London (yet again)

[GreenerGrass]

First I wouldn't define Hampton Court as a suburb. I was thinking more of Swindon or Slough as proper suburbs.

Swindon a suburb of London? Or even Slough? What on earth are you talking about?

I made decision to concentrate on London contracts for the next few years, when I leave I think it will be to implement a plan B, hopefully with all or most of the mortgage paid off. I can't envisage doing an IT position in some crummy provincial town.

Everyday in London is an adventure, as we walk through the historic streets and marble floored corridors of power, drinking champagne in posh bars and laughing.
We are the cogs in the financial powerhouse driving the wheels of country. We live our lives like in The Apprentice, we are the movers and shakers of the world for ever, it seems.

The square mile is clean, largely crime free (well, compared to the rest of London), has great architecture, bars, eateries and the only time I've ever seen anyone threatened in a pub or bar in the City was by a knuckle-headed Northerner, who was presumably lost on the way to somewhere rubbish.
Commute from one of the nicer suburbs or greenbelt villages and you can get the best of both worlds, I've not visited the former slum area of Hoxton so I can't comment on that.

The bringing up kids thing is the ownly downer, people often move outside the M25 at that stage. I can see why you'd need a joint income of 150-200k to bring them up, send them to a good school where they won't grow up to talk like a crack-addled Jamaican, and live comfortably in the best parts of London.

[wendigo100]

First I wouldn't define Hampton Court as a suburb. I was thinking more of Swindon or Slough as proper suburbs.

Of London?

[Jog On]

There is no perfect place in this world, there are places with advantages and disadvantages,

Glad you worked that one out.

I have no quarrel with you - but please - we all choose our positions (or dispositions).

I don't mean any malice btw I'm just saying what I think.

I'm from London born and bred, I lived right near shepherds bush tube for a long time and if timing was against me I could well have been killed in 7/7

Anyone of us faces that threat every morning on the packed tube.

I love London because it's my home -

where is your home?

[Francko]

Franco - boo fecking hoo

Go elsewhere!

You don't like it - feck off, go and moan about it at the next place you decide you don't like because of this and that.

We don't invite people to come to our "streets paved with gold" city with promises of virgins in heaven.



I live near Hampton Court - it's near Richmond and Twickenham - London suburbs are quite nice last time I checked..

London rocks - get a better deal elsewhere - it's not perfect but hey we're doing the best we can.

No one's keeping you here - it's not rocket science to live somewhere where you're happy.

Do us all a favour - the tubes are packed enough - know what I mean?

I keep talking but I can't hear anybody listening out there. First I wouldn't define Hampton Court as a suburb. I was thinking more of Swindon or Slough as proper suburbs. Besides are you going to discuss or just booing and childishly get back with improper remarks? I said London can be a great place, provided that you don't have children and that you are not a very top earner. Do you have children? Do you pay 15k a year for each of them to get a decent school? And that was not a moan. There is no perfect place in this world, there are places with advantages and disadvantages, if you can't cope with that, you can feck off in your ideal world, I am merely exposing facts foolishly hoping that someone was able to discuss them cleverly. And yes, anytime you want me to "moan" (I'd rather see it as an intelligent exposition of facts) about other countries, please let me know, as I have lived in quite a few already and I can moan/discuss about each of them: that's the greatest advantage about considering the reality without a stupid nationalistic pride.

[Jog On]

Franco - boo fecking hoo

Go elsewhere!

You don't like it - feck off, go and moan about it at the next place you decide you don't like because of this and that.

We don't invite people to come to our "streets paved with gold" city with promises of virgins in heaven.

you won't be able to make the most of the entertainments as you'd be living very far way and London suburbs suck

I live near Hampton Court - it's near Richmond and Twickenham - London suburbs are quite nice last time I checked..

London rocks - get a better deal elsewhere - it's not perfect but hey we're doing the best we can.

No one's keeping you here - it's not rocket science to live somewhere where you're happy.

Do us all a favour - the tubes are packed enough - know what I mean?

[Francko]

I don't think you'll find that in various other countries anytime soon either.

Certainly there are problems of one sort or another, NL being one of them, but if anyone were to ask me to recommend a place to live then London, and a great many places in the UK, would certainly be at or near the top of the list.

For those who think otherwise I'd suggest a) get out a bit more, i.e. live in a few more countries, or b) if you're not a native to the UK, ask yourself why you're there or c) when you go back to the country you came from, ask people who moved there whether life is as easy for them as it was for you.

I would make a clear distinction on what are your purposes in life as I find London rather inflexible if you fall into a different category. I personally would not recommend London if your aim is to raise a family for the following reason:

- the cost and the quality of the houses is outrageous; and yes, if you have a family, space is an important issue
- commuting is a major pain, trains are overcrowded and incredibly expensive
- it is not safe anywhere, not a major problem if you are single but with a family you may want to enjoy a free walk around your neighbour: this is not safe anywhere in London
- public schools are terrible, you have to afford private schools and this reduces your income by a big percentage
- you are more likely to be the subject of an ageist market, this again is hard to prove but from my experience London companies tend to be quite ageist
- you have a big shortage of nice places around for a short weekend; sure if you are single you can take a plane and go anywhere but that's not the case if you have young children
- you won't be able to make the most of the entertainments as you'd be living very far way and London suburbs suck

In all again, I think it can be a great place but that depends strongly on your age and family circumstances unless you are a top earner (which means a combined family income of 150-200k a year, which is possible but not very likely).

[Joe Black]

One of the many good things about living in the UK rather than in some 3rd world backwards country is that I can go to a local park feed ducks and people don't kill them there for food or fun, they hold dogs on leash, or when I play with some local pussy cat then someone who walks the dog would actually go to the other side of the street with the dog not to disturb the cat and me - this is quiet shockingly nice to be honest, I don't think something like this will happen in Russia anytime soon if at all.

I don't think you'll find that in various other countries anytime soon either.

Certainly there are problems of one sort or another, NL being one of them, but if anyone were to ask me to recommend a place to live then London, and a great many places in the UK, would certainly be at or near the top of the list.

For those who think otherwise I'd suggest a) get out a bit more, i.e. live in a few more countries, or b) if you're not a native to the UK, ask yourself why you're there or c) when you go back to the country you came from, ask people who moved there whether life is as easy for them as it was for you.

[Jog On]

That's the attitude we all need.

London has achieved its status mainly because it attracts the most qualified people and cheap labour from all over the world. If it wasn't for them you would be left with a bunch of sasguru-oxbridge types with egos coming out of their ass who would just ruin the nation. If London starts losing its appeal and stop attracting foreign workers your wealth will soon disappear (including your bubbled overpriced houses that you see as wealth). I think you'd better listen to the moaning as there is some truth in it.

I don't think London will 'lose it's appeal' any time soon. But no it isn't perfect for anyone. Bubbles, houses, foreign workers and terrorists alike - it is what it is - if you don't like it you can go elsewhere.

If I found myself living somewhere I didn't like and I had a choice to go elsewhere - I'd go elsewhere.

I wouldn't stay somewhere i don't like and moan about it - isn't that what permies do?

[Ivor1]

1) SO many fit women to check out all day long
2) making an absolute packet
3) Goto 1.

ps I don't live in london though, i prefer my country manor.

Go to agree on 1) lots and lots of tasty ladies in other parts of the country the women dont make an effort.

[AtW]

there are too many people looking in with too much time and criticising

And most of them seem to be clustered around this board