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.

It’s one of the best cities in the world.

I knew from age 14 that I would move here as an adult, as soon as I could.

A few weeks after I graduated I moved and never looked back.

(London, obviously. 😁)

Moved for work, but live exactly where I do as the best location (subject to budget) for where I spend my time outside work and where my husband works.

Met my husband when he moved next door 2 homes ago.

Intend to move for retirement to be near family and because we want to explore a new area. It won't be where either of us grew up.

We moved to the area 16 years ago following being in a flat just inside the M25 - couldn't afford a house in the same area.

We needed to be in commuting distance for DH's job, and with DS2 on the way we needed a decent sized house, so effectively worked our way down the motorway until we got to a town that was affordable!

Youngest DS is now 15, once he's moved out, or we aren't restricted by his education, we'll move area. The town has been great for bringing up children, but it isn't our favourite..

I moved to the nearby big city to train as a teacher. I picked it because I was previously living in London and wanted city life but at Northern prices. When I met my husband, we lived in the city for a while but bought a house in the countryside because you got more for your money.

We're still here because it's a great place to be. The people in the village are very cliquey and I'm not a fan, but the village has been great for having a toddler. Very safe, quiet roads, train station nearby, lots of pavements and some woodland walks. And driving distance to everything we need. We plan to move soon for a bigger house and a little more going on but won't go far as we love the wider area.

It’s the rural (but not remote) dream house I had imagined from childhood and I will do everything I can so I never have to leave. The general area I moved to many years ago for a graduate job and have gradually worked my way ‘out’ from little flats in the city, to suburbia, to now. I now do a fairly mammoth commute half the week because we are so settled here

I needed to downsize to a bungalow due to disabilities and could not afford to in my previous location.
Additionally my DS lives in this town and it is nearer to DD than my previous location. Finally everything here is conveniently located and public transport links are excellent.

Born and lived in London till I was 10. Parents moved to North West Kent and my husband and I lived in and around that area, because of the commute for both of us into central London.

However, we always wanted to retire to somewhere less busy and six years ago we moved away.

Now live in a village which is twelve miles from the coast, has ok bus connections, ten minutes from the nearest market town. Our house looks across a field leading to woodland, and there is lots of open space, great countryside for walking in.

Love the wildlife I can see and hear all around me, especially the owls which are in the field and woodland.

Lots going on in the village and surrounding area as well. but fairly easy to get into London. Definitely don’t feel we are missing out and have no regrets about moving here.

It's not somewhere people would think of as exciting but we just got so much joy from being here, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.

It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place in England. Only some places in Scotland are prettier. It's not overcrowded. It's stunning countryside without the red trouser wearing Tory types.
Loads going on in the town - music, local festivals, art etc. Good restaurants and pubs nearby. Good friends have also moved here and people here are generally very friendly.

Moved to Manchester from essex 12 years ago. Never looked back.

Moved as didn't fancy a huge commute and wanted to be able to enjoy city living without completely crippling costs.

Manchester is much more expensive now and where I live is close to Home Counties prices but I much prefer the people and the lifestyle up north.

Parents bought their first house here when in the military. Rented it out when posted and returned when they "retired" (aged 45).

I stayed when they moved on and have been here ever since, they eventually returned.

We moved out of SE England to Cumbria in our 40s, having always lived in the SE. It was lovely where we lived, but we moved because it was getting busier and more built up and we wanted a bit more house for our money and fresh air and space for our dc. We can see the Lake District fells from our window - it's stunning! The weather is bloody awful though.

It’s your choice

London for work over 40 years ago. Gradually moved out further and further south west as that’s the direction parents were in (albeit Devon), and as kids came along for more suburban/rural lifestyle. Finally divorced and I chose this small town as it’s pretty, low crime, excellent commute to London, good pubs and cafes, community feel, OK supermarkets and close to a much bigger town. Also teenagers could be independent here but not a city vibe, and excellent 6th form college.

And now we’re retired we’re staying here because from our house we can walk to pubs, station, shops and GP; we can get public transport or 50min drive to two international airports; we can afford a taxi to hospital if necessary, and we have so many friends here.

I moved to a much nicer area in the same region I grew up in. When I met my husband we wanted somewhere with good schools, safe and a bigger house. Ticked all the boxes and couldn't be happier.

Grew up in London
Couldn't wait to leave, and wanted to get far away and close to mountains for my new found love of outdoor sports.
Ended up in Newcastle for Uni
Got a job in Sheffield, so did now DH
Got a job in Leeds
DH got a job in Doncaster
Landlord sold our house
Didn't want to live in a city.
Bought a house in countryside and, have been in the same village for 24 years. It's handy for a number of cities and motorways, and we've worked in many different places from here.

@Octarion - solidarity. My siblings all live overseas. DM moved close to me a few years ago. Totally her choice, I did nothing to encourage the decicsion, but at least 2/3 of sibs will never forgive me.

Moved from London to be nearer to my mother when my father died. She died a few years ago and children have finished school.
We would love to move but not sure where we want to live.

I live in the same village I grew up in. Moved to go to Uni in my early twenties, met dh, went abroad for a few years but had two children abroad and moved back so that my parents could help with childcare. have lived here ever since. we would like to move elsewhere when we are retired and my elderly dad is no longer here.

It really isn’t. You can’t just walk away and leave your elderly parents who have nobody else! It’s really obvious that you’ve never had any real responsibilities.

Moved to London for fun after children went to uni

Was utterly sick of living in mind numbingly boring Home Counties where fuck all happened

Love it so much here. Central is 14 minutes away, masses to do at all times in my own bit of London. Loads of greenery, live right next to Greenwich park and the Heath.

Never been happier, and I've lived everywhere

Work . Dh changed jobs. Initially was supposed be in office a couple of days a week (when wfh wasn’t such a thing) but increased to most days. Commute was too long, so moved. Also, was planning to move anyway as schools in old town weren’t good, so seemed good opportunity.

School
Love
Work

Bought cos near work and found a house we liked. Stayed here over 40 years as it’s as good as place as any other and don’t feel a need to move but who knows. Don’t think the grass is greener elsewhere.

Move no 1 - married DH and he worked there (was attached to accommodation). Moves no 2,3, 4 and hopefully soon 5 all related to DH job...there's a theme here.