To not want to move from South to North London?

[Hairyhattie]

Dh and I are thinking about trying to conceive dc2 but first would like to move to a bigger home as are currently in a 1 bed flat in south London. Dh wants to go north of the river but I just feel like a traitor for even considering it Grew up in South London and feel such a strong allegiance to it that the thought of lows I actually makes me upset (I know it’s stupid) but I’ll miss walking down Brixton high street listening to the man preaching in Spanish on the microphone on my way to work and sending dh out to get me a Morley’s if hung over and so many other little things.
(I know we’re incredibly fortunate to be able to buy a house anywhere, let alone in London)

Wherever you live you will end up defending it to the death like a mad Mediaeval jouster!

You will have to drag me kicking and screaming from Blackheath/Greenwich

Dh wants to move as he works in NL and because he wants to experience living on ‘the other side’
I don’t think I can do it- we can afford the (very run down) houses in Brixton with all the saving we’ve done and can do the house up over time once more cash flows in

I'm mostly like I am about south London because my dsis lives in north London and likes to walk me out of our way to see where all the local celebrities live there! She even said that she couldn't move away because of "all the history!" in north London!!! Yes that's right; south London only came into existence in 2014!!! Her Dh also thinks south London is "very flat!"

Finchley is really really boring and 90% Jewish (if that makes any difference to you) not offensive just a fact before anyone starts

So why even mention it? What was your point meant to be?

If you like the Brixton vibe (I lived there for ages and loved it!) come South East... Peckham/Nunhead/Brockley/Honour Oak etc are all lovely and very family-friendly if you’re future-proofing. Very mixed, loads going on culturally, loads of amazing restaurants in and around Peckham, massive green spaces and parks all over the place. The only catch is no tube, and overcrowded trains in the morning often with no lifts/escalators... but decent transport links otherwise once you’ve mentally adjusted to not being on the Victoria Line any more (god, I miss it...). I made the move three years ago and love it here! Also lived in East Finchley for a few years which was sleepy, green and lovely if slightly lacking in excitement.

Where does your dh work OP?

@CommunistLegoBloc I think this poster proved from north?

hoxt Holloway so not a difficult journey at all on the tube

No-one lives in south London. They reside there or exist.

This is exactly the sort of sneering metropolitan elitism that means I will never leave South London for the dark side.

If your idea of 'living' is a wanker/artisan bakery on every corner, then crack on.

Never! I was one of the (many, apparently, if this thread is anything to go by) Jews in Finchley. I'm now in the guts of south London and love it.

I have lived in E14, N1, NW3, E3, W14, SW19, SW4 and SE17 and SE7 over a period of 40 years. Born here. I have worked in the City, West end central and the west of London for 20 or more years.

You cannot divide London into North and South for comparison.
You cannot compare house prices, green spaces, coolness, along a north, south divide.
You cannot compare transport being better one side or the other.

You can, however, compare two areas depending upon your individual needs and wants.

North London isn't one thing and South London isn't either.

I’m a NLondoner here although so central now I Don’t have an N postcode. I feel very uncomfortable ‘Dahn sauf’. Too low level too suburban too small just another country !!!

Lewisham won the obviously hugely official World Cup Of London Boroughs two years in a row: (Twitter Has Spoken).

North of the river is nice to visit, but you know moving there would be wrong...

@TheSandgroper where do you think the good people of Perth got the idea from

I would miss the river if I lived north. I like it being a part of my life. Battersea park, south bank, driving across the bridges back on a night out. Look at this view!

Well you need to move so what will you do? Seems like a silly argument to me.

Lived in south London and north London. Always pick north now. Much better transport.

Extraordinary to discover that all this time I haven’t been living in south London and happily zipping all over the place on what I thought were excellent transport links to just about everywhere, but really have just been existing in my transport dead zone.
It must have been my addled south London brain that dreamed I went from home to the West End in 20 minutes yesterday afternoon before I came back for dinner in a fantastic local restaurant chosen from at least 30 others within throwing distance. And this morning’s trip to a local yoga class with people I’ve come to know and love before a walk in our fantastic local park then a coffee and a trip to the bakery. Strange how being south of the river seems to distort the memories so much.

OP, do what you want - north London is great, in places, and probably terrible in others. I’ve lived there happily for long stretches. If I didn’t have a good sense of direction I wouldn’t know if I was north or south much of the time, so I don’t think one is better than the other.

I would say though that you don’t encounter so many ridiculous prejudices about people from the north when you live on the south side as you seem to when you go north (as evidenced by this thread) so you may want to bear that in mind.

Where are the affordable run down Brixton houses? Looking for one!

NathanNathan oh they’re definitely not affordable- years (and years to come) of beans on toast for them but I don’t think there any affordable houses in London- just slightly less expensive ones

I grew up north of the river but moved south as an adult.
They are different and I prefer South. North is definitely grittier and there is more crime on the streets and more traffic! North is also more expensive! This is probably because it has had better transport links for a long time.

would say though that you don’t encounter so many ridiculous prejudices about people from the north when you live on the south side as you seem to when you go north (as evidenced by this thread) so you may want to bear that in mind.
Dint worry if you think the North London Massive think South London is barely civilised, try living somewhere apart from London. We're clubbing mammoths for tea in comparison!

I moved from lovely Wandsworth to considerably less lovely Walthamstow for my DH.

Don’t do what I did OP...

It's just so ridiculous to describe either north or south London as one place with one feel and equal accessibility.

I can't believe posters are still comparing in this way.

Brixton has amazing transport links - south
Much of east London (north of the river) has limited tube access but served well by DLR and buses.
Much of the south is served brilliant by overground trains and many would say a more pleasant journey experience than the underground serving more of the north.
Chelsea and Fulham North of the river, hugely expensive but served by the not so convenient district line.

It's very strange to say that Camden and Cricklewood both being North of the river therefore having the same vibe.
Just as strange to compare Brixton, Tooting and Clapham all close and south but all markedly different in feel.

I moved from lovely Wandsworth to considerably less lovely Walthamstow for my DH

Which part though? The Village area is lovely.