4d ago

Do you find yourself disliking cities (see London) more as you get older?

I've grown up and lived in a medium sized town in the Midlands most of my life. During my late teens, 20s, and early 30s I've always enjoyed weekends away in Manchester, Birmingham, and London a few times a year, visiting friends and going to events.

Just got back from a weekend in London, the first one in a couple of years, and I just feel... drained. In all honesty I felt that way by the end of the first day.

I've never wanted to live in London, but in the past I've always enjoyed myself there for a long weekend. This time felt different, exhausting. Is it an age thing? Has anyone else found themselves enjoying city life less and less as they get older?

11 comments

No, quite the opposite.

To me, it feels like cities get people who've been backed into a corner by capitalism.
Where their only option to make enough money to survive is a badly paid job in a city where their only option for accommodation is small and not pleasant.
And a lot of the feel of a city is reflected by that.
If you are forced to work 50+ hours a week on unpredictable contracts, and your entire world shrinks to a bedroom, a car choked walk to work, and Tesco Metro, you're less likely to be saying "good morning" to people as you pass them.

I've never liked living in London. I'd like it as a place to visit, because of all the museums and so many free things to do, but I don't like living here. It's too busy and impersonal. I love that we have good public transport so you can live your whole life without ever needing a car. But I'd rather live in a smaller place where there's more of a sense of community.

Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: lived in London when we were early 20s no kids. Had fun, glad we did it. Moved about an hour outside London, near countryside, got married, had kids. Still enjoy coming to London, but only because we know we're going home again after.

I grew up in South London and spent my first 30 years no more than 15 miles from the City before moving into a town halfway to Eastbourne for the next 30. Now I've retired to the middle of nowhere in the Welsh Marches and the thought of visiting any city or even a large town fills me with dread.

I’ve always disliked large towns and cities unless they’re quick, easy and cheap to get in, around and back out again.
I like the countryside, but the older I get, the more I wish it had museums, art galleries etc.

I really didn't like London when I was younger. It felt like my friends got sucked there after university but I couldn't see the appeal - too busy, too expensive. But now I'm older I love the place, especially anywhere near the river. So many great little hidden pubs. So many nice places to walk. Also, pubs

In my mid 30s, I've been in Manchester for over a decade and I'm not at all tired of it yet, but I can relate to how you're feeling.
Possibly projecting here, but in my experience the feeling comes from the frequency of visits to these cities dropping off Vs the things you'd want to do there increasing inversely. I get a bit exhausted going to London these days because I inevitably try to see too many old friends in too many different places. Or I do what I visit for and then try to "make the most of it" and try and visit somewhere else on top.
When I was younger I went and did what I was visiting for, and had a great time—there wasn't this self imposed pressure to pack stuff into the visit.
Might be completely off the mark, but that's my self reflection anyway

I've always hated London with a passion. Shares the 1st place on my most disliked cities list along with Hamburg. I used to live in Berlin for a while and I enjoyed it a lot, but that was ages ago. I found the people a lot more accessible, though. Back in the UK, I mostly enjoyed Belfast. Glasgow is a close second.

I grew up in a similar-sized place in the Home Counties, and still love visits to places like London, Manchester, Bristol, etc, though I definitely have less tolerance for the journey home nowadays! Could be that you're moving onto different things entertainment-wise, nothing wrong with that

I never liked cities much, but it's getting worse as I age.
The biggest city I lived in had a little under half a million inhabitants and a density of 10,000/sq mi when I was a student. Currently, I'm approaching retirement in a place with a population density of 9/sq.mi (and I know then all 🙂), the nearest city has 190,000 inhabitants, and I'm nowhere near it.

11 comments