Where to live - North or South?

[christmaspringle]

Need help on making a decision.

I'm 27 and single. Have about 6k in savings. Own a house and let it out, currently share.

Currently I live in a northern city - my university city - I moved here last year. I thought I would enjoy it but I hate it. People seem very 'local', the city seems small and backward and I haven't made any new friends really.

I want to move to London next year. Probably around July when my current tenancy ends. This gives me 6-7 months to find a decent job. I'm quite established in my current career, would be looking at 45-50k.

But my parents are putting me off. They think I'm looking for something that I will never find - as I've moved twice since leaving university. Also that London is too expensive, I'll be lonely and I'll never buy another house.

Wwyd?

Bristol isn't cheap and there are places there that are crap. I suspect Edinburgh is the same. Brighton is not a big city and neither is Southampton. I say London is your best bet OP.
Good luck.

Did you have friends living in Leeds when you moved there?

Do you have friends in London?

London housing costs are ££££!

Just fucking move to London. Why do you need our permission?

Leeds very different to London (without stating the obvious!) and again both very different to Birmingham which you also mention.
I often find it weird how highly people rate Leeds for finance jobs when in reality there is very little compared to a London or Birmingham. I don't know what you do for a job but for Birmingham very strong jobs market currently in finance (HSBC new HQ opening) , public sector ( New West mids combined authority), engineering, law, PR, medicine, sciences, marketing all strong too.
Birmingham good nightlife, shopping, restaurants and is a bigger city with perhaps a wider catchment so more varied people (e.g people
In my office live local plus as varied as Stoke, Leamington, Worcester, etc) but once you live in it also feels quite small.

The north or south question if you are moving to London has only one answer, which is north London.

Though from what you are describing, London may not be the option for you as £50k will not be enough for a mortgage on a decent sized property.

I'm not looking to buy property, I already own a house.

Please please move to London and take your nasty condescending attitude with you. I’m sure some of the backwards inhabitants of Leeds would be happy to help you pack.

The crazy housing costs will affect you if you rent or share a rental too. And if you decide to stay long term at some point you may want to buy, which can be very hard with the prices.

I'm just outside of Leeds and love it here. There is plenty going on.

However if you aren't happy and think London offers you more I would go for it or you might regret it. If it doesn't work out you can always leave.

I live up north, absolutely hated it the first 5 years. Then got a good job and met interesting people who are warm and same level of education and background. I dont mind it now, I used to want to move to London but can't see myself doing it now. I love having an affordable house with a garden in a nice area and not having to commute for hours to get to work. I still love London but to visit.

People are becoming quite territorial and upset at the OP. I’m from London but wouldn’t get upset if anyone hated it, some members of my family hate it! It’s what you like and where you feel ‘at home’.

Personally, I think people from the North are far friendlier than us southerners (apart from me)

So don’t get upset folks..OP just vocalising her own experience of where she’s living

Stay clear of London, I love it, it fantastic to visit but a £45k a year job will not support u, anything like being in Leeds.

I lived in Leeds and hated the place. It was like stepping into the 1950s. I'd recommend pretty much anywhere in the UK apart from Leeds. Edinburgh is actually nearly as expensive as London, but is great.

How about Birmingham as somewhere to consider? I don't know it but it's a big city and you will be nearer your family.
I definitely would try London though.

Everywhere is lonely if you don't have the friends. Not easy in any city

I do have friends there already and I'm a friendly person but people in Leeds seem very established in their groups already.

You want to go to London, because it's friendlier? There are many reasons you might want to live there; but not for the ease of social interaction with strangers. I know Leeds can be a bit dour, but Southerners make Yorkshire folk seem like Italians by comparison.

Leeds is a fairly lively city. It can be hard making new friends in your late 20s, but I can't see a move to London (or Manchester/Liverpool which might be a better bet) making a big difference. Perhaps the issue is not the city, but the person in it?

I'm not worried about being near family... I thought 45 - 50k would be ok to live on in London though? I know I won't be able to live on my own but I don't currently. Have a decent-ish size of savings so that I don't have to worry about putting too much away.

OP You can share a nice two beds in zone 2 wih one flatmate for £850/950. I think you should be able to afford that on the salary you indicated

People coupling up and being less inclined to socialise than they were a few years ago is part and parcel of inching towards 30 I'm afraid. However, the cost of living being so much higher in London, the pool of people who are priced out of settling down is larger than it would be elsewhere. So just on that basis, you'll probably meet fewer engaged and married people of your age in London. Which sounds like it's a priority for you.

Though saying that, I'm sure I read that Londoners work longer hours on average so you may find people are just married to their jobs instead.

OP..as I have said I’m a Londoner. I worked in east London with a lot of newly qualified health workers, they earned less than half what you earn, mostly they were from overseas, or from different parts of the UK.

They all house shared. They still managed a great social life, and trips to Europe and elsewhere. If you want to live in central London, dine at the Ivy, and shop in Harrods, then you best stay up North on your salary.

The girls and boys had a whale of a time, some stayed, some went back ‘home’.

London is like most big cities, the more touristy the higher the cost.

You may also make friends with your housematesthis quite often happens, you’re all in the same boat.

What’s the worse case scenario? You’re not happy where you are, so you’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain

london. always london.

I would absolutely go for it in your position. London is great when you're in your twenties, have no ties and earn a decent salary. You won't regret it.

Go for it! The question is what's stoppping you?

A great way to make friends in London is staying in a shared house.

ConciseandNice, did you happen to live in Leeds in the 50s?