To fall out of love with London

[LoveToGiveAdvice]

I have moved out a few years ago, originally I thought it will be temporary and I would want to move back. But now, I can't see the appeal of London at all. I mean yes, there are museums, theatres, restaurants but it is not like I have time /money to go there every week.
Other observation is that salaries are not much different outside of London when you account for housing costs.

@LidlAmaretto it's so weird, thankfully my dc think it's odd too so maybe it will die out for their generation.

As a dc my parents used to drive us to look at the xmas lights & xmas windows and then they would park somewhere & we would look at Harrods or Hamleys etc & get some food (those days parking was a lot more relaxed). DH is lucky that he has a car park at work so we used to do similar but I have stopped now as can't bear it.

My view is there is no such thing as "London" per se. It's a cliche but it is a collection of villages . So living in Woolwich , Greenwich , Turnpike Lane , Archway , Limehouse , is quite a different proposition from living in Chelsea / Wandsworth common , Richmond etc. (picked at random.)

Now I really don't like Manchester City centre , it just feels very uncomfortable to me , but there are lovely places around and about and some people love Manchester City centre.

I don't think you can dismiss all London as a cesspit or dirty or noisy in a blanket fashion as other PPs have said. But this isn't an original opinion, comes up so often with the regular I hate London why would you ever live there posts. If I had all the money I will never have I would have a lovely cottage in Old Chelsea. But that would be some people's nightmare. But also , I've never had a drive ( complete no no from some MNers nor a lawn so my priorities are clearly v skew whiff (sp?) 😂

Yes mine did the same! I tell them the same story about me and my brothers rolling about in the back of my dad's Estate ( no car seats/belts!) And my younger brother being sick! Yes mine thought it was odd too. One is a real city slicker and it's x desperate to move to London. My other one wants to live somewhere in the middle of nowhere with mountains. The opposite of London!

Yes this is one of the reasons I left. I grew up in SE London and worked fairly close to the city ( or the bus to the city). I had a fab time. Finished work in time to get the bus to the West End, bars, clubs, just wandering round at the weekend for no reason. Then we had kids and moved to the suburbs. It is then like a village and we were more or less in it neighbourhood, doing things locally but paying stupid money for the privilege of living near things we didn't have time to go to. My kids have gone into London for a couple of days to stay with my brother. It cost me £15 return each. That's not much more than a travel card and they are right in the thick of it.

I think there are a lot of people with the mindset that you can’t bring up kids in inner London. We are in zone 2 and by and large it’s absolutely brilliant with a child, especially a young child.

I think there are a lot of people with the mindset that you can’t bring up kids in inner London. We are in zone 2 and by and large it’s absolutely brilliant with a child, especially a young child.

Most people can't afford mortgage/rent & childcare to live in zone 2 or central.

Definitely there is a thing where many people (who moved to London in their 20s) want to be closer to their families once dc arrive and many baulk at the idea of any London secondary comp.

Yes zone 2 when you can afford somewhere to live in Zone 2 I can imagine it's great. It's totally different from zone 4, 5 etc and have to fight into London on the train. You just can't be bothered to do it and end up doing the same thing as you would somewhere cheaper.

Being nosy; did you move to Folkestone?

1 non school age child, sure. I have teens and Im not sure they'd have the same community and school experience in central London where people are transient and constantly moving about?

That said id move back once youngest at uni if I could afford somewhere nice and, ideally, a house on the coast as well ..

Well, inner isn’t the same as central but I wouldn’t say we’ve found the school communities to be especially transient. I think once you’ve committed to a London secondary you’ll stay especially as London schools outperform everywhere else.

DD’s primary was very strong and community minded, she had a lovely experience these <wistful memories>.

@Wasntmeanttobelikethis

No, I now live in Deal :).

But I did look at Folkestone and Ramsgate when I was house hunting.

I travel to Folkestone quite often actually and I really like spending time there too. I especially like the new indoor vintage market!

I feel like I have ‘Londoner’ written inside me like in a stick of rock. It’s not easy to live in London and there’s bits I avoid when I can but it’s everything to me. London has a sense of possibility that the rest of the country doesn’t have in the same way. I love all the different parallel Londons that are happening at the same time all next to each other for different people and communities.

I love it. Late 30s and no plans to leave (unless it’s to move to Berlin). I’ve just been on a long holiday that included spectacular natural beauty, wild open spaces and countryside and while it was beautiful and calming to be in unspoilt nature, I was itching to get back to London by the end. I’m a city person at heart. I wasn’t born here but one of my parents grew up here before they moved to a town to have me - and I went running straight back as soon as I was old enough!

@LidlAmaretto I love London and miss it ( but go a lot) and once heard it described as paying through the nose to have a life you aren’t having . I think there’s an element of truth in that for many, depending of course on what you can afford and what life stage you are at -

I fell in love with London as a child, years before I even visited it. Moved there as an adult. I don't think I would ever not want to be within easy reach of it.

I did used to feel bad though about not having the time to go to all the cultural events that were on. Whereas in my small home city I could go to every film/play/concert that was on.

There is a sweet spot in SE London where you can get a train and be at LB in 15 minutes but also drive out to places like Hythe, Brighton, Southend in around an hour or so.

We also like being in an outer zone. Quieter area but still cafes, bars, leisure facilities. Easy to get to the coast or countryside but also very easy to hop on the train to town to meet friends, have a mooch or go to the theatre, markets etc. My only gripe is that we can’t afford a detached house.

We talk about moving out as we are older but free travel once you’re 60 is a big lure and also the amazing hospitals like Guys and St Thomas’s. Plus, we are a mixed race family and feel a bit out of place in some of the places we think might be nice to move to.

I have close family that live in a midlands city. It doesn’t flow in the same way London does and the communities are very separate - despite similar diversity.

Where is this spot, please?

I am looking to re-locate within London...

This sums up exactly how I feel about living here. So beautifully put! London is just a magical place - if you have an imaginative spirit you can just feel all the layers of history, memory and possibility every time you walk around central.

Borough of Greenwich.

I agree. Some people talk about being among nature as a restorative thing. I like that too, but I find being among the physical evidence of so much human history in London, and being around people, restorative and energising too.

The thing I love about London is the thing everyone says is awful about it. People mind their own bloody business. It's very anonymous. When I sit on my own in a coffee shop I dont want a 20 minute conversation with the person on the next table, I want to sit on my own. I dont want to talk to people at bus stops and then wonder if they want me to sit next to them on the journey! I don't live in London anymore, and I've got used to the rhythm of it in my own city but when I go to Northern cities I expect them to be anonymous and people just randomly talk to you all the time. I find it a bit stressful!

I DO talk to people at bus stops etc, not always, but I think you have the option in London. It’s not expected or always unwelcome

i’m the opposite, live just outside London (zone 4) and the moment our daughter goes to Uni, we’re selling our house and moving into a 2 bed flat in central London.

i honesty can’t wait.

Crime and Homicide in London is decreasing.Its not the crime infested dystopian cesspit the gorn to the dawgs crew say it is
If you’ve run out of reasons to stay in London there are other gaffs, where cafe rouge is still considered chic