Where NOT to live in the UK

Cumbernauld. Motherwell.  Paisley.

Inverkeithing.  Livingston (good economical shopping, though).  Falkirk.  Kirkcauldy.

Large swathes of Greenock and Port Glasgow.

Mount Pleasant/West Green Road area, without a doubt.

Merthyr Tydfil
 Hackney
Stockwell
Brixton
Peckham
Camberwell
Margate

(All places NOT to live in UK)

Hastings is pretty grim. There's some nice bits, but not after dark. Include Eastbourne in that as well. *shudder*

Speke/Garston just outside of liverpool, also grim.

I quite hate Southampton too to be honest.

Some government building in Cumbernauld were in a television programme a few years ago for which buildings should be knocked down in the UK. I think it got pretty far in the competition but didn't 'win' - tax offices, methinks?

Cumbernauld. Motherwell.  Paisley.

Inverkeithing.  Livingston (good economical shopping, though).  Falkirk.  Kirkcauldy.

Large swathes of Greenock and Port Glasgow.

Snerk. Motherwell.  Some friends and I wound up there after taking the wrong train to Forth.  We had to go into the Point.  I was carrying a pumpkin.  HA!

eh, I lived in Hackey (just off "Murder Mile"!) for the first few months I lived in London, and it really wasn't that bad. Good bus links, and I could walk to a bunch of shops, a club, theatre, library, and a leisure centre and people were friendly. The most threatened I ever felt was getting some cat calls whenever wearing my red trousers (er, okay?) so I don't count that as bad at all.

But even I wouldn't live in Elephant & Castle or Kentish Town (the latter used to be ok 5 years ago, but <i>dear god</i> not anymore...)!

Yes that's me, Harpenden in May. I am so sorry to here you had to live in Luton. Croydon is posh in comparison. It's a long commute at the moment but I look at it as a way of getting as far as I can from Luton

Good! The move to Harpenden will shorten your commute time considerably! I've heard it's nice I just try to block out the Luton part of my visit--we did end up moving to St. Albans towards the end of my stay--so that was a very welcome change

I'm surprised Bradford is not on this list yet 

Sigh. Brixton is great! I don't know why it has such a negative reputation. We've got one of the nicest parks in London, a great market and rec centre, lots of indy shops and a lovely cinema/cafe, and best of all a real sense of community. Lovely old streets and houses. Sure there are some council estates and a couple dodgy corners, but don't most areas have these? I've never felt unsafe here.

It's surely loads better than Peckham (shudder). Or Seven Sisters/Tottenham area. Or big swathes of the East End.

I also don't mind Hackney, the dodginess is offset by lots of cool places to hang out and things to do. To me, a place not to live is a place with no redeeming value whatsoever, which is what Luton sounds like.

But even I wouldn't live in Elephant & Castle ...

E&C is one of those places that looks like a set for a movie about the slums of London.  I kept expecting to see Hillary Swank or Michelle Pfeiffer teaching underprivileged children to read.

Sigh. Brixton is great! I don't know why it has such a negative reputation. We've got one of the nicest parks in London, a great market and rec centre, lots of indy shops and a lovely cinema/cafe, and best of all a real sense of community. Lovely old streets and houses. Sure there are some council estates and a couple dodgy corners, but don't most areas have these? I've never felt unsafe here.

You've also got the best pizza I've had since moving to the UK.   

You've also got the best pizza I've had since moving to the UK.   

Oh definitely! Thanks for reminding me! 

Also the nicest (casual) Japanese food I've had in london (Fujiyama) and loads of great Caribbean food.

Agree that E&C is abominable, but if you get away from the massive roundabout there are some lovely side streets around there...

Brixton has lots of cool, funky places, yes  the Roxy cinema is excellent. There used to be a fab gourmet vegetarian restaurant there (Bug Bar I think...). Unfortunately every time I've gone there, I've been offered drugs or asked if I had any to sell and once I was approached by police investigating a murder. All within 5 mins of stepping out of the tube. I'm sure other people have had similar experiences in other parts of London or other cities but for me it's Brixton, the place just scares me. Being old enough to remember the '80s race riots doesn't help either.

On another note, central Windsor is gorgeous but I wouldn't to want  to live there either,  totally overrun with tourists, even in winter.

There used to be a fab gourmet vegetarian restaurant there (Bug Bar I think...).

Bug Bar - sounds like something of Man Vs. Wild.