To wonder why people choose to live in London?

[Cantbloodyrememberthenameonthread]

I always wonder. And reading a recent thread prompted me to ask the question. Why do people do it by choice? People complain about the house prices (rightly), ulez, nursery fees, cost of everything being more expensive, commutes, tubes etc.

if you’re not absolutely tied to London for work or health or I guess family. Why do you choose to live there when there are so many cheaper easier lifestyle options in the country?

You’re right I was mixing up the Gatwick express with the tube

Well they’re certainly attached to it

🤔

As someone once said, there's a reason M and S don't sell them..

I lived in London for 20 years and absolutely loved it. If I had my time again I wouldn’t move. It’s cosmopolitan, full of culture, fab green spaces and lots of good schools.

No you can't 😅 The tube doesn't go as far as bloody Luton or Stansted!

RTFT I already said I got that wrong

I don’t live their now but lived and worked in London for many years, I loved it, the constant hustle and bustle, a short train ride out to a slightly quieter area to love, the endless nights out and drinks after work. My son now doing the same and enjoying the lifestyle. Absolutely loved it.

I’ve never lived there but my biggest regret is not moving there when I graduated. Everytime I visit for work or leisure, it just hits me what an amazing, vibrant place it is - so much culture, art, food, and life in general.

I live in a Northern city which I also love and where I have a house that I wouldn’t be able to buy in London. I also appreciate to enjoy it fully you need to be earning a very decent salary.

in the uk government and finance and creative stuff is pretty much all in London.

Yes, London is unique amongst the big cities of the world in that literally everything that is anything is here: national government, finance, insurance, media, publishing, elite universities, law, arts, real estate, luxury commerce, transport connectivity and cultural prestige.

London has been the called the Death Star for that reason. Its gravitational pull is so great it sucks the life out of the rest of the country. People will no doubt disagree.

As a place to live, it is magnificent. The youth and energy is incredible.

But you have to have decent money to enjoy it. London is expensive and living hand-to-mouth in a small place and unsavoury location can be exhausting.

I loved it. I love every part of it. If I could afford to stay, I would. It’s honestly just a wonderful place to live.

I have lived in London all my life so it’s home for me I couldn’t see my living anywhere else.
it’s a wonderful city. The part I live in is really nice, friendly, close enough to the centre that I can visit all the historic buildings, galleries, museums, theatres etc. and with easy access of trains to take me to many other places outside London.

it’s very international so it is much easier to make friends. Not with the British, this is hard, but with all the expats.anywhere else in the uk is terribly difficult to make friends as people have their circles and they can’t be bothered to include you. British people mingle by class so it is hard if you are not married to British and do not belong,

London has been the called the Death Star for that reason. Its gravitational pull is so great it sucks the life out of the rest of the country. People will no doubt disagree

Its not good for productivity to have everything centred in one part of the country.

I lived near Portobello and it was a wonderful neighborhood. Fantastic butchers, fishmonger, bakeries etc - my parents who visited from a more rural part of the country were jealous at how ‘old fashioned’ the high street was - loads of independent shops not taken over by chains etc.

On days off my favourite things was to walk the canal paths, or go down to Embankment and just walk for miles along the river.

I always felt such a feeling of complete peace and belonging there. The only other city I’ve ever had that feeling in was Florence.

Live in London? Only if you are north of the river. Otherwise it is reside at best.

I grew up here (though was born in another country). It’s the only place on earth where I feel at home. I hate the crowds and the rat race, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I feel like a foreigner everywhere except London.

I'm a Londoner, born and bred. My friends and family are here. I love where I live!

No it is not a good thing. It pushes up property prices and workers have to live further and further out. It prices out key workers.

With WFH and big companies having more regional lower cost centres will help to ease the concentration. However being a service driven industry, inevitably these service folk want to live near each other and near all the entertainment and cultural delights.

London is still a wonderful place to live (within zone 4) and mingle with an international crowd if you can afford it.

I think this sums it up for me. It’s convenient, connected and fun. When you’re in London you don’t want for anything from the city. It’s constantly providing and if you get sick of it, you can take your choice of train or flight out.

London isn’t for me. It’s too big and full of people. I’m a northern country girl really. But I can absolutely see the draw of living somewhere that has everything. Maybe 20 years ago I should have done a year or so there just to have had the experience. I love to visit and see London through my friends’ eyes.

Dh and I currently live in Zone 2/3 but plan to retire into central London. A rural idyll is not for us.

If we could afford it, would love to stay in the Barbican and have food and culture at our door step or a short bus or tube ride away. There is no need to own a car as public transport is good. Walking is great exercise. Navigating crowded pavements, people, traffic lights is good for cognitive function. People watching is fun. Full of hospitals, state and private. Friends and dcs will be happy to stay over on visits as a base.

That is my retirement dream.

I’ve always lived in London. My family and my husband’s family is here. Not so many friends as lots have moved out. Our jobs are here and there aren’t equal equivalents elsewhere. There are negatives to London but lots of positives too - public transport, diversity, ability for kids to get themselves places when teenagers and no parent taxi service, able to walk to large numbers of parks and schools and shops and stations plus the culture “up west”. I have family who live outside of London. Their children’s schools are completely lacking in diversity, they can’t get a takeaway or food shopping delivered, they have to drive their children to school each day. There homes are a bit cheaper but other costs are higher and wages lower. I worry about my children being able to get housing in future but hope I can downsize and release equity later on. Despite being London my local area has a fantastic community, lots going on and community spirit, lots of independent shops and restaurants run by local families. Best of all worlds!

Depends where you live though doesn't it? Why are people keep assuming that anywhere outside of London has no facilities .

I moved out of London in 2021 and it is honestly quite problematic at times. I had to buy a car because public transport is unreliable and expensive. I can't fly out of a local airport direct to a European city where my family leaves so every trip involves a layover or a train journey into London making each trip three times the price.
Just a few perks of living in London that people often don't think about. Other than that, I'm enjoying my semi-rural lifestyle.