To wonder how anyone can live in London?

[Sausagefingers9]

I hadn’t been to London in years so had forgotten just how extremely busy it is. I’ve just got back from a trip there and feel like I need a lay down in a dark room!

How does anyone ever turn off when there is so much stuff, and noise and people everywhere? Everyone looked so grumpy and depressed.

Humans have lived in densely populated cities for a very long time, this isn't some kind of special London hell. Personally I love all the signs of life and love and creativity everywhere, of course walking through a business district at rush hour will feel more stressed than a zone 3 high street on a Sunday afternoon though.

I don’t hate London. You don’t need to take my opinion so personally!
It was fun to visit but after a few days I felt overwhelmed by it. Obviously it’s different if you don’t live in the city but from the moment I stepped out the hotel it was a bombardment of noise, people everywhere and pollution. It all just felt very grey and depressing to me.

I lived in Hackney in the late 80s, early 90s and loved it. Now I'm an old gimmer, but happy enough, in a naice village in the north west.

However DS1 has recently moved to Brixton and is having a great time. We all went down to visit for a weekend and thoroughly enjoyed all the vibrancy and energy. Even went on Rightmove when we got home to see what we could buy down there for the price of our house. London has a definite attraction for me; I find it really invigorating.

Each to their own, but we recently moved out of London to a town in the Home Counties in search of more peace, cleaner air, etc - and I absolutely loathe it. There are so many more cars, so much more noise, the pollution’s far far worse than it ever was in London. So many people in such a tiny place.

Londoners don’t live on Oxford Street. The city’s so massive that large parts of it are actually surprisingly peaceful.

I couldnt cope with it at all, much too busy.

Apparently “everyone looked so grumpy and depressed” and yet those of us who live here aren’t allowed to take it personally.
I suspect I wouldn’t much like your life either if that’s your take on London - but each to her own!

You get used to it

You find ways to take a breath and enjoy space, whether that's a park (more of those in London than anywhere else in the UK), sitting in your back garden or a quiet cafe

Some of us need people about and find it energising. I love the mixture of ages and nationalities you encounter during a typical bus or tube ride

Yes, but having lived here for ever, it really does feel a lot busier than it used to.

If we're driving out of London it can take up to an hour just to reach the M25. It didn't use to. Trains full to bursting - not like that 15 years ago, where I live.

I love it, it's my home city and I've never lived anywhere else, didn't even leave for uni, but it's starting to pall.

Nothing and nowhere is above criticism.

My niece came over from Sydney to visit. I took her to Liverpool St. station during Friday night rush-hour, and she just froze. I said, 'Come on, you live in Sydney, surely they have rush-hour too?' She said, 'Yes, but it's not like this'.

I remember watching once when they shut the barriers at Waterloo Station, how quickly this massive crowd started spilling out into the street. Within 90 seconds, people were stood on the pavement outside.

God, I love London so much. That buzz, that vibe, people not giving a fuck who you are or what you do. But I can definitely see why those things could definitely be a negative if you're into that community living, rural life. Just don't go to Liverpool St. station on a Friday night, that's my advice!

you get used to it... a friend recently moved to 'the countryside' and it was so quite with hardly any people around, I found it odd. Horses for courses.

It really depends on where in London you are talking about, as a lot of people don't need to go into central London unless their jobs take them there. I'm in Wimbledon and I work further out in this direction - haven't been central for over a year, have everything on my doorstep. The whole area is lovely and if I ever did want to go out 24hours then central isn't far, but where we are it's like a small town in its own.

Forgot to add, I visited London in my wheelchair, even ventured on the tube. Everyone was just as chatty and friendly as they are in out part of the world.

I quite enjoy seeing lots of slim, affluent, purposeful looking people striding around. Everyone in our local town looks a bit run down and unhealthy.

The wealth gap is quite shocking though.

Ah, but as much as us Londoners love the buzz, noise and merriment, we’re also party to all the quiet little ‘villages’ that are slap bang in the centre but you only find if you live here / stumble across them by accident.

Pretty tree lined streets! Slap bang in the centre!

Secreted from judgmental eyes, just the way we like it!

Each to their own- I imagine some people may find where I live very dull-.

I am not a bug city person, but I know plenty of family and friends who thrive in a big busy city.

I would never choose New York for a holiday for instance- or maybe one day- that would be plenty.
My sister only ever visits big cities on holiday.

Each to their own.

Not Just London though, I find all cities overwhelming.

Born and partly raised in London.
I still think it's a great city and I'd love a little flat overlooking the Thames if I won the Lottery so I could spend more time there going to museums, galleries etc but no way could I live there full time. It's too full on for me these days.

Don't go to New York OP - I used to work in the City of London and loved it. I was a young thing and it was great.

Went to NY for 2 weeks for work and thought it was waaay too full on

I live in the country and commute into the west end. Best of both worlds as I love the buzz and busyness and I get to stay in town 2-3 times a month for fun stuff, but I do love coming back to my quiet house in the country too. Horses for courses and all that.

See I do enjoy a busy city but just felt it was too much. I love Newcastle for instance. It’s waaaay smaller so that helps but I find the people very chatty and happy.

Why is the OP not allowed to say anything about London?! She is not saying it in RL to someone’s face knowing they live there.

I love/hate London in equal measure, born and lived there for a long time.

lifelong Londoner - really hit my limit with it about 2 years ago.

I live in an outer zone but insisted on home working days etc etc and hate having to go central for socialising now. I also hate how they are managing traffic and buses but don't get me started, lol.

the things I loved about it when I was growing up are gone as well - and the personality of the place is a lot different than it used to be. There was a wonderful thread here about London in the 90s in fact, I was heartened to see more people felt the same as I do.

I took redundancy and I don't think I'll ever be able to work in Central London again, not just because of commuting but because as an area, it gets on my nerves now.

so OP, I don't blame you - I don't know how I've managed the last few years, the relief when I get back to my flat is untrue!

It's a funny one isn't it. If I posted that I live in London and can't imagine how anyone could stomach living in Liverpool/Manchester/Wales/wherever it would be considered outrageously rude and offensive.

PS I do think London is really friendly though, but I know a lot of people don't agree with me!

I lived in London for 8 years and loved everything about it. We were back for a visit over the weekend and I had tears in my eyes with how much I missed it - combined with a sense of immense privilege for having got to have lived in such a vibrant, diverse, exciting place at all.

Like anywhere it is has its bad parts, but it has so much to offer. And it doesn't have to be rushed and hectic - in my last job, my "commute" was a stroll across Regents Park.

Not really, I don’t find it offensive at all. I am quite secure in my life choices including where I live and not looking for an online fight 🤷🏼‍♀️

Yes the positives definitely outweigh the negatives And sometimes it's the other way round. Loved London when I lived there - now love the fact that I don't. The DC will probably migrate towards London when they graduate, and I might just be looking forward to visiting them there.