To wonder how people cope living in London?!

[WinterIsHereJon]

I'm visiting for the weekend. It's hot, sweaty, incredibly busy. We had the misfortune of travelling on the tube during rush hour earlier, people pushed and pushed onto an already full train, to the point where I became rather intimately acquainted with a chap behind me. Despite the complete lack of room people were still attempting to read newspapers! I think I'd snap if that was part of my daily routine, I don't know how people do it!

I've probably seen you in the cafe sometime!

Love London for a visit...could never live there though. It's the air that bothers me in big Cities, I start to feel suffocated after about a week...which may be somewhat psychological but I always feel the need to take a deep breath of fresh air when we we're home!

I hated it so moved to the coast.

Here is DS2 this morning 'driving' the free Woolwich ferry - one of his favourite pastimes.

The restaurants thing is true though. There is nowhere else in the UK that can even come close to the variety, quality and abundance of brilliant restaurants that you find all over London.

I couldn't live somewhere with one Indian and one Chinese, selling MSG and sugar-loses gloop, plus a few pubs with menus that are the reason the French mock our taste in food

Yes there are good restaurants outside of london, but nowhere beats the sheer number and quality of London. I'm a foodie so I'd not be very happy living outside of London.

I'm a foodie too. But I cook for myself. It doesn't matter if there is one or a hundred places to dine..the best is at home.

I think maybe unusual or 'foreign' ingredients can be harder to find outside of London though, so harder to cook all diffenent cuisines at home.

I've heard that London is the best place in the world to eat out for the diversity of cuisine and quality of the dining experience.

But even though I live in London I have to say that when I go out I generally plump for steak or pizza. So I'm going to concede that one.

I do like a nice hamburger too. Though I'm never going to eat at Byron after that cruel trick they played on their illegal immigrant workers.

Wouldn't live anywhere else TBQH but that doesn't I like the over-crowded trains, too many tourists cluttering up the streets etc....

There are, however, no end of parks and green spaces available for FREE, so for much of one's R&R time one can easily forget one lives in a huge, seemingly congested city.

I've been here for years, but never quite got used to how rude/unfriendly the people are. My DH has always wanted to move away (he's from here), but I resisted. We recently toured around the UK and realised that there is a world of friendly people outside of London who lead busy and engaging lives. We're off!!

Ive brought all my children up in London an they are loath to move. Great state schools, much better than than those in many leafy suburbs, endless opportunities; my kids sang with the Royal Opera house an the ENO respectively although they will never sing professionally. My cousins danced at the Olympic opening ceremony. We have friends of all races and religions. We are a bit worried about property prices now but really this is the greatest city. Come stay with us.

Much as I enjoy spending time there I don't get the Tube thing. Why cram into a packed carriage when another train will be along in a matter of minutes! You get people trying to get on when it is blatantly full and they keep getting stuck in the doors!
Avoid rush hour/wait for the next train and all's well with the city. Coram Fields is a nice park for kids.

artandco my favourite ingredient is unlikely to be found in London. You have to pick the berries yourself from the moors. They just don't taste the same in the jars, they just aren't the real thing.

Moved out of North London 20 years ago, wouldn't go back for all the tea in China to live....but Love to visit the city area with my daughter to see the sights or a show. 43 mins from Stratford international to Ashford.

I go back to North London to see friends and is looks like a filthy pavement clad hovel.Rubbish and derelict cars, saw one burning on its side once. , razor wire fences and grumpy faces Reminded me of of a war zone.

I love London with all my heart and will never live anywhere else. I tried living in a small town once and it was so miserable. London til I die!

Oh my OP, I've just spent a short break in London, with dp & ds and we absolutely LOVED it! Loved it I tell thee.

We used the tube, overground, buses to get around, ds travelled for free, I loved the fact that everywhere we needed to go to didn't require a car drive, stuck in traffic, stuck on the bloody motorway. Everything we needed to do took less than my drive into work each day to get to.

Yes there were busy times, yes we stood up on some journeys, yes we were hot but it was for such a short amount of time it wasn't an issue. I'm still buzzing about the place now!

My only gripe and it's a small one, were that some of the friendly looking pubs which we passed after a long day visiting the sites, didn't accept children in after 6pm, they accept dogs but not children. Was a little pissed about this but we soon found other places to eat.

I'd live in London tomorrow if I could.

RedorDread we found that too. Had baby in a sling as we entering a pub for some lunch only to be told "soz no kids...." (I assumed it was because they don't eat/make them any money but found it quite unfriendly. Thought everywhere accepted kids since the smoking ban) completely understand if it's late evening but this was the middle of the day!

I've lived in London for 10 years and literally EVERY DAY I think to myself how lucky I am to do so. There is so much to do - and lots of it free. We don't earn loads but have managed to buy a nice enough house in zone 3.
Admittedly I try to avoid using the tube during rush hour, but my job isn't usually 9-5 so it's not difficult. I also work part time so don't spend that much of my time commuting anyway.
My mum doesn't understand how anyone lives in London but then when I go to the town where she lives (and where I grew up) it's so quiet, with little to do for the kids, that it drives me insane after a few days!

Red - never heard of that, we have children and they come to pubs with us for meals since tiny. Only a few say not after 9/10pm if they are the type that become clubs after that time

I had a recent mini break in London for the first time since I had kids. My oldest friend moved there after uni ( we're from small rural Scot town). Loved it when I was in my 20s. Agree that it is like small villages joined up. She lived in Golders Green then & thought it was fab. She has now moved outside London as she & DH wanted a quieter life & affordable home.
When I went back, after a decade in the countryside, I hated it. My family in London, who have small children too, wouldn't be anywhere else. It was great to show my kids the wider world. We had a blast at the various sights & museums. However I was v glad to get home as I prefer the country & made me appreciate it my lifestyle. It is all different strokes for different folks. Life would be boring if we all wanted the same thing!

These were a couple of normal pubs just after 6pm so not late and yes, definitely no children allowed. One in Kensington and the other not far from Madame Tussauds. We must have just been unlucky.

I walked home this afternoon through the Olympic park with its wildflower meadows, cafes/bars, stopping only to sit in the velodrome before walking on past the bmx biking and on past the hockey,tennis courts thinking how much I love the city in summer. A vibrant multi-cultural hub full of great local communities. Agree the bustle of the tube is a pain but it is a small price to pay for all that London has to offer and there are lots of ways to avoid it.

Although we stumbled upon The Black Dog, Vauxhall, after getting the river cruise to Westminster and I sent dp in expecting him to come back out saying kids not allowed and we were welcomed in.