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Original poster

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

184 replies

fishnet · 15/07/2008 17:29

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?

OP posts:
zippitippitoes · 15/07/2008 22:00

i live in warwickshire and i would love to live in london

i am seriously considering it

ScummyMummy · 15/07/2008 22:01

Of course loads of other places are fab! But this is a "why london?" thread so answers may tend to big up London...

HarrietTheSpy · 15/07/2008 22:03

Being close to work, shorter commute than BR-ing into town; cheaper to commute; cost of transport from country likely to be similar to increase in mortgage if you buy a bigger place in town

Decent services where we are - choice re pre schools, schools, etc

love having access to town for all the other reasons, socialising etc

madcol · 15/07/2008 22:05

I live in Wimbledon ( South ) 1/2 million is about standard for a bigger 2 bed or a smaller 3 bed terrace around here. 3/4 bed are 600,00-700,000 for terraces.

oi · 15/07/2008 22:09

jobs are tied to London (though we are quite far out of central London now which is a pain but necessary for lots of reasons)

we also do loads in London on the weekends and most of our friends are here. Virtually everything we do with the kids is free (museums, galleries, exhibitions etc.) and we go to football, walk/cycle by the river, go to the markets and on and on and on.

Our children are at the age where public transport is free for them, we belong to places like Kew and are near Richmond and Bushy park so still have lots of green spaces.

It's a brilliant city but yes, the housing costs are v v expensive, especially if you've bought your house since 2000 without owning one beforehand!

nkf · 15/07/2008 22:10

London property prices are certainly high but they will start fallng. Even in the swankiest of areas. As to why anyone lives here, it's a bit like that quote about jazz. If you don't get it, you don't. It's nigh on impossible to sell the place to people who don't like it. Things like galleries are part of it but you don't spend your time there. It's just that when you do go to something cultural, there's a good chance that it will be first rate.

London has a hard to explain but quite unmistakeable vibe to it. Parts of it are so beautiful it makes your heart ache to look at them. And many of the parks are glorious. I love going to other parts of the UK but I also like seeing the backs of the houses as the train pulls into Paddington.

terrapin · 15/07/2008 22:22

Well, we live in a 2 bed house,now worth 150,00,still alot but nowhere near ridiculous sums bandied about.We have 2 tube stations within walking distance - 15 mins to central london,also overground and buses.However,my child does not have a poor quality of life as some have suggested,he and his mates get on their bikes and go off to the nature reserve,or the huge park,he goes to the corner shop,he cycles to school.Plus we have all the fab free museums and galleries - take your own butties and a great free day out.Ilike it here, we have canoeing 10 mins away,2 climbing walls, 26 miles of fab nature reserve,parks,cycle traks,proper horse riding centre 10mins away,skating rink 10 mins away,3 swimming pools walkable distance....all this in a non-desirable area of NE london.Blimey,we've even got children who go to local state schools and then on to university.Oh,and we've got 2 lidls.......

nkf · 15/07/2008 22:23

Blimey Terrapin. Where do you live?

nkf · 15/07/2008 22:24

It sounds great.

nkf · 15/07/2008 22:24

It sounds great.

zippitippitoes · 15/07/2008 22:25

do you live somewhere near westway

sophiebbb · 15/07/2008 22:27

Ha ha - we live in Wimbledon and are looking forward to moving to Norwich next year with the kids. Yes it's great to have all this culture and nightlife on your doorstep (which we don't use anymore as we have the kids to think about - still very young) but even better for them to frolic about with their cousins in Norfolk. Cannot wait.

shreddies · 15/07/2008 22:32

I've always lived in London, (apart from my time at university). I honestly can't imagine living anywhere else, not just because it is absolutely beautiful, but because of the sense of there being no limits to what you can do here. I love it.

ScummyMummy · 15/07/2008 22:34

Do doctors still put NNF (normal for norfolk) on their notes?

terrapin · 15/07/2008 22:35

We live in a area which is not considered at all desirable,it's not a fashionable or affluent area,just a really ordinary working class bit of london.we don't have coffee shops or restaurants like some bits of london,but we do live where there are really excellent transport links,and we are v close to the hackney/leyton marshes,the river lea valley ,a nature reserve which has real old english cattle roaming(and i see kingfishers all the time!),also v near epping forest.Our actual town is not particularly pretty but has brill facilities.Terrible litter tho,and more pound shops than you could ever imagine!!

sophiebbb · 15/07/2008 22:36

ScummyMummy - I don't know but my 2 sisters and I are always laughing about it - we are born and bred Norfolk girls!!!

Marina · 15/07/2008 22:37

I reckon Terrapin is in Walthamstow or near it
You can get similar priced properties in outer SE London too
Dh and I both work in higher education and all our colleagues live in zones 4/5
Both our HEIs are highly specialised and our jobs are not easily replicated outside London fishnet
We also like living where we grew up. We like the diversity, the culture, the Thames, the parks, the beauty and the bustle.

terrapin · 15/07/2008 22:38

I hasten to add we are not always out canoing or climbing up big walls!!Thats just to show that life in london is not just Eastenders or posh restarants!!!

Marina · 15/07/2008 22:39

We don't have Costa or Starbucks either terrapin - lots of pound shops and nail parlours though
About six of dh's colleagues and three of mine live out your way

ScummyMummy · 15/07/2008 22:40

I think there was a clampdown and they're not allowed anymore. (Quite rightly, the cheek!) Norfolk is beautiful. Hope you and your kids have fun frolicking.

terrapin · 15/07/2008 22:45

Marina obviously knows london well!

MegBusset · 15/07/2008 22:52

Another Zone 5 resident here. I'm London born and bred, DH came here from Norfolk ten years ago for work. Most of our friends are here (including many with DC -- few of whom are high earners) and so are my sister and brother.

We both work in the media so would be very hard to move out of London without a) hideous commute or b) complete career change. We are not rich by any means but live in a not very trendy, but very pleasant suburb and in an ex-council house.

We are considering moving in the future, though, because a big family home will never be in our reach here. But that would definitely mean giving up our hard-earned careers, to do... not sure yet!

CountessDracula · 15/07/2008 22:56

I live in London because I love it, I use so much of what it has to offer, dd can go to a fantastic state primary, I don't have to get into the car every 2 mins, I don't spend weekends in depressing shopping centres or out of town superstores, I have lovely little shops within 2 mins walk, there is so much to see and do

I'm afraid being close to mum and dad in the midlands just wouldn't come close!

Spidermama · 15/07/2008 23:02

I don't live in London any more but I was there for 17 years and I can completely understand why people do live there. There's nowhere like it. It's fantastic, dynamic, diverse, packed with culture. Whatever takes your fancy - it's there for you. There are amazing parks, amazing people and of course plenty of jobs, many of those with good pay which reflect the house prices.

I still work there and I'm filled with energy and some kind of people-spirit-togetherness type thing when I go. I miss it enormously, but I'm price out with four kids. I love Brighton very much, but it will never be London.

Blu · 15/07/2008 23:04

WEll, I'm a Midlands girl now a Londoner , with the luxury of having a family on the North Norfolk coast for extended visits, and I think there are hundreds of brilliant places to live in this country, urban and rural. I'd be happy in many of them - I have loved living in Newcastle, the N Norfolk coast, suburban London, Brixton...enjoying where you live is a state of mind. I love London, and it's the only place where DP and I could both get decent jobs in our sector.

We're not well paid..but have a modest semi in an unfashionable part of S London, with a garden, DS is in a happy, friendly (ofsted 'outstanding) school, and you can get a 3 bed house (with tiny garden) in the low-rise estate opposite his school for under £300k. 2 bed for £220k.