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 hate Lindon with a passion.
It is dirty, noisy and run-down. You could not pay me enough to live there. My idea of hell. Last time I went ( for a medical appointment) I could not talk to my companion while walking in the street cos of the traffic noise, was choking on the fumes ... I came home and went straight into the shower and had to scrape the black filth from under my finger nails.

I am writing this while looking out on the big sky and the Welsh hills, watching the birds in my wildlife friendly garden and breathing clean air! Phew!

I can’t imagine why anyone would want to pay you to live here. Presumably you’re not planning to apply for a job here & I can think of much better uses for my money.

I have a limited income, rely totally on public transport, and pay a modest rent. I moved to London zone 1 when I retired having previously lived in an inner suburb of a northern big city and a chocolate box Oxfordshire village. I live on a modest pension, sold the car when I moved here, and live very happily and comfortably in a lovely shared flat. It’s cheaper for me to live here, and a better quality of life. Not having to run a car and free public transport contribute hugely to that. Last night I came home on the tube from the theatre at 11pm and walked from the underground station along a street that was still full of people - moving around the city at night is quite safe when there are people around.

🤣

What I don’t get is people who can’t say “well my personal preference is X” but instead have to put down the other place, and make out that it’s objectively awful.

Clearly it isn’t as many people have said they actively choose to live in London. Why pretend it’s objectively terrible?

I found London exciting from my first visit aged about 8. I moved here for my first job after uni in another lovely city and have never left. I still love it, as do my husband and children (who went to other lovely cities for uni but came back here after) and none of us have any plans to leave.
Zone 2 is different to central, with local community, decent pubs/restaurants/cafes/cinemas, etc as well as good transport to central.
I love spending time in the countryside and other cities/towns, but London is home to me now.

The “who is and who isn’t a real Londoner” debate is frankly tiresome, I agree.

Ditto people claiming whatever parts of London they don’t personally live in aren’t actually London.

But its nice that it attracts medical experts

I'm genuinely curious about this. As previously stated, I live here and am all over the city on a regular basis, and the only time I ever have black filth under my fingernails is if I've been digging in the garden. So far this morning, I've been for a run with the dogs (showered when I got home). Then been to the dentist (tube), had a meeting (walked from dentist - Marylebone to Mayfair) and come home (taxi). I did wash my hands when I got home, but there is nothing whatsoever under my fingernails.

Where were you and what were you doing? And are you exaggerating at all?

"... choking on the fumes ... I came home and went straight into the shower and had to scrape the black filth from under my finger nails."

When did you visit @Mischance - 1805?

How very dramatic you are.

I think my personal preference was pretty clear and I gave reasons. I am not putting it down but just explaining why I hate it. I absolutely get that some people love it.

My post was in no way objective, nor intended to be! We were saked our thoughts as to why people might choose to live in London. I am sure many Londoners would hate where I live.

By the way I am a true born Cockney!

I think my personal preference was pretty clear and I gave reasons. I am not putting it down but just explaining why I hate it. I absolutely get that some people love it.

My post was in no way objective, nor intended to be! We were saked our thoughts as to why people might choose to live in London. I am sure many Londoners would hate where I live.

By the way I am a true born Cockney!

Sorry it popped up twice!

I’ve often read on shower and personal hygiene threads posters saying that if you live in London, travel on the tube etc you have to shower twice daily, wash your hair daily, etc because it’s dirty!

I often shower twice solely because I generally exercise and also like to shower before bed. I sometimes skip a day of hair washing if I can get away with it because I think it's good for my hair, but I haven't found that I feel dirtier overall living here than anyplace else and I certainly don't have grime under my fingernails on a regular basis. I mean, yes, taking the tube to hang out all day in Covent Garden on a 30 degree day will leave you feeling ickier than sitting on a quay in Padstow, but that's a given.

Yeah unless you’re working as a chimney sweep or gardener, no idea why that poster was getting dirt under her fingernails in just one day.

We did have a lot of air pollution but with the ULEZ charge, the air quality is slowly improving.

We also bear the brunt of air traffic pollution as London airports handle 60% of all UK air traffic.

Stop it! The conversation had just moved away from airports 😂

ULEZ is only a problem for grumpy old men, for most of us it means cleaner air. Our house in zone 4 was reasonable 10 years ago. There is so much within a 10 minute walk. Local school is exceptional, eldest is into grammar, there’s loads of greenery in our bit. Transport is really good and I can cycle to work it’s really multi ethnic and diverse. It’s a great pity that labour run our local Council still waste a whole load of developer money but I’ve made peace with that. Because of the Elizabeth line I got to Heathrow so easily the other day from the other side of London but could also get to Stansted Gatwick Luton if I had to with next to no effort.

Are these the same nutters who are washing their towels daily etc?

I can't remember when the last time I needed to shower twice in one day was, because it happens very rarely, but every time I have done so it has been because I've been gardening and got muddy or something. Not because of London.

😂

Just popping this here …

London is the best

I fell I completely understand both perspectives here. For many years I lived in a a popular commuter city near to London but rarely visited and whilst I appreciated the world clsss things on offer and did occasional days out I always felt relived to come home and as most of my friends worked in London and seemed to hate it I sort of assumed no one actually wanted to live there. Mid 30s I had an amazing career opportunity and rented a crash pad in centre of town and I totally embraced and loved London live. The buzz of the place is amazing. I was only there for 1.5 years but I feel I lived so much life in that time. Now I adore visiting and I take my kids. But I think cities simply aren’t for everyone. In same way I know Americans who hate New York and French people who dislike Paris.

You and others are being disingenuous, https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/30/not-welcome-in-my-own-area-how-gentrification-is-segregating-brixton-17587009/

The words 'I pay a modest rent' are key here.

The majority of London rents are astronomical....