Why is everyone hating on London

[greenwichvillage]

Recently a lot posts I read on social media is about how much people hate London. Its has been called all sorts of names - cesspit, dirty, crime ridden and the foreigners have taken over. They don't recognise London anymore and they are glad they have moved to whiter areas with cheaper housing.

For context, I have lived here all my life, lived in North West London and now live in Southwest London. I admit there are parts of London that have deteriorated, equally there part parts of London that are really nice. Yes it is expensive to live in and properties are expensive but that does not make it a cesspit.

I love living where I am and I love all that London has to offer. I'm not English but I am British and I'm not white and I feel really safe here in London. Yes there are problems with crime, but there is crime everywhere.

I have been to other areas in the UK and really none of it appeals to me, I have been to beautiful country side and small towns and cities and tbh I would get bored after two days there. But I would never go as far as insulting it which people seem to do quite a lot with London.

I think Farage/ Reform and Tommy have a lot to answer for.

There are plenty of northerners here! I am originally from the north (west), my husband I met here is from the north (east) and two of my closest friends are from Leeds. It’s a real mix. Which I guess a lot of us here like. I am glad you had a good trip!

No, it's not, hating and hating on are not the same thing.

I also don't think it's true tbh. We're just friendly in a different way. You move to London and consider yourself (say) French still. Absolutely fine. But also you think of yourself as a Londoner? That's fine too. You're a Londoner now. I'm pretty sure as a Londoner if I moved to one of the villages in Cornwall or the Yorkshire Dales I'd ALWAYS be an outsider.

Come back any time. We'd love to have you ❤️

I think, OP, if you see lots of 'hate' about London on your social media it probably has a lot to do with the algorithms on the apps - I don't see it at all.

I visit London as a tourist and for work meetings and conferences. I enjoy the experience when I visit for pleasure but wouldn't want to live there simply because it's too big and busy for me - I live and work in a small city in the north.

A previous poster said: I'm always shocked when I leave london about how would run down some places are.
I work with children in the NHS in one of the most deprived regions in the UK. My problem with London is not the place or people but how London-centric large organisations and government are. I have spent years fighting for the children here to have resources similar to those in London. I suspect the same is true for those working in local government, transport etc.

When times are hard (and right now a lot of people are living in poverty, with unaffordable housing, a difficult job market etc) it’s natural to look for someone to blame. It’s natural to point the finger and say ‘they’ve got more it’s unfair’.

London abuse has become the acceptable prejudice.
Unfortunately xenophobia and Islamophobia aren’t far behind at the moment.

What confuses me is on the one hand MN tells us London is so dangerous and if you raise your kids there they’ll end up ketamine fuelled, knife wielding gang members but at the same time were also told the schools are apparently unfairly advantaged and get the best of everything, literally snatching resources from schools around the country.

I can’t work out if we’re hated or envied. Or both, Mostly I can’t really get excited about it.

Funny. I've had the perception of London being somewhere to avoid since about 1998. The economy has nothing to do with it.

I don't think this thread is necessarily about people who don't happen to want to visit London though. It's about being actively negative and derogatory about a particular area. Often based on stereotypes.

I don't particularly want to visit Lincolnshire, say, but it wouldn't occur to me to post about it being awful or the people unfriendly etc. Just because I might not want to visit or live there.

Thats exactly what my post was about, don't really care if people don't want to visit London, they have their reasons and I respect their views. But it's the derogatory language used by people who have never visited the place is what I am talking about.

@InOverMyHead84 it probably wouldn’t resonate with many in my original home town of Mansfield - given that I’ve never been anywhere quite so crap , down at heel and full of aggressive arseholes in recent years - I’m not sure I necessarily take ‘not resonating’ as a good thing .

Yeah, the idea that people are envious is really bizarre to me. I wouldn't raise my children in London for all the money in the World.

I mean, we'll probably learn to cope wthout you.

It’s too crowded now. The tubes don’t run reliably now. There are beggars on the tube. There are sexual harassers on the tube. There are lime bikes clogging the pavements. There are people cycling on the pavements. There are people walking three or four abreast on city pavements, oblivious. There are people walking along shouting into their phones avidly. There are people cycling along shouting into their phones avidly. There are people mopeding around shouting into their phones avidly. None of these shouting people are speaking English. There are men loitering outside shops, with assessing unfriendly gazes. There are scams being run on our central London streets with groups of men harassing tourists as if you were in a Souk.
Absolutely nothing if this is enjoyable, in any way whatsoever. Hence sane people used to better times “hate on” the massive downslide in quality of life.

"Hating" something is a feeling which can be done with no outward sign.
"Hating on" something is the expression of hatred either by speaking or writing, not merely the feeling of it.
Therefore in this context the "on" is not redundant, the OP is commenting on the increase in people online expressing their dislike of London.
Language evolves. I remember when I was a child old people complained about the use of the word "gay" to mean homosexual, but it is normal usage now and the world didn't end.

Absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact he's Muslim and everything to do with the fact he's a useless, money-grabbing idiot, who is destroying our once great capital city fron the inside out and doesn't remotely seem to care!

We know what it means. It's just that using it makes adults sound like they are 14 year-olds on TikTok. Yes, language evolves, but grown-ups using teen-speak is and always was cringeworthy!

Yes, all this “ is it because I is muslim” drivel is way past its sell by date. We see you, wannabe guilt trippers, flinging out reproach to avoid the reality.

Right. So all the people that you so hate who are shouting into their phones whilst going about their business aren't speaking English. And you get harassed while out and about "as if you are in a souk"
Has someone been reading the daily mail by any chance?

Exactly this. It's SOOOO boring.
The man has completely ruined London - but don't dare challenge him or any of his ridiculous 'initiatives' or he'll call you Far Right! 😩

No I’ve never read the daily Mail. I live in london. Why are you so invested in the denial of lived reality?

And I'm guessing all these people you are talking about are non white, am I right?

You are yet another collude - against - reality person wishing to create the idea that suddenly there is lots of “racism” rather than admit that there is overcrowding and anti social behaviour. Why are you so investing in this narrative? Are you terribly afraid to admit that there might be lots of loud inconsiderate foreign males lowering the quality of life.. so you’d rather point your finger and pretend it’s “ racism”, because that feels more comfy to you?

Ive lived in multi cultural London all my life, and I’m not white. Try a different knee jerk put down, if you want to silence me.

But how has he ruined London, please elaborate.

And where in London are you seeing this. Cause it's not in my part of SW London.

The streets are clogged with motor vehicles and yet its lime bikes you have a problem with