What's it like living in the City?

[EternalOptimist]

Don't imagine then, go and see for yourself.

I've lived in Manchester City Centre for 8 years now and I've loved it. London is nice but it's too big for me. And I hate the tube.

I'm a bit bored of the city now and I want to live out of town and have a garden. I think I'm heading to middle age

awww, you just reminded me of my most favourite contractor memory. When I look back for highlights, or memorable stuff that made it all worthwhile, I remember this -

I was working in Dartford, staying in a travellodge about 3 miles out of town, and there was absolutely nothing to do. it was block of cheese, pickles and ten cans in the room every night.

Then I realised there was a railway crossing near the back of the hotel, with a little village on the other side. There was a pub with a lovely beer garden, it has a big trellis fence covered in climbing roses, the scents were fantastic.
I spent three months in that quiet beer garden, doing my sudukio, watching the lazy bees, and getting quietly pissed in the sunshine. fantastic.

It was London, but definately not the city

[d000hg]

Not sure why a large house is important. A nice house in a nice area is the important thing. Without kids you really don't need 4 bedrooms. A nice 2-bed apartment with a decent living area could be just fine.

[Incognito]

FTFY.

Sure you did. Looks like on street parking and postage stamp gardens to me.

Bellevue Road, Wandsworth - Google Maps

Of course when you're used to being able to actually swing a cat in your front room (not literally) I suppose anything else does actually look cramped. Can you hear the neighbours through the walls in that terraced house of yours? How quaint.

[sasguru]

Not sure why a large house is important. A nice house in a nice area is the important thing. Without kids you really don't need 4 bedrooms. A nice 2-bed apartment with a decent living area could be just fine.

True, but I think a large leafy garden is essential when you live in any large town.
When I read a book under the apple tree in my garden, I could be anywhere. And if I get bored there's excitement a short tube ride away.
Flat living in London without an outside space is not very nice, I imagine.

[d000hg]

I'm not sold on gardens in a row behind the houses... those long narrow ones you see most commonly even on £1m houses. Seems you don't really get the privacy and you can't get a 'proper' garden without living in the country... I'm spoilt by having lived in the country so town gardens always disappoint me and I'd happily go without.

[sasguru]

Sure you did. Looks like on street parking and postage stamp gardens to me.

Bellevue Road, Wandsworth - Google Maps

Of course when you're used to being able to actually swing a cat in your front room (not literally) I suppose anything else does actually look cramped. Can you hear the neighbours through the walls in that terraced house of yours? How quaint.

I live off one of the roads in Nightingale. The locals call BelleVue the area as well as being the name of a road. Edwardian villa with own parking and large garden.

HTH

Thanks for looking it up though, for someone who professes not to care you do go through an awful lot of work.

[swamp]

There are quite a lot of people who can't or won't get on with London. They don't have to come here, and they don't need to grumble about it either.

Otherwise London can be great, especially if you pick your area well. There are some really nice houses and there is lots of work here. Remember that many people have specialised careers, and London is the only place they can work in the UK or even the world.

[Incognito]

Thanks for looking it up though, for someone who professes not to care you do go through an awful lot of work.

I can't take the credit for that, it was another poster somewhere else in this thread. I couldn't care less. Can you hear the neighbours TV at night through your terraced house walls? How quaint.

[russell]

Pay well over the odds for a cramped flat? Get stuck in never ended traffic jams? Get crushed on the underground? Pay double for everything the rest of the country pay? Get knifed/shot/mugged every few days?

No thanks

Saying that I wouldn't live in the country either, did anyone see Stewart Lee last night, his bit about the country was excellent?

[sasguru]

can you hear the neighbours TV at night through your terraced house walls? How quaint.

Its very quiet where I live, I don't know if that's because its not terraced.
It probably is quiet because the people who live there are well behaved, prosperous and hard working rather than being lower class oiks.

HTH