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Original poster

Still miss London

69 replies

anotherbitofcake · 07/08/2014 19:19

Well I do like where we've moved to and I know in my head we've made the right decision but my heart misses London still. Moved out from a lovely part of London 6 months ago to a naice small town. I love some things about it - people smile and say hello, know neighbours, feels safe, countryside on doorstep, space, not busy busy busy rush rush rush, able to live in a house with a garden, got to know some great new friends - so lots and lots to feel happy about, which I do. But...I miss that buzz. So weird as I'm a country girl so would have thought 6 years in the big smoke would have been enough. Such a stupid moan sorry! Am being totally ungrateful here. Just miss my city that's all. Anyone else?

OP posts:

meadowquark · 09/08/2014 00:56

I am in London zone 4 and this feels proper London with all the grotinness. Just heard my neighbour having sx multiple times in the neighbouring terrace (from my kids bedroom! Thanks god they are small and are asleep) and wish wish wish for a detached bungalow near the seaside! Once I make the move you won't see me back again.

Cheeky76890 · 09/08/2014 10:39

I'm the opposite. But we made a complete life change and didn't end up in the outer zones. I live semi rurally now but it's very buzzy in a different way. Lots of paddling in streams and alternative community stuff and chickens.

notquiteruralbliss · 09/08/2014 14:29

Moved from a grimy, vibrant, multicultural area in zone 2 to a village in Buckinghamshire at the end of the met line over 10 years ago and still miss living in London.

I still work in London (could not do my job locally) and my friends are there. I know very few local people as I'm always at work and have very little in common with those I've met through the DCs schools etc.

We moved for practical reasons and DH & our younger DCs are happy here, but I would (if we hadn't been priced out and I could persuade the rest of the family to move) go back to London a heartbeat.

MummytoMog · 09/08/2014 21:37

I live in an outer zone - I have chickens. Also ducks.

ShouldHaveMarriedTimDowling · 10/08/2014 01:50

So do I and lots more to come too hopefully. No need to go anywhere. Oh no! I cannot hear you DH, what about the seaside... Still cannot hear you...

Sicaq · 10/08/2014 09:16

I take everyone's points; guess because I came from a pretty cosmopolitan city already, London just doesn't feel that different except in cost! It must be hard to have moved away to a insular town, I can imagine that.

Though regarding the buzz/people coming here to seek their fortune ... I'm in one of those supposedly hip London industries and I was surprised to find I am one of VERY few non-Londoners. Almost all my colleagues are private-schooled, highly privileged Londoners (most still living at home in their 30s but that's another thread).

Apatite1 · 10/08/2014 13:48

London bolthole plus country pad is the way forward for us, as we enjoy some aspects of both styles of living. If I had to choose one or the other, London wins hands down.

RainbowB7 · 10/08/2014 15:39

No need to get arsey stainless

meadowquark · 11/08/2014 14:49

After posting here on late Friday night, I viewed a detached bungalow 30 miles away from London and put my house back on the market. Sometimes I doubt if it is the right decision, but once I remind myself of banging neighbours, the doubt is gone!

ginzillas · 13/08/2014 14:59

We left London last year to move to a Herts market town half an hour away by train from Kings X. Not exactly outer Mongolia but it felt huge at the time and I left, kicking and screaming, and was prepared to miss it like crazy. I have not missed it one little bit. We are so much happier here. By the end of our decade in London, it was exhausting us and we were crippled by high rent. I only go back in every now and then and I feel like a tourist again...which I love! But I could never live there again. I think that you have to throw yourself into your new community, get to know people and hopefully it will fall into place eventually. Good luck.

meadowquark · 13/08/2014 16:29

ginzillas interesting and encouraging! Which market town I wonder, and what size does it have to be to you don't feel too rural after London?

Mintyy · 13/08/2014 16:40

Friends of ours who left London for Brighton over 20 years ago, are now moving back as their children have grown up and flown the nest and they can just about afford it. They will move from a 4 bed 2 bathroom house in a lovely part of Brighton to a 3 bed terrace in SE zone 3, and they are in their 50s, but they cannot wait to get back home!

ginzillas · 13/08/2014 17:35

meadowquark, Hitchin. It's fab with loads going on. I never thought I'd love small town living but it feels buzzy and pretty cosmopolitan (ish). And we can love here without bankrupting ourselves. Having said that, house prices are shooting up here and we are now talking about moving back up north to Yorkshire...but that's a whole other thread! But my London obsession was well and truly cured by moving here and discovering that there is life outside the M25!

ginzillas · 13/08/2014 17:36

It's actually quite a big town, thinking about it. But it has a cosy feel to it. We always bump into people in town . It's very friendly.

princesscupcakemummyb · 15/08/2014 21:28

im leaving london with my dh and 3 young kids next month i was born in cornwall but lived in london for last 7 years kids are all londener's as is my dh i am actually glad to be going home remind your selves london is a busy busy rush rush everyone lives in a rat race i loved it here for years but now no i want my kids to group up in the country nice slow pace of life

Cinnamon73 · 15/08/2014 21:47

OP, I hope you'll feel better about leaving London after a while. Six months isn't really that long.
We are both EU "foreigners" and have been in London (well, the outskirts, still London borough) for 10 years.
We cannot imagine going back to Europe because we got so used to the unique mix of people in London - and probably contribute to it.

Every year when we visit friends/family we are really glad to come home afterwards.
There is good and bad things everywhere, it is feeling at home that matters. And that takes a bit longer than 6 months.

Runningforfun · 15/08/2014 21:47

Moved out of London and hated every minute but circumstances meant we could not move back. 13 years later an opportunity came up to move, within 3 hours I had our house sold and 3 weeks later we were homeless, our furniture was heading for storage and we were heading back to London. I can honestly say I have never felt so sure that I was doing the right thing and so happy. Despite only having organised a short term rental for 6 weeks I was ecstatic.

OnlyLovers · 16/08/2014 17:09

I never feel like I'm in a rat race or that everything is 'busy busy rush rush' in London, although it seems to be a lot of people's impression.

In fact I live a pretty dull and quiet life . But I do like to know that I can go to Tate Modern/a million films/a bustling bar if I want to.

Bowlersarm · 16/08/2014 17:12

God, no. Loved our decade there - very very happy time - but pleased to now not be living in London. Wild horses wouldn't drag me back. I used to love visiting after we had moved, but like it less and less.

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