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?

I live in London because it really is the centre of the universe

Can you Blu? Oh no! Don't get me started on the property sites again.

Actually I'm really enjoying Brighton now, probably because I still get to come to work in London and visit my brother and yet can swim in the sea as and when.

I didn't know you were a midlander. Brum?

Nottingham!

Hey, Spidermama - the school is a non uniform school as well

well actually london houses are cheaper than mine at this rate

are you normal for nottingham, blu?

snort

mine have that green poly grey teflon yuksome uniform too, spider!

I live in London but want to move back to Leeds where I come from. We're lucky because I had the help to buy nearly 10 years ago, and I hope to be able to move to a bigger house with a smaller mortgage, as even with price falls we should still have a bit of equity and hopefully house prices where we want to go will fall too. It won't be one of the "best" places in Leeds but then we live in a rough area of London.

It does have positives though living here - wages are a bit higher, we have quite good public services when it comes to having small children, we have a local shop which apparently doesn't close until 3 am (not that I've ever checked!). I hate the Tube, but I love the variety of my local area.

madcol and sophiebb - if you're both in SW London/Wimbledon, why haven't you signed up to my book swap/meet up thread?!

here

I lived in London for a while and didn't like it. It was not a fun place to be poor in. There was also no sense of community - it was full of strangers passing through, trying to make a quick buck before retiring to the country (and thereby pricing locals out of the market).

My friend in London lives in daily fear that his DS will be the next knifing victim.

Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

Now I am going to check BIWI's link because I'll bet it's the same thing.

Sit tight for a year and that may get you five or six bedrooms

I have been in the house that Fimbo linked too!

anyway, London is blimming brilliant

Fimbo - we used to live on Royal Hill so not far from Point Hill at all. We're moving now to the Ashburnam Triangle which is a conservation area in Greenwich.

I think Greenwich is the only place in London I could live - once we're done here we'll be off up north!

I love living in London!
We are very central (close to Victoria)
walk everywhere, don't need a car
transport system excellent
primary schools are fantastic (secondary schools are a bit of an issue )
more baby groups than you can fit into a week
Museums, galleries, amazing parks
real sense of community and tolerance

I grew up in the country and was bored, bored, bored most of the time! OK, we have a very small flat but I hate housework so that suits me fine!

Or if we're swapping quotes, "I'd rather see a theatre queue than all the flocks of silly sheep on Epsom Downs." Charles Lamb. And not guaranteed 100% accurate.

Hana, I know, I used to work in West Ken!

God I would love to live in Wimbeldon. OP have you been there? It is lovely. Rich. Good schools. Green areas. Great links. Why live anywhere else ?

But there are other parts of the country which are like that. There are other very smart suburbs of major cities in this country which are just as green and just as well catered for with cafe bars, funky and high street shops with excellent state and independent schools on the doorstep.

I'm not saying Wimbledon isn't nice, I'm just saying such places do exist outside of London.

Do they though, Myredcardigan. I'm always being told this and yet the really nice places outside London always seem to have a provincial feel to them. And it's that quality that London doesn't have. I'm not saying they are bad just they don't quite satisfy if it's London you like.