To wonder why people struggle to live in London.

[m1nniedriver]

Just honestly wondering what it is about London that makes people on, as I see it, huge salaries want to live in tiny flats just because it's london? The cost of living there seems riduculous. Some of the posts on here about the cost of housing just beggars belief! A tiny 1 bedroom flat for 300k?? If that's what you want then power to you but I do see posts with people say they are struggling and stressing every day to get by. Why would you not move to another part of the country that would enable a much better quality of life?

I'm not great at putting things across on posts so I hope this doesn't offend anyone its is meant as a genuine question, not having a go.

Cheers button, sadly I'm on hotchoc, but stood behind someone famous in the queue this afternoon to buy the milk, nearly asked for an autograph.

I'll be honest: I would much, much rather live in my home country. Much rather. And I've lived in and loved several supercities in different parts of the world.

But I'm here, because I married an Englishman and have English children, and we've made the decision to be here for now (probably a long-term now) for a variety of reasons.

And since I'm here, I'm going to happily stick in the place where I've built my own community and have an amazing support network, where it's entirely normal to be an immigrant, where l have world-class opportunities, as will my children, and the only place in the UK I've found where it feels like the trade-off I've made might be worth it.

I've visited plenty of places in the UK. I've worked for a while in some of them. I don't think living in any of them would make me think 'hey, what I can get here is totally worth not living in the place that's really home.' I've never, ever had that vibe anywhere else. Edinburgh has come closest, but still doesn't cut it.

So I'll holiday in your places, and you can take or leave mine as the mood takes you.

Fair enough?

horniman is much improved it's true.

When I was a little girl, it was a dusty old place filled with stuffed animals and cases of pinned butterflies.

Ooooh, who was it lurker?

Nope, I definately wouldn't want to live in London, same as I wouldn't want to live in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham or any large city like it I do like London though. Last time we were there we bought a 'beat the cue ticket' for the busy places. Best money I have ever spent. Think I would have needed medicated to stand in the cue for Madame Tussaud unreal!

That's exciting lurker! I literally bumped into one of the westlife boys last year at Westfield and I was all of a dither, I got on the wrong bus home haha

Ayers, I think your home country and mine might be the same. I'm not 'real London' any more (London borough but not postcode) but with brill transport links, better than many bits of north London.

Buttons - hold that drink for me. I'm on a mission to evict this baby, and there are two piccolos of champagne my work gave me chilling in the fridge.

jazzy Edinburgh is fab, I lived there for a long time in my care free 20's. Cannie beat it

I loved the stuffed animals when I was a kid, and still love them now. The stuffed duck in my local natural history museum when I was growing up was beloved too, but not quite on a par!

Washed I agree with you but no need to sink down to their level.

I'm a Londoner and like many parts of this country. I just choose to live in London.

But the constant incorrect digs re non Londoners missing out are going to get a response particularly when there are those thinking you are missing out(and you are)

See, I feel that the 'digs' from Londoners are just them saying why they like London and/or retaliating in the face of assertions that London is rubbish. Of course it is for many, but people like different things and have different priorities.

And of course, Londoners 'miss out' on beaches etc if they like that sort of thing. But they may prefer the balance of living in London and visiting the other stuff. Just as many others choose to do it the other way round.

But the constant incorrect digs re non Londoners missing out are going to get a response particularly when there are those thinking you are missing out(and you are). [ hmm

Eh, I think both sides are at fault. I definitely got my back up at being told all (all!) the things to do with kids in London are shit and cost a fortune, making them out of reach for ordinary families.

I'm sure there are lovely things to do where you lot live. That's why I often holiday in different parts of Britain. But oh, the 'everything in London is overcrowded, you can't interact with or get close to anything in the museums, and everything costs a fortune' trope is wearyingly inaccurate.

Particularly given the very close shave we had in the Enlightenment gallery at the British Museum when DS was younger. A bit less ability to get up close and personal would have been very welcome at that moment...

I shouldn't really say cause they are a local resident, and I've made it quite clear on here where I live.

Anyway, the hot choc as settled the hackles that went up. Sorry folks.

Now here is one issue with living in London, DD1 went to Uni here and although she moved out in 1st year, she would have been welcome at home 2nd year. Now why the hell is it that she chose to live out, but thinks we won't notice when she's been home, used the washing machine, and nicked food from the fridge (all while we were strolling in the park and having lunch btw). At least if she was far enough away at her second choice she couldn't pilfer.

M1nnie, if we had to leave London for any reason that's where I'd go. I had a job offer there when I first moved to this country, and one of my very dearest friends lives there - I've probably spent more time there than anywhere in the UK apart from London.

But no. It wouldn't be worth it. Not for me.

Edinburgh is a fabulous city. I love it - but it's absolutely freezing in winter. Glasgow is fantastic too and not so chilly.

There are places I like in London - I love the City because of its history and the quiet bit where all the barristers chambers are ... Can't remember what it's called.
When I was a child there was an old seamans church - in deptford - with skulls at the entrance. Eerie - Marlowe is buried there. All these little parts of London are increasingly cleaned up and commodified. It's probably loft apartments now.

Anyway to bed..

Longtime, we're converting our loft at the moment partly on the assumption that in 15-20 years time when our sons go to uni (if they do), at least one will stay in London and end up staying at home. So we're thinking long-term and building ourselves a bolt hole...

I'm not sure that complaining about museums being overcrowded in London (they are) is a 'trope'

my family originate from shepherds bush

they all moved away in the 70s it's so hard seeing the town you grew up in change...

i miss it and would move back in a shot if i could afford it.

london is losing it's identity so quickly it's so sad

Another Central London person. It's been a great place to raise children and I really can't think of anywhere I would want to live.

Financially it's been tough. We have never bought a car or decorated our house. Holidays have been cheap. I worked full time and ran a business. But it's paying off now, as our house is worth more than we could ever have expected.

Both DC are very happy to stay in London for University. Living somewhere smaller, without the huge range of restaurants, shops, theatres, etc takes a bit of imagination.

So we may complain but also love it.

Commuting sounds like the worst of all world's. Much of central London is surprisingly quiet, especially at weekends and most places are a short walk, bike ride or bus away. Honestly it's fab.

But London has always been changing, all the streets off Bricklane have french names cause they were lived in by the Hugernot French, then Jewish people, then people from the Indian sub continent now changing again.

My bit of NW London was English, then Irish for decades, then had people from the West Indies, now Poles and Czechs, Italians, Spanish. If you move out you notice the changes more, if you're here your like the frog in the provorbial boiling pot.

Nowhere in London has stood still for more than a decade..

Jassy- ooo good luck!!!! You will enjoy that champers after x

I'm not sure that complaining about museums being overcrowded in London (they are) is a 'trope

Some are, some aren't. Sometimes they're crowded, sometimes they're not. That's kind of my point.

It's a bit like me saying 'MOSI in Manchester is a fucking nightmare, we couldn't get close to anything when we were there' based on one visit, in school holiday time, when we were caught between two school groups. (In fact, I thought MOSI was brilliant and we were unlucky with the time we visited).

Am I going to argue that the Natural History Museum is often crowded? Nope. But there are quite a few more museums in London than that.

And at any rate, you left 'expensive' and 'shit' out of the trope. It comes as a job lot.

oh they also left out the ubiquitous smug remark about how there is far better on their own doorstep.

arf

It's a bit like me saying 'MOSI in Manchester is a fucking nightmare, we couldn't get close to anything when we were there' based on one visit, in school holiday time, when we were caught between two school groups.

I've just realised that these were unlikely to be local school groups given the timing. Maybe a holiday club?

I really don't see how you can be a 'Londoner' if you weren't born there and didn't grow up there? The place you feel at home in - sure, but not a 'Londoner'. I grew up there, worked in my university summer holidays both in the PR office at an iconic London hotel, worked on a broadsheet paper. Prior to children I worked in parliament square in politics. I didn't move away until I was 24, to Brighton. I think it's safe to say 'I know' London and can offer an informed opinion Longtimelurker. DH's family all have very senior jobs in the Arts, publishing in London. We're both well aware of what London life entails and have many family roots but like many people our age didn't have the windfall property that would allow us the choice to stay in London and claim it was because of our roots, when in reality it was just luck!