5 Best Places To Live Outside Of London
The Big Smoke isn't the only place to be at the moment.
While it would be difficult to argue that young people today have it harder than those from generations gone by, there is certainly no disputing that millenials are subjected to unique pressures. In a world of zero hours contracts and scarce job security, where the cost of living seems to be ever increasing, house prices continue to make the prospect of ownership an impossibility, and where social media demands the constant perception of happiness and perfection, there are more demands placed on young people than ever before. In a recent video series entitled giffgaff Perspectives, the mobile network company have taken a look at how some people are facing up to these stresses, and how they are showing ingenuity in learning to adapt and find new ways to succeed in the age of modernity.
The latest episode looks at the relationship between economy and community. It sees how young go getters are taking the initiative to provide for themselves and their families by being their own boss and setting out as independent businesses. And how as a result of being priced out of certain areas, some trendsetters are forging new ways to live in budding towns and cities away from what is traditionally seen as the creative hub of the capital.
Included in this latest video is the story of artist Amy Redmond, who moved to Margate in 2014 after finding the economic strife to remain in gentrified London no longer tolerable. Previously part of an established art scene, ‘Sink the Pink’ in east London, she decided to use her passion for creativity to bring life back to a seaside town that had long seen better days. What’s followed in the proceeding 2 years is the emergence of a real nascent art scene, which is helping to bring jobs and regeneration to the town.
Also included is the story of Cheshire based entrepreneur Jordan Hassell. Initially enrolled at university he took the brave decision to drop out so that he could focus on his passion and develop his skills as a chef. Married and with a family to support Jordan set about utilising his own determination and the tools at his disposal, to set up his own pizza business. As opposed to being distracted by big business and the false promises of success in the city, he chose to stay in his home town of Crewe where he is now a successful business owner, cooking and selling freshly cooked pizza out the back of a yellow pickup.
You can head over to giffgaff Perspectives to find more details and more stories of young people trying to make their way in the world.
There is fantastic potential and opportunity opening up all around the country. While London may have at one time been seen as the place to be to attain success and be part of the cultural hub, the truth is that some of the most exciting art and music centres are now outside the capital. We wanted to look at just where some of the best up and coming places are in the country outside of the conventional London bubble, and so here are 5 Best Places To Live Outside Of London...
5. Glasgow
What Scotland lacks in sun, it more than makes up for in style. There's absolutely loads on offer north of the border, from gorgeous glens and luscious lochs to quaint, quiet hamlets and splendid cities. Edinburgh is a perfect blend of old and new, with a sentimentality similar to that of York, but Glasgow takes the crown for Scotland's most buzzing burghal.
The people of Glasgow are something else, and I mean that positively. All the clichés are true: Glaswegians love their deep-fried food, their live music, and possess a bluntness that is both as amusing as it is infectious. And like most people from outside the capital, there's a tangible sense of pride for the area that's permanently on the go.
It isn't a city for a relaxing holiday: Glasgow is the place to go to really feel alive. There's no shortage of things to do or adventures to be had, whether it be the numerous bars along Argyle Street, or the rejuvenated cultural centre of the modern day Clyde. The 'Dear Green Place' also boasts two of the biggest and most culturally significant football clubs in the country in Celtic and Rangers, and the Old Firm derbies represent one of the hottest fixtures not just in Scottish football, but the world.
Like Edinburgh, Glasgow is an ideal mélange of historic and modern, the august Georgian architecture of the 'Second City of the Empire' acting as the perfect compliment to the city's array of striking new structures. Whatever your tastes, Glasgow has all the flavours to suit them in an ever-evolving package you're unlikely to grow tired of quickly.