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 didn't realise that London has "zones". I visited Wembley in February (left home 6.30am for a 3/4 hour award ceremony and didn't get home until 9.45pm), nightmare train/tube journey from Kings Cross to Wembley and back again - I lost count of the number of changes and then not be able to get out of Wembley station because our tickets were to Wembley Stadium station (who even knows there are two stations at Wembley?)
My first visit to the capital in 40+ years and it will be my last.

I LOVE London!! I'm not jealous of anyone as I'm not that type...apart from people who live in London would relocate there in a second if I thought we could afford it.

I bet that every single Londoner who loves living there on this thread, does NOT live in a grotty area or a sprawling estate with knife crime, or by an extremely fumey road with endless traffic, or even in a boring grey suburb!
Much of London is wonderful - and I love it, but equally it's not all roses and would help to have a more realistic view of it. You can still love it with grotty bits of course (if you don't live there yourself), and the pushing and shoving on the tube if you don't use it daily, but saying how it's all perfect is just misleading.

worrie see that's my point - it's fantastic if you have the money, so really you don't love it THAT much as to compromise your standard of living and live in house-share like many people (even in their 30s) do now, or in a dump just so that you can enjoy the rest of it.

I lived in a fairly edgy area of Brixton for 10+ years, our DD was born there and yes I still think London is a brilliant place to live. The 'less affluent' areas have more sense of commumity and more soul IMO

I love London, heart and soul and after nearly 20 years it still gets me in a good way. Always new stuff to do, new things to explore, new people, it's fabulous.

Love, I've lived in grotty parts of London and don't have an 'all roses' view of it.

That's part of why I love it –the grime and the non-picturesque parts.

I don't think anyone's said it's all perfect. In fact a lot of posters are at pains to acknowledge the downsides.

Oh yes me too - moved to Sussex same reasons and I have never been the same since - I miss the urban life

Summers in London are the worst bit. It is unbearable
No they're not and no it isn't. It's lovely. It's a bustling, interesting, multicultural place. And it's full of parks and gardens, you can hardly go anywhere without falling over green open space.

If you dont like the tube get a bicycle.

Sapphire - I like your post. I also like the roughness to a degree but wouldn't choose to live in a drab area, it would depress me even if I'm in london. I'm more than happy travel through these places at times though just to get a dose of reality as it is for some. London ALWAYS had it's rough and criminal aspect, and its huge;ly materialistic side too.
Most praisers on here do make it sound like 'all roses' - obviously the critics are opposite and also extreme at times but they've been told off. I mean that if you praise it, why not also mention some downsides too for balance, then people will actually feel less defensive, otherwise it sounds just smug (and untrue) - and for those reading who don't know the place, paints a fairer picture.

*its, not it's

The worst thing about London is out-of-towners getting on the Tube at rush hour and loudly complaining about how busy it is

We have rush hours outside of London as well you know.

I regularly get stuck on the M1 in stop start traffic.

I totally agree with you it's awful. I lived there once and I visit every now and again but couldn't stand living there with my family. Dirty, smoggy, busy, boring place. Sorry! Each to their own though!

WinterIsHereJon
Hi, sorry haven't read whole thread but I love London because as a person of colour who was was born in UK as were my parents don't have to explain why I'm here!
Also my children are at a school that welcomes diversity.
Plus we have museums and theatres on our doorstep, we can hop on the tube and get to lots of really different villages or get into my mini and drive around around town!
My twins have friends from every continent as do I.
We've had amazing home cooked Chinese, Russian, Japenese, Ghanian, Jamacian, Trinidadian, Indonesion food courtesy of friends!
I can't understand why you wouldn't want to live here!
Also we probably earn more...

love, love, love living in london. most amazing, vibrant city. and tonight had a lovely summer evening run on hampstead heath followed by swim in the ladies pond with the ducklings. you have to plan your journeys and avoid the rush hour.

I don't find London anonymous. In my neighbourhood I know many of my neighbours and the people who work in the market and shops by name or to nod to.

I travel to work a few tube stops away and I also recognise many of the people at the station, both staff and commuters at both ends. I recognise people who work in the shops, bars and restaurants I go to at my end destination - and I talk to many of the people who work in my building whether they work in my department or not.

On the way home I get the bus or walk. I often recognise the drivers and always recognise the people handing out evening newpapers or walking my way.

That's a lot of people.

I bet that every single Londoner who loves living there on this thread, does NOT live in a grotty area or a sprawling estate with knife crime, or by an extremely fumey road with endless traffic, or even in a boring grey suburb!

I live in a nice part of London. Do I have to apologise for that now?

I can't understand why people want to live in London Ghanagirl.

I like visiting London, but I much prefer a quieter, slower paced life. I like being able to open the bedroom window and hear the sheep in the fields rather than traffic. We manage to eat around the world because I like to cook different cuisines.

My favourite views are of countryside rather than cityscapes. I simply don't find views of modern day London beautiful at all.

I love visiting cities. I adored our short break in Rome last year. I loved Lisbon, Vienna, Florence, San Francisco, Boston and many other places, but I would hate to live with the franticness of it all every day.

I need quiet and calm and fresh air. I have the trans Pennine trail to cycle on, contryside walks, country pubs that do fabulous food.

Having said all that, if I want city life I can get to 2 major cities within half an hour.

You would find it dull beyond belief, but each to their own.

I can understand people not likely London, but surely you can see that London isn't 'boring'? How can it be 'boring'?

I remember a woman getting on a busy tube at Kings Cross where I used to work and saying to me 'How do you do this all the time?' in a really contemptuous tone. I couldn't believe the rudeness. My in laws in Northern Ireland are very negative too, going on about how we live near 'foreigners' as if that were a bad thing. We live in Clapham and it's the cosmopolitan vibe we like. I think some people from out of London are a bit defensive - they seem to think people who live here will look down on them so they are desperate to find reasons to prove they are superior after all for living wherever they do. I really don't get it - I don't think Londoners do look down on others, and whyever would we - different strokes. I came here initially from the North to make money, now I stay here for love. After 30 years I still feel a thrill in the morning when I commute (I run in to work most days) through Battersea Park, over the Thames then through Hyde Park.

LovePG completely agree with you. I live not far from MissHoulie's park, very close to a major road, and the recent scene of a fatal shooting and a really nasty violent crime which a friend of a friend witnessed. When ticket inspectors turn up at the local station they are always accompanied by (and outnumbered by) police, presumably because some of the locals take exception to being told they have to pay. I've seen a metal detector at the station a few times as well.

For all the free museums and galleries and places to eat and diversity, I would certainly rather live somewhere where gang, gun and knife crime were not a reality. What it must be like if you actually have to live day-to-day among that I don't know, but I don't suppose many of those people are here on MN, and I doubt they're there eating at the latest smart restaurant or drinking camparis on top of a very pissy multi storey car park.

Plus I'm laughing at everyone saying you can easily avoid the rush hour etc. What a load of bollocks.

Oh, and Richmond really isn't London. Middlesex/Surrey.

I didn't realise that London has "zones". I visited Wembley in February (left home 6.30am for a 3/4 hour award ceremony and didn't get home until 9.45pm), nightmare train/tube journey from Kings Cross to Wembley and back again - I lost count of the number of changes and then not be able to get out of Wembley station because our tickets were to Wembley Stadium station (who even knows there are two stations at Wembley?)

Three - Wembley Park, Wembley Central and North Wembley. You shouldn't have changed at all to go to Wembley Park, one change (at Baker St or similar) to get to the other two.

But they're all in the same transport zone so I'm a little baffled by how you went wrong/couldn't get out of the station.

I'm very open that there are downsides to living in such a huge city. But I find the people much more genuine - less surface chit chat (who has the time?) but I have never come across more people who, as relatively new friends, will go out of their way to help you out, or even just to help you out if you need it. No one assumes you have family nearby to pick up the slack, most folk know that the city only really works if you help each other out. Right down to getting more offers of help with the pushchair than any other place in Britain. I've never been left stranded / had to bump the pram or fold and juggle in London. I have plenty of other places.

I don't love the air quality, lack of school places, commuting (though the train is so much better than the tube), and numerous other things. As an immigrant there's an overlay of stuff I just don't really get about the UK. But on top of the obvious stuff, it's the people who tether me to this place.

I bet that every single Londoner who loves living there on this thread, does NOT live in a grotty area or a sprawling estate with knife crime, or by an extremely fumey road with endless traffic, or even in a boring grey suburb!

I live on the south circular - a major A road. I love it still.

Do I get some sort of prize?

My London life is quite boring at the moment. I've just finished my dinner and am going to bed soon because I have to be up early tomorrow.

I don't claim it's a thrill a minute round here. I just like it.