AIBU to think that the UK is no longer an attractive place to live

[Elloduckie]

NC here for this one. DH to be and I are getting married next year and we were looking to set up and be based here. But with everything going on, the UK does not seem that attractive to live.

Currently London based, we want/need to be somewhere that is diverse, have no patience bigotry etc. Though living in London doesn't make you immune from that!!

But to raise kids and work, it just doesn't seem like the UK is the place to be anymore. Does anyone else feel like this?
Thing is, we would we move to? Both are very mobile career wise and speak a few languages so that will not be an issue. Money wise should be fine too. Its literally a question of where else is good, diverse to raise kids and not colder than the UK (ruling out the Scandinavian countries).

Suggestions please..

The Netherlands sounds fantastic - we know two families that have moved to The Hague and love it.

I love my country. I've lived all over the world over the years, have friends from everywhere and am always happy to come back home to the UK.
I'm here permanently now and couldn't be happier.
There is bigotry everywhere, in India there was the class system that was worse than anything you'd find in London.
Being happy is a state of mind, you will never find a Utopia anywhere.

Move to Scotland. It is the best of the UK without the bad bits. It will be even better when it becomes independent.

I live in rural Ayrshire and can be in Glasgow within 30 minutes. Glasgow is a wonderful, vibrant diverse city with art, culture and opportunity.

You get a lot more for your money in Scotland in terms of property and a good standard of public services and education. It also has the best performing NHS in the UK.

You have no idea!!!!

Where you live is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. Having DC here in the NYC area and the expenses are insane. Museums, art shows and any activity that involves water is insanely expensive meaning there is a complete lack of diversity income wise at all of these activities. We are conscious of this inequality and find it really challenging to manage.

Does it have a good education system there? I really don't know much about it other than Amsterdam is good if you're that way inclined...

We were thinking Portugal, Lisbon particularly. But if feel like somewhere much better is out there. But you are right regarding state of mind. I just think that there must be somewhere out there, where your money can go further and the average house price for quite frankly a box isn't £500k! With good schooling for kids.

“We were thinking Portugal, Lisbon particularly.”

I wouldn’t.

The British education system is good. He issue was cultural when I was a child. My parents were the only ones who were open about supporting and encouraging academics at home. Now it's a lot better but there is a still a way to go where academic success is properly supported by more than middle class parents.

Depends where you live, doesn't it? And what you want from life?

I live in Cumbria and I absolutely love it here. Beautiful countryside, lovely people and dirt cheap housing if you go outside the National Park. But rural living isn't for everyone so not everyone would enjoy it here.

However, having grown up in the South East I'm much happier here than I ever was down there. I have a better work-life balance, I get outdoors all the time and my life overall is much more relaxed.

Portugal has a fairly high unemployment rate though...and it's not exactly a buzzing metropolitan area?

I do see what you mean (though I still think - no deal Brexit aside) that the UK is a pretty good place to live overall, everywhere has its problems.

How about Munich? It's very cold in the winter though...maybe Cologne or Berlin?

France has a fair amount of its own bigotry and social issues at the moment. Unemployment would worry me in Spain & Portugal.

Netherlands/Belgium/Luxembourg worth a look...

Switzerland (Geneva) is beautiful, ditto that area of France...but again, cold in the winter.

Does it need to be Europe?

Personally I couldn't live in the US but Canada...?

But to raise kids and work, it just doesn't seem like the UK is the place to be anymore. Does anyone else feel like this?

No.

No. I couldn't live anywhere else. Maybe look at Bristol? Busy, buzzing, lovely waterfront, culturally diverse, warm - warmer than the north anyway!

I'm in semi-rural Hampshire...lovely village, direct line to London, all the schools nearby are great.

Very middle class bubble kind of area though.

Look at the Manchester area. Cheshire and Yorkshire Dales are wonderful. Lots going on in Manchester and good schools are in both areas.

Why does somewhere have to be 'diverse' to be 'better'? I can't think of many places more diverse than London.
You do realise diversity will be the death of Scandinavian socialist utopias like Sweden, don't you? Their version of democratic Socialism only works with a homogenous population who share a common culture and strong work ethic. It also helps that NATO (the USA) picks up their defense bill.
But whatever makes you 'woke', I guess.

Canada seems to be held up by many as a fabulous place but the cold thing would be an issue.

Personally, I'd buy a private island somewhere around the Med, put up a "no trespassing" sign and fuck the rest of the world off. Just have friends come and visit.

No, I don't agree with you. I travel a lot both with work and personally and I always love coming home to the UK. Nothing like flying over central London into Heathrow when I return from a long trip, it makes my heart soar.

I work in London but live rurally in a beautiful part of Surrey, which is still commutable, so I have the best of both worlds, so the UK can be a great place to live if you get the balance right.

Surely some sort of more complex ven diagram of your languages and places where jobs in both your fields will narrow your list of optimal places to resettle down. Only then do you look deeper into the quality of life in each respective potential city/ region and weigh them up against the UK. If you're left with a shortlist do pros and cons lists of those, then get applying for jobs and move when one of you has a contract signed, try it out for a year before putting down semi- permanent roots (buying a house, having kids if you don't have them already).

If you do already have kids how old are they?

I've always heard that the Netherlands is actually hugely stuffy and conservative outside a few hotspots, perhaps that's out of date information....

I used to feel somewhat similarly, until I lived in the US for a few years. The inequality, racism and attitude that you have to work until you drop (and that lunch/holidays is for weaklings) astounded me, although I enjoyed my time there on the whole.

I missed the UK greatly and was glad to come home. There are definitely problems here (least of all Brexit) but there are great things about living here too: beautiful countryside, exciting cities and free healthcare, to name a few.

I've lived in the States for 8 years now and wouldn't ever think of moving back to the UK.

It makes me sad just to go back to visit.

So Portugal was thrown in there due to the low cost of living and we speak the language fluently. Work wise, we are both self employed and our businesses are online, so that's what makes us mobile. Doesn't really have to be Europe, DC will be black so USA is off the table on that front and hence the emphasis on diversity. African countries are a no for now, more for a retirement option. I just don't want them (DC) to deal with heaviness of being the only black family in the village which is why I didn't consider anywhere else outside of Greater London area. Maybe we were too quick to write off the UK in its brexit light.

Have to say everytime I fly back into Heathrow from a trip and someone rushes past me its like 'yessss feels good to be home' - I know thats weird, but I do love this city. I just don't like what it is becoming when you have to consider for children as it will no longer be just about me and DH.

heaviness of being the only black family in the village which is why I didn't consider anywhere else outside of Greater London area.

OP you are spot on. There are no black people whatsoever outside the M25.

I love living here. But I'm old (according to MN) and don't have young children. I think most people no matter how war torn or dreadful their home country is love their place of birth. massive generalisation

Of course I know there are black people outside of London just nowhere near as much. Lived in Nottingham for a bit and was pleasantly surprised. Loved it there. Not sure about schools though and how good they are.