Although it's not addressed to me, I'd make a stab at why London's a great place to be (while ignoring things like the high cost of transport and accommodation, pollution etc.) I hope to be living there soon, so it just about qualifies as "my area"

i) loads of museums, bookstores, galleries etc

ii) great cemeteries, parks, river walks. With no mad farmer around to shout "geet oorf my land!!!"

iii) Good transport links.

iv) Fantastic bargains if you seek them out. There are barber shops in north London offering hair cuts at 5.50 a time!

v) Opportunity to eat well and at a low cost in ethnic quarters- I'm not talking about Brick Lane for curries, for example I often like to head down to the Portugues cafe-bars in Stockwell. The one chance I get to drink good coffee at a reasonable price

vi) Generally it's a better place to get work

I'm not saying London doesn't have negative points, and I still think Madrid's a better option (for my tastes anyway), but London certainly deserves its image as one of the world's great cities.

Steviedeluxe has answered for me. Thanks

Ditto...love the parks and the choice, the atmosphere and the rush...

I adore London but wouldn't want to live there.

So... where do you live (don't have to give specific location of course) and why does it work for you...

No, but close enough to go there quite often! It's one of my favourite places.......

I lived in London for 19 years and if I could afford a house in the centre I would be tempted to return but that also goes for the centre of Madrid or Glasgow. I like extremes, sleepy country villages, distant islands or city centres. I would die on an urbanisation or the suburbs of a big city.

Being just a simple country boy I can't say that London really rocks my boat,but my daughter has lived there for 12 yrs and the never ending list of attractions and things of interest that she gets to see never ceases to amaze me.
Many say its a young persons city,...whatever.
In any event,without doubt, it's one of the most diverse ,if not the most diverse city in the World.

all i have to say is la mela near sorbas ,
wonderfull people
great views
brill tapas bar
peace and quiet
relaxing way of life
one problem i am not there full time yet.but nearly.

UK;
A village 15 mins from Cardiff, award winning pub/restaurant 50 yards away and plenty of other places nearby, 15 mins to beaches, easy access to shops to keep the Mrs happy.Local Welsh lamb and Welsh black beef freely available.
History and culture all around. Country walks on my doorstep, flat countryside for cycling.Small village community, lots of good neighbours, and have friends we have known for 20 years, never seen any crime.
Hospital and schools etc all near etc......

España;
Small village 25 mins from the beaches, bars and restaurant within walking distance, and plenty within 30 min drive. Easy access to shops etc.. Good neighbours, and have made friends easily.
Good supply of fresh fish and shellfish in restaurants and shops.The weather is good most of the time, and is a great place to get away from it all and chill out!

Perfick...........

You'n me both I've never really analysed it, but I guess the extremes thing applies to me - having 'done' the London living bit late teens early 20s I've only lived there part time a decade or so ago & would not want to be in London or any city full time. But some of the time, yes absolutely. Most of the time, though, HBG's finca full of olives & donkeys (strike the donkeys, we haven't got any!) is my 'perfick'. Water leaks, droughts, landslides, ticks, snakes, yada yada don't care. The good outweighs the bad & most days in most years you can guarantee to see sunshine or blue sky even if only for a while. Neighbours check. Never in the UK would I be serving whisky to someone willingly pruning my plum grafts in the pouring rain whilst his children & my son set about collecting the fat caracoles. Nor standing whilst watching a jaw-dropping demonstration of precision chainsawing on the trunk of a now-gone tree.
But the specific location? Well campo obviously. Could be closer to the village but I've never been happy with that idea! Door to parking space I can be on the beach or in a chiringuito or Malaga central in not much more than 45 minutes & that's fine for me.

I lived and worked in London for 30 years, starting as an economic migrant (from Scotland), then making the best of it, getting used to it and finally loving it. It provided my children with an excellent start in life and they are now well-equipped to lead successful lives, although they have all chosen to live elsewhere.

So have I, although I retain my love for London but realise that it has changed too much for me ever to return permanently.

But some of it has come with me to Spain, I can walk to bars, shops and places to hear a Cockney accent, and a Glaswegian runs a bar here too. And on St Patrick's Day the place is packed.

I appreciate the sentiments people have for rural fincas, with or without donkeys, but it's not for me.

I would love a rural finca, all mod cons including CH, lots of land but 5 mins from a lovely beach,shops and restaurants

You know, I wonder if it isn't the attraction of opposites?

I was born in London, couldn't wait to get away. A friend down the road, his wife was born in a Spanish hamlet, then moved to London, came back, but loved London and would move back if she could. He's London born and loves it out here.