!

Don't do Bristol. Its all just an effort.

No, born and bred in South London and moved to North Yorkshire in my early twenties.
Love North Yorkshire

Second that 👍

No! Moved closer to home (northwest) quite a few years ago and have never regretted it. Far fewer people, no fighting to get on the tube, nice affordable houses…it’s a long list of positives but never looked back.

Yes I do, but I moved to an expensive city (Bristol) and honestly, prices are on par with London.

wish I had chosen to raise my family in an alright terrace in zone 4 and still had the city in reach.

i instead live in an alright house in a nice, safe suburb of Bristol close the centre…but it’s not much less

I think if we would have moved to somewhere like Cornwall where the lifestyle was different, we’d feel a little differently

or maybe another city where we would have got something palatial for our money

I would only leave London if it meant a serious uplift in quality of life, through a beautiful home or a beautiful place

What is it about suburbia that you’re frightened of? I live in a vibrant very leafy community in suburbia and can be in z1 in 20 minutes. I love it and have the best of both worlds.

No. When I go back into London nowadays it drains me.

No

I've only moved to Essex

But I don't want to go into London if I can possibly avoid it. I know I can easily get to lovely exhibitions and there's a couple of good shows... but no. I really dislike it now. That's partly why I left

I used to love it but I wanted to leave for a really long time. It was work that kept me there.

what is it about suburbia that gives you the creeps? Editing to add - I lived in an outer London suburb so you probably wouldn't even count it as London @Hareyy

No regrets

I don't regret moving away..we moved nearer family and i love that.

I moved to somewhere semi-rural and it's a pita having to drive everywhere.... we couldn't afford to live in our nearest town unfortunately. We moved from a London borough which was really rough, to raise a family and where we live is lovely but being a constant taxi service is pretty annoying!

My only regret is that as DC “launch” into adulthood they won’t have that easy access to London opportunities while living (prob for free) at home. If they work (or intern) in London they either have to afford renting a room there, or have a hefty commute from here.

Don’t move to Bristol - the worst bits of London with none of the benefits.

No! Moved up to Glasgow and walk everywhere and do a lot of cultural things 😊

People will say “but the cold and the weather and the dark!” but after a couple of those 40C summers and having to get the tube I’m quite happy with the rain!

⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

Yes

No. It was time to leave

This.

I am not sure. Left just over a decade ago. Miss it a bit, but I think I miss my younger self and the life I had then more than London itself which I now perceive as amazing…but, overcrowded, expensive and hard to live in when I go back (which is often due to work). Where I live now, it’s easy to get around quickly, no horrendous commute, access to amazing countryside, big enough city to have most everything you need and I live centrally in a lovely property. I can imagine myself living in London again but to be honest, I’m happy where I am now too. I’m not from London and I didn’t move ‘home’. I will always love London but could I suppose just holiday there to get a fix.

Nope. But we are an hour away by train, so can go up for more culture.

Yes. About to be made redundant and job prospects where I live now are non existent.