11 reasons why I will never live in London, England
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- As a foreigner living in England, most people assume I live in London - but in reality, it's never been my city. Here's 11 reasons why I will never live in London, England!
London is an incredible place and it's truly special - but that doesn't mean we're all cutout to live there. Check my out cons to living in London and why I'll always be a small English village kind of foreigner.
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Hey! I'm Alanna - a twenty-something documenting my life as a Canadian living in England.
I share the ups and downs of an expat living abroad and what it's really like living in the UK. It's not always easy, but there's been so many wonderful experiences, too. I post a RUclips video every Tuesday and an additional video every Saturday on my Patreon account. I also livestream every Wednesday and Sunday at 6:30pm GMT on Twitch.
Alanna x
Every time i visit London i feel the vibrancy and the buzz of the city and it is a special feeling. Every time i leave London i feel the sense of relief and peace of getting out.
You're absolutely right
This is very well put
I have the same feeling when I drive through Luton.I get a sense of relief that I have not been attacked and then I feel like I could do with a shower.
Ironic that yesterday was Remembrance Day,where we thank the brave people who gave their lives to defend our island from being invaded.
@@AdventuresAndNaps Its Jamie Davies I wouldn't live in London at all I live in the UK is easy to live in New York City please Adventures and Naps my friend and mate?
The vibrancy is fake because people confuse sound with vibrancy
I am a born Londoner and have lived here most of my life and I agree with all that you have said.
I would add another reason for not moving to London.
As with most great metropolis it attracts the most ruthless and selfish members of society and many countries from around the globe. It is a tank of piranha.
As an English person who used to live and work in London, I can tell you I was very pleased to leave it behind. Most of the points in this video match my own experience. I really hated living there but certainly I don't hate the city itself and I'm very happy to visit for a day. For anybody thinking of living in London, this video is well worth watching!
I've lived on the outskirts of London and I wouldn't change it if I could. I live on the literal edge of the city so both Central London and the countryside are 20 min away. Living in Central London isn't for me, but living in a well connected part of Zones 4/5/6 is a much easier pill to swallow. Except the house prices, that's never gonna be easy to swallow :(
I guess it's the best of both words there! Minus the cost 😭
@@AdventuresAndNaps Indeed! Unfortunately the place is getting gentrified to oblivion even this far out
Same here. Central London offers a lot of things that just aren't easily available elsewhere (if at all), but actually living in the centre would drive me up the wall - the outer suburbs are much more pleasant. Also, public transport outside Greater London is generally shockingly bad (yes, some cities have decent public transport, but even then it doesn't really compare) - where I am in zone 6 I can easily manage without a car any time of the day, any day of the week, but if I were in any of the commuter towns - no chance
I loved living in the outskirts of London. I also enjoyed being able to commute into the city and earn much higher pay than anywhere else while being able to keep living costs low.
I find London to be an extremely alienating place, you're right when you say it's not representitive of England at all.
London is not even representative of London.
What does representive of England mean? Manchester Liverpool Newcastle Lèeds these are very distinct and diverse places with a strong cultural heritage of their own I can't see how any one place is more representative of England than any other
@@dannysmith8917 I get what you mean but technically speaking Newcastle is the most “English” city. Geordies are the closest relative to the Anglo-Saxons in the British Isles, and it probably explains their drastically different accent and dialect to other English cities as well as Scotland. If you look at a map, Newcastle is more isolated in comparison to the other cities and more northern so it makes sense lol.
Clearly every individual has different experiences in London.I lived there for 3 years and I never felt alienated on the contrary I made friends for a lifetime and I met them within a week and that's something we all discussed, how easy it is to make strong connections and friendships with people there 🤷🏻♀️
Haha London not being representative of the rest of England is the reason I’ll never live in anywhere in England but London.
Great video. Thanks for this. I've had a few up and down moments the last few days but this has really cheered me up. Thanks Alanna cant wait for the next one :)
Thanks so much Brian - hope you're doing OK!!
Alanna, I now look forward to viewing your videos as soon as they come out. I really enjoy listening to whatever you are discussing. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely agree with the grind. I lived in London, and the commute from/to Zone 4 just ended up adding time to my work day. Weekend comes, and you have no inclination to get out and see the sights.
The daily commute / walking distances are surprisingly long. My friend described meeting up for a drink in London, as like travelling from Oxford to the Midlands to have a pint.
i can confirm that everything Alanna said was totally sensible and 100% correct,
🥳
I'm also from Canada and I lived in London for 2 years in Shoreditch. Loved it but also crazy expensive life and can be stressful.
I was born in London and worked there for 30 years and I am so glad we got out of there, it's great to visit but that's it .
As a Brit, I lived in central London for 15 years and have now lived in rural Kent for 10 years. I have to say loneliness in the country is FAR more of a problem. In London there's always a large variety of places to go and things to do even when you don't know anyone and lots of people looking for friends/experiences. In the country it's a closed community, there's a pub maybe two if you're lucky and a few people that might talk to a stranger/outsider.
Spot on
Loneliness in the country is NOT a problem if you and your parents/grandparents were part of that closed community. We survive and like where we live because people like you do not fit in. I am not lonely, but outsiders will be. Please stay away.
@@Simonsvids QED
@@Simonsvids congratulations on having such a forward thinking attitude
Me and all my friends had the exact experience in London it was really easy to make friends and strong connections with people
gosh i’m so jealous, you have absolutely gorgeous hair!
I’ve lived in London near enough all my life and every point you said is spot on. I’ll always be a London boy but it takes it toll living there. There was a period wheee I thought I’d never be able to leave and got so fed up. Even now I’m still fed up of London because I live just outside it and it doesn’t really feel too different.
🇨🇦 Very interesting video. Much nicer backdrop than your previous digs. FWIW, you’re my favorite floating speck on RUclips!
After two years living there. I am super excited to visit London to see my friends without all the madness that comes with living there ahah!
Thanks for the video! I love visiting London but I've never had the urge to live there
You and me both!
I was born in London and grew up on the outer edges but still in a London borough.
Now down on the Kent coast.
I miss it tbh.
Nowhere like it.
I love london lived there for half my life and miss it. I now live on the coast which I love but I couldnt imagine how dull it would have been living and working locally here when I was younger.
Without further ado...more ado, I smiled at that!
Thanks for insights on modern London living. I commuted there years ago, sounds like it's just more hectic!
I'm a Londoner and hear a lot of what you've covered said many times now that I live elsewhere (Peterborough). You're right when you say London is like no other place in the UK and that most people who come from other places wouldn't want to live there. I can understand that for the reasons you've given. As many people have said to me, "It's a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there."
Thanks for watching!
@@AdventuresAndNaps No worries. Been watching for a long while. Always enjoy your videos.
@Ian Thompson mmm, i grew up in Daventry so Northampton at least had the roadmenders
@Ian Thompson Nene is neen mate no-one in Peterborough pronounces it nen. Sorry just re- read your post, I think that was your point!
I totally get what you mean. I love London and I have travelled there over 5 times now but I wouldn't want to live there either. Hearing ambulances constantly while I was staying at a hotel made me so sleepy during the day, I saw a girl come into the hotel crying because her phone got stolen from someone who passed her by on a bike and just grabbed it and fled, there's too many people... It's nice for a couple of days but not for longer than that. I live in a village in Belgium and I don't even want to live in the closest city nearby. I love being close to nature but I still live so close to the train station which can take me to Germany, England, France, The Netherlands in only a couple of hours. For me that's good enough. :) I don't comment here often enough but I wanted to let you know that I love your channel! I appreciate your honesty and love your type of humour. :) Have a nice day!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!!
So true, I was born in Israel and I lived in Antwerp Belgium and now a few years in London , it’s so busy and ppl are so cold 🥶 like a factory 🏭 I just feel I don’t want even to visit London anymore. Even Hampstead village- it’s crowded super busy and snobby. Just selfish place! There is no happiness there! Thanks g-d I’m outside London
Another great video, thank you Alanna!
I was born in London and spent my first 18 years there (25 now 😊). I absolutely agree with everything you said. It’s a wonderful cultural metropolis, but as a result, everything is a shock to the senses. Whilst architecturally there are some great locations, everything comes down to one thing: money. If you have it, London’s a playground. If you don’t, it can be pretty hellish. I moved to Newcastle for uni and work and have found it to be a really great alternative, would thoroughly recommend a visit if you haven’t already 😊
Love this video. So interesting. Thank you. 😊
You are so welcome!
Absolutely spot on. I grew up in London, worked in London but now live in beautiful South Gloucestershire. The only reason I go back is to pass through as fast as possible to visit my family in Medway. 🇨🇦🇬🇧
Thanks for watching!
I agree with your points about London, Alanna. I live in the suburbs, where life is quieter. Whenever I spend a day in central London, it wears out my nerves, so I don't go there so often, nowadays.
Hi! Thank you for this lovely vlog!
Your channel is amazing and you have brilliant content 🙂👍🏻🔔🇬🇧
Besides, greetings from London 🙂
Thanks for watching!
oo the Let's Go Arm Swoop is back, yay! Loving the lighter hair/highlights Alanna.
I’ve lived in the U.K. all my life. I grew up in Greater London . I currently live in Sussex so I could easily travel into London if I wanted. I agree with all your points and I also would never ever want to live in London. It’s exhausting.
Same here moved to East Sussex ,more community spirit than London - loads of local clubs,fetes,festivals, quaint pubs with local beer everyone has the time of day for a chinwag & green green everywhere well brown at the moment ! hardly any crime. Don't miss London one bit.
Thank you so much for this video! Me and my wife are planning on moving there for her law school and London was on the list. The overstimulation line convinced her to steer clear of living there for now and look into the countryside instead!
Best of luck with your move!
Another great video, Alana. Cheers from Vancouver.
Thanks so much!
Totally agree with you Alanna,lived there years ago ,its got funny water down there too lol
Great video Alanna. Ah yes London, the place I swore I'd never work yet ended up commuting to and from for more than 2 decades and adding 4 hours a day to my working day for the privilege of standing on a packed commuter train, often with my nose shoved into a stranger's armpit while they stood on my foot. Because I worked in a large organisation with various offices, I regularly had to fight with tourists exactly as you said...and nobody knows how bad that can be unless they have done battle across Westminster Bridge on a deadline (everyone wants to see Parliament, right?). Thank goodness I've finally escaped😂
London Baby!!! Hey Alanna, this one is really good, I love it when you show your sense of humour while gently mocking. My reasons: 1) I've been there. 2) It's too expensive. 3) I like where I live now. 4) It's a great place to visit, then leave.
Suggestion: When you finally get your Mum over here, showing her the Xmas lights could be something special. That's a very good reason to go to London as it's a great time of year.
Thanks so much!
Insightful. Worked in London for several years (commuting from Hertfordshire to the north). Lucky enough to have escaped to Devon.
Thank you!
As always its a great video, thanks so much!
I've only ever driven outside of London, on the coach from Gatwick airport to Wolverhampton. Cant wait to actually visit London and experience it for myself. Really, I cant wait to be able to move to England. Hopefully CANZUK will happen here between Canada and the UK soon! 🤞🇨🇦🇦🇺🇳🇿🇬🇧🏴🤞
Many years ago I was coming home from a course I had done in the Army. Laden with kit, I had to get from one station to another in the rush hour. It was horrific and I was never happier than when my train pulled out of King's Cross. How people can stand to do that every day is beyond me but I suppose you just have to to put up with it. I'm glad I live nowhere near the damn place.
That is a bit like describing trying to get a drink at the bar of a 20,000 seater arena at a music concert venue compared to doing so at your local back street pub.
I hear you on that one buddy. Travelling from barracks back to Wales was a pain in the arse!
I know how you felt. I used to live in Waterloo, trying to get onto Waterloo Station in the morning or off in the evening, opposite direction to the commuters. Was like having to get through a brick wall that continually rebuilt itself.
Very interesting. I've lived in London for a larger proportion of my life than the time I've spent elsewhere, and I understand all your points. I feel differently about some of them though. Air quality is my biggest bugbear, and I very much appreciate the good quality air whenever I spend time in the countryside. For me, many of the downsides are outweighed by upsides, but whilst I have spent the bulk of my time since the age of 20 in the capital I don't think I will want to spend the rest of my days in the middle of the great hairy armpit as some people describe the 'Big Smoke'. Thanks for posting another great video Alana :)
Oh so true. I live 120 miles away from London, and I have been there several times and enjoyed it every time, but no way would I ever want to live there. The last time I went was for a RUclips meet and greet where I got to meet some of the people I am subscribed to, and that's a brilliant experience. It is expensive, but on some of my visits I found little cafes up side alleys where the food was no more expensive than back home. I was going to the places where the local workers eat, not the tourists or the high flyers.
Hey Alanna, great video this week, it shows that there are more cons than pro's to living in London. As some one who has always lived just outside London in Hertfordshire, it's always been great to be able to pop on a train and 30 minutes later be in the theatre in the West end at the theatre, a gig or restaurant . But it's also just as nice to get back on a train and get out of the place again. London is a great place to visit but as you say Alanna it's not for everyone.
Rush hour in London is comical,people sprinting to get onto a packed tube train even though the next one is due in 2 minutes 😂
That 2 minutes could mean they miss their connecting mainline train though, so I totally get the mad dash for the tube and squeezing in. I've done it myself lol.
@@3lmodfz living in Yorkshire the shortest time we have to wait if you miss a bus (depending if you're on a main bus route or not) is about 10 minutes so having to wait 2 minutes is quick 😂
@@davebirch1976 where my parents live in Kent if you miss a bus it's at least 15-20mins for the next one 😅 and you can forget about staying out late!
@@3lmodfz 15-20 minutes is quite normal outside of London, and most places don't have night buses
Used to live in Kent and I have now moved to London. Much prefer my life in London now!
Top vid. You and your A+N powers always make me feel better 😀
Thanks os much!
@@AdventuresAndNaps You make my dyslexia feel so much better too!!! Lol😁
I always enjoy your perspective. And I couldn't agree more. I absolutely love London, in small doses.
Thanks for watching!
Hi Alanna! It's possible to get the best of both worlds if you live in the outer suburbs . You get the village feel but have the bustling heart - with all the amenities and attractions - just a short ride away.
So true!
I do love visiting London & exploring, its got so much going for it. As for living there, don't think I ever could, done a few weekends & that's enough for me. Have noticed aswell how my ability to breath changes when I'm there & back, but maybe not as much as most from working in Birmingham. As a tourist there myself, one thing I hate is tourists getting in the way
OK ngl I had my eye on the biscuits in the bowl behind you 😁
I've just listen to this, like a podcast, and it's brilliant! 💯
Thanks so much!
The London you're describing seems to be really the West End. Most parts of London are nothing like the West End. Highgate and Hampstead for instance are very quiet and peaceful. Greenwich and Blackheath are also beautiful and green.
Still insanely expensive to live.
Its all Relative..
My thoughts exactly. London is huge. I live 10 miles out (Metroland) but still in "London" - it's leafy and quiet here and I love it.
Most of this sounds like what I would say about living in N.Y. or Washington and living in London can be quite just depends where you live.
@@archstanton1628 I see it as an investment.
I bought a 3 bed house in Clapham in 1995 for 350k - it’s now worth 1.8m.
You can’t do that anywhere else’s in Britain.
What do you mean by London I am on the outskirts of London and it is ok I wouldn't live in central London hell no but lots of people here work there
Many foreigners think London is just Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament and other tourist sites.
@@geoffpoole483 only fools and horses ethnic tours lol
@@geoffpoole483 true
I'm so glad you got oot of Tronto
Have you had highlights or is it the lighting? Either way, looking lovely and a great video as always.
I recall my mum in her old age ,being driven mad with the loneliness she experienced in London. She had lived inthe same house for 40 years. Neighbours move,and shops often change hands and although we are supposed to celebrate diversity, when the people next door don't speak English,it makes life very difficult.
It is no place for the elderly !
*Sigh* I guess when English people move abroad and don't bother learning the language, it's totally different
@@riceuteneuer2678 I think you'll find that many English people make an effort to learn the language of the country they move to.A relative of told me that many English people in Spain go to classes to pick up the lingo.Plus their numbers are very small in comparison.
@@riceuteneuer2678 No, it is the same problem for the locals.
Ric Euteneuer English is all you need 😀
@@michaelscales5996 I have visited spain frequently and I speak more Spanish than most of the expats. A) I have never learnt Spanish B) I have never lived tgere6
Love London, always wanted to live there as a teenager & I eventually did live & work there for a few years... never again!!!😂
It's a great city for visiting, so much to see & do but its definitely a tough place to live! Agree with your points, in the end money & the commute got me, spent the majority of my time on trains or working! Now my time in London is mostly spent eating, drinking & visiting the theatre 😂🍺🎭
Ahh Gem! Thanks so much!! At least you got to live that teenage-dream, and then move lol
I live in a town in Wiltshire and we have a rush 10 minutes.... maybe 12 if the lights are red. Love it.
At last a genuine video.. a video that does not deify london, there are a zillion youtubers who go Crrrazy about london , forgetting by the way to inform us about its true, ugly/difficult side. Not only in this case but in general ,you are more genuine than the average youtuber. And i love your accent, It has something more beautiful than the american and the english one.(No I m not British nor american) I like it so much that I wish we could speak a little, for 5-6 minutes, and have a language exchange or experience exchange or whatever exchange might suit you, only just to listen to it.. I wish hahah, i know it`s not possible. Greetings from Greece, keep up the good content
Love London for about 48 hours, then it starts getting too much, and by hour 72 I’m outta there. I’m northern so prefer my northern cities, and I’ve only ever lived by the sea, so can’t really be away from it for long at all. If I could live anywhere on earth it’d be the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island, I bet those seas are epic. Thanks for another awesome video.
Thanks for watching!
I was born in north east London and, apart from short flirtations with Suffolk and Essex, have lived in Greater London all my life. I don’t mind it, but I recognise all of the disadvantages you point out. I’m lucky to have gotten on the property ladder in the 80s and no longer have a mortgage to pay. Both my kids (28 and 23) haven’t a hope in hell of being able to afford their own place in London and neither of them drive, for all the reasons you so eloquently highlight! So I’m still “Dad’s taxi”🤣. Thanks, Alana, for another great video 👍
My my Brother in Law says about his kids.
@@leeklass3907that’s because the place is just for rich ppl now, and the poor people who serve them. Your kids can either stay and rent forever, or leave it.
I'm with you on that one - I like to visit but it's good to get back home again.
Thank you, very interesting video
Thank you!
London's ok when you haven't got a job that is 9 to 5 because it goes quite quiet after a certain times
I agree completely. The last time I went to London I travelled on the tube and did the usual stuff. When I got home I took off my shirt and inside the collar and cuffs were filthy!
Great vid .Many thanks ..👍
Glad you enjoyed it
I live in Leeds. Every time I walk outside or just relaxing at home. I really appreciate the quietness of the city even in the weekends.
Not been to London, but, have experienced New York craziness as a reference.
I live in a touristy "Beachy" city of 470,000, and it's sensory overload at times. Great video, well done Alanna 👏 👍
Thanks so much!
I'm in the UK and never lived in London (aside from staying there a few days) but I was in NY for a year. It was crazy, there's never any quiet or downtime, it's just constant noise even in the middle of the night. There is no 'off' switch.
That's how you know she's finally a real brit once she realised london doesn't represent the entire uk in any shape or form!😀🎉
It doesn't and that's a good and a bad thing. So often the latter is driven by small minded parochiality - Barnsley voted for Brexit "because of the Muslims" - Barnsley's BME population is 2%....
@@riceuteneuer2678 no its just that the london population have absolutely nothing incommon with the rest of the United Kingdom and quite frankly they don't want to.
infact they look down on us and think they're better than everyone else in this country its effectively a foreign occupied city state!
literally look up the statistics british people are an ethnic minority in that city even the BBC reported it themselves!
@@oiMarkusv Yes, and London is so much better for being si so diverse. What on earth gives you the impression people in the south hate the north. Sounds like you have a whole potato field on your shoulder there
@@landsberger64 ask any person outside the city boundaries what they genuinely think of London and we all say the same thing it looks and feels like a foreign country to us maybe the sad reality is that you don't want to accept that we don't particularly like being a minority in our own capital city.
@@oiMarkusv Really ? Because working in London and coming from the North, and not living in London presently, this is not a prevalent attitude.
Yes, why does it matter where London people come from ? I'm an immigrant as well
I'm a Londoner born and bred and would never consider living in another city, I visited many in the world (including Toronto) and lived in some for short periods. The poor air quality is solely down to motor vehicle pollution and not industry, we don't have those anymore in London. You have to ask yourself, if London is so bad why do so many chose to live here despite it's disadvantages? It's not about money.
great vid, made me smile on a dull day and you completely nailed London. Fantastic city to visit not so good for work and life unless you have loadsa money.
Glad you enjoyed it
Like many people I know I ended up living in London for a couple of years after university. There are always jobs there. I liked it at that age but I was happy to move back up north when I got the chance and I don’t think any of my friends stayed in London beyond their early thirties.
I don't love or hate London. It's an amazing place to live, but only if you have the money to enjoy it. If you don't, it's a very tough place to live.
But I totally agree that too many foreign visitors think that it's the be all and end all, and that's not the case at all.
I love London in very small doses. I manage to visit one weekend every two years. This is when me and my old school friends (5 of us) get together to have a good time, talk about what’s happened since last time and enjoy each other’s company. We plan the weekend to do interesting stuff and always end up having good food and a good drink. We have just completed our 56 not out Birthday. So we have known each other probably over 50 years. Great video and love your opinion.👌👍
Excellent video, thanks for this. Side note, when people say that Toronto is pronounced Tarana, the word is derived from the Mohawk word Tkaronto, the T is a hard T, and should be pronounced. ✌️
As a Canadian having lived in London for just over 2 years now, I agree with everything you've said. As much as I find London exciting, I'd be fine living in a smaller town or village and just making a day or weekend trip to London. It's a great city but after 2 years I'm a bit done lol
That's fair! But at least you've had the experience!
Haha - love Alana - lived in England for 6yrs and complains about tourists! Agree about not worth using a car in London. Tried driving in London a couple of times and it takes forever, assuming you survive the journey! Public transport is spot on though! 👍🙏
One of the best public transports I've ever used!
I lived and worked in London for 3 years in my late 20's, I grew to hate the place, but now I have to travel down quite often to photograph live bands and I have started to enjoy it again in 48 hour bite sized visits.
This was such a good video! I’d love to live in Canada or the US, but if I cant move abroad I’d love to move to London! I’d like to move to Toronto which is a big city, so hearing what you have to say about London is really interesting! Hearing your perspective is so interesting! Your videos always make me think of things about moving abroad that I haven’t considered before! Your videos are genuinely really helpful! Thank you for making the video! It was so good!
Thanks so much Aaron!
I never feel so relieved as when I settle back into my train seat and know I'm going to put 200 miles between myself and London. Thankfully I rarely have cause to go there anymore.
I get the equal and opposite reaction when I head back to the great metropolis from...erm!...wherever that was...😃
I'm with you if I ever have to go to that cess pit again it will be too soon.
Good have fun in your boring little shithole, you're not living, you're just existing. Unless of course you want to tell us about all the exciting things you do at night and in the day for that matter. We are waiting for your list.
Well I live next to a 185 Acre Park just 1/2 mile from a London postal code in Kent and am 20 mins from the heart of Kent and an hour to Surrey and East and West Sussex and THe South Downs yet 30 miutes from my beloved London where I was born in 1954 and it has been the most stimulating place imaginable but moving to the periphery in 1983 was a lucky but wondrous move and still no lock on my back door and my long road is ridiculously quiet:)
Just so rude to everyone. I had a lovely walk in the countryside for three hours and then volunteered locally and then went the gym.
I forgot to mention: London conditioned me to keep myself to myself. I didn't know (or care) who my neighbours were. Unfortunately that's stayed with me - I've lived in the same house for over forty years and - surprise, surprise - I've only spoken to my next door neighbour a handful of times and don't know anyone else nearby. Thanks London!
As a Canadian that frequents London, I agree! I love going there but I'd go insane living there. I'll stick to being a tourist being wanderlust haha. Best of luck there!
Hi Alanna! Thankfully I live 114 miles west in Bristol which is far enough thank you very much. A population of around 400,000 plus is enough for me here. Yeah, Tronno now is too big especially when the outskirts like Etobicoke was included in Tronno city since the late 90's. Cheers girl!
Having lived in beijing, a lot of your points apply there too. Regardless i still enjoy living in big cities more than i dislike the inconvenience that brings with it!
I was born in London and it was great when I was young, but as soon as I had kids, I got out of there in 2002. I don't regret my decision, not one iota.
That's fair!
I live in Worcester on a modern housing estate. One road goes through the estate with lots of loops and cul-de-sacs. It almost feels like a village. Walking along the many pathways you are greeted by those you encounter.
Years ago I thought of working in central London, no regrets about staying away.
Alana I have a nephew and family that live in South London I like to visit London and I remember doing the tourist thing pointing out Parliament.
I've lived in London my whole life (almost 60 years). I think if you grow up with it, you're just used to it, so the stuff in this list doesn't bother me. I'm sure I'll be OK retiring outside London, though.
Not so sure. I'm a Londoner through and through and love it. I am retired now and have no remaining family ties here - but where would I go? I lived for a few years in rural Berkshire...and hated it! So boring. I think I'm here to stay.
My younger brother is exactly the same. He's 56 and moved to London in his late 20s for work and he's never really wanted to move back out somewhere else. But he's got a flat in Wales he rents out that's near my other brother and says he'll will move there when he retires. I'm not convinced that he'll leave London to be honest. I think he will stay as long as his friends are still around.
Given the travel benefits you have staying in London though, are you sure?
@@hairyairey That is a massive reason for me to stay. The over 60s Oyster Card is fantastic and I love the tube/overground/buses aplenty. The furthest I could see me going would be out a bit into Hillingdon (Eastcote, Ruislip, Ickenham etc.). But off the tube map? NO!
@@brianparker663 I think you can even get to St Albans and quite a few places outside London.
I like to visit London: museums, architecture and the great parks. I’ve never felt the need or wish to live there though.
Totally agree
Hey Alanna, I agreed with everything you said!
I don't mind going up there for a day or a weekend but not to live perm-I'm also from Kent between Dartford/Bexleyheath way you been as not far from you anyway??
I know you like theatre, what was last Musical/Play that you saw-mine was Harry Potter + Cursed Child way back in March 2020 but now reopen again going to see-Back to the Future in middle of Nov can't wait! 😁
Hi, Alanna, I absolutely agree with you London is a great place to visit but not to live. A very insightful video even better on watching for the second time. You keep us entertained so well.
Thank you!
Ironically? In London we enjoy our privacy, when you go up North, everyone knows everything about you!
Depends on what you want, I guess.
You are describing a very small part of central London the tourist trap areas. Where you do not meet Londoners "born and bred" you only meet tourists who are lost or people who work there during the day. It is true however that in London it's impossible to say hello good morning to everybody you pass in the street. You would have to say "good morning" and "Hi how are" you several times a minute non stop, so in the areas you describe nobody exchanges everyday pleasantries, it's not possible. Instead everyday pleasantries are rationed to a maximum of about 20 per day, and this ration is used up within the first half an hour of the day. If you were to go to where the real Londoners live, it is much better.
I am a Londoner myself and a few years back when I was in Galway on the west coast of Ireland although quite a bit out from the city centre, I went out in the morning to buy a newspaper and a total stranger greeted me by saying good morning and even though I did not know him from Adam, I said good morning back because when in Rome (or Galway) and all that, even though I thought that I would probably never see him again during my lifetime.
Later that evening I went out to get milk and bumped into him and we exchanged hellos again but unless it was a case of it happening with one of my London 'neighbours' when going to our local shop, if a stranger on a London street said hello to me, I can almost say for certain that I would never see them again.
It reminds me of that scene in Crocodile Dundee when he is in a taxi in traffic and holds out his hand to a bloke on the pavement to introduce himself and tells him he is in New York for a few days and he might see him around.
I know a fair few Londoners, mainly cockneys who have moved up north (mainly due to not being able to afford housing due to oil rich people's buying up land) who say London has lost its character, it's soul. I'll get hate for this comment but it's only what I've been told by "proper Londoners" (their words, not mine).
@@benyoung4305 There is no reason why you should get hate if people do not shoot the messenger.
London has definitely changed due in a big way to multiculturalism though, but leaving aside the same people you are talking about probably love Chinese food, a curry, kebabs and pizza, if you are only hearing things with a negative slant from people who were unhappy and chose to move out of London, then your own view via those people might get a bit skewed.
Ironically, I would not be too surprised if many locals from up north made a similar claim about their home cities or towns having lost their character, due to people from the south moving into their area and buying up homes.
@@seanscanlon9067 second homes for Londoners is another issue, I'm just commenting on the people I know, their family experience of not being able to live near their elderly relatives due to the house prices in their towns/neighbourhoods being driven up by "demand". I have family in the West country too who have no fondness for Londoners buying second homes and destroying communities, but that's another story. My point was that I feel bad for the people of a place not being able to settle in the place of their birth due to extraneous forces and communities dying as a result of that. I hope you have a good day, take care.
I visited London for 2 weeks years ago and I loved it, but this list reminds me of a few things:
Smells - not unique to London but the smell of diesel fumes was everywhere. When I returned home and got a whiff of diesel when a bus went by, it made me think, “aww, I miss London!” Crowds - I went to Marks and Spencer in late October and had to stand in line just to take the escalator. I’d never experienced that at home except maybe on Christmas Eve. One time I was up early and decided to beat the crowd at a supermarket by getting there before opening time, only to find that there was already a queue of at least 20 people. You just couldn’t avoid crowds. I still really enjoyed it and would gladly go back.
Spot on with your comments. Having commuted for 3 years there is no way I could work in London again and definitely not live there. I've moved far to the West to a very small village and so much happier. Strangers talk to you and shop keepers know your name. Great video yet again.
Thanks so much!
I like to think of the M25 as an invisible force field that I cannot cross.
Nobody can at the moment thanks to them Insulate Britain idiots 🤣
I am going beyond it on the 16th November in 31 Days or 744 Hours or 44,640 Minutes*** and I am counting down and dreading it.
Wish me Godspeed. I hope I make it there and back...
*** Edited to say that I am so nervous that I put in minutes instead of hours. The panic has started...
@@Isleofskye good luck!
Is there anything beyond it, I try not to get too close? I suppose Australia must be out there somewhere, or is that near Barnet?
The only connection between Barnet and Oz, Ian, is that Socceroo: Harry Kewell is now their Head Coach but on a more serious note I feel that anyone thinking of going further North than Barnet should be hung, drawn, and quartered and then an upright jerker, which was a modified hanging system, could be used with heavyweights and pulleys to quickly jerk their casting director into the air. This would be a more effective way to break the neck quickly.. This should be done slowly and painfully....I accept this may be a tad harsh..
In typical Alanna style, she makes a list with a non-rounded number. Gotta love it!
🥳
One more Alana, make it 12, Alana, that's 12 go on make it 12, that's 12, not quite 13 but a nice dozen 🤣🤠
😂 😂
A Very good and well thought out video Alanna... It is a wonderful City... But as you said City life aint for everyone... It can be a lonely place, you are better off coming up to Yorkshire... Lots of Tea and Folks up ere are reet grand....... Love your work... :-))) xxxxx
Great video Alanna! I live in London but I agree with most of what you say. It's worth mentioning that the population is swollen every day by millions of people who commute from outside the Greater London area. You ended by saying you like visiting the city - are you planning a video about the things you like in London? I would love to see that!
I'm hoping to get to London for a visit soon ☺️
Having lived in London for nine years I was relieved to move to the Canadian prairies. Sure London can be interesting but the gloss soon wears off. People living in tiny, expensive property and the crowds! So much room here! Much better.
Oh right. The Canadian prairies. Or maybe the moon?
I love living in London but I totally get why it’s not for everyone as a place to live. Heck some people don’t even like to visit us for a few hours.
I’m super lucky to live in a leafy suburb minutes away from a park. Air quality here is as good as the northern semi rural market town I grew up in.
That's awesome!
If you came to our London Starbucks, I’d buy you a pumpkin latte Alana!🙂
@@padijeff5675 what about cider instead?
Robin, where do you live? Looking to relocate after the first of the year.
I've lived on the same jutting out piece of land/peninsula in Kent known as the Isle of Thanet (although no longer an island) my entire life. Been outside of Thanet few times in my life - to go to my course in Canterbury, but other than that.. Can't wait to start travelling some.
Hmm I think you summed it all up pretty nicely. Two things you missed the 'let's go and what is the name of that aspidistra?