Anyone thinking of leaving London to live somewhere else when this is all over?

[minniebo]

And if so, where would you go?

I've lived in London all my life and have been itching for a different lifestyle for a while now but the lockdown has confirmed it for me. I'm loving the cleaner air and quieter streets and want that permanently. Yes I would miss the buzz of London and its amazing culture but I can always visit, I'd just like a greener, quieter, slower pace right now. Anyone else?

If you still need to work in London, I think it's better to live in or around London. Everyone I know who commutes on the train finds it horribly stressful as they run late, are cancelled etc.

Given the recession that is coming, I think people will need to hang on tightly to jobs so if you must leave London, stay close to a major town or city to ensure here are jobs.

We left London 4 years ago with our pre-teens. Moved to coastal Suffolk. Easy to do London as a day trip to visit sights, museums and family, and we all breathe a collective sigh of relief as we head back to Suffolk! We bought a 4 bed detached house with garden near to beach, towns and countryside for the price of out tiny 3 bed semi in the London suburbs with a postage stamp garden. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of public transport and having to drive a lot more than when we were in London.

I toyed with doing it for ages, but never found an area where I felt I belonged. In London anyone can feel at home.

Londoner here, lockdown has made me wish for anything but a slower pace of life. I'm happy where I am.

I lived in london for 12 years. Moved with my husband up to Yorkshire, split within a year and everyone expected me to go back. 5 years later still here and I love it. I'm lucky in that my work is national but I have never regretted it. The quality of life is fabulous and so much cheaper.

I left London four years ago after 22 years living there. Moved to Liverpool and have never regretted it. The city centre is compact, you can walk round it easily, a taxi home is just over £10. Loads to do, four theatres, some amazing galleries and museums.

It has all the benefits of a city, yet where I am (north Liverpool) I can walk to the beach in 15 minutes, there's a country park at the end of the road. Loads of local independent businesses, which has meant shopping in lockdown has been so easy. When life was normal there are so many cafes, restaurants around, most of which will hopefully reopen as they've switched to takeway and are being well supported.

And it's 20 minutes on the train to work, way better than the commute I had from zone 4 to Westminster. Plus I could buy a four bedroom house here for the price of my two bed in London!

I spent my childhood in London, but moved to the south west as a young teen with my family.

I’m still in the area, around 15 miles from my parents who live in a large viallge/small town. I live in a medium sized town of around 45k people.

Nothing on earth could make me move to London. I enjoy it for a weekend trip, but I couldn’t cope with how manic it is every day. My town has enough to do to keep my teens entertained, and all the amenities you would need. I wouldn’t really want to live in the country side as I like the convenience of a town.

Houses are affordable too. There’s no way we could have afforded to buy anything in London, even my sister in bristol is struggling to get on the property ladder.

The only downside is public transport is awful. It’s expensive and infrequent. Though you can get a direct train from our train station to London. You really need to be able to drive to enjoy living here. There’s loads of great places to visit with in an hours drive and we are around 40 minutes from the beach.

Typing this has made me realise just how much I like living in my town, it’s nothing special, but it’s right for us.

Laurie “ I've been so pissed off at not being able to read in the park”

same here.

That said, let’s imagine I could afford a house up north. I’ve just been to the ice cream shop. The noise from gardens is overwhelming. Makes the tower block seem less bad.

I moved out of London when I had my dd. The air is definitely cleaner and I think it's a nicer place for her to grow up. I don't think I'll ever feel at home outside of London though.

Hi a bit late to the thread but I have similar views tbh. I still work in London but my partner wants out and I feel conflicted: being close to my son when he comes back from uni in final year ( for said reason- opportunity) or keeping peace at home. Many of our friends have left over the years:( and it’s been hard to make new ones because son not at school and I work in central London. To add - both means iartner from Yorkshire but been out in London did 25 years so not keen to move back even though family up there. Probably need a compromise place in a few years but where do I start??

I have realised I moved just out of London to have a better house and larger garden but close enough that I could work in London, socialise there and do the voluntary things I enjoy in London. Lockdown has made me feel stuck in a small town and I'm thinking of somehow moving back.

There are things going on here but it feels very insular and I'm not sure I want to spend the rest of my life here.

I can see why people are leaving London at the moment.

However, for me, as much as London has changed over the pandemic, I feel more connected to my local patch of London. I know that where I am now, I have a network of friends, neighbours and even strangers who will help me if I get ill, and as someone living on her own, that security is priceless. I'd have to start again if I moved away.

Some people have been Covidiots, but a larger majority have been good. Really good. There's been an increased sense of community spirit, and for me, that's what I've gained to replace the culture-y things I've lost. Most of the culture-y things will come back eventually, and I think the community spirit will remain.

I don't know what's going to happen to travel within London. I suspect demand will remain less than before due to people working from home more often (I can see most employers offering part-time home-working in the future), so that might make the unbearable rush hour traffic more bearable, when we eventually have a rush hour again. I think no matter what desperate deal is brokered with the Government for funding, we'll still end up with the best public transport arrangements in the UK - possibly more expensive and less frequent than before, but calmer than before, so an acceptable trade off.

I've always loved London, and whilst aspects of it have changed - some temporarily, some permanently - there's still nowhere else I'd rather be.

I was born and bred in London, moved out west to a market town with DH’s job and a 3 month old. For the first year or so I was keen (not desperate) to move back mostly because of the familiarity. After that, I wouldn’t go back. I like the quiet, cleanliness ( compared to a city) and calmer way of living. We’re in walking distance of town, bus and train stations, schools and parks and a short drive to the countryside. Love it!

We have recently moved abroad and are more in a suburb type area here (albeit still close to the centre). We were just saying that when the time comes to move back we will have to think very carefully about what we want to do. The only real problem I have with London is the air quality and knife crime when the kids get older.

If at all possible I’m keen to keep the place in London and maybe move out rent or buy somewhere outside so we keep the link with London for kids and also retirement.

Can’t think of many better places to have no work to go to - there is free stuff you could do every day of the week (well, there was).

We’ll see how it all pans out then make a decision.