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?

I love London, it is a brilliant place to live!

The only thing I miss is the sea , I grew up in the equally fantastic Cornwall!

I lived in Sydney in my early 20's and for me, it was the perfect blend of seaside and city living off to start a new thread about brilliant places to live

My very lovely Scottish friend once told me he hated London and the media because it was so focussed on London. His example? "The Evening Standard - it's so London-centric. It's just all about London"

London is a pita but I'll never leave 'er, gawd bless 'er.

Has it really AmberLeaf? Most of the posts are positive about London.

Different places make different people happy.

Some people want trees, peace and quiet and to live somewhere where in the country. They feel like they belong and living there makes them happy.

Some people want hustle and bustle and people and to live in the city. They feel like they belong and living there makes them happy.

People are different and want and need different things.

I have idea why people feel the need to slag other people's choices off.

Says more about them than the place they are slagging off I think.

I think what tends to happen is that because there is such a high concentration of population, but more importantly, influential people in say, the media and business, London and London life is probably over represented in the news. Because of this, I think people tend to react negatively to hearing about London quite so much.

I think London's a great city, but I don't particularly envy Londoners as I live in a lovely part of the country, where I can easily go hiking or cycling in the countryside, and I'm sure there are statistics on life, but I doubt Londoners have a better quality of life.

As above really, this country has a broad spectrum of people. Some love the hustle and bustle of a big city and it's hard to argue that London isn't a great example of that. Equally others would prefer to live on a remote Scottish isle with the papers flown in once a week. There's room for everyone and people have a right to their opinions, though I agree it's a bit off to emphasise your dislike if you know someone lives there.

London is awful and fab in equal measures - I lived there over 20 years so I'm allowed to London bash

But.. but.. I've seen many a thread from Londoners praising how wonderful it is, what with the art galleries and the theatres etc. etc,.
For a start I couldn't afford it.
And making out everybody that chooses to live North of Watford into some sort of country bumpkin.
I've just had a weekend there, it's an amazing city but it's not for me. Nor are Glasgow or Edinburgh (where I was born and brought up)
Just as my tiny Highland village is not for others.
I've lost count of the people that have said 'but what do you do there'?
Probably as much as any parent actually, go home and make the tea and just get on with it. Though the view from my window of a loch and mountains beats every Londoners view into a tin hat.
Do Londoners really use all the facilities they boast about?

I used to hate London. Couldn't understand why people did the commute or live there. But recently I've had to drive there quite a lot as Dh has to go to Barts hosp in London. I've completely changed my mind, I bloody love it. It's absolutely beautiful. I even like driving in london traffic as I get to look at all the buildings in the traffic jams. Every time I go I see something else amazing that I hadn't spotted before. And even though it's so busy I've found people are really friendly and can spare the time for you. Can't believe I spent so much of my life hating somewhere that really isn't what I thought it was at all. I would love to live there, i dont think id ever be bored. I drive through picking out the houses I'd like to live in. Well I can dream anyway.

I love going through London in a black cab past touristy things. It's like living in Mary Poppins.

YANBU!

London is a country in itself. Though it's so expensive I don't think I'll ever be able to afford to travel again, fortunately I don't feel the need to because London is like the whole world in a a microcosm. It's incredibly diverse.

thats a wonderful view LadyBeagleEyes

and yes we do (as in ds and i and many people i know) make use of what london has to offer, be such a waste not too

What I really really miss about London is all the free or cheap stuff to do with kids, I took all that for granted when we lived there, everything costs a small fortune out of London.

Medieval. Its just my observation of course. Im sure that not everyone who doesn't like London is homophobic or hate immigrants etc.

But, the people i know who love London tend to be very accepting of differences, and the ones who live here and grew up here with me and chose to move away have done so for those reasons . . . because they don't like immigrants, different cultures and in a few cases have not liked homosexual people.

London is a very interesting and mixed place full of differences but not everyone likes differences.

Im sure there are plenty of other reasons people don't like it but these are the ones I've seen myself.

As for crime, Im not sure it is worse than anywhere where else if you were to look at it crimes compared to population.

I don't like London, but each to their own. Yes I have lived there, no I'm not "scared of gay people" and I don't "dislike immigrants" etc. (No stereotypes about non-London-lovers on this thread then! )

For me personally London is too dirty - you can feel the grime on your face after a day if you're not used to it, the underground smells rank etc. Give me good clean mud any day :o

It's too busy, noisy, impersonal, expensive, and everything's too spread out compared to smaller places. There's a level of snobbery from some Londoners too. I've certainly heard comments implying how backward the rest of us supposedly are - so it's not surprising there's a bit of a backlash of comments in return.

And it takes ages to get to the countryside from the middle of London, for real peace and quiet, nature, a breath of fresh air. This isn't important to everyone but it is to me.

Yes there's culture, diversity, architecture etc. but those can also be found with some effort in lots of other places, so it's not enough to draw me back to London. Likewise with careers - I'd have far more opportunities in London but I just don't want to live there.

Really PooPoo. Really?
I've lived in a couple of multi cultural cities, and that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Because nobody in London is racist or homophobic.
Riiiight.
And you'd have probably just proved the point about the arrogance of Londoners, apart from the fact that I'm far too broad minded to think that.

"Crucru, "London is awesome, possibly the bright centre of the universe," is an opinion that not everyone agrees with. Maybe people feel a bit irked if you say things like that?"

I agree. Like *MedievalGirl" I prefer rural life. I grew up in Greater London and worked in the City and then the West End when I first started work. I then moved oop North and, although I like to visit, I wouldn't want to live in London again.

I might have sacrificed better public transport and access to a vast array of ethnic restaurants, but we live in area that offers a low crime rate, beautiful countryside, good schools, easy access to large cities offering lots of culture, lower house prices, peace and quiet and cheaper beer.

backwardpossom Yes I think it has, as there is the usual ridiculous generalising comments.

BBQ the tube is dirty not London as a whole!

I think when some people say 'London' what they base their opinion on is actually the west end.

IMHO it is a shithole sorry like x

"London is like the whole world in a a microcosm. It's incredibly diverse."

Proper LOL, that's so blinkered someone must be riding you ;)

"BBQ the tube is dirty not London as a whole!"

I disagree - the dirty air and fumes are noticeable everywhere.

London IS pretty dirty even if you aren't on the tube. I never get black bogeys since moving away

BBQJuly. Everywhere really?

You've been everywhere in London then have you?

Of course you havent or then you'd know you are talking bollox

I love visiting London, I am glad I don't live there.

Some people are just rude and inaccurate, either by declaring London is dirty/crime-ridden/horrid or assuming that all of us who live in the country are racist homophobes.

i love london and miss living there, people moan about the most mundane things in the suburbs