London is HORRIBLE nowadays! My rant...

[jimbarkanoodle]

Balham was a red light district where young families were advised to avoid living. I'm thinking of mid-70s to late 80s. In Wandsworth, Garret Lane isn't a shithole just run down and overlooked in favour of Wandsworth Town, Earlsfield etc. The bit near the heliport is no longer a shithole, but unlikely to attract the ire of this thread. The bit of Angel I was thinking of is Essex Road and the top of City Road. Utterly transformed.
My point is that areas change, tastes vary, and writing the whole of London off because of corporate colonisation of some bits in the middle is a sign of the kind of lazy London bashing which generates a ludicrous universal truth that no one can be happy here - or even do more than survive - unless they're rich.

Lived in a Camelot (kind of legal squat) in Balham until September last year. My father, born in Wandsworth off the high street, was almost aghast when i told him id moved to Balham, as it was, in his time, 'really dodgy' and a well renowned red light district.

I had to correct him that this was no longer anywhere near the truth! and just to prove it, a friends elder sister sold her 2 bed flat in the next road along from my abode for £800,000.

Tooting is still not completely unaffordable (to rent that is), however good luck finding a decent value room in a house/flat share in the area, because as i found out you will likely be up against 25 other people who also want the room having seen it on 'spareroom.com'.

rapidly falling out of love with London.

 

[krtek a houby]

"Now you have to dish out £2million+ just to get a fucking matchbox piece of shit in Notting Hill. And who ends up affording that? The internationally rich."

Exaggeration.




Still pricey, mind.

 

[krtek a houby]

I've got a feeling the OP is remembering Tokyo with slightly rose tinted glasses.

Yes parts of it are very nice, but parts of it are also like stepping back into the 80's.

This. Love the place but could never envisage living in Tokyo.

 

[Reiabuzz]

Have to agree with every bit of the original post after being back a year or so. Really struggled to readjust to the sheer incompetence, rudeness and prices here. Bit of a shock to the system trying to get even the basics done such as finding a place to rent and God forbid getting a boiler fixed. Cue lazy tradesmen, dodgy estate agents and massive bills, only taking cash of course. Only back here because my other half was homesick, otherwise I'd still be back down in Asia.

 

[krtek a houby]

Have to agree with every bit of the original post after being back a year or so. Really struggled to readjust to the sheer incompetence, rudeness and prices here. Bit of a shock to the system trying to get even the basics done such as finding a place to rent and God forbid getting a boiler fixed. Cue lazy tradesmen, dodgy estate agents and massive bills, only taking cash of course. Only back here because my other half was homesick, otherwise I'd still be back down in Asia.

I will be in Japan this time next year - am scared about the transition but it will be nice to deal with people who are polite and not trying to rip you off. I love London but its no place to grow old in.

 

[Reiabuzz]

It's quite a shock to the system when you get back and realise how much *everyone* is trying to fuck you over at every opportunity. I wasn't in Tokyo though but it sounds like a similar case. I think Londoners just think it's normal for this level of shitness. It's not.

 

[pesh]

I will be in Japan this time next year - am scared about the transition but it will be nice to deal with people who are polite and not trying to rip you off.

i've got into far more trouble in Tokyo than i have ever managed in the UK. parts of Tokyo are fucking feral

 

[Pickman's model]

Have to agree with every bit of the original post after being back a year or so. Really struggled to readjust to the sheer incompetence, rudeness and prices here. Bit of a shock to the system trying to get even the basics done such as finding a place to rent and God forbid getting a boiler fixed. Cue lazy tradesmen, dodgy estate agents and massive bills, only taking cash of course. Only back here because my other half was homesick, otherwise I'd still be back down in Asia.

I wish you'd admit to doing inadequate research into workmen and estate agents because imo that's where part of the problem lies.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I wish you'd admit to doing inadequate research into workmen and estate agents because imo that's where part of the problem lies.

All estate agents deserve to roast on the pyre.

 

[Pickman's model]

All estate agents deserve to roast on the pyre.

no they don't. too good for them.

 

[BigMoaner]

yeah, it's a bit shit, gets on my tits quite a bit, but i'm settle here. my parents are five minutes away, millwall 30 mins away, and millions of other things on my door step. schools are good. overall a good place to raise children, especially teenagers.

i've just come back from teh north, and whilst i loved a load of it, i still got that buzz when coming in off the A1.

london...it's addictive. part of me hates it, but another part of my thrives on it. i'd like to retire one day to 3 acres with a fishing lake on it, though.

 

[BigMoaner]

few thigns worse in life than being stuck on the 432 with a man next to you eating six wings with gravy, in a traffic jam, with all the windows closed, and it's raining, and they've got to change drivers. that is NOT the Darlings Buds of May.

 

[Greebo]

few thigns worse in life than being stuck on the 432 with a man next to you eating six wings with gravy, in a traffic jam, with all the windows closed, and it's raining, and they've got to change drivers. that is NOT the Darlings Buds of May.

Does that really happen every time you use the bus, or even most of the time?

 

[mango5]

I get fumes off chicken and chips elsewhere on the bus about once a week. I take buses almost every day, probably average 20 journeys each week. Late afternoon is probably the worst time.

 

[bi0boy]

I'm surprised you're allowed to eat on buses tbh, it's banned in most places.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I'm surprised you're allowed to eat on buses tbh, it's banned in most places.

Your not meant to but noone gives a shit any more.

 

[Greebo]

I get fumes off chicken and chips elsewhere on the bus about once a week. I take buses almost every day, probably average 20 journeys each week. Late afternoon is probably the worst time.

It's mainly children & teenagers eating on the way home...

 

[Pickman's model]

few thigns worse in life than being stuck on the 432 with a man next to you eating six wings with gravy, in a traffic jam, with all the windows closed, and it's raining, and they've got to change drivers. that is NOT the Darlings Buds of May.

Do you know how hard it is to ensure that happens to you so frequently?

 

[Pickman's model]

yeah, it's a bit shit, gets on my tits quite a bit, but i'm settle here. my parents are five minutes away, millwall 30 mins away, and millions of other things on my door step. schools are good. overall a good place to raise children, especially teenagers.

i've just come back from teh north, and whilst i loved a load of it, i still got that buzz when coming in off the A1.

london...it's addictive. part of me hates it, but another part of my thrives on it. i'd like to retire one day to 3 acres with a fishing lake on it, though.

I'm sure the queen would have something to say about you taking over St james park

 

[mango5]

It's mainly children & teenagers eating on the way home...

It would be easy to think that, but I deliberately avoided suggesting school chucking out time as at least half the chicken munchers I encounter are women between 25 and 50. Perhaps a quarter are similar aged men. Just a rough estimate.

 

[moon]

London and SE London in particular can be great when there aren't huge low flying super jets screeching overhead every minute or so..
My peaceful neighbourhood has now been trashed due to Heathrow bosses decision to change and concentrate flight paths to the south east of London..
Its quite shocking really..

 

[DJWrongspeed]

London is getting better with it's first Quietway route =>

Quietway No.1

 

[krtek a houby]

i've got into far more trouble in Tokyo than i have ever managed in the UK. parts of Tokyo are fucking feral

Really? I've not really experienced much dodginess in Tokyo. Apart from rowdy drunk Westerners and a few local lads shoplifting...

I have, however, had shop assistants run after me when I have forgotten my change and have been bought drinks by friendly locals in the East End of Tokyo...