This isn't meant to upset anyone but WHY do people live in London? I really don't get it when its so expensive.

[fishnet]

Obviously those who earn trillions of pounds in the city can afford it but why does ordinary Joe bother. Surely the salaries aren't that much higher that it compensates for property prices? Or am I wrong?

SIL is pregnant and needs to move from a one bed rented flat in central London. They are looking at two bed semis for about half a million pounds. Up here you could get a large five bed for that. I really don't get it. How do people manage?

PW, you'll love it in Manchester if you choose the right part!

oh god Www in court is SO intersting

you aev everyones outgoings even on phones, tvs payments. netertianment

we were impressed wiht his.
he was speeidn as he was rushing hsi wife to the portland

We have two beautiful parks within walking distance, which helps compensate for the lack of a garden. Lots to do both locally and in the centre. Great diversity. Visited MIL in Lincolnshire and shuddered at all the 'ooh, not many white people in London' comments from bigots locals...

we are moving out cos we need somewhere bigger, but I'll miss London

So how much did you fine him? Or is it fixed? Can you do punitive, har de har? (have read various John Grisham on train recently, v gripping)

i get hte parks btu what i foudn recently ona visit is that ds2 oculdn just open the door and say " see you later"
as he does here
but horse for courses.

fakrign limit is ik on motoring

i know

passed loads of good nhs hospitals on teh way

1k

I like living here. I've been here for 20+ years, all my friends are here, my parents were both born here and my job is here (I have a ridiculously specialised job which only some big companies employ someone in-house to do). I love the parks, the fact that it's so cosmopolitan (I honestly find it odd to go to other places in the UK where there is such a huge white population) and the fact that I can find any ingredient for any recipe I choose within a ten minute walk. I live in a 2 bed flat with a 120ft garden in central London. I was lucky in that I happened to buy my first place 12 years ago when prices were low.

The good thing is that I can move out if I want and buy somewhere pretty much outright. The downside is that I can never come back

We're in a house in London. Got a garden. Neither DP nor I have big waged jobs, but we sold two flats to move into a house, both were bought when prices weren't so high, so that's how we did it. Next door we've got a couple of teachers, so it is possible for regular-waged people to live here.

We are in South East London as well which is cheaper. I love it though - wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Loads of parks, great shops and 10mins to the centre of town.

The People who can afford £500K houses in London are the ones that got on the property ladder when house prices crashed in the 90's.

ther are parks elsewhere in the world.
lol its liek the cafes argument we used to get.

Riven, would your SN provision be better in London? Is there a national 'table' of better LA provision? Just curious as I imagine with a child with SN, that would be a big factor in where you live.

I would LOVE to live back in London.If we could afford it or get a housing association flat in Chelsea like my friend

Even with a good income and kids then London is expensive. eg a £100k income say gets you a mortgage of 3.5 income = 350k, which only gets you a 3 bed flat in West Ken

I live here because:

I like it. It's home.
I grew up here and so did partner
Our parents are here
Many of our friends are here
The Thames is fab and the south bank
We can be car free
Travel and other systems are set up so that the vulnerable can get about
It's (relatively) easy to find work
The buildings are amazing
Many of the restaurants and pubs are great
The people are many and varied
We have mash up house that cost way way way way under 500k and we love it
There are lots of parks
There are lots of museums, galleries, theatres and shops
There are lots of schools, universities and libraries
There is always something to do and new hidden treasures to discover
There are so many places to go when it rains but it doesn't rain nearly as much as some other places in the UK

Dr Johnson was right, imo!

I wouldn't mind living in another city but I think London takes some beating.

and that is not a nice flat

Mmm but no 3rd bedroom and listed so probably no chance of creating one.

I have only been north of Watford about 20 times in my entire life . Never been to Leeds, Liverpool, anywhere in Scotland north of Edinburgh or Glasgow. I know I'm missing out, but its quicker to get to France than any of those places for me.

Now we're getting a tent though, maybe we'll come camping oop north one of these days.

Food, petrol, utilities all cost the same in London. It's only the mortgage that's the problem.

Friends of ours moved out of London a year or so ago. Bought a house in the home counties that was SMALLER for the same money.

Anywhere within an hour commuting distance of one of the mainline stations is the same price, I believe, unless you are downsizing from one of the poncetastically overpriced areas like Chelsea or Kensington. I think.

I am from Leeds. I was at university in the south east, and had a 'friend' who wouldn't come and visit me because all of the North was full of slums and cooling towers apparently.

That's what I mean, BIWI!
Not only would I be living in a tiny terraced, I'd be shopping from the back of a grocery van whilst dodging bullets!

I love London - I want to live in Richmond or in one of the roads opposite Kew Gardens. I would like to demolish Heathrow first though. The only disadvantage that I can see is that it takes such a long time to get out of the city if you want to go to the countryside, but that aside, I love it.

It is a bit grubby in parts, but then, what city isn't? I live in the Midlands (and it definitely has grubby bits) and am looking forward to the day that I can move away - just need to get the kids through school! (But we won't be moving to London - too expensive)

Scotland is pretty fabulous too by the way - and Yorkshire and Northumberland and Wales and the Norfolk broads - I could go on and on and on . . .

Figroll my brother lives on a road opposite Kew Gardens. He has been exceptionally lucky with money, though. Tis lovely location. But like another planet compared to my part of London. Thing with London is, it really is like a series of small towns. You go down to your local high street and see loads of people you know to stop and chat with. A few times a year you might go into the West End or South Bank or boat trip on the Thames or whatever, but its only a short train or bus ride away. Otherwise its just like living anywhere else.