Leaving London - is there a promised land?

[ilkleymoorbartat]

With the mass exodus from London at the moment, aibu to ask whether there is some promised land that people go when they have kids (whatever the location).

Ie, are those of us in London missing out on a life that is lovely and idyllic which if you're in the London bubble it's impossible to imagine?

Do we have Stockholm syndrome basically?!

I live in Surrey and would not say it has endless activities - it has a few activities of a certain type. It does have very pretty countryside if that’s your scene, great schools, low crime. It doesn’t have endless nightlife, it doesn’t have amazing galleries or museums, it doesn’t have a very diverse population. Does it have amazing restaurants? Maybe one or two. Kids who are into ponies, dogs, bikes probably don’t complain I’m sure but they could be doing all those activities in other beautiful places like Northumberland. ( I’m also confused by the 30 minute train unless you live in Woking which is not the most picturesque place in the world)

But the weather is worse everywhere that isn't London. If you watch the weather, it's usually crap everywhere except the SE. I am thinking of moving down south for that reason!

'The Home Counties' basically means the entire southeastern corner of England, so to call it all suburbs is ridiculous. I live in one of the HC and large parts of it are completely rural.

Cardiff.

I'd have no problem leaving London but I couldn't go to the other extreme of being totally reliant on a car to get anywhere. I can drive but no countryside existence is worth that.

We live in London - looking to move to Brighton, for the kids school. I am absolutely not sure i will like it - but I know the school will be amazing.

@garlictwist yeah all that bastard fresh air!

We've moved recently from SW London to York, love it

York is beautiful

Hi OP, I moved out of London about ten years ago. On balance it has been a really good move. I live rurally in Norfolk, but close to a train line so I can get back to London for work and leisure (theatre in particular), and the kids have enjoyed rural life and had lots of space to grow up in. You must consider the downsides though. Transport wise, we have no buses (none at all), so as a teenager, your kids will need to be taken everywhere by car. Whilst we have great food here, we do not have the diversity you may get in London. Ethnically I am Indian and we have some great Indian restaurants here, but in London there are thousands of different restaurants of different types which you do not get elsewhere in the UK, or indeed Europe. Similarly miss things like museums and culture which I still get to, but have to plan more carefully. Also, there is a lot more to do in the summer than the winter. If you do think about moving and you come up with a place and then be honest about the pros and cons. We took a piece of paper and put pluses and minuses on wither side.

Lovely place to be! We have lived here 30 years. I had to move away for 9 months in 2000, when I left the ex. I couldn't wait to get back here. I would never live anywhere else in the U.K but York.

It's not rural and its not the size of a city. Perfect size and the hub of the North for anywhere in the country by train (when they are running)

York is a transient city and many are like us who have moved here.

Welcome! I hope you are as happy here as we are

I've watched everyone I know move out of London, priced out or looking for more space or the rural idyll.

Personally London is heaven for me. Endlessly changing, fascinating, trendy, quirky.

I go into the centre almost every weekend exploring, and I never stop being glad we stayed.

One weekend I'm in the East End, Columbia Road Flower Market, Spitalfields Market, or Brick Lane.

The next I'm in West London exploring Belgravia, maybe at Pantechnicon having a match croissant.

I've always been enthralled but one caveat is we do live in a suburb of SW London. It's relatively affordable, has great schools and is very green.

Having said that, I still find the London burbs a little boring, and would love to live further in now the kids are older. We're probably priced out now, as prices in the outer suburbs haven't kept pace with prices in London postcodes.

But in terms of moving out, everyone I know has done it, but it's not for me. London keeps me alive!

The A3 migration is pretty well-trodden.

Clapham - Balham - Streatham - Putney - Wimbledon - Raynes Park - New Malden - Surbiton - Guildford

Choose your stops, and when to stop going south...