Why do you live where you live?

[BluPeony]

Just that really.

Did you move for work?

Did you move for uni and decided to stay?

Were you born and raised and never left there?

We live where we live because of work. Looking at possibly relocating and it feels so overwhelming as we don't really have family links anywhere other than prohibitively expensive London and even then we don't really see them very often.

We moved 18 miles to get our sons into a great rural secondary school.

Currently live in a house less than 50 yards from my childhood home, but
moved all over the UK with work, then men!

I count myself truly lucky to live in a place which is 10mins from sea, country and city all. I may well move away when DD is older, but only because I like change.

Grew up in London. Went away for uni, came back to get a job. Met DH - also a Londoner - and moved further out in order to buy (z2/3 to z6).

Moved from our first house about a mile up the road for better schools (small catchment areas). Will probably be here long term while the DC go through secondary school, unless something changes significantly in our financial situation.

Value for money. Job isn't dependent on location.

I live in the town I was born in.

I moved to the other side of the country for Uni but moved back once finished as I was accepted onto postgrad teacher training close by (which didn't work out). I then married someone I went to school with and circumstances dictated that we stayed living in the town we were both born in.

Ideally I would have loved to live elsewhere, including overseas, but I'm now extremely grateful that I live only 5 minutes drive from my parents as my Dad is extremely poorly and as a pp said it has been traumatic enough without having to travel across the country (or countries) to see him.

Meant to add, I often daydream about where would be perfect to live, and whether I could live/retire abroad. But there's always a "yeah, but" to each place I think of, so I end up concluding that I should just stay put! eg the idea of somewhere nice and rural is nice if you're on holiday for a week or two but threads on here about rural living often put me off. eg small-mindedness, exluding outsiders or conversely everyone knowing your business, often surprising amounts of deprivation, no transport, nothing to do in bad weather/winter, not much cultural stuff going on, not much choice of things like shops and restaurants etc without having to travel a bit, tourists potentially a problem in summer etc etc. I'm also in a city with world-renowned hospitals, and I really do value being a 15 minute drive from them.

I do long for peace and quiet though in my immediate surroundings, and a gentle pace of life, and lots of greenery and open space and nice views. I wouldn't like hustle and bustle and crowds, and was VERY glad to move out of London - god, I felt claustrophobic the whole time I lived there. Literally on edge all the time. So a village close to a town or city with decent facilities would suit me best, probably. No idea where that would be, only that it can't be anywhere cold, or where the local stone is grey - so that rules Scotland out 😆.

We live in a satellite town. My parents moved us to the city when I was 12. I went away, came back, met my husband and we first bought near the city and then in this town because we could afford a large section and 4-bedroom here. We can commute to our jobs but also WFH.

We thought about moving nearer our parents who are in smaller towns/ cities but jobs don't appeal.

Wow, how intriguing! Can you say where that place is, or want to remain anonymous?!

I live about half an hour away from where I grew up. I lived in London when I started teaching but came back to buy a property. I love it here by the sea but still miss London.

We were having dd and realized that in an emergency, we really had no safety net. A small number of our family lived in a place with affordable housing and access to really good schools. We were facing private school tuition in our original location as we did not consider any of the state schools available to us to be actual options. So we moved. It was hugely beneficial financially and we got a safety net. I don’t love everything about our current location, but it was worth it.

Yes, it's so important to have a safety net. If you don't have one from nearby family you really need to create one - ie have a network of very close friends. That's hard to do if you're an introvert.

Because I am a mile up a single track lane surrounded by nothing except fields and a stunning rural landscape with the Quantock Hills as a backdrop to my garden

Because my nearest neighbours are a quarter of a mile away - near enough to know them, engage with them and barter produce, but far enough away that we do not impinge on one anothers' lives

Because I have a large garden which enables me to keep my chickens and bees without interference from, or intruding upon other people

Because at night I can lie in bed and watch the moon travel across the sky whilst listening to the night sounds of owls calling and sheep and cattle in the fields and nothing else

Because this evening I can currently hear the lovely sound of bellringing practice coming across the fields from the village church half a mile away and, later, as dusk falls, I will sit in the garden watching the bats flitting about and get an uninterrupted view of the Persid meteor shower as there is absolutely no light pollution

Because I have some beautiful beaches only a few minutes drive away for beach fishing and some of the best fossil hunting cliffs in the country

Because my commute to work is only 15 minutes

Because, contrary to popular belief, rural living does not mean isolation from culture, the arts, gigs, events, museums etc - plenty in my nearest town and even more in the county town just 8 miles away, when I want it

Because I love it here and have no desire to live anywhere else!

Because I wanted some peace and quiet away from London. I now live in a tiny, dark village with lovely quiet respectful neighbours. It's clean, people care about their houses and front gardens and are friendly. I wouldn't move back to London if you bought me a house. 40 years in SE previously

I live where I live as my parents moved here when I was a child and I love it. 20 mins walk / 3 mins drive to the beach and we use it several times a week. I've lived in other places, rural and city but prefer here, We aren't a tourist trap so the beach is mostly locals with holiday makers heading for the bigger seaside resort a few miles away. I don't think I could ever live away from the coast now.

Transport connections are tricky but manageable , I've never had an issue getting a job in the area despite being coastal and it is a problem for some, I've always lived walking distance to my workplace and now WFH.

My DH and I grew up in this area;our families are here.

Dh grew up here but we met in London when we were both working/living there, then moved overseas. We then moved back to DH's home town a few years ago, basically because it's a nice place and we both really like living by the sea and always have done. My parents only live 90 mins away too.

Born and raised here, done a fair bit of travelling and realised where we live is really fun. Before mumsnet I never realised how many people move away from their home town, so I now really value having my friends and family no more then a 10-15 minute drive away especially with having a little one.

I grew up in London and met DH here. We like living here and can afford a decent place, so we have stayed. I have family here but I don't see them much and they don't provide support, but I don't feel we need any, even with 2 young dc. We just get on with things ourselves.

I moved to our current London borough for schools, but also because it's an interesting and central location, and within walking distance of work. I love our easy lifestyle with no commute and lots of attractions on our doorstep or 10 min tube ride. We have a 4 bed house and plan to stay here until the dcs finish school.

I'm living 3 miles away from where my Gma was born. However I was born and raised 140miles away, my parents moved there before I was born, they (we) moved back to near their hometowns in my late teens. Never wanted to live where I grew up as an adult.

First moved here because I couldn't find the right house where I wanted to live, so looked a bit further afield. This one was above our budget but we thought we'd view it anyway. Fell in love with it, increased our budget. Bought it.

Stayed because I can be at the sea in 5 mins, in a field in 2 mins, in the woods in 3 minutes and at a shop in 30 seconds.

Grew up in the NE, uni in the NE, moved to London with an ex, met now exh and moved to the crappy area of London he lived in as he wouldn't move and now stuck here as kids are at school. Looking forward to moving somewhere else when the kids are older.

The station, the house, the green and the river. We're also very grateful to have lovely neighbours

It’s somewhere I’d always wanted to live but never thought I could afford it, then I found a fixer upper when I was having a fantasy Rightmove browse and we decided to just go for it. I have no regrets.

Lived up north with my ex. He was abusive. We had a child. Fled back down south to family when son was a baby. I'll never move unless my family do. I feel so free.

Because London is where I was born and raised. All my family and friends live here.