Leaving London

[sparklechops]

I would really love to hear from people who have left London with their families, in order to live up north.

We love London and have been so happy here. But it's time to go. We just can't afford it anymore. Our rent is crippling and we only have a shabby little flat without outside space. We thought of moving to Essex, where DH is from, but commuting doesn't appeal.

So we reckon we could make a go of it up in Yorkshire - maybe Leeds or Harrogate.

I'm freelance and DH is hopeful that he can find work (obviously we'd only go once he had a job sorted). It looks promising. We could potentially afford to buy a lovely house with a garden for DD to play in. My family is up there too.

DH is keen. It's me who's stalling. I am SCARED about leaving London after nearly a decade. Worried I'll miss the hustle and bustle, the excitement etc. I am not trying to offend northerners (I am one!) as I know there's loads going on up there. But it's such a massive change from living in the buzz of London. So I'd really love to hear from people who left the big smoke and have never looked back...to give me that final push that this will be a positive thing.

Thanks in advance!

it's a real dilema, one that swirls around my head a lot too..

If the jobs were there then I think we would go too but so much to miss, but London is pricing itself out of the ordinary person's price range imho

Weegiemum, what kind of publishing in Glasgow - books?

Charlotte, that is what I have always thought - that it would be easier to move to another city. Glad your move has worked out for you. Did you miss London much?

What is it in particular that you think you'd miss, OP? I can certainly understand if you work in a niche industry or a specialism that is particularly London based, that job opportunities might be reduced outside of London, but I'm sure most large cities can offer most of what London has to offer? I'm quite taken aback by some of the comments (less choice in restaurants?!)!

I have no concern over restaurant choice up north! Or shopping or culture (my parents live within walking distance of an art gallery!)

It's really difficult to explain how I feel about London. I have lived in quite a few big cities but there is nowhere quite like this one..the buzz, the excitement, the feeling that anything is possible....

I probably just need to get over it. But I am sure I am not the only one!

My job is very London (magazines) so some doors would close in terms of my career. But I work from home due to baby Dd at the moment anyway.

"It's really difficult to explain how I feel about London. I have lived in quite a few big cities but there is nowhere quite like this one..the buzz, the excitement, the feeling that anything is possible...."

I know that feeling exactly. But I'm from up north too (also work in media!) and tried to move back there for the same reasons as you, when I was pregnant with DS1. My DH got a new job in Leeds and we went up to view some houses... and just couldn't do it. It was like I'd crossed a line and just couldn't go back there. I like Leeds a lot, but no other city has that buzz for me. We cancelled the rest of the viewings, quickly got DH's old job back, and moved to... Croydon!

I still miss the north - my family, the landscape, that feeling of home - but I just love living in London too much to give it up. And after a few years scrimping, we've inched our way back into a London postcode now, with a good school and friendly neighbourhood. So often I think how glad I am that we stayed. Which isn't to say it's right for everyone. Several of my mates have moved back to Manchester, Sheffield etc. and are happy with their decision. But they had also lost the 'buzz' thing and were glad to leave London behind. That's the difference I think.

Bet advice is to give it a try, go for jobs up there, look at houses. And when it all starts to feel real, you'll know in your gut if you can go through with it. Just make sure you keep you jobs here until the very last minute! And do consider the commuter belt. There's a reason why so many people put up with that life.

If it is greenery you want you should look at North London - I live in Barnet and I can assure you that there are plenty of fields around here: I can pick Sloes in the park outside my house (well, if there were any sodding sloes I could pick them this year - damn that early Spring/late frost!), DD can play in the brook across from my house and we can jump in the car and go to the pick your own farm 10 mins away.

Good schools here; good links into Central London too on the tube and on national rail into Finsbury Park/Moorgate.

You could also try looking at Enfield/Grange Park. Plenty of greenery near there too.

(I am more advocating North due to the ease of links to the M1/A1 to visit family: I lived in SE London before moving up here with DH and the journey there from up north was an extra hour by the time you went around the M25). There is plenty of greenery around South London too.

We are n Surrey borders.

Look at warlingham caterham coulsdon kenley areas.

Thanks for all the responses...lots of food for thought. We are still hankering after Harrogate and DH is applying for jobs so.....we shall see! Good luck to anyone else trying to make the move.

Manchester is a great place for media jobs now that the BBC have moved a good chunk up here- well Salford which is a stone's throw from Mcr City Centre - it has a knock on effect. Plus it's a fantastic city. But I am biased because I live here (moved 10 years ago from Leeds, originally from Southern England). I also wouldn't recommend a daily commute across the Pennines (e.g. Leeds - Manchester) as I did it for 6 months and it nearly killed me. Two or three days a week would be OK though.

We've considered the opposite move to you, i.e. move to London for careers but have consistently decided against it for exactly the reasons that you're considering moving North - house prices and quality of life. Of course, you do have to consider the effect on your careers of moving out of London though. I would say it would be far outweighed by quality of life, but that's something only you can decide.

Just my tuppence worth!

Look at Hebden Bridge. It's a great place north of Leeds with good train links.

If the world is your oyster - why not look at Cardiff. It's affordable and near the best bleacher ever (gower) and close to some great mountains too.

We thought about HB rudolph but heard that it was a bit hostile to incomers!

Although I am originally from Bradford so not from too far away....