To miss living in London

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I left 17 years ago in my mid- twenties missed it a bit at first after all there were no 24 hour shops in the provinces then, but I got a regular hit by visiting friends.
Then met a man, got married had baby, friends left London didn't miss it.
Man turned out to be snake in grass in so many ways so it's now just me and DD (10).
Yesterday I took her to Hampton Court, we parked a bit away and walked. Beautiful day London at it's best. I just felt for the first time every for a huge variety of reasons our quality of life would be better there. Sadly I have successful business where we live which is totally location specific so moving is not an option.
Really miss London and all it has to offer.

We go to an attraction probably every weekend and most days of the school holidays, plus some weekdays after school as well. But I know a lot of people who find it really odd to visit museums/galleries here and seem surprised that I go so often! They tend to only go to local places and go to places like shopping centres or cinema which you could find anywhere. I almost think they may as well be living in any cheaper city/town, where they could find similar work and have a much nicer property if they cashed in their London equity.

People who are not white.
Shops that sell stuff that isn't traditionally British, or in the 'exotic' section of a supermarket.
Free museums, galleries & lectures.
Free concerts, festivals, etc.
Pride in cultural heritage.
Pride in diverse cultural heritage.
Community activities.
Being able to walk most places.
Constantly available public transport.
A wide range of choices.
Knowing what's available, because you can see it.
Getting into interesting conversations with random strangers.
... more ...

... and, yes, there are huge inconveniences as well, but they come from the fact that the place is packed to the rafters with people. And that's what makes it so fascinating!

(Waaah!)

Maybe I'm strange I love the hussle and bussle of the tube at rush hour. On the occasions that I have to go in for a meeting I feel like I am back in my natural habitat even though I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

I really miss living in London too. But it ended up just not being practical and a waste of money. However the compromise is that a few times a year I go for a few days, stay in a hotel and pack in all the theatre and exhibitions I want to see. That keeps me going for weeks afterwards.

I have always wanted to live in London but just never made the move. (Boring reasons). I do live an hour's train journey away though and people who live locally to me do the daily London commute so it's not that far really.

The cheaper house prices here means I can go to London for regular weekends/days and take in the whole experience as well as doing the touristy stuff. Granted it's not the same as living there but perhaps it's not a bad compromise.

OP I think I understand what you are missing because I don't think there is anywhere else quite like London and so YANBU!

Ah, London. The best city in the world and my home town. I adore it here.

COME BACK !!

Garlic - Being able to walk most places - in LOndon? Either you are well off and can live very centrally, or you are used to walking miles every day. Going on the tube to get to attractions, is one of the things I hate about London.

Love it. Feel strangely claustrophobic in any other city. However we are not rich, so it can be challenging. Just plan lots of visits to Hampton Court etc!

God I hated living in London. Moved out over ten years ago & have been back about twice. Give me beaches & moors anyday.

YANBU - I moved about 50 miles out of London approx 10 years ago when I retired and still miss it.

I sometimes watch a police programme on tv based in Fulham where I lived, just to see the old familiar places.

On the other hand, because of my disability it got more and more difficult to drag myself up and down the stairs to my flat every day and I now live on the ground floor and have the garden I always yearned for whilst living in London.

"Getting into interesting conversations with random strangers."

In London? Really? People barely seem to acknowledge each other there in my experience. Try and strike up a friendly conversation with someone on the Tube and you get looked at as if you'd farted.

I agree Donna. It is one of the things I love about the City I live in now. People actually talk to you at bus stops, in shops, etc.

I get you OP.

I have toyed with idea of living in HC area, as that little high street, east mosely? is fantastic, there is more to offer in terms of great restaurants and bars, nice shops etc than the whole of my area...

Its the quality in a short space you just dont get that elsewhere.

I wish we lived in London, on a rainy day here there is NOTHING to do bar bowling, ice skating and so on, or cinema.

In London there is a myriad of wonderful musuems, or get lost in a huge shop like Selfridges for a few hours.

Name changed.

Garlic Yes to everything you have said.

We are a Caribbean family living in North West Kent. People often give me a "why are you in my manor?" look glare when I am out and about and I avoid the town centre which is grim anyway. I feel I do not 'belong' despite living here for eight years! A lot of Nigerians are moving here.

Thankfully my dcs school is very mixed - English, Polish, Asian, African, Caribbean, mixed races. I cannot say the same for other schools we viewed.

London is fast moving and far more interesting. People mix better in London. I am sure some never actually leave this town. They live, work and socialise here.

We drove to London last weekend and I looked around and truly missed it. As an ethnic minority I feel accepted there and safer.

We hope to move back. I have not admitted this to anyone but moving here was a big mistake.

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
— Samuel Johnson

I wasn't born in London, but having lived all over the UK and the world, there is really no comparison. London is just a thousand times more interesting, despite its problems. Garlic, your list sums it up beautifully.

We are a Caribbean family living in North West Kent. People often give me a "why are you in my manor?" look glare when I am out and about and I avoid the town centre which is grim anyway

I got the same glare whilst travelling up the coast in oz visiting very quiet little towns, they were white and so am I I guess I just dressed differently and looked different, they weren't used to strangers. Nothing personal!

London is more transient, people need to make friends more quickly, they are more used to being social...a higher turn over of people.

I left for work for 3 years and was miserable, despite new city having lots to offer and housing being cheaper, the lack of public transport was awful and I felt totally hemmed.

Been back in London for 2 years, and it's totally right for us, it's home, not leaving again.

I miss London . I moved out a year and a bit ago and am still homesick. I suppose I have a better quality of life now - am no longer working stupid hours in the City - but I really miss the buzz, the vibrant culture, the tube, the anonymity of a big city.

I suppose I can always move back if I win the lottery

YABU.

Hampton Court isn't exactly London.

I am thankful every day that we moved out of London. I would never move back.

I do like living close to towns though, I wouldn't want to be remote.

This is the first time I've seen non-Londoners being nice about London. Most non-Londoners I know put it down really spitefully without ever thinking how they'd feel if I talked about their home town that way. This thread is almost bringing tears to my eyes: all I ever usually hear about my home is bitter unkindness.

I was born and raised here, moved away for ten years, then came back. All I miss are fresh air and starry skies. It frustrates me when there's a gorgeous sunset going on but all I can see of it is pink windows on the opposite side of the sky. I do like the "idea" of living in the country, sometimes, but it is very rose-tinted and I have no idea where I would go.

I live quite centrally: I can hear Big Ben chiming on quiet nights when the window is open. I know all my neighbours, we help each other out, and spend good times with each other. Total strangers smile and say good morning. People do talk to each other in bus queues and on trains, and they have incredible stories to tell.

I'm raising my own children here. There is always always always always something to do. Skate park. Adventure playground. Roller disco. Museum. South Bank. Covent Garden. Wimbledon Common. Just a stroll through an interesting bit of town. Markets. Quiet weekends spent colouring-in at home are a treat.

Yay for the positive sides! It's so nice to hear people being kind about it, such a refreshing change from the usual put-downs.

Most of the things garlic lists are achievable by an outing to London for the day (shudder). You don't have to live there to take advantage of museums, theatres, concerts, shopping facilities etc.

I left London in 2000.

I love London with a passion. I feel at home there. But moved away because i hated living there so much.

Sounds nonsense but it's how i feel.

Spent the last 14 years in rural England. Tiny villages, thatched cottages, everything shut on a sunday, fresh air, village gossip, horse muck in the roads

I miss London. I knew its streets like the back of my hand. But, i dont think London is the place it was when i was roaming those streets as a skint teenager in the 80s. ... For a start you could jump on and off on any form of London transport with a £2 travel card till midnight in those days. Or jump in a mates car and cruise about up-town with no congestion charge