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!

We cope because we don't spend all day, every day, travelling around on the tube in the manner you describe in your OP. I'm sure it would be hellish living here if that was all we ever did.

I love it here. I live ten minutes walk from the Thames, five minutes walk from a gorgeous, peaceful park and if I walk the other way I am ten minutes from multiple restaurants, shops and cinemas.

When I go away I can't wait to get back. My spirits lift as soon as come from the M1 and see the London skyline. So much to do, never bored, exciting place where you feel at the centre of everything. I feel lucky to live here.

To all the posters saying the way they deal with the Tube is never to use it during rush hour, how do you get to work (genuine question, I've never lived anywhere in London where I didn't need to do at least part of the journey by Tube)?

However, like PPs have said, living in London is great, you just don't focus on the Tube bit of it.

Summer is actually the best time to be in London as you can get out and about and you don't necessarily needs the tube. I miss London I currently live in Brum and actually love it as with a busy work life and lots of friends I can usually find things to do here but it's also quite easy to get into London if I need to. Brum is actually a great up and coming city but nothing like London which I have to say I miss now and again, mainly for the architecture green spaces and free things like museums to do.

I have to say though living in a cheaper city I think gives you a better quality of life as you can afford to own your own property without spending all your earnings and I find myself doing more things even in London and having more money to spare for it than my friends who actually live in London!

Dowser, it sounds lovely where you are - could actually be where I was brought up!

However, I moved to London 30 years ago because I waneed to live somewhere with a real buzz, with people from many different cultures, backgrounds and attitudes and and I have loved every minute of it.

And FWIW, I can walk to a myriad of independent cafes/bats/restaurants - we never need to drive

Rainata, I avoid rush hour by either leaving at 7.30am or leaving after 9.30am, I am on flexible hours so I prefer to get to work for 8am, if I travelled in rush hour the same journey would take me 45-55mins, in my last job i used to walk to work, one of my colleagues had a fold up bike

I love living in London! What's not to love. I'm a city person though. See Empress pictures below, would depress me living in an area just for that. I would feel stifled.

I arrived In this city 17 years ago (from Spain) and have never looked back! I love the diversity and the buzz of the place. You instantly know that you've come to a world-class city, yet London is never impersonal or overwhelming. As someone said above, it's more like a merging of lots of different villages, each with their own character.

From the first week I arrived, it felt like home (I later met DH here). I love that, on the whole, people are respectful, well-mannered, open-minded and tolerant here.

The diversity and vibrancy in London distracts from the dark and cold in January. The best of everything is on our doorstep all year round and we're proud to raise our 4 children as Londoners! We love visiting other parts of the UK, but are always keen to get back home.

The thread wasn't meant to be offensive; apologies to those who have taken it that way! I grew up in a city, albeit up north, so it's not the hustle and bustle I'm not keen on, although I do love our rural life. It was just meant as a fairly light-hearted rant about people (and their flappy newspapers!) in my personal space!! I come here a few times a year, but it's the first time I've brought DS which may be a factor. He's loving it, we have a day of sightseeing today and home in the morning!

If agree with augustwashout, how do people NOT live in London? I can't imagine living anywhere else, but luckily I don't need the Tube at rush hour wink.
I can't imagine not being able to go to the theatre at least once a month, eat any kind of food I want, go to art exhibitions on a whim, loads of different parks, museums etc... Amazing city, I hope I live here forever!

Err because amazingly things like this exists outside of the London Bubble, I know, It's hard to imagine isn't it. Up here in the North we are all meant to be toiling away in our workhouses, then spending each evening sat around the fire while Ma and Pa read stories from the bible, whilst eating our guel .

You couldn't pay me to live in London, I've had to visit for work a few times, plus have family down there, it's always a chore for me when I have to visit, I live 10 minutes from the Coastline, I own my own house and am close to both Liverpool & Manchester for Shopping, amazing nightlife etc. My son can be home from school and on the beach within 10 minutes, wouldn't give that up at all to live in an overpopulated city.

Parts of London are not very nice places to live ( high crime, noisy, busy, dirty ) so you have to chose your area carefully, saying the whole of London is a wonderful place is rubbish, there are parts of London I wouldn't live in if you paid me. But yes, central London has everything, great shops, nightlife etc - & I quite like the tube.

I love living in London! What's not to love. I'm a city person though. See Empress pictures below, would depress me living in an area just for that. I would feel stifled.

Amelie, I couldn't live somewhere just for that either. The pics are Zones 1, 4 and 5, lovely quiet areas where you can't hear a single car. Being within easy reach of beautiful green bits, the Thames AND exciting exhibitions / fascinating museums (and not just South Ken) is what I love about London. Also not having to drive to get to them.

I get it OP. Try a wander alongside a canal next time you come and it gets too much. You can't expect solitude, but it has its charm and pubs.

. The club is three minutes' walk from King's X station. When I first knew it, 20 years ago, it was quite a challenging walk , but a lot of money has been spent since.

The club has lovely gardens leading down to the water where we all loll about in the summer having barbecues and talking to each other like Londoners do when strangers aren't listening. I don't know why they didn't show much of them - maybe they wanted to keep it a secret. You can't get in unless you know a member, but anyone can use the beautiful towpaths that go for miles. It's idyllic - just like wot I imagine being in the country is

Well, Buddah, quite. You seem quite put out by someone suggesting that your home is inferior (they didn't really by the way, and I don't think they mentioned the north at all. Last I checked there were many other bits of London that weren't the UK.)

Do you see how it might work the other way? You have no problem saying that London is inferior to your home. So why the faces when Londoners say theirs is better?

It baffles me how much offence some people take about Londoners being positive about their city.

I start my journey near the beginning of the line so always get a seat in the morning. If the window is not open in the summer I open it. I know the best place to board in the evening, and if you move away from the door if no seats are available there is usually one within a couple of stops.

The cultural choice and when the DCs were growing up, good schools, are another reason to be in London. I can get to see something I like at the theatre or cinema from time to time that would be absent in many parts of the country.

Plus it is easy to get to relatives across the Channel.

In summer I often think there is no place in the world I'd rather be than London and I've travelled a fair bit. It's a bit quieter in summer as many people go away. However, there are many events and the buzz is extraordinary. It always feels as though something exciting is going on nearby. I love it. It feels like being on holiday at home.

I live in zone 3, not the dead centre (love it though) which is great as there's still lots going on where I live but there isn't a million tourists trying to squeeze on to the pavement either. Nevertheless, I do like that London is busy as that's what gives it its buzz.

The tube is overcrowded but i'm on there probably 5 hours a week so I can cope. I live visiting the country and there's a forest not far away, however, I'm a city girl.

I was out with my BF yesterday and was telling her (I tell everyone) how much I loved our London visit. DS had an appointment with a specialist down there and we were visiting my Aunty too.

If I had the money I'd move there in a heart beat I love the hustle and bustle of the place and the atmosphere.
I think we were quite lucky when we went in the middle of summer, tube wasn't packed or anything, I don't usually 'do' crowds but I got took out for dinner as it was my birthday. We walked through Leicester Square on a Friday evening and even though I was suffering from the start of heatstroke at that point, I couldn't help but smile. It's one of my favourite memories.

I lived in London, I couldn't get used to it. The ridiculous numbers of people, the commute time, the push and shove, the rudeness of so many people. So I left. There's loads of stuff to do in London, the problem is that unless you are rich you don't have time to do much of it. I like to go back occasionally and I remind myself why I left.

I live in Norfolk.....its safe....beautiful....near the sea.....good schools and affordable housing....London would be my idea of hell....I just couldnt live anywhere that didnt feel safe.

I live in Maidenhead. It's very close to the countryside, good schools, nice houses, the river is beautiful and only 25 minutes on a fast train from London.....but that isn't close enough!

I miss London terribly, the buzz, the feeling of excitement, the thought of being part of something big. I'd move back in a heartbeat.

My zone 1 garden and my view from work

It's not for everyone but it's a bit shitty to start a 'I couldn't live in London it's so grim' type thread.

I am lucky enough to live where I do..... I can walk to the Thames, I can walk to many a massive green open space, I have every facility you can want or need on my doorstep. I even walk to work did commute for a decade and it's not my most fun part of London I admit

Today me and the kids can decide between a picnic in one of the bigger parks or we can nip to London Transport museum or to the local water park. None of which take longer than 20 minutes to get to!!

I grew up and spent my childhood and teen years between z3 and z6, there is no other place like it in the world. I genuinely love London, even in rush hour it's just an incredible city and I'd move back in a heartbeat if I could.

I love living in London. I moved here when i was 22 and have no desire to return to the arse end of the West Midlands where I am from originally. The culture, the diversity, and I love how you can walk off the beaten track and discover something new. DH and I used to do loads of walking tours pre-kids.

The Rio Olympics is also making me feel very nostalgic for London four years ago when it really felt that you were living in the greatest city on earth.

I love London! I've lived here pretty much most of my life and will never leave, esp now I've got kids. Funnily enough I was in Norfolk last week which was beautiful, but was wondering how people cope living there and how different my daughter might be if she'd grown up somewhere where there wasn't so much diversity and where people tend to have been born there and not left as opposed to where we are where people are from all over the world. Totally not knocking it at all so no offence meant but point is, it's what you're used to. And summer in London is the best time to be here! In fact I have a child free morning now and I'm off to Hampstead ponds 😃

Different strokes for different folks. I've lived in numerous places around the world, both cities and towns, and London is by far my favourite!

Nowhere is perfect, but the endless great things about the place far outstrip the negatives. Plus, with all the people around I feel very safe travelling at all hours - I'd feel far less safe out in the countryside with no-one else around! Wide open spaces tend to freak me out, if I'm honest and the seaside in UK is not much of an attraction, personally.

Also love not having to rely on a car to get around.

Currently living in another big city in SE Asia and I still miss London (but not the UK weather, so much...)