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 very cental London. Why? Because my husband works in the city and his work can only be done there. Because my mother lives across the street from me. Because I have tried life out of London and hated it. Because I love bringing up chilren here: we have no garden but can walk 5 minutes to a royal park as well as a small but lovely park. 3 playgrounds withing walking distance. Free museums everywhere. A fabulous library across the street. Diversity everywhere you look. A large and wonderful farmer's market weekly within walking distance. Any service you need (GP etc) within walking distance. Excellent public transport and no car needed.

Quality of life basicically.

I think so, yes, but I guess it's all a matter of opinion.
DH's cousin & wife live in the west end of Glasgow, near the university. Stunning terraced house cost them just under £1million last year. It's beautiful there with stunning parks, galleries and all the funky cafes and resturants you'd expect from such a cosmopolitan city.

I live in Cheshire. DH can get into Manchester in 20min. We have parks within walking distance, 2 national parks within a short drive fab resturants both here and in next village (alderley edge). Friend from DSs swimming has just bought a beautiful edwardian semi in Bramhall which is even closer to Manchester than us. She paid 850k but it's a lovely conservation area with Bramhall park (tudor house and about 4sqmiles of woodland and parkland) close to her.
The exchange theatre in Manchester is one of the best modern theatres I've been to. The shopping there is also excellent both for high street, designer and independent.

DH's best man lives in Clifton, Bristol. His flat overlooks an enormous green space. When we visit, the boys (dads and lads) are all out there playing football.

Of course London has beautiful areas with accessiblity to all the capital has to offer but other major cities do offer this too, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. Have to say though, as you can see, those areas elsewhere are not much cheaper than similar areas in London.

BUT YOUR KDS CANT RUN OUT TO PLAY

aartfrom that
id ove it
wiht money

i loved living in london, son went to a lovely school, went out to play (we had a flat with communal garden) massive ally pally near by. sort of sad i moved.

expensive everywhere south

i'm glad there are so many people who like it.

they can keep it and let us have the rest .

Mine run out to play all the time, SMM. Depends what the street is like traffic wise, no?

Message withdrawn

nkf, you do get 'the provincial feel' in some suburbs, yes. Probably least of all in Glasgow. I love visiting there, it's so vibrant, but DH (lawyer) couldn't work.

You'd be surprised how many home counties accents I come across here in Cheshire! I have to say I find it far, far less stifling than Surrey. It's affluent here too but not just white affluent. Plus there's a good mix of tacky new money (esp in AE) thrown into the pot!

thought so.

Which bridge did the Americans buy when they thought they wer buying London Bridge?

london bridge

Oh I remember now. They thought they were buying Tower Bridge. Thought that was London Bridge but actually bought the very dull looking London Bridge.

x posts, Riven. Thanks

lol @kidnapping scenario, Fio. If you ever need someone to be an anti-kidnapping device I could meet her off the coach and see her onto the connecting one via a cup of tea shop, you know.

I grew up in Surrey - all the disadvantages of being in a small boring town, and yet, like much of the home counties, more expensive than much of London.

I like city living and happened to get a job in London 10 years ago. If you avoid the really yuppified areas rent isn't so bad, and there are some areas to buy that aren't as expensive. We can manage almost completely without a car - it gets driven about once a fortnight and lots of our friends are also insured on it. Public transport is cheap and plentiful, loads of free entertainments, shops open late so you can on impulse walk round to friends with a few drinks...

I wouldn't try to talk anyone else into it, though - London is quite crowded enough already!

The pattern on prices isn't that clear cut. For example, a friend of mine lives in North Oxford which is lovely. But it's not much cheaper than many parts of London. And there are many many unfashionable areas in London where prices aren't sky high. Wimbledon is expensive yes but down the road in Earlsfield will cost much less.

I think the distinction between London and the rest of the country is less significant than the difference between areas with cachet and those without.

I agree, nkf!
I think nice, affluent, sought after areas around the country are often just as expensive and just as well served as sought after areas of London. The big difference IMO is that the less desirable areas of other cities are often dramatically cheaper that the sought after ones. Whereas in London, even scummy areas are stupidly expensive.

When all is said and done it's a good job we don't all want to live in the same place.