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.

[JassyRadlett]

I actually find the 'london being more open to immigrants' argument quite offensive and think that reflects more on the smalk mindedness of some recent immigrants/ lack of actual experience than the rest of the uk.

I'm sorry to have offended you. It's my own personal experience, as I've said, and I used the word 'welcoming' rather than 'open' or ''friendly' very carefully - people are generally very nice, but in London I'm not exceptional. There's a big difference.

I've been here ten years - I don't know if that makes me recent (and small minded) or not. I'm pretty much assimilated, and often pass as British.

But can you appreciate that people's views will be coloured by the experiences they've had in different parts of the country - and that my experience as an immigrant may be different to what people born and raised here will perceive as the immigrant experience?

For example, I've spent quite a lot of time in the part of England (a city, not London/SE) that DH comes from. I'm very much seen as 'other' there, and my background is regularly commented on. I just don't get that in London, I suspect because so many people in London come from somewhere else.

And to be honest, it's a little off-putting to be told your experiences aren't valid or real, because someone who hasn't ever had that experience tells you how you should feel.

[longestlurkerever]

The argument that restaurants, museums, etc, exist elsewhere is true and not true. I am meeting family from abroad in Cambridge next week. It's a lovely city, there's lots going on, relatively speaking, but I go there perhaps three times a year and am still struggling to suggest somewhere new we can go. In London, where I've lived for 15+ years, there are still many museums, restaurants, galleries, attractions, I've yet to visit at all. So yes there would be pros to living in eg Manchester, but there would be compromises too and for me personally the balance is in favour of London. That might change if it reaches the point where only third generation Londoners or Russian oligarchs can afford to stay here and London loses all its character.

[cleaty]

I think that is true with museums and attractions. But where I live, there are masses of brilliant restaurants.

There is lots to do in London, but you have to travel so much for it.

[m1nniedriver]

toots you don't see many posts on here from people complaining about the cost of living/buying oroperty anywhere else as much as London. I started the thread because I was interested not 'concerned'.

doubleshot not for a bigger house certsinly not. But if I was not content with my quality of life I would continue to struggle to pay bills if I thought moving somewhere would improve that. I live a few hours travel away from my parents but near other family. We are all very close. It's interesting reading these posts. I've lived in a major city and loved it but wouldn't fancy it now. Just personal preference. It wasn't really about City living but London in particular. Totally can see the appeal like I said before although, I can't imagine living anywhere else than I do. I couldn't be further from London if I tried, that's why I was interested.

[MarshaBrady]

It's hard to imagine the alternative until you're actually living in it. Even visiting doesn't feel the same. So as much as I try to imagine living in the country I don't know how it would feel to really be there.


I'd probably know within a couple of weeks if it was the right move. But a long way to go to find out.

[EnthusiasmDisturbed]

Lots of reasons family, jobs, diversity and wonderful history and culture

London has an amazing amount to offer you can never get bored I love the scruffy parts of London as much as the very affluent areas this is what makes London so wonderful that it is so diverse

[JassyRadlett]

toots you don't see many posts on here from people complaining about the cost of living/buying oroperty anywhere else as much as London. I started the thread because I was interested not 'concerned'.

Although you do see them complaining about the frequency of bus services, or that they can't get a certain type of delivery, or the cost of heating oil, or that a certain service isn't available where they live, or other things linked to where they live. The difference is that you don't get a slew of responses saying 'move to London'.

I think it's quite natural for people to have a moan sometimes about the downsides of where they live - even when they firmly feel the positives of living there outweigh the negatives.

[Siennasun]

I love London, and I loved living there when I was younger but it doesn't really suit our lifestyle now. It's not where I want to bring up my DC, but that's not to say it's not a great place for other families.
There's more job opportunities in London in a lot of professions. DH still works there (annual season ticket costs over £13,000) but we could never get the standard of living we have in NW England if we still lived in London.

[m1nniedriver]

I just find it hard to get my head around being unable to buy a 2 bed flat for 300K and I lived and own a flat in the most expensive city in Scotland so I'm not completely green about property prices but that, to me, seems ridiculous. Where do all the people on MW or lower wages live??

[Binkybix]

(annual season ticket costs over £13,000)

Jeepers! Is this normal?

[MrsKoala]

I'm from west London and have grown up with more green outside space than many people i know from outside London. So London isn't all small flats and traffic jams. However, it is expensive. We now live outside London in Kent and DH commutes in (he hates London and wasn't born there). It has it's own problems - longer time out of the house and not seeing dc in the week and the cost (about 500 a month i think). The cost of our house wasn't cheap by UK standards but we could only have a 1 bedroom flat in London for what we paid for it.

DH's job only exists in London in this country and probably the next nearest city would be Washington DC. It's very niche. And no, there are no transferable skills he has which would translate to anything else. The closest would be to join back into the military and drop to one quarter of his salary and us live on bases and travel round (which i'm not willing to do).

We live somewhere we love. We can get into London in 40 mins. I like being close enough to pop in and out. I miss west London but i wouldn't want to live there now even if i could afford it.

Before we had the children we rented a shoebox overlooking the docks in Canary Wharf. That was lots of fun and we loved the hustle and bustle and also being near Greenwich. Every Sunday we would walk thru the tunnel at Island Gardens and have eggs benedict and read the papers in a cafe near Cutty Sark then walk up to the observatory/wander round the old navy hospital/painted hall/potter round Greenwich market and then go home for an afternoon snooze. Aaaah those were the days.

I think people forget just how green London is as a city. I have travelled to lots of other European capital cities and i have never found them as green or pleasant to live in as London.

[WalfordEast]

As much as I love it- i couldnt live there. No chance.

My friend moved there last year because he had to for his job, and he had to offer an increase in rent to get the flat he wanted there was that much demand for it. To buy, it would cost him 800k. And its tiny- small open plan kitchen dining living area which is literally five cabinets on wall with the oven, fridge and washing machine, table for 2 and a sofa and tv and coffee table. Then a small double bedroom and a shower room. Yes, its in a desirable area of London- but I live in a decent area where I am and have a 3 bed house with a 80k mortgage.

Commute takes me 7 minutes by car. No cramming into a carriage to have my head shoved into a tramps hairy armpit at the cost of 2k a year. I dont pay a premium for anything else- and I can get in my car and be in countryside in under 10 minutes.

As I said- love it. But I nearly had a heart attack when I had to pay £8 for a glass of wine when I was last there when I could buy 2 bottles of award winning wine in ALDI for that.

Id rather have money for other things then paying a ridicilous amount for everything. Unless you earning an incredibly good wage, I just cant see why you would do it- some people dont have the luxury of course to get what they want out of life.

[MrsKoala]

If you think London is bad tho, you should try living in Vancouver!

[Lightbulbon]

What are these jobs that only exist in London?

[NewLife4Me]

I am still intrigued by these jobs that don't exist outside London. Only because I read it so often on here.
I understand people don't want to out themselves but could somebody provide a list and then you'll put me out of my misery.
it's like the never answered question Oh, I want to know because it frustrates me not knowing not to challenge or disbelief.

[Londonista123]

I actually find the 'london being more open to immigrants' argument quite offensive and think that reflects more on the smalk mindedness of some recent immigrants/ lack of actual experience than the rest of the uk.

What Jassy said. As an immigrant I valued the fact that in London it's normal to be "foreign"/an immigrant. It's a welcoming city. I've been made to feel, and DP has been made to feel, unwelcome elsewhere in the country, including some choice "Go back to your country" on two occasions. Not sure what you're getting at re the " small-mindedness of recent immigrants " - what do you mean?

[TheCatsMother99]

I get your point, OP, especially as I grew up in London & only moved out when I bought my house (because I didn't want to live in a small flat).

I guess it's different people's points of view & perhaps what they want out of life and their social life balance maybe?

I love London, I really, really do & I actually kind of regret moving out a bit as where I live now just doesn't have the same kind of feel as London has, London is a unique city.

[m1nniedriver]

Yeah, I'd be interested to know what the jobs are too newlife

I'm guessing certain companies that have their headquarters in London? Government jobs?

Probably some banking jobs although I'm less interested to hear about them

[WalfordEast]

Lots of banking jobs only exist in London. Regardless of whether other people want to hear about them or not, its true.

[idiuntno57]

I think OP that you ask this question having never lived in London.

I am born and brought up Londoner.

It is expensive. It is smelly. It is wonderful.

It is worth the financial sacrifice because it is the equivalent of watching something on TV and seeing it live.

it is the best place to be just because.

[MrsKoala]

Security experts advising M.O.D. City of London Police and London Transport regarding cyber terror threats. Advising the bank of England and other banks UK head offices of cyber attacks.

[MarshaBrady]

Lots of creative jobs are in greater abundance in London. And really the competition is high enough as it is, so it feels like you need to be in the middle of it to have a chance. They do exist outside but if you lost the job it would be harder to just start somewhere else quickly without moving. I get emails related to my work when jobs come up, and there just aren't that many even in a city like London. So they'd be so rare outside it.

[NewLife4Me]

I think I get it.

So would an example be a particular job in say insurance?
Yes, you can have a job in insurance anywhere but this in London is a specific level that only exists here as it's the head office, or specific to London that needs a particular skill set that the employee couldn't use elsewhere.

[70sDinnerPartyClassic]

Well yes lots of the govt things are based there I suppose - MI5 MI6 etc Parliament and the Lords and all that stuff

Jobs specific to London Underground and TFL have a large amount of specialised staff generally

Um

City & Canary Wharf are mainly financial services and while there are obviously others around the country not all aspects, not all roles, and not nearly as much opportunity

What else was I thinking

Stuff to do with the Livery Companies must be pretty specialised
Royal family stuff
Um
Old Bailey?

That's what I can think of at the moment!

[tobysmum77]

Jassy/ others it's fine to say 'in my personal experience so far London is the part of the uk I found it easiest to settle' but quite simply you have limited experience of most places/ towns. Just as we all do. Personally I live somewhere where the population is extremely transient and diverse ..... So I find that surprising, but it depends where you have been. I am sure you are open minded people but a couple of the posts didn't originally read in that way