Why I Won't Leave London

There seems to be a lot of comments asking why I don't just move out of London, so I figured I would quickly clarify :)
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If you're new to my channel and videos, hi! I'm Evan Edinger, and I make weekly "comedy" videos every Sunday evening. As an American living in London I love noticing the funny differences between the cultures and one of my most popular video series is my British VS American one. I'm also known for making terrible puns so sorry in advance. Hope to see you around, and I'll see you next Sunday! :)
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[@evan]

Hello hello! Hope you like the vid! And my extra deep voice. (This is the last video where there's a deep voice issue soz) Also funny video title considering I've been in Liverpool for the last 3 weeks! Got any Liverpool-related questions for me? (I've got a travel vlog from Liverpool on my second channel up if you're keen!)

[@pho3n1x19]

Do you/will you be supporting Liverpool FC?

[@confusedtrans]

Liverpudlian here! Woo woo!

[@georgelally4439]

Wool here (someone from the Wirral). Did you consider jumping the 407/437 crossriver bus over to birkenhead?

[@confusedtrans]

No. Good ol Bootle.

[@robwilliams2410]

Your Liverpool video rekindled the great memories of our visit there and a wonderful tour of the north. Hope that you have the opportunity to visit the Lake District, the Dales and York. All great places to explore.

[@atruv2089]

"Papa, what did you see in mama that made you wanna be with her?" "The chance to buy a house."

[@conormurphy4328]

*gets down on one knee* “Will you…” *opens property deed* “Go halfsies on a house with me”

[@goshdoggett]

You do what you want to do, Evan. We all wish you the best. You're an inspiration for not giving up on a difficult thing

[@PinkiethePanda]

Evan: “i’m a grown up” Also Evan: “Whhhyyyfe or Husbando” 😂😂🤣

[@katrinawall4315]

As someone who’s looking into buying a house in a very expensive city in Australia, I just have to say: you shouldn’t have to uproot your entire life and move hours away just to be able to afford to own a home. In my opinion, you’ve already done the uprooting your life and moving somewhere far away. You’re not just staying in London because you’ve always lived there and that’s what you’ve always known. You specifically chose London for a reason.

[@DisobedientSpaceWhale]

You shouldn't have to - but that's life in the UK. Other UK cities are amazing anyway. London ain't all that.

[@darriendastar3941]

As someone who lives in London longer than Evan has been alive, I truly love these vids. Not only is Evan golden about the points he makes, the comments section also throws up information I wasn't aware of. These videos are treasure chests of information and analysis. One of the things that Evan gets - but I'm not sure people outside the UK (or even people in the UK outside of London) get is that London is an international entity unto itself. You can move to Manchester and live there 40 years, but still be a 'foreigner' (I know this because I was brought up there). But you can come from Timbuktu and become a proper 'Londoner' in the time it takes on the underground from Heathrow to the centre of the city. London is a frequently hard and unforgiving machine of a city, but if you understand it and use it, there's no better place in the world. And understanding the city is the point. If you don't have that, you'll probably hate the place - and you'd be right to do so. If you don't like London - and it doesn't like you - the place can be hell on earth. All that said, Evan - have you considered buying a barge/canal boat? There are pros and cons (mostly cons) when it comes to mooring charges, but it's massively more affordable than a flat.

[@conormurphy4328]

Wonder how it would turn out bringing his date back to “the barge”

[@MsPeabody1231]

@@conormurphy4328 It will be fine. London has a wide range of housing and when you date someone you don't know what type of housing they will live in.

[@LaraGemini]

Spot on! I have been here since 88.....You could buy a Barge in little Venice for 10k then.

[@darriendastar3941]

@@LaraGemini In the absolute nicest possible way, that made me laugh like a drain. The other day I was looking at a really nice, spacious, two-berth barge in Millwall Docks for £200k. And it was regarded as a bargain. Obviously, if I went for a narrow boat and moved a lot, I could live in Little Venice or Camden Lock or the Regents Canal, it could be a lot cheaper. But I need to live south of the River, so everything is more expensive. (Note to London-watchers, this is the only example you'll find where living south of the Thames is more expensive than the rest of London.) All of that said, living on the River or on a canal is still a lot cheaper (and better - the London water-borne are the BEST community in London) than forking out the dosh for some pokey place.

[@evan]

Never ever ever wanted a barge. I’m very tall so living on a boat is hell to me.

[@tonytas1976]

I left London 5 years ago for Yorkshire. Best decision I ever made. £125K for a 4 bed house and it's only an hour and a half back to London by direct train. It's less than £10 on Megabus down and only take 2 and a half hours... I wouldn't judge those of us who left London for a better life. I did 12 years in London and while it's my favourite Big City in the world, I definitely prefer Liverpool just as an example.... Thanks Evan 😊

[@_stephanie]

London specifically never totally appealed to me, but everything you've said 100% applies to me if you ask why I don't move back to the US. Yes, I know pay is higher in California, mom. And there's plenty of people that went home after uni. But I always wanted to be here, I have friends and connections and a LIFE in Sheffield. I'm happy here, and I feel like I'm just getting my shit together. Maybe I'll change my mind and want out in 10 years... and that's cool, I guess. But why leave now just bec ause other people couldn't handle it?

[@FaithPixel]

Hello fellow Sheffielder 👋

[@SleepParalysisDemon920]

People definitely make more in California, but the cost of living will be infinitely more expensive than Sheffield as well, especially if you go to the Bay Area

[@rwentfordable]

I'm English and I moved north to Sheffield. What I paid for a 3-bedroom house would have got me a 2-bedroom flat. I also want to retire young, so it was a no-brainer.

[@rachjade8785]

People say that London is overrated and overpriced (I agree on the latter), but the person that I am in London and the way that I feel is so different. I’m more confident, I’m so unbelievably happy, I feel content. I’m moving to London next year to do my masters and I am so excited. I understand living there might be different, but I don’t think the way I feel will. I went into my town centre the other day, and I feel so much safer in London than I do in the town I’ve lived in for 21 years (minus some of the time I spent at uni which wasn’t a lot for the last 16 months of my experience *cough* thanks covid *cough*). Am I having to work my arse off with two hard ass jobs to be able to pay for both a masters and moving to such an expensive city? Yes. Is it unlikely I will actually have the funds in a year? Yes. Will it stop me? Hell no!!!!! I’m going to move to London and do my masters at some point. Everyone here puts me down and only gives me a list of cons but to me it’s 100000% worth it to be in the place I’ve always felt like I should be, in order to be the person I want to be.

[@zoeadams2635]

And this is the exact reason I never want to leave London ❤❤. Good luck!!

[@allenwilliams1306]

I was delighted in 1971 when my parents moved to Yorkshire, away from Greater London, while I was at University. This left me with no practical possibility of taking a job, after University, in the Greater London area, where all the “opportunities” were. Therefore, any “ambition” I might have had was dashed to smithereens, for which I have been eternally grateful.

[@Antonia34567]

I feel 100% the same. I moved back to my hometown after doing my master's in London about 2 years ago because I just felt like I could live a more comfortable/luxurious life not having to spend so much on everything. And even though looking back I kind of don't regret it because of covid, I can't stop thinking how out of place I always feel back home, I always have. And every time I come back to London I feel like myself again, like the best version of me comes back. And now I am planning on moving back next year. Sometimes having less money not mean you are less happy or content. My happiest times were when I was almost broke living in London. Some people just will never be able to understand that.

[@LaraGemini]

I moved here for Uni many moons ago ( context - my son is just about to leave for Uni ! ) - I said I would stay for 5 years, but once the bug bites ! I know I am lucky enough to be of the generation that could afford to buy - but it wasn't easy then, more like impossible now. I totally agree with your comment about safety, I have had less issues here than in the small midlands town where I was born and raised. Have fun and enjoy yourself - Welcome to the greatest city in the world !

[@azih8626]

When it comes to moving out of london, i always hear people bashing it as some overpriced dump where you’d get more bang for your buck if you leave, but it’s such a priveleged opinion to hold. London has the highest minority born population in the UK. It’s our home, why do we need to leave just to afford living? Why move to random areas so far away from all we know (family and friends)? People look at the huge metropolis that is london and forget Londoners, it’s our home. It’s easy to overlook it, and think we can just up and leave, but as a minority, is it really sensible to raise a family as the only poc in your area, or leave the area you’re from, which has easy access to POC things like hair care, food, essentials etc, just to afford living elsewhere? In university i went to a really white area, and i had to travel 2 hours weekly to find somewhere to do my hair. My town in uni took a strand of hair and said it was too difficult to deal with, they didn’t want responsibility for ruining curls as they’re not used to it etc (i don’t blame them) but all these things I’ve never even thought I’d experience when i was in London

[@electricgecko8997]

The Toronto bubble is now so huge, you need to drive almost two hours in most directions to start seeing cheaper prices. So yeah, I feel you.

[@eattherich9215]

I have relatives in the Toronto 'burbs (Ajax and Pickering). My nieces work in the city centre and spend hours on the road. One of them works in the university canteen and has to leave home at 6am.

[@LivvyAlexW]

Yup. People are moving to my hometown of London ontario and making the house prices sky rocket there because they’re leaving Toronto

[@Owen714]

I Know Right I'm from Burlington it's so expensive here especially for being 45 mins outside Toronto

[@am53n8]

I can confirm the social life thing. 2 friends moved out of the city to a place where there's less of a housing shortage, and prices are lower. It's an hour by car, even longer by train. Since they moved at the end of last year I've seen them twice, before we'd get together at least every month

[@MamaSparx74]

Do you have any friends in the same boat you can club together with? Three friends of mine bought a house together, shared for a few years, built up some equity and then sold it, going on to buy their own individual homes. It was a great way to get on the ladder in a rising market.

[@jeffmorse645]

I'm American and I finally gave up the dream of living on the coast of California (Monterey to be exact). Moved inland a few hours and bought a house with the down payment I had been saving for the $800,000 (on average) Monterey cracker box. I mean literally bought the entire house - no mortgage. Some times you follow your dream fighting that uphill battle and other times you're just being a fool for it. I got tired of being the fool. Yeah, I don't have the Pacific Ocean right outside my door and yeah, the weather is hotter here in the Central Valley, but I am way better off financially.

[@Monkeshan]

Hey Jeff. I've lived in Fresno/Central Valley for a while. Which part of Central Valley are you in??

[@g_c6668]

Well said. Also you can probably go to a fancy hotel every 2 weeks by the ocean to get your fix of the ocean, and you would probably appreciate it more that way too

[@JasperCasper24]

Tbh at the end of the day, some people really do just love London and Evan is one of them. If nobody actually stayed in London then why are there so many schools and universities? Sure 90% of people outside of London dislike the idea of ever living in London, but I'm sure a whole lot of us have never actually tried it

[@simonh6371]

Lots of people are coming here but they really are the scum of the earth.

[@liz8597]

I'm sick of people thinking the Midlands and the North are awful sub par wastelands, we have some beautiful cities towns and opportunities too. Sure we have bad parts just like London and if you want to live in London that's your perogative fine but please don't refer to any other major city as "somewhere that's makes me want to kill myself"

[@cmykimberly]

I am glad you decided to open up about why you want to stay in London, it makes more sense to me now. As someone who lives in the Uk but has only been to London a handful of times and doesn't really like it, I struggle to see why anyone would want to live there but I get the charm that it has and the benefits for you.

[@lexm17]

Another issue is while Londoners are getting priced out of their areas if they moved up north we’d also be priced out. Everywhere is getting more expensive and life chances in the north west are already not that great. What we need is less focus on London’s needs and more equal opportunities across the country so that everyone has the chance to live and work comfortably but under the tories that’s very unlikely :/

[@lexm17]

@Yah Maha no one up north has ever felt the benefits of London’s investment because while it gets billions poured in we get nothing. I don’t deny London’s importance to the economy but it certainly doesn’t do much for ppl who live outside the capital. E.g. cross rail

[@tomtrials]

@Yah Maha without the finance industry* the fact that its in London is irrelevant. Outside of that industry theres basically nothing that excuses the amount of cash London gets over everywhere else.

[@eattherich9215]

I can buy a spacious house in some places up north for the price of my London maisonette, BUT once I left I could never go back.

[@Ryusola]

This is why I'm championing remote working so much... its not the end all be-all solution but it will ease this problem

[@emilygudgeon-osterritter9837]

I like your determination to say within London! As an architecture and urban planning student, I think it's so important to help people stay in the places that they actually want to be without being 'forced out' for any reason. Not only because we should all be able to enjoy the places that we live but also because the impacts of living in a 'commuting town'. For example, housing prices in Bristol (and likely many other cities with good transport links) have increased simply because it's more affordable for Londoners to buy here and commute. However, that then pushes people out of Bristol who want to live and work here. It's all a bit crazy! Knowing that 68% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2050, something seriously needs to be done if we want people to be happy and comfortably afford living in these cities.

[@ariejohansen5485]

Bristol is far and away the best city in the land so it's reasonable for people to want to move there

[@notreallydavid]

@@ariejohansen5485 Yep, it's very handy for Bath.

[@ariejohansen5485]

@@notreallydavidbath is great for the odd daytrip but it's not somewhere I'd choose to live tbh

[@filmgeek520]

Evan, I really like 99% of your videos, but I'm gonna be honest: I don't like the insiuation you made that people who have moved out of London and to another UK city "gave up" after two years. It is not a sign of weakness, and people who push to make owning a home in London are not inherently better because they choose to stay. I'm glad for my London film school experience, but it would have been terrible for my health in the long-run, and I am much better off personally in Leeds. Again, I'm not saying that making London work for you personally is an inherently bad thing; I don't like the insinuation that it is the only correct option.

[@DisobedientSpaceWhale]

Completely agree.

[@lorna_alice]

On a train/transport side note: I can get from as far North in England as it gets to London cheaper than going to York and it's half the distance. If I was to see a show in Edinburgh, I would have to leave before the final curtain or wait an hour for the train after it just to travel an hour or stay over. We find it easier to park at Newcraighall, get a taxi back post show then drive back down the A1, basically arriving home before we could catch the train. Transport is genuinely a pain in the arse.

[@Jamie_Smith.]

Evan must be broken! He’s in Liverpool posting on a Friday!

[@camerachica73]

As a Gen x'er I lived in London for over ten years and loved it, but could never afford to buy. I left over 12 years ago and have lived all over the south and south west of the country and although I kind of prefer being in the countryside in terms of nature, I do miss London and how easy it was to meet friends there. It's hard making friends when you're older and certainly like-minded friends outside the London bubble. I'm not saying they're not there, but it's definitely more difficult. However if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd be straight into looking at London homes.

[@kazfreedman9964]

Happy to hear you’ve had some good dates wishing you the best!

[@notreallydavid]

Haven't checked in on Evanworld for a long time - great to hear that a note of authentic Anglo arsiness has set in. Welcome, brother. Oh, and all the best with the quest.

[@erinmcintosh2534]

Thanks Evan, loving these videos, informative but really easy to watch :)

[@timab1711]

We’re rooting for you Evan!!!

[@moustachetuesdays]

Ahh I love Cardiff! I went to uni there and have a lot of friends still there too. I live even further West Wales, proper rural little town but love going back to Cardiff (precovid! 😔) to see friends and visit Metros and Fuel and get my dance on!! Also boo! At not being able to by as a single! I'm in the same boat and It sucks!

[@ozelhassan8576]

Evan your so funny, Funny in a good way, I love your episodes. It seems to me you are a extrovert, and bring out joy

[@elliothunter2579]

I've only just got back from my holiday and was surprised to have my comment mentioned on this video! Thanks Evan for bringing this up. Just to clarify on my original point, there was no intention to dissuade, simply to point out the extra challenges that being on your own brings (as others have) - doesn't make it impossible but it certainly adds extra stress - which you alluded to very well. I certainly hope you manage it (and me too!) and can relate & great video as always. I spent a few days in London recently to see some work peeps, it's a hell of a city for sure, not sure I could cope with the constant busy as well as those who live there as I like to space out, especially at night, but I enjoyed my time :-) Fingers crossed for the future!

[@edp6000]

Moved from London to near the south coast back in 2004. For the price of our 3 bed flat we managed to get a 3 bed semi-detached house with riverside views. The only thing I miss about London is my old mates, other than that I don't miss anything about London. Fair play if you can make it work though.

[@K1SSABL]

Hi Evan 👋, I can really relate to your position, so thought i would share my story but it might not be what you want to hear! I lived in London for 10 years (my 20s - 2005-2015). I spent the last 5 years of that stint trying to buy somewhere. My 10-15k deposit just wouldn't cut it to get anything and I couldn't save as quickly as the house prices were going up. In the end I bit the bullet and moved North, working in Leeds. I bought and flipped a cottage in 2 years and turned my 15k deposit into 40k. Still working full-time to pay the mortgage and save for home improvements. Now on the second house and have about 80k in Equity from improvements and house prices rising. I could afford to move back to London now but don't think the benefits outweigh the negatives for me. In our 30s now all my old London friends are spread across the world not just the UK, so if I moved back or had stayed I would have to make a new circle of London friends anyway. In your 30s everyone moves on with other priorities (e.g. careers, partners and babies) from our 20s so just because you stay doesn't mean what you are staying for will. My story might sound like a flex but it isn't meant to show off. Unfortunately the UK market is stacked against the first time buyer that doesn't have family help with a big deposit. Mortgages are cheaper than rent, so by moving to somewhere less desirable for a few years you can set yourself up for the rest of your life. In the UK property values on the whole only go up, because there is a major shortage. So the advice I followed and would pass on, is to just get yourself on the ladder wherever you can afford because it'll be much quicker to get to where you do want to be than trying to save to do that as your first step. Shared ownership is not available on properties that have any potential to improve, so are not great to build up your equity. So to get ahead unfortunately sometimes you have to move out of town, play the system and sacrifice in the short term to get what you want. - But most people choose that path in the end so don't worry about the fomo of leaving the big smoke. Good luck 👍

[@concordep2504]

Evan you do what you want but for me the cost of trying to buy anything in London as a single person mean you end up with a box sized house for the cost of a 4 bedroom detached house where I live and communising to London is only an hour here in Ramsgate. The other thing is that my brother finds that commuting outside normal commuting is £33 return fo a day. I enjoy your channel and will watch it no matter what you do. 😀

[@ShirinRose]

Meanwhile, commuting into Sydney from 60 km away is (or at least was 4 years ago; I now live in London) just over $8 each way for an adult, and $4 for students, during peak times ($2.90 off-peak for students). I'm still shocked by how expensive the trains are here in the UK!

[@Paul2377]

I like visiting London for day trips, but by the end I can't wait to get away. It's so busy, noisy and when I blow my nose after being on the Tube it's black haha. I have to accept I will always be a country boy at heart! That said, I accept that others feel differently. Live where you want to live cause that's what will make you happy. :)

[@MsPeabody1231]

Depends where you go in London. At the moment Central London where all the tourists go is dead. Outer London where most people live is very busy. The Primark on Oxford Street has less queues than the 3 I've visited in South London

[@LaraGemini]

You get used to the black bogeys! London is not just Zone 1 - It covers 625 sq miles and is technically a county.

[@sambam9120]

Black snot is one of the downsides to living here. I can’t deal with country smells, despite being raised in the westcountry. City smog, no problem, cows, get me out of here.

[@Paul2377]

@@sambam9120 Muck spreading is contained to a very short period of the year, whereas pollution is constant in a city.

[@craigistheman101]

@@sambam9120 I live near NYC and this shit doesn’t happen here. WTF London?!!!!!! I’ve been to London once and this also didn’t happen to me

[@aylee1980]

Good for you - I feel the same I’m from London so if I can’t afford live in London I’ll just move abroad. If I’m going to be forced to live miles away from my friends and family I may as well up sticks to somewhere I want to be.

[@kmak4861]

I totally take back any comment I made online or in my head about why you want to buy in London, I actually completely agree with all the points you made! I hope you find your dream house/flat Evan 😁

[@haydenduvall162]

Stay strong Mr.E. Follow those dreams; reach for the stars; everything happens for a reason; thoughts and prayers. When you final have to admit defeat, your struggle will at least have provided plenty of quality content :)

[@thegreatsalad]

Hi Evan just wanted to say keep chasing your dreams. It might take a bit longer but it'll 100% be worth it 🙂🙏

[@joshuaayres8932]

That's true about housing bubbles and how far reaching they are. I had the same issue when I was looking at housing in Denver. In late 2003, early 2004. Trying to find the right balance of fulfilling dreams and keeping obligations.

[@atinukeladipo2164]

We’re here rooting for you Evan. I really hope you’re able to reside in London if that is your dream. As a Londoner who has also lived in the West Midlands for 3 years, I love both but I get it.

[@logann-mackenziefroste563]

Awesome video!

[@Natasha-tu5qs]

I moved from London to the outer commuter belt. In the end, it really does come down to lifestyle, and how much you value more space (indoors + outdoors) and pleasant environment vs. the fun, bustle, and just convenience of living in London. If you're young and single, I think London is a great place to be. If you're married/partnered, and thinking about having a family, then you might feel the balance starting to tip.

[@beltingtokra]

Your determination is inspiring, Evan xox

[@melodiousramblings8470]

You probably won’t see this but I just want to thank you for recording your journey to citizenship. It helped me realize that they best place for me wasn’t America. I’ve been in France for a couple weeks and it has been absolutely delightful. I wouldn’t have even considered this if I hadn’t come across your videos. Thank you Evan.

[@evan]

C’est bonne!

[@yvonnehorde1097]

Hi Evan,thanks for that vid. When I spent a year in the Uk as an assistant teacher, I was asked where I wanted to end up. I just said anywhere BUT London. I was asked why and said that London was far too expensive for me... (grin). I then worked in a small town close to Birmingham but I viisited London, Schottland, Wales, Cornwall and Brighton - even tough I did not make it to Northern Ireland- I went to the Republic to get to know Dublin a bit - and I had lots of fun. So, the UK has a lot to offer that you might not see at first glance. Try it out a little this year! Your house is ready and you are no longer stuck to it that much...

[@conormurphy4328]

I'm probably gonna be looking at buying my own place in London within a year so that video you made was really helpful. Thanks Evan ❤

[@imarobotking]

the fact you can live in London, and can save you got some things going for you already, currently with the job i have i literally have not enough to put any away to save. . i also have lived in London for near a decade. and moved to a place back home in Scotland nearer family for now near a decade. and every so often i still "miss" living in London

[@pratosaurusrex1128]

The talks about shared ownership were very interesting. You’re right about living outside London. It depends on your finances but I live in Surrey and two bed flats are between £350k-£450k ($485k-$620k) but with an annual train season to London costing about £2.8k ($3.9k) on top of that and spending up to 1 hour getting there it’s tough if London is where you need to be. Especially for single people.

[@megasin1]

went deep for a minute there. Honestly good luck to you. Obviously with enough time and work you can get a place in London, as you say with the cards stacked against you. It's gonna be hard but good luck to you. All the best Evan

[@Saylor28]

I live in Southern California and my commute to work takes me about an hour. Ironically I don't hate where I live (I actually really like it), I hate where my work is located (Compton) and that my job doesn't offer teleworking unless you have a Medical Condition. Anyway, we can't buy anything either and we have a dual income, so I feel your pain.

[@buttonedupreader6522]

Hey man love your content, I’m not sure about your budget and I know you live in the southwest but I’d highly recommend looking in south east London. Greenwich, Blackheath (shooters hill side only) Woolwich, Plumbstead ect. The area is genuinely lovely with the park, the Heath and Oxelys woods. It has good enough transport links (which will get better with cross rail). I’d go for a flat in southeast London over a shared ownership any day.

[@heylolp9]

Living in "Greater London" instead of London combines the commute costs and time of the public transport route Buffalo - NYC with the housing costs of New Jersey

[@robwilliams2410]

Loads of respect for sticking to your dream to buy a home in London. Based on your last video in Liverpool, I made the wrong assumption that you in fact weren’t single. You two looked so cute together in that video. I moved to Germany near the end of the last millennium, found my wife in Würzburg, we moved to Nürnberg in 2007, I became a citizen in 2013, and we bought our home in 2016. Your video reminds me of how fortunate we are. I can’t wait to see how things continue for you, and I’ll be on the edge of my seat rooting for your success.

[@evan]

I am not dating bliss

[@opaqueentity]

One reason it's new builds in the deal is that they are available en bulk for agreements with developers/owners. It would be great for it to apply to other housing but there just isn't enough of that that would agree to the deals. The weird thing is when people don't need shared ownership deals and still choose to buy the expensive new builds instead of the older and yes cheaper housing, that also have more parking than the new ones!

[@clabood]

Good luck hopefully you can find something that you like ☺️

[@louloug2008]

Good luck Evan love your videos you really are lovely 😘

[@Jaiykk]

As someone born in London who moved away, I would say that London is an amazing place (which is why people love to live there) but ultimately so expensive. When you are in London, you are fed these lies in the bubble about how "London is the best" and "jobs outside of London don't pay well" blah blah which just isn't true. There are loads of places in the UK that pay well and are great places to live. One thing that is great about London is the underground which funnily enough most people there complain about. If you go to any other city in the UK, the transport is immediately worse. But London people in their bubble don't really see that.

[@matthewbeale5098]

Ayyy I did that exact journey from London to Cardiff for Uni though.

[@malumusera]

Hola Evan! Te sigo desde Lanzarote, cuándo vienes aquí de vacaciones? Te encantará ♡

[@SamyTheBookWorm]

I think there’s definitely a problem in the sense that if you decide to move out of London for a cheaper cost of living, you are going to lose all of your friends. Your friends are never going to come over. Maybe once a year if you’re really close and they’ve got the time. But your entire social life will die. It’s just the way it is. So you have to build up a social life from scratch. And I know exactly how that feels, having moved from America to England. And having seen friends in London move out of the city. They always say they’ll come visit but they don’t, and you never see each other again. Moving to a new city means changing your entire life and I feel like people just don’t appreciate that fact.

[@azih8626]

Another thing people overlook is, london has the hugest minority born population in UK, and as such, we have so much things we take for granted, like black hairdressers, ethnic food markets etc. Not to mention, most poc are comfortable living around other poc, especially older poc, so it’s most likely that if you want to move to a cheaper place, you’d cut ties with all that. This is the nuance people refuse to have when discussing london. They so often leave Londoners and what it means to be a londoner out of the conversation, and never want to acknowledge that it’s not just a expensive city we can leave, our whole lives are here, our familial structures, friends and even significant others etc. I definitely want to move somewhere affordable because as sad as it is, london has outpriced it’s own people, so if we want affordable living we have to go elsewhere. But i have to bear in mind things like when i was in a majority white town for uni, hairdressers would find new excuses to decline their services, whether it be my curls wouldn’t pick up their product, or they scared to ruin it, or their lack of experience on non straight hair means they aren’t qualified etc. It’s a whole new world to get used to, travelling 2 hours to the nearest big city to get your hair done. Or having to carry a smelly suitcase filled with spices because the area you lived in didn’t have things you grew up cooking with

[@cvspvr]

@@azih8626 why do you take black hairdressers for granted? are they vastly superior to white hairdressers or something?

[@zanizone3617]

@@cvspvr maybe because they are far more likely to have experience in treating properly POCs hair? Completely different skillset. Hard to work on if you are used to Caucasian hair only.

[@JoneseyBanana]

I guess the impact to your social life isn't really something that non-Londoners think about because we often move cities for work, etc, and DO keep in touch with friends in other cities. I moved to York a couple of years ago, and still regularly see my friends from Sheffield. I went to a house party hosted by a friend in Liverpool just the other weekend. And my partner has friends in Nottingham and Leeds that he sees on a regular basis too. This wasn't so much the case when we were all uni students without cars living in shared houses, but now that we can all drive and put each other up for the night it happens far more often. It's understandable to find it hard to visit friends who've moved a long way north from London, but if they've just moved somewhere else down south like Bristol, Brighton, or Southampton, isn't the effort to see them worth it?

[@dougal8812]

So you're saying it's impossible to have a social life in other cities which aren't London? If you managed to build a friendship group in London then there's nothing stopping you from doing that somewhere else. Also, if you moved city for uni (hopefully you haven't gone to uni where you've grown up!) then I don't see why you can't move at any point.

[@mickkearney8633]

Mad man. There's so many city's in the UK that are better than London. Glasgow , Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle etc etc.

[@evan]

Yeah that’s why THOSE cities are international powerhouses in the world sphere….wait

[@SparkieNeisti]

There's something better than all those too: not living in a city 😂

[@lucyrigden]

Keep your dream. I wish I were younger because like you I love London and now I’m too old to even try. I really hope you make your dream come true

[@sarahyardley1923]

Don't over think this, go with your gut feeling and hold on to your dreams.

[@hucklebucklin]

Mentions of Dublin... thank you for solidarity. To see how bad it is in dublin... none of these schemes exist in Ireland or they only do to a very very limited extent (though as Evan has touched on they're all really bad schemes). It's 3.5x salary and 10% deposit or bust (very small amount of exceptions are given on the salary). Single people can't buy houses, like it's almost impossible. Also high rises are basically non-existent that's not even an option.

[@Nashy119]

All my London friends seem to be considering moves to scenic places in the countryside. I suppose it's because they have partners now and aren't really benefiting from any London social life anymore (friends moved all over the place, lockdowns).

[@azih8626]

I wish i could leave london in a heartbeat but it’s not as easy when it’s your home and all you know :/ outpriced by your own city is not w nice feeling

[@zanizone3617]

Yep. Priorities change, life changes. Turns out people are not young forever. To the astonishment of all young people since the beginning of time. 🤷‍♂️

[@zanizone3617]

@@azih8626 good luck to you mate. I wish you to find the right place soon!

[@scootbenet]

This is what we did at the end of my thirties. We started the family and moved to edinburgh. Much happier. Barely saw my london friends in LDN anyway as we all had to work so much and were spread across town because £££.

[@markclemente1503]

I'd love to live in London but it's just so expensive, especially for an archaeologist.

[@bastiaan4129]

As an archaeologist from the Netherlands, I feel your hurt.

[@westr70]

I've been an archaeologist for 50 years and would never even consider living in Los Angeles even though most of my work has been there. They gotta tear down those old buildings so that they can build newer and taller rentals and hence my work. I love living out of the City in suburban foothills. Since I work on construction sites, they start earlier than most of the commuters and so traffic isn't so bad. You're better off my friend. Good luck.

[@jamesfan3010]

Insert 'fancy dig's' joke here

[@alimarie3269]

Don't give up Evan! I get the not wanting to leave London; I was the same about my local area (Woking, Surrey - one of those stupidly priced commuter towns), but I was pretty much priced out as a single person (because banks do seem to panic when they only see one name on a mortgage application). It was made infurtatingly harder as a mortage would never cover the prices and my bourough didn't seem to want to do Shared Owernship but the neighbouring ones did... so I had to wait and hope they expanded the criteria! Two years ago now, I did I manage to get a Shared Ownership Flat in the neighbouring bourough (only 10 minutes from my family home!) and at the moment I am still super happy about my little space :) So don't give up, it can happen :)

[@mikeoneill3092]

I'm so sad that we don't live in the timeline where you decided to come to Cardiff!

[@Davefacestation]

I live in rural Scotland and our three bed detached home with front and back garden and a conservatory. It cost £120k. I've tried London but London itself I just don't enjoy. It just feels so closed in and grey. If it were the other way around I'd pay more to live here than London but I understand why people who love London will pay for it. Everyone is different.

[@veronapaisley6915]

Home is where the heart is. Stay strong and follow your life path and intuition.

[@zkw100]

“Gen X will give loads of money to millennials” …ahahah, as a late stage Gen X, I’ll have to find some money first to give to anyone. 😅😅😅

[@MsPeabody1231]

I am a Gen X. My child is 3. Yep I'm an older parent.

[@eliz1401]

He was talking about the really rich gen x's lol. The fact that their children are millennials won't change anything because they grew up wealthy and privileged and when their parents die there'll be a switch of power but they're not going to suddenly want to help the normal citizens. Most of them have the same values as their parents.

[@katiedid7231]

@@eliz1401 As a small generation, there aren't many Gen-Xers who are old enough to be parents of Millennials (I was 8 when my millennial brother was born). But there are lots of Boomers who are. And they're the ones who changed the rules, after they benefited from them, to make it harder on the rest of us.

[@michaelwtm]

I respect that, and I will be watching no matter where you live. But if you love London, put in that work and be there.

[@SparkieNeisti]

There are definitely shared ownership properties being resold around. I keep a look at our local market in the southwest. Best to buy one which has a low share percentage though, for reselling purposes.

[@TJD0503]

As someone who lives in rural essec him calling everything outside london the north is really annoying, there isn't anything wrong with being a northerner but it is a flagrant disregard of english cultural differences, it's like calling someone from north carolina a yankie or northerner, it's just not accurate!

[@mysteryegg340]

Cardiff is a beautiful city. I lived there for three years in the early 2000's. Great place.

[@hellogoodbyemargie]

I live in Toronto and this hits me hard.

[@ledbymab]

I feel like you've accidentally touched on a pretty emotive topic for UK residents. Foreigners always assume that the UK=London. When I lived abroad people would ask me if I would one day 'move back to London.' Um, no I'm from the North. Tourists assume that after a few days in London they have seen all the UK has to offer. Never mind that each region has its own rich history and culture. Add to this the fact that the government invests way more in the capital than other regions, and the way the media is very London-centric, and you have a recipe for resentment from the rest of the country. Evan is totally entitled to his own preference but the idea that he'd 'hate himself' if he lived elsewhere in the UK? Ouch. I get that London has a glamour that maybe other cities don't have, and a large international community, but it isn't like the rest of the UK is a creative and cultural wasteland.

[@evan]

Well I’m currently sitting in a cafe in Edinburgh which is lovey and this month I’ve been living in Liverpool which is amazing!

[@ledbymab]

@@evan Sounds great! Enjoy Liverpool!

[@firm3d]

Hope you figure out a solution to… life 😊 Of all the things I'm not happy about in life, I gotta say I'm pretty happy to live in Edinburgh. Feel like it's a great balance between green and city… mostly.

[@timflatus]

I am never going to believe anything you say ever again. In fact I'm so incensed I subscribed to your travel channel!

[@sakura9400]

Thank you for the Ireland shout-out, I feel validated 😂

[@davidrhodes5245]

Never have regrets. Although if pursuing something will leave you worse off if you don’t get there, then it’s a fine line for sure. If trying doesn’t leave you worse off, then i would always go for it 👍

[@mihran79]

I have chosen to live in zone 2, not far from the centre to avoid using the tube and I pay more for rent but much less for transport. I have never been in that rush hour except that time when I was taking my family around LOL

[@marry632]

so you actually did say "sorry honey, I'm off to live in Liverpool" :D

[@katemcbride8715]

However hard you try you are making savings and working towards a goal. I have bought and then also built on the back of the section in Wellington, NZ. I sometimes think I would have less complications if I just rented and saved, read humour at the concept of me saving. You will only know from your own experience of ownership. Go with what you want to experience

[@sarahgates889]

Gen Xer here, who lives in a town in the London Commuter belt. The place I live has recently become the most expensive place to live outside of London (Winchester), and I have never been able to afford to buy a home here. However this is my home, I've lived here all my life and I wouldn't really want to go too far. Sure I could find a cheaper home South of Winchester in places like Southampton, Portsmouth, Dorset, or even the Isle of Wight, but my family and friends are here and I wouldn't want to leave. So I get why you don't really want to live outside of London, (even though you and Bliss are in Liverpool at the moment. LOL!)

[@allenwilliams1306]

I think the point is that the poison that is London has affected places as far away as Winchester. Destroy London!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

I feel the same about London. I could certainly afford a regional UK city, but even though I love the north (especially Liverpool and Manchester), if I lived there, it would not have the same romance. I might as well stay in Australia. The romance, for me, is London. Mind you, affordability is also dire here, but not as bad as London! Better to carry on and try buying in London and see how it goes! I will still be here for you Evan!

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

You won‘t leave London because you don‘t want to. I understand completely and subscribe to that attitude (as well as your channel!). Living so far away from the city because houses are cheaper when you really want to be in the city all the time is nonsense. Stay strong! All the best in your efforts. I hope they are crowned with success.

[@LabradorIndependent]

I often hear people ask me why I don't just move out of London. I think it's based on the notion that people only live in London for the work and well connected transport, but London is so much more than that. Commuting in for work isn't _living_ here, and the experience of being in this city, of living as a part of it is indescribable. It's obviously not for everyone, it's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows and I've no doubt other parts of the UK are similarly wonderful - but there's no place else I would ever want to live.

[@The45thClown]

I looked at some shared ownership schemes (Zone 2/3) that were older houses. I ended up buying a place on my own, not easy but definitely possible, it was a place that needed lots of work done. I live in London and commute outside, spend days in countryside but weekends and evenings in civilisation + empty trains both ways.

[@clarkeashley39]

I've lived in Londons for the past few years before moving up to Chesterfield for university. I plan to move back as I do love London and I am used to living in big cities. As I moved from Birmingham to London beforehand. Have you tried using trainline and getting a railcard? This can help you cut down on travel cost when visiting friends in different cities, I use it so I can go back to London to see my mum.

[@chuck1804]

The outlying cities around London and the transport that connects them have found a way to make themselves at least equally expensive as just living in the centre, and yes some days it takes up to 1.5 hours after waiting and "signal failures" or sitting in traffic just to get OR out of the center usually on some overcrowded and overpriced bus/train. Add in the rent...and yeah, that's why I left. London is for rich foreign investors now, and moreorless nobody else.

[@babalonkie]

If you succeed in London... you have the skills to succeed anywhere...

[@BiW1nning]

I live in Salisbury, almost 100 miles from London, and even that had become a London commuter town. Fortunately we were lucky enough to buy a few years ago, but now upsizing has become less likely because the prices are skyrocketing.

[@grahvis]

I think a 90 minute journey is now the commuting radius of London.

[@supergroveraap]

Òh man I know that feeling of not wanting to give up on a place, it took me 1.5 years of homelessness, plus the start of covid, to leave Brighton behind and move back to my parents, who moved to Greece from the Netherlands.. I still yearn to go back every day, it's the only place I've ever felt at home

[@Lee-70ish]

Cool . Do what suits you . I used to live in Brentwood, Essex . I now live in Ipswich, Suffolk. But my job allowed me to move .

[@krystle2312]

I'm in a similar situation in Sydney, only it would be minimum 6 x my annual income for a 1 bedroom apartment. One thing that has been suggested to me, and I kind of wish i did it years ago, was to buy a property outside the city and rent it out, whilst still living in the city and renting myself. , then after a few years, sell the place and use the gains in property values to buy closer, then rinse and repeat.

[@gsotoaz]

Evan! Lol this is hilarious

[@simonabunker]

Good luck - the English house buying system is very frustrating and takes forever. You really need to hound solicitors to get anything done. Definitely always chose somewhere based on the location you want to be in - that is the one thing you can't really change. London is a fun place to be when you are young (we lived there for ten years) - enjoy it!

[@k9dark10]

I spent the entire time looking at those green lights on your fancy gadget hahaha

[@Daniel-gs9eh]

I live in Windsor and pre pandemic would commute in 5 days a week cost between £5-6k a year and take 50mins each way, also a separate 10 min car commute between my house and the train station . For me its worth it because I love my town but gees its expensive.

[@jamesmalpus7371]

I got asked the same question about moving out of London by a family friends daughter while at a 50th birthday get together a few years ago. For me I do love London even though with lockdown I had no outside space and that was a big drawback, but it’s more simple than that my career choice as an audio engineer there’s a lot more work in this part of the country. So I could live elsewhere but there’s fewer job opportunities and work takes a lot of your life up and I always wanted to do something for work I enjoyed.