Londoners?

APIII

Pross wrote:

I'm also interested to hear comments about 'village' feel in the more outlying parts of the city. Where do people class as having this atmosphere?

I don't know North or East London at all, but Clapham, parts of Wandsworth, Putney, basically all the way along the south circular to Richmond all have nice leafy quiet residential areas, but still with the hussle and bussle of the 'centre'. I always liked Wimbledon village, (although probably not classed as London), despite the high Range Rover count.

I lived in Southfields between Wimbledon and Putney and commuted to Wembley by bike, which was on the whole a mostly enjoyable experience. The Hammersmith gyratory certainly added a frisson of excitement to the day. It was only about 20 minutes or so to Richmond park and not a great deal further to get to the Surry hills, so was a great spot for a roadie.

chunkytfg

Well I see both sides of this argument as I live in Norfolk but have a room I rent in london for when I'm on shift(london underground staff)

For me personally I like both equally but for different reasons.

London is great for convenience, I can get anywhere to do anything for free in little or no time(staff pass = free travel) and at any time of day.

Norfolk is great for the wide open spaces, the friendliness of everyone and the house prices

I can understand how those who have only lived in one or the other type of area struggles to see the benefits of the other, but if you accept what the other area is for what it is and stop trying to compare them with each other then I feel you could learn to love each of them

Pross

chunkytfg wrote:

Well I see both sides of this argument

Debate surely? I was worried my OP would get taken the wrong way and get a stroppy response but it was a genuine question and the responses have been interesting.

shm_uk

Rick Chasey wrote:

My work colleagues said when I joined; if you don't like London, you're living in the wrong bit.

Sounds about right to me.

That's exactly what my parents did way back in 1976.
They moved to the bit in north Cheshire :-)


Whenever I visit London the one thing I always notice above everything else is how the majority of people come across as self-absorbed, rude and impatient...

Use public transport around where I live and people smile at strangers, chat to people they've never met before (I know. shocking behaviour, treating other people like human beings).

In London, being on the Tube or whatever, it seems nobody dare make eye contact, and they all look so incredibly miserable. What the flip is that all about ??!?

On that evidence, it seems to me nobody really likes living/working in London at all, they just keep saying they do just to convince themselves it's true.


(NOTE: All that's my perception based on experience. It doesn't make it fact.)

guinea

I come from a village in the Western Isles before I moved to London.

For me, the choice is simple. I either live in the country with nothing or in the largest city with everything.

I feel sorry for people who live in the 'in between' towns. They have all the social problems of London - the ubran deprivation, chavs, jobless, robbery but none of the good things - culture, access to everything, easy travel.

Why anyone would live in an average town with a population between 50k and 2.5m is beyond me.

APIII

guinea wrote:

Why anyone would live in an average town with a population between 50k and 2.5m is beyond me.

I can't speak for all 'average towns', but from my experience the benefits are:
Lower cost of living
Lower level of crime
Less pollution
People talk to one another
Easy access to good cycling terrain

And for my wife, shorter journey to work in central London than when we lived in London!

bompington

Rick Chasey wrote:

chllingi in a cafe somewhere, etc

Is chllingi the latest ethnic food fad that us provincials haven't heard of yet?

notsoblue

pitchshifter wrote:

Despite many negatives, its regarded by many as the best city in the world.

+1 I love it.

With regards to getting out to the country, its pretty easy to be out in fields within an hour.

I like how during a 45 min ride I can go from the fields of Richmond Park, through upmarket suburbs, along the Thames, past the Barbican, through the city with all its impressive architecture, and out the other side to the more bohemian Shoreditch. Always something of interest to see. The food, the music, the culture... its all here and within easy reach. I love the diversity.

But its good to escape back up to the Peak District, or to Bath every now and again to remind yourself what a wide open, sparsely populated view looks like

Many people who come in for shows, the museums, or just to go shopping, witness the worst of Central London imho. So many hidden gems in this city once you slip away from the crowds. Living here gives you a different experience than just visiting.

Pross

guinea wrote:

Why anyone would live in an average town with a population between 50k and 2.5m is beyond me.

There's only one city in the UK with a population over 2.5 million so are you saying why would anyone live in any city or medium to large town in the UK other than London? :shock:

Believe it or not, many of the social aspects do actually exist outside of London albeit on a smaller scale. I'm not a clubby person but if I were Cardiff would offer plenty of choice as would Bristol. Both cities have several theatres (even Newport has two :shock: ) and Cardiff bay offers pretty much every type of cuisine you could want. There are several Michelin starred restaurants within 20 miles of my area and plenty of others of a very high standard at a fraction of the price they would be in London. From other cities I've visited in the UK I would say Edinburgh offers similar and I would guess Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and others also do.

I would agree that most towns share the same problems but would argue that the scale is relative to the size of the town so crime is less of an issue overall. Pollution is far lower in regional cities too, having spent a lot of time in Bristol which is apparently one of the most congested cities outside of London I have never had the same issue with sooty deposits up my nose and on my skin as I do after a trip to London.

notsoblue

Pross wrote:

guinea wrote:

Why anyone would live in an average town with a population between 50k and 2.5m is beyond me.

There's only one city in the UK with a population over 2.5 million so are you saying why would anyone live in any city or medium to large town in the UK other than London? :shock:

Believe it or not, many of the social aspects do actually exist outside of London albeit on a smaller scale. I'm not a clubby person but if I were Cardiff would offer plenty of choice as would Bristol. Both cities have several theatres (even Newport has two :shock: ) and Cardiff bay offers pretty much every type of cuisine you could want. There are several Michelin starred restaurants within 20 miles of my area and plenty of others of a very high standard at a fraction of the price they would be in London. From other cities I've visited in the UK I would say Edinburgh offers similar and I would guess Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and others also do.

I would agree that most towns share the same problems but would argue that the scale is relative to the size of the town so crime is less of an issue overall. Pollution is far lower in regional cities too, having spent a lot of time in Bristol which is apparently one of the most congested cities outside of London I have never had the same issue with sooty deposits up my nose and on my skin as I do after a trip to London.

Google Image Search for "Night out in Cardiff"

Love Bristol though, lovely place.

rick_chasey

Pross wrote:

I have never had the same issue with sooty deposits up my nose and on my skin as I do after a trip to London.

Probably spending too much time on the tube then...

It's all brake dust apparantly.

Pross

notsoblue wrote:

Pross wrote:

guinea wrote:

Why anyone would live in an average town with a population between 50k and 2.5m is beyond me.

There's only one city in the UK with a population over 2.5 million so are you saying why would anyone live in any city or medium to large town in the UK other than London? :shock:

Believe it or not, many of the social aspects do actually exist outside of London albeit on a smaller scale. I'm not a clubby person but if I were Cardiff would offer plenty of choice as would Bristol. Both cities have several theatres (even Newport has two :shock: ) and Cardiff bay offers pretty much every type of cuisine you could want. There are several Michelin starred restaurants within 20 miles of my area and plenty of others of a very high standard at a fraction of the price they would be in London. From other cities I've visited in the UK I would say Edinburgh offers similar and I would guess Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and others also do.

I would agree that most towns share the same problems but would argue that the scale is relative to the size of the town so crime is less of an issue overall. Pollution is far lower in regional cities too, having spent a lot of time in Bristol which is apparently one of the most congested cities outside of London I have never had the same issue with sooty deposits up my nose and on my skin as I do after a trip to London.

Google Image Search for "Night out in Cardiff"

Love Bristol though, lovely place.

Never had an issue in Cardiff but I avoid Newport like the plague. The only trouble I've been involved in directly was in Bristol where I got set on by a bunch of chavs whilst on a works do having helped out a mate who tried to stop them attacking a girl and her boyfriend but other than that no problems in Bristol either.

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

Believe it or not, many of the social aspects do actually exist outside of London albeit on a smaller scale. I'm not a clubby person but if I were Cardiff would offer plenty of choice as would Bristol. Both cities have several theatres (even Newport has two :shock: ) and Cardiff bay offers pretty much every type of cuisine you could want. There are several Michelin starred restaurants within 20 miles of my area and plenty of others of a very high standard at a fraction of the price they would be in London.

It's very good for sport too. I can see International and Heineken Cup rugby, Test Match cricket, International football (and very nearly Premiership football) all within ten minutes of my house.

And that's before I've started on the cycling with the hills, the velodrome and other sports.

Tom Butcher

guinea wrote:

I come from a village in the Western Isles before I moved to London.

For me, the choice is simple. I either live in the country with nothing or in the largest city with everything.

I feel sorry for people who live in the 'in between' towns. They have all the social problems of London - the ubran deprivation, chavs, jobless, robbery but none of the good things - culture, access to everything, easy travel.

Why anyone would live in an average town with a population between 50k and 2.5m is beyond me.

Well I live maybe a mile from open countryside - the Peak District and Derbyshire countryside is on the doorstep, rural Leicestershire not far away, Staffordshire too. I live 50 metres from a huge park which is great for walking the dogs or I can easily do a 3-5 mile run in it. I live in a conservation zone in a 4 bedroom house, literally 5 minutes walk from the city centre but there are no problems associated with urban deprivation in this neighbourhood. There are more than enough bars, pubs, clubs, music venues to satisfy me all within walking distance. There are two weekly chain gangs and a club run which kick off within 2 miles of my house.

I've lived in London - Forest Gate, and brothers have lived all over the East End, in Bermondsey, out towards Heathrow and one is now in Chingford. I can see some attraction in living in London if you have plenty of money or are young free and single but for a family on our household income (40-50k) the quality of life would be far short of what we have here in Derby. Of course it depends on what you want from life - but if you enjoy cycling and the outdoors, easy access to pubs, shops, schools and so on then a medium sized town or city pretty much fits the bill.

RichN95.

notsoblue wrote:

Google Image Search for "Night out in Cardiff"

Almost all of the 'bad' images are taken within 50 metres of each other - the station end of St Mary's Street. If you want trouble you can find it, but I've never managed to accidently find any in 15 years.

As Pross said though - Newport's a different matter.

carbonfiend

People critise London and use the rudeness card as an example when all they have done is visited the west end and travelled the central line. I live in East Ham its the inner city and has all the generic inner city problems. but if you came here to see how many cultures and ethnic diversities live with each other the one thing you could never accuse people of is being rude.

Yes London is loud, fast, smelly, dirty and at times dangerous but those of us that live here and enjoy it will I'm sure agree, there's nowhere else quite like it.

Living in London is a state of mind as much as a geographical placement.

pyro_maniac

i was born in london and grew up there, only when i had my own kids did i decide to move out, the east end is going downhill rapidly and i am so glad i went, i dont miss any part of it at all although i only moved out to south essex, its a lot slower paced out here, schools are better, its cheaper to live and if i need to get to london its only a half hour drive

carbonfiend

How can u say the east end is going down rapidly, have u seen shoreditch recently, spitalfields market, stratford centre/olympic stadium. Life expectency is at its highest ever and the housing market crash has hardly touched it. The east end is more vibrant and alive than its ever been. In fact when I first moved here my business was in stratford I had to drag people to come and see me. In fact people who knew London never even knew the place existed and as for old street etc what a dive that used to be and it now has to be thee most vibrant/cosmopolitan area of London.

rick_chasey

A standard Shoreditch scene isn't it?

carbonfiend

Narrr his shades have glass in them 8)

oscarbudgie

I grew up in the sticks (Lincolnshire) and have lived in London 20 years. Nice house in nice suburb, near to Epping Forest / Essex lanes etc but tbh I'm just fed up with the place now and can't wait to get out. Expensive, crowded, noisy, dirty - and thats the good bits. The mere thought of some of those real shitholes in (especially) SE London makes me shiver.

cjcp

Pross wrote:

and Cardiff bay offers pretty much every type of cuisine you could want. There are several Michelin starred restaurants within 20 miles of my area and plenty of others of a very high standard at a fraction of the price they would be in London.

Yep, there's a good buzz down the Bay.

If I were to move back, Cowbridge or Penarth would be high on my list.

Atm, I live half a mile from Richmond Park. Can't complain about that - great for training .

dmch2

RichN95 wrote:

It's very good for sport too. I can see International and Heineken Cup rugby, Test Match cricket, International football (and very nearly Premiership football) all within ten minutes of my house.

That's true in lots of towns. In Newcastle (where I used to live, down the road in Durham now) there was Premiership football, premiership rugby, test cricket, international athletics, Tall Ships Race, top level ice hockey and basket ball all within 10 minutes (ok, maybe 20 for the cricket).

Plus there's no way the cycling in the middle of London is close to what we have up here

dmch2

carbonfiend wrote:

People critise London and use the rudeness card as an example when all they have done is visited the west end and travelled the central line. I live in East Ham its the inner city and has all the generic inner city problems. but if you came here to see how many cultures and ethnic diversities live with each other the one thing you could never accuse people of is being rude.

Yes London is loud, fast, smelly, dirty and at times dangerous but those of us that live here and enjoy it will I'm sure agree, there's nowhere else quite like it.

Living in London is a state of mind as much as a geographical placement.

I lived in London for 4 years and never had a conversation in a bus (which I used regularly). First bus ride in Newcastle I asked the driver to let me know when we near the street I wanted. More than half of the dozen or so people that got off over the next ten minutes said hello as they walked past and told me how many more stops there were to my stop.

Maybe London isn't as bad as people claim but there are other places that are almost infinitely better!

iainf72

dmch2 wrote:

That's true in lots of towns. In Newcastle (where I used to live, down the road in Durham now) there was Premiership football, premiership rugby, test cricket, international athletics, Tall Ships Race, top level ice hockey and basket ball all within 10 minutes (ok, maybe 20 for the cricket).

The thing is in London you'll get all of the things, without question. Biggest sporting events, biggest musical events etc etc. If a band is touring, they will play London. They might play other places too, but you can be sure they'll play London.

I live in London - I like it. I can't remember when I last went on the tube or to the West End. But those things are there if I want to use them.

dmch2

iainf72 wrote:

The thing is in London you'll get all of the things, without question. Biggest sporting events, biggest musical events etc etc. If a band is touring, they will play London. They might play other places too, but you can be sure they'll play London.

I live in London - I like it. I can't remember when I last went on the tube or to the West End. But those things are there if I want to use them.

But if you want to get out of London to the things it doesn't have (countryside, friends that don't live in London) you have a nightmare in traffic getting out. You must spend the first hour of every ride fighting traffic to get to the fun bits?

I guess I'm just glad that there are plenty of people who *do* like it so they don't fill up the countryside up here

rick_chasey

iainf72 wrote:

I live in London - I like it. I can't remember when I last went on the tube or to the West End. .

Not letting you out of the office eh?

dmch2

Rick Chasey wrote:

Not letting you out of the office eh?

That reminds me of one advantage of London. If you go for a night out after work everyone just agrees a time and goes straight there from work as their commute is 2 hours so they haven't got time to waste.

Out in the provinces there's hours of waiting for X to finish, then Y says 5 more minutes and they'll be done so you wait another hour then Z has to go home to change and will (might) see you there etc.

Then I got married and kids and don't go out anyway!

bikey2009

Quote:
Whenever I visit London the one thing I always notice above everything else is how the majority of people come across as self-absorbed, rude and impatient...


Sorry I don't agree, I've lived in London all my life and can give you loads of examples to contradict your statement like when...................................Oh Fu*(k !t I ain't got the time and just don't give a toss!

redddraggon

Rick Chasey wrote:

Pross wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Career wise - London is often where it happens, particularly in professional services.

I sort of get that but outside of financial services and the associate professions such as lawyers it's not really the case. .

Disagree.

I agree with Pross.

Most of the places I'd want to end up are in the countryside, and then grouped around Oxbridge/Russel group universities.