Yes if you don't go into London a lot it can be daunting for people. It's still nothing like it used to be imo since COVID. Just so many people work from home now the city - especially financial district - is just so much less busy. Thursday nights seem to be the new Friday night as nobody tends to come into office on Fridays.
Anyone find London a bit overwhelming?
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Caporegime
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London has a larger population than some countries and spans thousands of miles* but it is also terrifically dull if you yourself are dull.
* it does not except in Chris' long-ago fantasies.
* it does not except in Chris' long-ago fantasies.
I can handle London for a day trip that's about it.
It always takes a moment to adjust to smell of the fumes (a few years ago) after coming out of the underground
I could never live there. But I find even where Iive now too busy. I don't really like cities. It's all lost on me. I go into Cardiff for cinema and for out of town restaurants, that's about it. Cardiff is OK.. But I still find it busy.
I've probably been to London 5 times in my life (excluding airports).
Cities like that are just too over populated for me
For context I grew up in a village of 100-200 people.
I live on the very edge of a housing estate (effectively a cult de sac) with detached houses and still find it too busy.
So London.. OK for a day trip, but I'm ready to leave after 24 hours.
Absolutely no way I could live there. I'd go crazy!
It always takes a moment to adjust to smell of the fumes (a few years ago) after coming out of the underground
I could never live there. But I find even where Iive now too busy. I don't really like cities. It's all lost on me. I go into Cardiff for cinema and for out of town restaurants, that's about it. Cardiff is OK.. But I still find it busy.
I've probably been to London 5 times in my life (excluding airports).
Cities like that are just too over populated for me
For context I grew up in a village of 100-200 people.
I live on the very edge of a housing estate (effectively a cult de sac) with detached houses and still find it too busy.
So London.. OK for a day trip, but I'm ready to leave after 24 hours.
Absolutely no way I could live there. I'd go crazy!
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London is a skip.
Not something unique to London - last Saturday night driving around 11pm from the middle of a small rural town out of town for about the first 3 miles or so I was just constantly muttering ******* to myself at the amount of discarded takeaway packaging littering the road, pavements, car parks and laybys
no one had even attempted to use the bins where they were present.I hope there is a special place in hell for these people, you shouldn't even have to be brought up right to know it isn't the thing to do.
Overwhelming? No, overcrowded yes, over wealthy yes, over congested yes…
I’d far rather drive in London in an articulated truck than a car (some drivers tend to give you a little more leeway, only some mind you!) the congestion does my head in and I’m always pleased to leave.
It’s a wonderful city in places, a dump in others (like many capitals).
I certainly wouldn’t want to live there.
I’d far rather drive in London in an articulated truck than a car (some drivers tend to give you a little more leeway, only some mind you!) the congestion does my head in and I’m always pleased to leave.
It’s a wonderful city in places, a dump in others (like many capitals).
I certainly wouldn’t want to live there.
I avoid driving if at all possible the closer to the centre you get the levels of pedestrian stupidity, etc. as well as other drivers just increases exponentially - the number of people who are head down, headphones on just walking out in front of cars, etc. it is a miracle the roads aren't a daily massacre.
Alien war was cool lol
Born and bred Londoner too but after moving to the sticks going back there is a challenge.
Packed trains the traffic, streets and shops everything is non stop.
It's so filthy too. I never really noticed.
I wouldn't want to have been raised anywhere else though.
I love London, it's a great city - but I can definitely see how it could feel exhausting (though, get yourself to a major Asian city and you won't know what's hit you)
I've never really considered myself a city person when it comes to living (I'd probably not want to live in London) but Vienna is alright for me, it's fairly laid back and uncrowded for a capital city.
For example, it's 7:45, and this is a busy city centre subway station. The people have just got off a subway and this is by far the busiest I've ever seen it. Compared to London, Vienna feels more like a village at times.
postimg.cc
I've never really considered myself a city person when it comes to living (I'd probably not want to live in London) but Vienna is alright for me, it's fairly laid back and uncrowded for a capital city.
For example, it's 7:45, and this is a busy city centre subway station. The people have just got off a subway and this is by far the busiest I've ever seen it. Compared to London, Vienna feels more like a village at times.
IMG 20230607 074514 — Postimages
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It's odd, despite Chinese and Japanese cities supposedly being more packed. It never feels quite as packed or chaotic as London, with the exception of Hong Kong, that was a bit nuts. But I've been to several Chinese cities and Toyko and they're fine. In fact, Toyko and Shenzhen really gave me that vibe I used to have when I was in London of it being fresh and exciting.
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I don't find it overwhelming but I am very queasy about the contrasts between the wealthy and ultra wealth and the millions who are barely living. I work in the City from time to time and there is so much money invested in financial and professional services that its borderline obscene. A few weeks ago I was meeting a client in the Connaught and I get talking to the cloakroom attendant. He was a man in his 60's I 'd say, worked a 10 hour shift and then had a 1.5 hour bus journey to get home and probably for minimum wage. I do ponder how people survive and what sort of life they have vs the very wealth who visit the Connnaught and waste more on taxi fairs than the employees earn in a week. Like most cities its one of contrasts and not always comfortable ones.
I was thinking more along the lines of Bangkok. Also, head to the Bund of an evening in Shanghai and tell me Chinese cities aren't chaotic and packed
Soldato
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I've lived the majority of my life in London and so, no, I don't find it overwhelming but I can understand the emotion. My first week in HK terrified me - it's everything turned up to 11.
Permabanned
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I've managed to avoid going to London for at least ten years, and now I am adopting a more leisurely approach to work with any luck I can be in the situation to need never to go there again.
The same for Birmingham and Manchester.
All three once great cities transformed visually and culturally beyond any vestige of good appearance, equitable population levels, or good taste.
The same for Birmingham and Manchester.
All three once great cities transformed visually and culturally beyond any vestige of good appearance, equitable population levels, or good taste.
It depends where you go. Central London, with all the shopping, China town, etc. is all garbage (imho), but there are clearly people who are into that.
There are a lot of really nice, diverse areas in London that are far less congested than the common tourist hotspots.
There are a lot of really nice, diverse areas in London that are far less congested than the common tourist hotspots.
No, not the crime. That doesn't really enter my head when I visit tbh. Actually that's a lie, I'm more wary of pickpockets when I'm there, but it doesn't put me off going.
The main reason is I'm not keen on London (or cities in general) is that most of the things I like doing (cycling, paddleboarding, running, walks in the forest) don't lend themselves well to city living!
Going on the tube with young kids is a bit of a mission too.
Everywhere being constantly noisy and busy does get draining though. Having said that that, I have been pleasantly surprised the last couple of times I've been in that it doesn't seem as bad as it used to be. I think this can be be attributed to a couple of things:
- Less people (WFH due to covid? )
- More people using bikes/electric cars
Edit - just to clarify, I'm talking about central London. I rarely visit the suburbs.
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