Is quality of life in West London and the South-East UK really better than East London and the North UK?

[lndonist]

Considering the high cost of living in West London and South London, with the relative sparse infrastructure investment of the UK government (though we're better off financially and have more personal freedom than in other countries), is quality-of-life in these areas generally better than the ones those have who live in places like East London?

I guess a similar question could be asked of the North-South divide. The Great Recession brought down living standards for a lot of the middle class (with surveys showing that the lower class never saw a huge change in lifestyle, probably due to there being a bottom floor at which point government handouts kick in) and I sometimes think that the cost-of-living in West London means that quality-of-life is about the same.

I lived south, north, east and west in London for over 20 years - there was a reason when I eventually bought, it was in Chelsea. "West is best" they say, and it was true for me personally because of the bars/restaurants, parks, shops, transport (I needed to be able to drive out of London on the west side to see family in the west).

BUT I had lots of friends who wouldn't have dreamed of leaving areas from shoreditch to Waterloo to Bermondsey to Bethnal Green to Islington to stoke newington - everyone's got different priorities and budgets.

But there is a definite attitude in London and the surrounding areas that anywhere else in the U.K. is too small. I really noticed that at university - so many of the students who weren't foreign students (who you would expect to choose London, I think, why travel miles from home and not go to the capital?) were from Essex, Kent or Surrey. When I asked why they didn't choose Manchester or Newcastle or Leeds or Nottingham or Bristol, their faces were totally blank

We usually get told that living in East London or the North is bad - they have worse quality-of-life and everything is horrible there in comparison to where we live

This is bizarre. Who on earth says this rubbish?

I guess a similar question could be asked of the North-South divide. The Great Recession brought down living standards for a lot of the middle class (with surveys showing that the lower class never saw a huge change in lifestyle, probably due to there being a bottom floor at which point government handouts kick in) and I sometimes think that the cost-of-living in West London means that quality-of-life is about the same.

'Lower class'? 'Government handouts'??

Oh no the lower class haven't suffered have they? Oh no not the industrial towns with steel works or factories at their core. No their economy is doing great isn't it

Oh and lower class is rude and I apologise for quoting it. Itbis called working class, you know the people who form the foundation of our country and economy.

I've lived in Wales and the Midlands and London and Kent and Reading. Ended up here in the North West in a naice village in beautiful West Lancashire.

We have stunning countryside from our doorstep, great schools and my youngest has a massive amount of freedom to play out. We are about 45 minutes from two major cities when we want our fix of culture. There is even a growing arts scene in our local grimy northern town. There are loads of communty events all through the summer. I feel very lucky to live here.

Apart from the cost of housing and rent being high I would say access to services is probably also much much better in London and the south east generally. Hospitals (major hospitals with specialist departments), public transport and other public services. And also there appear to be bigger pockets of high unemployment in the North, fewer jobs.

Grim up north?? Have you ever even been there. The North is glorious and you can get an excellent quality of life which is still affordable.

Yes there are pockets of poverty and unemployment just like the rest of the UK. However, there are thriving cities and areas of affluence

Tumsnet I agree with you on transport, if anyone has suffered the misery of northern rail you will understand - although I don't think southern is any better . But both Liverpool and Manchester have major hospitals with specialist units After all why wouldn't these exist outside London?

And Sheffield children's hospital etc etc.
That is the one thing that pisses me off about the north. The lack of money the government put in for transport.
Like they voted in crosstalk but not the electrification of all lines that would have costed less

You tend to be happy where you can work, afford to live, associate with like-minded people and feel safe so it is entirely about who you are.

Obvious really

@PointedHorizons. Very good point.

Ex-pat from Yorkshire here. I grew up in Sheffield, moved down to rather naice part of South-West London. Do occasionally dream about going back to God's Own Country, but as @PaintedHorizons says, if your friends are down here, you can afford a big enough house, and you feel safe, why bother?

The only area in which the North is at a SERIOUS disadvantage IMHO is in public transport. I would say the North is 10 years behind, but I remember London in 2008, and it still kicked the arse of Manchester / Leeds even now. And don't get me started on places like Pontefract or Doncaster.

I do hope this 'Northern Powerhouse' concept makes a difference, because the SE is getting too crowded. However, there's a lot of cynicism about the Northern Powerhouse at the moment.

If Andy Burnham can herd that bunch of infighting fuckwits at TfN into shape, then he'll be working a miracle. As someone at Westminster commented, "We knew they hated London, we didn't know they hated each other". I've always known it (the rival city councils that is, not the people).

I too hope the northern powerhouse projects the northern economy as well.i also agree that London has a disproportionate amount of funding for transport with all these modern updates and crosstalk etc when even big cities like Leeds have archaic trains and piss poor public transport.
I think our mayors and mps need to grow some balls and work together and once and for all demand equal funding across the UK

Liverpool and Manchester have major hospitals with specialist units

Yes, which you can’t get an appointment at! My FIL is ill and got a letter for his appointment. In mid 2019. This is the first time they will be seeing him. He’s been ill for 18 months, it’s disgraceful. Whereas I can get a same day appointment at my London gp.

@Sarahconnor1 Yes, there are major hospitals in the north but access to them will be somewhat limited as the number of specialist and teaching hospitals will be fewer and they have a greater geographical spread. Combined with the transport infrastructure this could mean access to a lot of the specialist treatment facilities come at an extra cost to the service user.

To be fair, it's not just the North of the UK, I grew up in the South West and recently an elderly relative has undergone cancer treatment and the cost of travel to and back from hospital has a significant impact. The hospital is over an hours drive away and there are no alternative public transport options.

Yeah it's shit in the North. All those stunning beaches I walk on every weekend, all that fresh air and not to mention I miss the huge queues of traffic getting from A to B.

Sarcasm aside the North East is ace. It has its faults and the job situation is poor and there is definitely a North South divide. However huge areas of it are stunning and it's chilled and quiet. It depends what you want. It's not grim though no matter what anyone says.

for some people it is for some people its not depending on what things a person has/ wants in there life

I was born and bred in west london, I hated it, it’s a shithole however after visiting east london many times I can safely say west was much better. I would never advise anyone to live in london. My cousin still lives thier and it’s 100x worse than it used to be.

I grew up in Poplar, East London. Rough.

If you stay in the same postal code, E14, and walk into Canary Wharf area... it's like a different world.

Live in Surrey and born locally. Can't comment on elsewhere but sick of crowded roads/transport/high housing cost. We do have reasonably paid jobs but because of high housing cost it just balances out so not really well off. Secretly wish I was born somewhere with lower housing costs, but maybe a case of grass not always greener..

Nichelette. It you'st to be like that. But now a lot of cities especially have a lot of jobs usually found in the capital such as Leeds financial sector and Manchester media city.

I’m fortunate enough to live in what estate agents call ‘one of the most sought-after villages in Leicestershire’.

We have lovely thatched stone cottages, fantastic pubs, cafes and restaurants and beautiful countryside is on our doorstep. The view from my bedroom window is rolling green fields leading to a picturesque reservoir. If we want to visit the city, we are less that 30 mins drive from both Leicester and Nottingham, an hour from Birmingham and 90 mins from London.

Ah yes, London. It’s certainly a great place to visit, but as a place to live? No thanks. The quality of life just isn’t good enough, I’m afraid.

Tumsnet I have access to the specialist hospitals by public transport across the northwest. All the major hospitals are in cities so are easily accessable for the majority of people who live in towns and cities. Yes there would be difficulties if you live out in the sticks, but I think that is a city/countryside issue rather than north/ south.

LePamplemoussse genuine question are london hospitals not operating under waiting lists?
www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/15/nhs-waiting-times-and-treatment-access-are-a-postcode-lottery-report-warns this suggests the south has some of the worst waiting times and access to treatment. Your Fils wait is crap I don't doubt that though.

Oh it’s grim up North, stunning scenery, cleaner air, better water and a more realistic cost of living .

You find a lot of the “divide” comes from the media and a lot of judgement from S vs N is from people who haven’t even been and don’t even know where the “North” is.

But the fact that is believed to be grim is perfect, keeps them from coming 🤣

As anywhere, there are good and bad places in both, and as lovely as the South is on the whole, for me personally nothing would get me to live there.