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?

Fantastic public transport so no need of a car, free for us oldsters. Free entry to scores of museums and art galleries. Lovely parks. Not possible to get bored, there is always somewhere different to visit. Affordable educational courses like Citylit, some even free and open to all, like Gresham college. Amazing fringe theatre. A club /event for everything and everybody. People from all over the world and every kind of restaurant /grocery shop. China Town, Japan House, Korean food shops, Indian street food and chai. You name it and you can get it in London.

Hmm I wonder how she managed to get a job in London from Peru if she's from a poor family. Not as though her parents could afford to send her and pay expenses while she hunted for work

It's not negativity though, it's a questioning of the fairness of whole communities, the soul of London being erased. To dismiss it in this fatalistic manner as 'oh well, change happens all the time, what even is a Londoner', does, IMO, demomstrate a certain level of arrogance, moral vacuity and privilege.

I didn’t ask her whole story so I don’t know the background. She seemed happy though.

But it’s not being “erased” it’s changing, evolving from a monoculture to a multiculture - which is what makes it such an exciting city to live in. It’s like the whole world is here.

Hey? It's always been multi cultural.

A lot of it is very swish these days. QP for sure

It’a not about being rich. It’s about an outlook and where one wants to be.
Part of what makes large global cities great is the mixture of people and cultures which I enjoy.
So yes, in that sense London is similar, to say NYC. People outside of it also don’t understand why anyone would want to live there…

I grew up in very rural Australia and wholeheartedly endorse this. It's a less impressive journey for me than for your colleague but I still think about how childhood me would react if she saw me. Though I know she'd be jealous beyond measure about the lives my kids have (just as they're often jealous of their cousins!)

We just need to keep lobbying for change and voting for people who will keep those opportunities alive and bring back more of them for future young people who arrive in London with not much more than some meagre savings and their wits. Because that's what makes London vibrant and alive and has done for centuries.

I lived on the Kilburn High Road itself, which I imagine is still not quite that swish I loved it.

It’s always had immigrant communities, that’s not the same as being multicultural.

I mean, @Goldenbear you do realise you're basically making Nigel Farage and co's argument, right? Immigrants and newcomers out.

'People outside'? What the heck are you on about, I was born in West London, grew up in London, I have family and friends there, work there as does DH, we are well averse in London ways thanks, from it, you know, actually being where I am from! London didn't really have the Global wealthy elite playground status until the 00s. Prior to that in the parts that have been swept up by the Mega- Landlords you would find they were a regular place to live, inclusive of many cultures, families and wealth brackets.

Again, disingenuous, labelling me as such is just ridiculous, all Londoner ethnicities have been erased, people who are responsible for the cultural landscape of London, the very reason people are attracted to London, shouldn't be dispaced so easily, shouldn't have their voices unheard due to people like you stating they are aligning themselves with Farage- you think that's the case in Brixton for example do you?

What part of London did you grow up in and what decade was this. You are absolutely wrong on that front. My comprehensive school was like all different nationalities, the students were like the adults in the comedy, People Just Do Nothing. Everyone certainly mixed. Sometimes that was not in a good way but it's not like 2026 London has eradicated that!

Why do you keep telling Londoners they’re wrong about London?

India and Pakistan immigration started in earnest in the 50s and 60s, Windrush on a similar timeframe.

Prior to 1947 the biggest immigrant populations were Irish, Jewish & European (German, French/Belgian & Italian).

all Londoner ethnicities have been erased

Eh?

Yeah, no shit!

I don't, I don't think that this is truly representative of Londoner'e views across wealth brackets. I mean for all I know you could be a mega landlord as you are certainly coming across like that. Denying Londoners like myself our history!

You're making the exact same argument he is, just about a different population. Boats full of people are destroying our shared way of life. They're diluting our heritage. Stealing our resources.

I've asked again and again, but you don't seem capable of forming a coherent answer. You moved elsewhere, depriving someone else of a place in their 'original' home and community. How are you different?

And what are you doing to lobby for better housing/more social housing in London?

Nothing, right? Just moaning at people who you think are privileged because they choose not to buy groceries at Sainsbury's (aka Qatar Holdings LLC)?

I agree with the premise on what you wrote but that is not going to happen in the short or medium term due to the current economic and political climate in the UK.

Uncontrolled immigration is a hot button political flashpoint. Another poster asked why a Peruvian woman doing a relatively unskilled receptionist job is even able to legally work in the UK. Even if such a visa existed (I highly doubt it outside of the ancestry visas), an employer would not be prepared to go through the time and expense of getting one if there are already young people in the UK are already finding it hard to get entry level jobs, even in hospitality due to the employer-unfriendly laws of the current Labour government and the rise of AI. The government is also clamping down on student visas mainly by making it harder to use study as a route to long-term migration and by reducing the number of family members coming with students.

It is a shame because allowing young people to have the opportunity will allow such a rich exchange and bring more vibrancy to London.

You obviously haven't read any of my points as it obviously offends you presumably you are one of those who benefit from the social cleansing.

Yeah, no shit!

Ok so you now agree on a shift from monoculture > multiculture.

Might be entitled to Spanish citizenship (either via her grandparents, or marriage, or Spain and Portugal both give expedited citizenship to residents of former colonies).

And then EU settled status, if she moved here pre-Brexit. Lots of South American immigrants living in South London via that route.

I think @Goldenbear is talking about a very real issue of people being priced out by gentrification. I think it’s really sad reading about some areas where so few families can afford to live that schools are closing.
However it’s a bit of a jump to go from that to basically accusing everyone on this thread who lives in London (who wasn’t born there) who’s said what they like about London that they are therefore part of a global wealthy elite playground uncaringly causing social cleansing. People are going to live where they want if they can afford it and the solutions to make sure that communities aren’t hollowed out are down to the government and local councils. People move to London for all sorts of reasons and that is and always has been one of the great things about it.

No shit that people immigrated to London. Left field to put those statistics up.

I'll ask again, what part of London did you grow up in where it was a mono culture, unless of course you are referring to somewhere like Richmond in the 1980s? It is really odd to think London hasn't been multicultural for a very long time indeed!