London bashing

[CruCru]

Recently there seems to have been a spate of London bashing from friends and acquaintances who live elsewhere. I'm surprised that people think it is okay to totally slate the place that someone else lives just because it happens to be the capital.

I think London is awesome, possibly the bright centre of the universe but wouldn't dream of telling someone how ghastly, say, Lancashire is (I have never been to Lancashire, I am sure it is very nice, it is just an example).

AIBU?

Presumably the polite thing to do when meeting someone who lives in another region is to say something nice about the place they live in? I went to university in Newcastle so when I meet someone from there or who lives there, I tell them what a nice time I had there and how much fun it was. I don't always find that I get the same back.

I'm a country girl who moved to London, then moved out again. I wouldn't dream of slagging off rural areas. But I blardy lurrrve London!

Agree it's not great without money. Same as any western city - was in Paris as a student, so much I couldn't do due to crap exchange rate.

I do visit London 3/4 times a year. There is lots to be proud about. Londoners should never complain about their transport system. People really do need cars in rural areas public transport is truly crap if you're not in a town or a city.

Recent rummbling of pay scales for different areas of the UK will do nothing to make the rest of us love the SE more. My DS needs a car to get to work if he was in London he could jump on a train. How about paying him more to cover his car insurance.

some people will always gripe. About anything they can.

I agree London can be a nice place to be poor in - cheap and regular buses, free children transport, free museums, lots of free outside space.

I grew up somewhere else, you couldn't pay me to move back there but I still wouldn;t be rude about it to people who live there. Its rude.

Ynbu. London IS the bright centre of the universe. If you become bored of London you have become bored of life. I have never been to a city that comes close to it.

I loves London. It's my home really (although I live Up North in Sticksville).
I have flirted with moving us back there, but am put off by school horror stories.
Its a place where there is always something to look at, everyone looks different, public transport is fab, the parks and galleries are amazing, and you can get a decent cup of coffee. Also, it's where I was young, so it still has a residue of seedy glamour!
I always think that New York is a movie, but London is a novel: not visually stunning, but full of plot and mystery, and you never know what the ending is going to be!

I've lived in London. It's a soulless place.

HTH

In the words of mums everywhere. "They're just jealous"

Love London, love it. But I've never lived there and never want to (unless I win the lottery).

As a Northerner, who now lives "down South" I am massively aware of the North/South divide.

I can only conclude there is a lot of jealously.

I think London (particularly "tourist" London) is fucking amazing and fantastic. I adore it.

There is also a North London/South London divide...well a bit of one.

Bloody bloody love this fabulous, exciting, mixed up, rammed city.

Adore it. (but also love visiting parents in countryside. And then coming back to London again!)

Having read on MN about all the school angst in London , I'm glad I don't live there tbh

I think Londoners can be very rude about anywhere outside London.

I just quite like the UK in general. But I couldn't live in London

I bloody love London. Lived there for 7 years, met my Dh. We try and go back as often as possible. It's awesome!!

Lived in London, lived in Home Counties, lived rurally.

Does that mean I get to slag off everywhere then?

Currently in London visiting - fab place to visit for a short period but I wouldn't want to live here. Too many people for me.

On a positive note, it looks much cleaner than I remember it (I like the notices on the Tube along the lines of "you know you always clean your flat just because your mum's coming round? Well, our flat is London and our mum is the rest of the world") and twice now people have got up to offer me seats on a crowded train (carrying youngest son). I used to remember it with whatever the opposite of rose tinted specs is, I will take much better memories back home :-)

I have to go there for work. I occasionally go there for leisure. But I don't like London and wouldn't want to live there.
Why not? Basically noise and crime.

Some years ago I had 2 3-month stints in London, and was always glad to get out, to somewhere where there was silence in the background. Same when I was there for a week a bit more recently.

Crime. LOADS of violence is reported. Makes me very nervous about being there.

There are some nice things to do - it's a good tourist destination. But not home. And I get ticked off with London-centric nature of the country: like if you're not in London you're looked down on.

Yeah, 'bright centre of the universe' is the kind of the feeling I always get from the London types.

Well, you're not - sorry and all that!

I have lived here for the huge majority of my life, I have never been a victim of crime.

Why do people act like crime onkly happens in London? very odd.

This thread has proved your point OP!

So people can tell you how wonderful London is but other people can't tell you how shit it is. An opinion isn't fact. I can understand how it would wind you up when people, who haven't even been there, say it. Don't think the media does London any favours....

London always is buzzing in the summer and around christmas its a fantastic city you could spend a month doing something different everyday there are very few places in the world with so much to offer, people may not like london but it can not be denied how much there is to do and see and shop and it and to fit all budgets and this summer it is going to be so exciting can already feel it. ds and i often get on a bus outside our house 20min later we are by the houses of parliament, big ben and westminster cathedral amazing history. and walking over waterloo bridge is just the most spectacular views it always gives me the shivers

i do laugh at how dangerous london is especially south east london drive by shootings seemed to be a daily occurrence but only reported to those that do not live here, obviously otherwise we would all flee

i was born here, grew up here and shall no doutb die here. have lived in the country (not for me), suburbia (hated it with a passion) and abroad. when i returned from being away for nearly 2 years it was a grey drizzly june day and i was so happy to be back (my last stop was a beautiful island off thailand) i could have kissed ground i was so happy to be home

I've never been the victim of crime in london.

In fact today, the opposite - I left my purse in a black cab. The next fare found it & the amazing, wonderful, dyed un the wool Londoner cabbie drove back from central london to north london to find me & return it. He had to go knocking on doors, as he'd dropped me near but not at my office.

Love London. Love Londoners.