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?

I never wanted to live here, and I still don’t. However, I have a surplus of work opportunities here (fitness), live centrally, thus I can walk to work (don’t drive).

Oh I have no doubt that London comprehensive schools can give you that grounding. Was merely pointing out the hypocricy of the PP making a sweeping statement assuming no one in the rest of the country could possibly have a similar experience and suggesting that anyone schooled elsewhere must be a "narrow-minded bigot". Not exactly demonstrating the open-minded qualities the poster claims to have, is it?

To answer the OP, surely it's the same as choosing to live anywhere? You figure out if it stacks up better for your life than being somewhere else.

Different people thrive on different things. Some people love the sea, views, greenery, silence. And some love bustle and don't mind noise and grime. We went to something at royal festival hall the other night. Walked five minutes to the tube, jumped on for 10 minutes to Embankment and then walked across the bridge and I felt so lucky to live in such an amazing, energising place. Quick dinner with a glass of champagne after and the city was still buzzy and bustling, home a half hour later. That's what makes my heart sing, just as unbroken vistas or the cosiness of a small village does for others.

And I do think it's a good place to grow old. Great medical facilities, easy to stay culturally engaged, no need to drive.

Oh god. You forgot to say knife crime and phone snatching and it's the unsafest place in the whole wide world (rolls eyes).

people choose to live in London for their own reasons. For some, living rurally or up north or in suburbia is literally their idea of hell. They would happily forgo cheap house prices (they are usually cheap for a reason) to live life near their work/ theatres/ museums/ culture/ great transport links/ excellent medical care... the list of pros goes on and on.

I hope that helps answer your question!

It also depends what you define as quality of life.

For some it’s open spaces, hills, rivers, being able to have a big house with a drive and double garage, easy town centre parking, a small community etc.

For me it’s being in a big city, with lots of public transport, lots of restaurants and theatres etc. Definitely theatres.

So in an ideal world we would all be able to live in the place that ticks most of the boxes for our personal quality of life. That’s London for me. And it’s a lovely village/small town in Norfolk/Lancashire/the Highlands for others. I certainly don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t want to live in London! But I do and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

And I do think it's a good place to grow old. Great medical facilities, easy to stay culturally engaged, no need to drive.

My parents retired to London. It’s been a great place to get older. They are mid 80s, make the most of their Freedom Pass and can get the tube anywhere. It’s kept them active as there is so much to do via tube. Lots of good teaching hospitals a short journey away and they are never lonely. Most people would not think of London as somewhere to retire to, but they have no regrets!

For me, quality of life was defined by time and money.

In the 11 years I lived in London as an adult, I never went to the threatre. We probably went out to eat a handful of times and that was only at Wagamama or a pub. I didn’t go out and enjoy London, I must have only left Ealing about twice a year. All our money went on rent, and having to move every few years when landlords raised the rent or decided to sell. And for all the free museums - I was exhausted from nightshifts. We only had one holiday in all those years as well, a week in Italy as the in-laws paid.

My quality of life, in Dudley, where people I know in London still take the piss out of isn’t even comparable. We actually live now. Go to gigs, go out to eat, go on holiday every year, I am not killing myself working nights. London wasn’t good for our lives.

I moved reluctantly to London when I was 21 and never intended to stay. We relocated to a rural setting for a year which coincided with the arrival of our first baby.

Our business venture didn’t work out and we had to move back to London in debt and with a small child but though penniless it felt like a huge relief. Our year in the country was especially grim because we had such a limited income.

Our siblings still live rurally and like us are now financially comfortable with grown up children. They could afford to drive to a city, spend a night in a hotel, have a meal out and go to a show. But they never do.

I think living in London has fostered a cultural curiosity that extends beyond just exploring London. We seek out holidays and travel to unusual and interesting destinations which our wider families don’t seem to understand.

Our nieces and nephews have all left home to pursue career opportunities and study all over the world. We feel lucky that our kids have found rewarding careers in London and we see them and their children regularly.

The free travel and access to museums and activities are especially wonderful now that we have grandchildren.

I grew up in NYC and my parents, similar age to yours, are still there, and I agree. They have a lovely apartment with an elevator and a doorman and they're all over the place constantly. Music, plays, museums, lectures, restaurants. My in-laws live somewhere very rural and physically they're very fit for their ages, but I can see that they're much less engaged with the larger world, and driving is starting to be an issue. They insist they're fine but at least realise they shouldn't drive at night, which leaves them quite isolated - no Ubers, taxis or public transport where they are. My mil would like to move somewhere a bit more connected but my fil is adamantly against that.

I find it so weird that this is a divisive topic.

How can anyone argue about people choice of where to live? (Unless it’s on other people’s land!)

Who cares? Live where you want to live and let other people live where they choose. Not a single aspect of anywhere makes anyone a better person.

Night shifts aren’t conducive to quality of life. Night shifts in Dudley would be fairly similar.

As you say though, relative to size. And London is a vast city of 10 million plus people. It’s actually one of the greenest capital cities in Europe.

Yes, but I was only doing them so we could live in London. No other reason. It was to contribute to the ridiculous rent and so we didn’t have to pay any childcare.

I don’t have to work at all where we live now, so life is far better and less stressful for all of us.

Exactly. I always see this on property price or “Why isn’t my house selling?” threads. Someone who has no idea about the London market will pipe up in horror saying “£500k for that?!? You could get an amazing house near me for half of that, and it’s only a 30 minute drive into Plymouth!!”

Yeah… can’t imagine why that house costs less.

What the hell has travelling to interesting places got to do with living in London?

You don’t understand about travelling interesting places if you live out side London, or live in the sticks. Only people in London have the intelligence or interest in seeing the world, you are just a bit unimaginative and thick 🙄

I suspect as the OP hasn’t been back since page one that this is just the usual goady London-bashing. But what the hell:

1. There’s a huge amount to see and do. These threads always feature people sneeringly saying “We do have theatres/museums/galleries outside of London, you know”. Well yes, of course we know. But do you have entire districts devoted to it; where you could see Oscar winners performing live, or view some of the most culturally significant artefacts on the planet up close? And no, I won’t pretend I do it every week - but I have the option.

2. There’s always somewhere new to explore. I’ve lived here 17 years and there are still parts of London I haven’t seen. Try saying that about a mid-size market town.

3. Job opportunities. It’s not the same as when I moved here in 2009, thanks to the rise of remote working, but there’s still a hell of a lot more going on in my industry here than in the rest of the country.

4. I know this is a cardinal sin on Mumsnet, but I don’t drive (for which the rest of the road users should be eternally grateful!). I can get everywhere I need to relatively easily, and at any time of day.

5. If I do want to see other places - contrary to popular belief, London dwellers do know they exist! - there’s no better base to begin. Major airports, a direct train link to every county in England, another to the continent…

I understand the significance of the difference in cost of living compared to some other cities freaks some people out. Of course I wish my money went further when it comes to property. But I couldn’t earn the money I do here elsewhere.

And there are always price differentials, even if they’re not as extreme. But I never hear of people who live in smart suburbs of Birmingham being told “Ooh, why do you live there when you could get a doer-upper for the third of the price in Walsall or Tipton?” Or people sneering at those who live in Manchester penthouses because they could have bought a terrace in Stockport or Rotherham. It’s only Londoners who get this “But whyyyyy though?” response.

Maybe the fact that it has some of the best transport links in the world?

Not RTFT and don't need to.
London is amazing. I Iived there for 25+ years and if I didn't live in Melbourne I'd want to live there in heartbeat. Unfortunately, despite living in vair naice big house with garden and near the sea, I could not buy the same, or even near it in London now.

Agree!

Clearly the rest of us are happy with a day trip to rhe nearest sea side resort ( in my case Blackpool)
Its ironic really how dome posters think its those of us that dont live in that there London who are ignorant ...

I think you need new friends! I can’t imagine mocking where someone chooses to live. We had friends leave London for their own reasons. Different people want different things. Glad you have found somewhere great to call home now!

Thats as maybe but those transport links are not confined to London residents only..

So for example those in Manchester or us in Essex can't get to a bloody airport? Be real. If you travelling across the world somewhere interesting then the journey to the airport isn't a restriction

I think that poster's point was that kids who are raised rurally often end up moving away for work or other experiences, whereas her DC stayed in London, so are geographically closer. It was unrelated to the point about living in London fostering an interest in travelling.