Goodbye London, hello suburbia?
Posted on October 31st, 2006 by Jackie Danicki
You know, as much as I complain about the annoying aspects of London life, and as much as I’ve always said I would quite like to live in suburbia (and used to years ago, in Sevenoaks, Kent), now that we are scheduled to go check out a gorgeous-looking flat in Surbiton, I am getting a little misty-eyed about the wonders of North London. Can I really hack it south of the river?
I did this - swap real London for a place a mile or two from Surbiton - in ‘98, and I’ve regarded it as a mistake more or less ever since. The cultural divide is huge - and if you think central London unfriendly or an unhappy place, just try it around here. (Sevenoaks is a place in its own right, and so is Kingston if you’re really determined - some lovely flats being built along the river there).
Thanks, James. The flat is in St Andrew’s Square, about a two minute walk from the river, which is the main thing we like about it. Antoine almost got a house in the area a few years ago. I’m just skittish about the atmosphere and missing the Hampstead/Swiss Cottage/West Hampstead area, which I do really love now.
I did a job in Surbiton earlier this year so I was required to hang around there on two different days separated by months. It was a surprisingly pleasant and interesting neighbourhood, but I was just visiting and I suspect that, unless you turn into some kind of fluffy, stay-at-home, nest-building type, Jackie, you might go out of your mind with boredom.
What’s funny, Damian, is that 98% of the time, I am a total nest-building, stay-at-home type (dunno about fluffy, though). But I don’t think my domestic side should be encouraged, really, so thanks!