To wonder why London gets such a bad press?

[Campaspe]

I've seen a few threads on MN about moving house and living in or moving away from London. The general gist of them seems to be that London is awful, unfriendly and overpriced, whilst living up north is mostly cheap, friendly and just, well, better.

I'm not sure that's actually always the case. Disclaimer: I don't live anywhere near London, or come from there (and I promise I'm not shagging Boris too!). I love to visit it however, and I don't think there's another city anywhere in the UK that can hold a candle to it in terms of cultural offerings, history, excitement or attractions, even though I love most of the big cities of the UK. I do accept that being a capital city means that it is expensive and has lots of the social problems that beset all major conurbations.

It seems to me that in the end, it boils down to personal preference, but I don't really like the fashionable anti-city, anti-London pose that so many people like, particularly when it comes to a debate about north versus south. (It's like that other knee-jerk, ignorant anti-American prejudice that such people often spout). I find it puzzling that people denigrate the amount of money spent in London when it raises much of the capital that goes into projects over the rest of the country. And when I've seen worse poverty in London than anywhere else in the UK - and it somehow seems worse when there are very affluent areas just a short mile away.

So, why aren't people proud to have as a capital such a vibrant, diverse city such as London?

I live in Pimlico so as central as you can get really. I love love love it! London is beautiful, perfectly friendly, full of amazing sights and events and buildings, great schools, diverse and vibrant.

Of course there are other fantastic cities, towns and villages in the UK and London is not for everyone but it is a wonderful place for kids to grow up - depending where you are and what your circumstances are of course.

I lived in London in my early 20s. I absolutely loved it - the vibrancy, the anonymity (after coming from a small village where everyone knew everyone) was exhilarating, and the fact that it never sleeps was exciting. Everything is on your doorstep and accessible - lots to do for free.
I still go back to visit and still get that feeling of excitement, but I know I couldn't live there anymore. There are simply too many people in too small an area. It makes me feel claustrophobic using the underground, being jostled along at a pace the crowd has decided and having to queue for just about everything drives me nuts. It makes me feel that I'm part of a mass rather than an individual.
I've lived in other cities, both here and overseas, and I'd live in any of the others over London.
My DD is at university there atm and really not enjoying the experience of living there - the cost of living, the appalling rail service from the south which makes her late more days than not (but she has to live there because rents in the centre are too high) and the conversations she witnesses daily on her commute have made her decide it won't be a long term home. Shame really, as that's where most of her job opportunities would be if she were to stay in this country.
I can see why others love it though - it really does have an atmosphere all of its own and it must be amazing if you can afford to take advantage of everything it offers (and don't mind lots of people!). One of my best friends can't imagine living anywhere else.

I live in Yorkshire and I love London!

We went for the weekend for my 30th and it was so good, people were friendly, loads to do and see, some of them free too! (Science Museum, Natural History Museum were highlights for us). We also go to Wembley a lot too and enjoy our weekend trips there.

I love the tube too, and got some history books on it for Christmas this year.. sad I know .

I would not want to live there due to house prices.

Maybe some people are jealous of what it has to offer? or that it's deemed only for the rich now.. I couldn't afford to live there.

I also agree with what others' have said regarding the news always focusing on London, it's like the rest of us don't matter.

Maybe London is the geographical equivalent of Marmite?

I love London, I grew up there, both my parents live there but I would NEVER EVER live there again.

I was a priviledged kid in that we left London every friday night and I dreaded Sunday. Growing up I hated London and couldn't wait to leave permantly. I grew to love it for what it is and actually really enjoyed living there again as an adult with kids. We left, because neither of us are city people at heart and it was unfufilling, plus I didn't have the money to give my children, what I had, so I needed to choose where I was happier and give them that.

I have many friends in London, most of them love it and are happy there. If they suggested they wanted to leave I would be quite shocked and advise against it.

The posts you are talking about OP I do suggest they leave and I will describe the reasons I dislike London if I think this helps, I do this because I feel that if, like me, you are not a real city person and you're tired of London life, then it is certainly time to move on and the best personal decision I made. It's not for everyone.

So, why aren't people proud to have as a capital such a vibrant, diverse city such as London?

It's fairly irrelevant to my life. I don't give two shits about culture tbh - I'd take green fields or a sandy beach ahead of over-priced art or theatre or 'old things' in museums any day.

I used to live there. It took so long to get from A to B that we ended up doing nothing. Whereas in 5 hours today I've done a 100-mile round trip on empty A-roads in beautiful countryside, been to see my mum, had lunch at Nandos, been to the shops (etc) . Not glitzy like London, but easy.

I grew up in Yorkshire and love loving in London! There's so much more for kids to do than where I was growing up - fantastic museums, galleries, parks and tons of free events for kids. I also love how multi cultural my kids' school is (though that is similar to the ones I went to). When I was growing up I was reliant on parents driving me and appalling public transport (think one bus an hour from our house then train then another bus to where I wanted to go). I like that my kids will be able to be more independent than I was. However, housing prices are a big problem. I have a smaller house than my parents though my dh and I earn more than they did relatively. And I know we are in a fortunate position. The widening gap between rich and poor is a real worry.

"Had lunch at Nandos" - well worth moving to the country for! .

Because that was OBVIOUSLY the main theme of her post. face back atcher. Could you be any more superior?

Oh FFS Mintyy. It was nice. Sorry that it wasn't some overpriced shite in the Shard.

I don't actually live in the country - can see Edinburgh from my house.

My point was that we have the same chain stuff outside London. I went to Debenhams, bought Clinique face cream, ate at chain restaurant. Which is all I could afford to do when I lived there too. Except here it would have taken me that long to go 10 miles not 50.

I feel sorry for people who don't "get" it.

Not sure what you meant by this either. That we don't 'get' living in London? Don't give a shiney about you feeling sorry for me about that. I lived in London, prefer Scotland. We used to drive back to Glasgow on a Friday night to go out on Saturday night then drive back on Sunday. Somehow almost seemed less hassle than going out in central London.

*Except there

But PrimalLass no one is saying that the chain shops don't exist outside of London.

Well what is so crucial that we 'don't get'?

I love London, I'm lucky that I get to visit London often with work; sometimes as much as weekly. I make sure I don't just tootle between office and hotel, I make sure I get out and about too. There's plenty of friendly people but they rarely show it on the commute which is why it gets a reputation for being unfriendly. My dh was born in London and although he moved north at a young age, he has an affinity with the place and loves it too. We wish we could visit as a family more tbh.

We live in a small NE Town, we love it here too, but for different reasons!

I suspect Mintyy is pointing to the fact that London is not just unique to the UK but to the world, too. It's a global city, rather than just a capital. That makes it a fairly unusual place, substantially different to many other European capitals, for example.
To be a bit 'meh' about it is to miss the point a bit.
Like it or loathe it, there is something quite interesting about watching a global city - itself a contemporary phenomenon - emerge in such close proximity. It's an historical event, and something that is worth discussing and engaging with (critically or positively - take your pick).
To ignore it, as this quite unusual historical phenomena unfolds, is a bit odd.
I remember staring up into the sky as a child, watching for the rockets that were sending men to the moon. I didn't see anything, of course, but I cN't imagine being: "SFW," about history that was happening right there.

Nope- I don't get what you mean when you think London is a "global city"

These links help to explain what makes somewhere a global city.

I do agree about the rich/poor divide and the prices of houses.

My house is terraced, four bed, minuscule garden and is worth way over a million pounds. You might think I am rubbing my hands together in glee but it just makes me worry - my kids will very likely only be able to afford to live in London if we help them financially (of course they might want to live elsewhere anyway, finances aside).

Also we will only be 'quids in' if we move out of London which we don't want to do - a tiny, tiny first world problem if ever there was one, I know.

Ha Jamming yes my London life is not that different to yours I guess! Children and the responsibilities/mundanities they bring are great levellers.

However I'd like to point out that my commute is only 10 minutes...not everyone in London has long, tube journeys to the office...

I don't care that london's a global city. Am I supposed to give a shit about Tokyo or New York too? I'm I supposed to somehow feel blessed to live in a world where they exist?

London is just a place that other people live. And history is consulate being made everywhere. It's just that people in the future are disproportionately likely to heard about what happened to London than in a small town in Angus. Something much more remarkable has to happen in that small town for anyone not involved to take any notice than would need to happen in London for the media to make a huge fuss.

Fair enough, people who love London can continue waxing lyrical about it. I just don't understand why everyone else should be expected to care.

History is continually being made everywhere.

That recent update has made autocorrect go absolutely nuts. It's impossible to type anything without it coming out as gibberish.

I enjoy not living in a "global" city.

I live in a place which is of no interest to terrorists, a place where I can go out for the day without locking my doors, where no-one locks their cars, and I can be in either the heart of the Capital or on a remote beach seal watching within 20 minutes.

Oh and I live in a 5 bedroomed house which cost me £200K.

Appreciating London for being what it is, is possible from any patch of soil in the world that you like to call home.

If that floats your boat, then fine. If that doesn't and your outlook on life is different so being 'meh' about it is logical.
Does that make you less cultured or 'not getting it'? Of course not, it just means you have different 'its' that are important and interesting.