I’ve been living in London for two whole years now. And I haven’t been shy in talking about my dislike for this city on my podcast, or on here in the form of other blog posts.
Plus, if you know me in real life, I don’t hold back when talking about it in person either. But what is it that I don’t like about London so much?
Mostly; the people, the vastness, my commute to work, rent prices, did I mention the people already?
However, saying that, I have a great job that I love, and a flat that I’ve come to feel homely in and lots of friends in the city.
So am I here for the long run?
Related post: Why London Still Isn’t Home
My love for London
There are a few things that I like about London. Not a lot, but a few.
For instance, the fact that I can step out of my flat and walk a few steps into a coffee shop, a few steps into the gym, a few steps into the pool and jump on a train to anywhere in the city.
There’s always something going on, not that I ever really partake in things happening in the city. However, I like knowing the option is there if I feel like going to see a show on the West End on a Wednesday night, or a comedy show, or music gig or popping into Chinatown for dumplings on a Friday night.
The food scene is also something that I love about London. There are so many markets, cuisines, pop ups, pie and mash shops and top-rated places to try and add to my never ending foodie bucket list.
My job
Most of all, what keeps me in this city is my job. I love my job a lot. I love it so much that I was an intern for a year (which you can read all about here) and then a few years after I graduated and moved to New York, I came crawling back.
But do I stay in a city that I don’t particularly love just because the job is good? Especially when working for a global company that could lay you off at the drop of a hat if their bottom line needs to.
Will I ever be able to find a job like this back in Northern Ireland or Liverpool for example? No. That’s another reason that would keep me here – the job opportunities.
Where would I live
Right now, I live in East London. A 20 minute tube from London Bridge and a 10 minute walk from Canary Wharf.
I live on an island. I love it so much because of the safety, it’s quiet and it also has everything that I would want or need. We have a gym, swimming pool and sauna/jacuzzi on the floor below us. We have a local Sainsbury’s on the island and we have a dedicated mailroom.
But we don’t have a bodega, we don’t have a local Thai restaurant that’s been there for 50 years. There’s no charm or personality to the island because it’s so modern and new. That’s the only thing we’re missing is a sense of personality and a neighbourhood feel.
So I wouldn’t see myself living here longterm, but I don’t know what area I would move to other than the Clapham/Balham area along with every other 20-something.
Can I see myself in London long term
Never mind living on the island long term, do I see myself living in London long term?
It’s definitely not in my plan to live out the rest of my life in London, and I can’t see myself moving out to the suburbs of London and becoming a yummy mummy in Surrey.
The hustle and bustle and commuting 60 minutes each way to the office is fine for now, but in a few years’ time? I think the rudeness from other people also commuting will kill my spirits altogether if I keep doing the same thing.
Is it a millennial/Gen Z thing to want to keep changing things? To keep getting itchy feet? Or is it just a ‘me’ thing?
So what’s next?
We’re in London now and just passed our two year anniversary of living here. Will we make it to our third anniversary of living in London?
I can’t see it.
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