To hate living in Manchester (and North in general)

[ILikeMilk]

Moved here four years ago to be with DH, and I still cannot get used to it. We are in a nicest area of Manchester, and it is still feels very provincial and boring. I dream about living in London, but DH does not want to look for a new job. I feel like there is no point and don?t want to decorate the house, make friends, etc, I just fantasise about being in London every single day. There is not much to do here, no nice streets or galleries, not much to do on the weekends as a family. I went to London this weekend, it was so painful to come back. Does anybody else feel this way?

Glad the North is now free of you.

I think milk needs it more than I do. I'm more than willing to see that people have different views/attitudes, but op has been openly hostile about half of the country and their way of life. If you can't take it, don't dish it out ....

No nice streets (inserts crying with laughter emoji)

I was not hostile. Maybe a tad tactless ;) I think now I would never start this thread because I understand better what you can or cannot say on mumsnet 😂

That's not fair. The OP has class, all of it third.

You're in the heart of everything there, a couple of hours to snodonia, lakes, Yorkshire

What's not to love.
Great airport on your doorstep.
Trafford centre
Parks and museums

ILikeMilk can you clarify what you meant by commenting on the thread ''to give some hope to others in a similar situation.'' Because it sounds, well, like leaving the North for London is the only hope for a decent life. I am genuinely interested as it seems such an odd turn of phrase.

All a bit academic as the moment has now passed, but seems to me that what you were missing OP was possibly a job? Or some voluntary work? Dropping off kids at prep school (why bother except for the snob factor - Trafford state primaries are excellent) then wandering round with your nose in the air all day? Sounds boring wherever you happen to do it!

This thread was great - zombie with an update . It made me think of the late great Victoria Wood:
"We'd like to apologise to viewers in the north. It must be awful for them."

By giving hope - I mean situation might change and you might end up in a place where you want to be :)

Maybe if you got a job you'd be less bored?

helpful

Are you American, OP?

DISCLAIMER - I live in London and have never lived in the north, Spent quite a few weekends in Manchester due to ex.
think for me what would appeal about Manchester is what @dowser says - being in a city but so close to proper countryside. As others have mentioned it's great to be so close to another Major but different in feel city like Liverpool too.
Anyway I'm glad you're happier OP

OP, you sound unbearable. I am glad you have gone back to London.

I am surprised about the comment on galleries given the Lowry centre and the museums in nearby places such as Liverpool.

I used to work in Hale. I imagine there is a lot of keeping up with the Joneses in certain parts of it. But, there are lots of ordinary, down to earth people too. You have a privileged life OP. Stop putting your life on hold because your DH doesn't want to move and make a home and a life yourself and your children instead of sulking and complaining.

This post suggests to me that you've never been to Canal Street on a Friday night.

Also, The Lowry is probably the best place for new theatre outside of London and often stuff premieres there before going down south. We also have amazing galleries and walks - you just have to do a bit of work to find them.

Basically, your problem is you want to live in a city centre but you're in a residential area. Nowhere is like London, because basically everywhere is in the city centre there, if you see what I mean.

Honestly, you come off like a snob and the reason you don't like it is because you have no intention of doing so.

I saw one of the best exhibitions I'd seen in years at Tate Liverpool (sorry Liverpudlians I know that there's other galleries there!)
The other thing about the NW is how much cheaper housing is. We could have a much bigger place!
However I've been very depressed in a city, so I do understand why OP might be very down on Manchester

Hale is in Altrincham.
Bowden is in Altrincham.
Hale is not in Bowden.

HTH. Have my first

Christ - I couldn't be arsed to read more pages of slagging off a perfectly nice area and went and posted on a sodding ancient but updated thread. Thank God for the rest of us up here that you bogged off back to London.

Sorry haven't read whole thread, and it seems from this page that OP has gone back to London, but I will just say in her defence that I grew up in Altrincham and I would not go back there.
Yes, I know it's a nice area and there's lots of culture in Manchester and the countryside nearby but its....I dunno, awful. I have no good arguments to explain it; it's just how I feel. I live in London now and pay far too much to live in an ex council flat , with no garden, but I have a great community here, fantastic green spaces and don't own a car.
Just offering another point of view.

1. I never said Hale was in Bowdon
2. It's BowdOn, not BowdEn

ZOMBIE

YAWN

Couldn't be arsed reading the whole thread, but do I get the impression the OP fucked off back to London? There's a shame for us. How will we ever recover from the loss of her sparkling contribution.

Hale is just a load of residential streets, a station, odd spotting of a celeb. is raisin d'être still open?

Find a better part to live in before giving It up, or move to Chester