I agree that London is not a place to live - unless you love the "London life" (which great many young exec types do) or have a really highly paid job there which you are happy to run along with for a few years.
Very few non massively rich people live in the nice parts of London long-term. Most get out into the countryside and away from the madness as soon as they have a bit of dosh behind them.
London is good for a shopping trip but just how much junk do you need to accumulate?
"Stuff" is cheap these days, and most can be bought by mail order.