Why do people talk s*** about MK?

Posted by TreKeyz@reddit | miltonkeynes | View on Reddit | 277 comments

I was born in MK, but moved away at an early age. I lived in multiple places across the country. Growing up, when people would ask where I was born and I said MK they would always make fun, and always the same rhetoric: "oh concrete cows and roundabouts"....yawn. As an adult I ended up doing some work training in Lieghton Buzzard and decided to pop into MK to check out the city I was born in, and I totally loved it. The dual carriage ways everywhere, the grid system, the modern looking buildings, even the street names being Boulevards, it was so unique compared other cities and I totally dug it. Eventually me and my wife wanted to move cities because we felt where we lived (Norwich) was too behind, and we had hit a glass ceiling. We decided to explore a few cities and MK was one I suggested. We planned to stay in AirBNBs for a few days in each, but when we got to MK she loved it too. She loved all the parks and green spaces, the diversity, and everything I loved. We ended up not even bothering exploring other cities and we sold our house and moved to MK. This is hands down my favorite city in the UK. It has everything you could need (I mean even an IKEA and Costco right in the town (I'm naming them because you normally would have to drive somewhere to find those stores), ok it doesnt have a great night life, but the day life it has everything you could need. There is never traffic jams and other cities I've lived in was impossible for driving at rush hour. Its modern and forward thinking, but still has so many parks and lakes and beauty spots. Willen lake is awesome, and we have a Buddhist temple! I mean come on man, how can people talk so much crap when this city is so awesome? It really annoys me that people say the city has no soul or character and still talk so much crap about it, when I genuinely think it's one of the best cities in the country.

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Desperate_Gap_391@reddit

Some stuck up and unfriendly people in Milton Keynes.. experienced some racism as well. Good place to live if you have no choice in terms of money..

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Meh, racism is everywhere man, as a minority, you get used to expecting it. I guess it depends where you coming from. I imagine Milton Keynes people will seem stuck up if you coming in from somewhere like Luton

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Desperate_Gap_391@reddit

I was born and bred in north west London and I am half English and half Persian. But I look Mediterranean.. was told to go back my country. And I get frequent dirty looks from my neighbour down the road. Gorgeous scenery here but it's been a struggle to integrate myself. Very different from London.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

We are a mixed race family and mixed nationality, but my son came out looking totally white, he speaks with an English accent too, we moved away from the UK for a few years then moved back recently. In school he has already been told to 'go back to where he came from', and that was by a black person. When I was living abroad I was told regularly to go back to where I came from, and none of those people were white. It's just the way people are wired unfortunately. Group mentality. Sorry you had to experience it, I have experienced shit like that many times, so I know how you feel. Yes, the scenery is amazing. I do think it is increasingly Hard to integrate anywhere once we become adults..but if you were in a Persian community in London, maybe it was more of a 'community' vibe? I like that MK is kind of a melting pot and that no one is really 'from' here. I personally have experienced and seen less racism here than elsewhere, but then I was living in smaller towns around the UK, not London. London is the ultimate melting pot. Bet it feels safer here though?

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Desperate_Gap_391@reddit

I mixed with everyone in London. Did not mix with any community people were just different in London. It's been a struggle to adapt here.. people are very surface level nice here but their actions are hot and cold. One minute they are lovely the next they are hostile.. it gets better as you go towards the shopping centre. Sorry to hear about your situation

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

What sort of things do you do for fun?

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Desperate_Gap_391@reddit

How about you

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I don't do much outside. Was thinking of getting into something, like baseball, or some kind of club, or maybe just the trusty old gym. At home I work on my various creative hobbies from music to writing. Looking to maybe do some shows around MK.

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Desperate_Gap_391@reddit

The gym seems to be a good place to chat with people from my experience. Sounds good! Not sure if you had luck with finding a good job here.. I am still working in London from home..

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Desperate_Gap_391@reddit

I joined the gym near the shopping centre as soon as I moved here.. joined yoga.. occasional walks at the canal. Shopping centre.. no doubt Milton Keynes there's loads to do and the most picturesque town in the UK.. unfortunately my experience with some people have been somewhat bizarre..

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Desperate_Gap_391@reddit

I feel when you say one bad thing about Milton Keynes people seem to get catty and defensive lol. To me I find this really stuck up and ignorant. Each to their own.. that's how a Londoner was raised anyway.. mk lovers should take a chill pill.. I asked many people here if they experienced racism and all replied "yes"..

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shydaemon@reddit

I have family who live there and I think it's a pretty nice place to live if you don't have much going on in your life and you're happy to stay at home and watch netflix. If that works for you then great! If it doesn't, you'll lose your mind or end up spending a horrendous amount of time hanging round the shopping centre because that is the beating heart of MK.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Really? So the theatre, the top tier go kart tracks, the parks and lakes, the water activities, the cinemas, the bowling alleys, the music venues, the various activities centres from rock climbing to trampolines, the small theme park, the various sports teams, indoor skiing (on real snow), and the different places you can go out to eat, and I could name alot more......just Netflix hey?

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shydaemon@reddit

I'm just talking about my personal experience but after a few days in MK, I'm going absolutely mad. I guess it just feels to me like everything there is to do is just a chain or a franchise or connected to the shopping centre. It's not like you find a nice old pub that was established 100 years ago, it's a Wetherspoons established in the mid 90s. Now just because the pub exists doesn't mean I want to go there if its just... a spoons. But maybe I'm wrong! Maybe it isn't just a chain cinema like Cineworld, maybe there is a nice indie place that shows a wider variety of films! Maybe there is a park that you can walk through and not hear the sound of traffic from the grid system. There is one thing I love about MK though and I tell everyone I can - Superman IV : A Quest for Peace was filmed there. MK stood in for Metropolis!! The flattest, saddest, most uninspired vision of Metropolis ever committed to celluloid. Absolutely amazing.

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keithmk@reddit

No old pubs a hundred or more years old? What on earth do you mean. Have you been outside of your front door? What about all the old coaching inns for a start? Have you every been to Stoney or Newport or bletchley or any of the original villages and towns?

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shydaemon@reddit

I'm talking about a perception, and of course, I've been outside my front door, I've been blessed to have lived and worked in 12 countries internationally, thank you very much. Have you ever been much further than your front door? Are we talking about the original villages and towns, or are we talking about Milton Keynes, After a quick search, it seems like the initial new town designation order was made in 1967. So if you want to make an argument for obscure original town infrastructure that's fine, but I can guarantee you 90% of people will only know the shopping centre and the xscape and that's what they are basing their perception on.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Fyi the original villages and towns are Milton Keynes. Everyone talks about how most cities have evolved over time, well so did they.

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sgruz@reddit

imagine travelling almost 10km by car to get into an old pub, horrible

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

How can everything be in walking distance in a large city? That makes no sense. If you prefer the old style buildings and pubs then you should live in an area of the city which has all that. If you prefer the modern chains and shopping centre then you live in the centre of the city. The point about MK is its diversity. We have parts of this city which look like rural Suffolk villages, we have parts which look like old market towns, and we have parts which look like modern metro cities.

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IndefiniteLouse@reddit

I mean, my local is well over 100 years old. The Gallery cinema shows interesting films not on at mainstream cinemas. There’s so much going on outside the stereotype of “it’s all franchises and chains and the soulless city centre”

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yeah, that superman thing was funny to discover! For old pubs you go to Bletchley, Stony or Wolverton, all part of MK city. The centre is the shopping district and entertainment area. I think most people dont realise the variety MK has, because they expect everything to be in the centre, like other cities. I think you have to spend some time in MK to understand it.

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shydaemon@reddit

I also like the fact that MK has cool street names because of the Superman thing. I think that's awesome. There's a section of Electric Boogaloo, the Cannon Films documentary that covers how it happened, lol That's a fair enough point, and next time I visit, I will make more of an effort to find some cool spaces. If you have any big recommendations please send them this way! Also, I wasn't writing off MK, more just answering with my personal experience and, of course, perception to try and answer your original question.

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evolutionIsScary@reddit

Aren't those things mainly in the centre?

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fuzzbook@reddit

My wife's family is from MK. I used to think the same when I stayed with them for a few days. It wasn't until I moved to MK and really started exploring what the city had to offer that I realised how much stuff there was that I had never seen or tried. Now I love it.

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Greg_Webb@reddit

Not local, but worked in and around MK for many years. Nearly moved there once but it fell through and I got cold feet. For me? Walkability. The number of bits of MK you can just wander round is tiny. It's great to drive round because the roads are so easy, but driving is kinda the only option outside your immediate area most of the time. Want to walk from the station to the main centre? 20 minutes walking past mostly offices. So yeah. Great facilities, great access to countryside and London. Easy to get round. Comparatively affordable housing. But I usually prefer living in places I can wander round, and from experience MK isn't one.

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sgruz@reddit

Hi, can you please suggest a place not far from London (not a need today as I work remotely but who knows about the future) where you can go almost everywhere by walk? Similar to Watford were a huge park, very good high street with mall and cinema and central train station are all close.

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Boop0p@reddit

Entirely agree, similar to what I said.

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Brookler42@reddit

Have you ever tried to get around MK without a car?

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sgruz@reddit

that's the thing about MK, forget using your own feet unless you plan walking at least 2 hours.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Bikes and electric scooters, its actually far better than any other town I've been in. You can get anywhere in the city without having to cross a road. But, by foot or public transport I imagine it's not easy. But then, even in Norwich, it was hard to walk from one side of the city to the other.

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thatguyhuh@reddit

Only families or people who haven’t seen the world enjoy MK. It’s about as soulless as they come.

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sgruz@reddit

exactly, people like the OP prefer dead places (the OP masks it by wrongly using the word "quiet".) as compared to those who prefer seeing presence and souls. A place where you must have a car to move around as everything is equally far from everywhere. Total lack of a High Street (again the OP suggests to go to 10km far villages for it but they are just 1min walkable roads with very few shops)

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tttkkk@reddit

People say that because they drive through and only see A roads and roundabouts due to the way the city is designed. I don't think there is any other place in the UK where you can leave house and walk or cycle for hours in parks and still have all services at the doorstep. Soulless yes, but convenient and higher quality of life. Depends what you are after really. My only wish that there were some beaches or scenic hiking close by.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

This, exactly. I have seen people complain that all the neighbourhoods are behind trees, but why is that bad? I love the open space. And I think the convience is its soul.. rather than soulless. Would be nice if it was nearer to a beach. But at least we have Willen Lake lol

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tttkkk@reddit

Lakes are useless unfortunately, apart from different scenery when you walk around them. Planners considered what would people want from open bodies of water and decided it must be plastic ducks, fishing and yachting. And feed the ducks (switching signs between no bread / bread ok for variety). Beaches, swimming and bring you own watersports were not deemed to be important and people could drive for 1-2 hours for that if needed, despite having 3 big lakes within the city boundaries.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I do agree we should have better access to the water. We should be able to swim in Willen (which you can, but only as part of a club)

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TK4570@reddit

You can blame Anglian Water for that lol

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Zed2000@reddit

Fyi, there's lots of forest hikings spots that I go to to, usually only max 20 mins drive away. But not so much hills or mountains view. Lmk if you want any recommendations - know some cool spots to explore if you like hiking. Beacon hill has this cool waking route btw - sick sights, 25mins ish drive

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tttkkk@reddit

Yeah, looking for forest/hills biome, there is only so much Woburn and other small places around. Beacon hill, Leicestershire? Says 1hr+ drive

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Zed2000@reddit

Yeah know loads of forest spots. Beacon hill is the only hilly / valley area that I know of, has some cool vantage points. Hmm nah not Leicestershire - my bad it's actually called Ivinghoe Beacon https://goo.gl/maps/eqY5qMCtCeCyKhkE9 there's a car park there too and sometimes an ice cream van so good to go in nice weather. https://maps.app.goo.gl/j1iyrMaYfEcE7Va78 this nature reserve is a nice chill walk, not a huge area and has got wild horses and those lil viewing huts if ya can find them. In Stony. https://maps.app.goo.gl/UE6eyu9hLpveipcY6 another small ish chill walk. In MK. https://maps.app.goo.gl/EKJYKjY7HuGg6ACNA more of a proper forest area, bit more difficult terrain. Rushmere Country park close by too which is a huge forest. Can spend hrs there. https://maps.app.goo.gl/8oXmb2fVDakqs8mAA this place we've dubbed bluebell meadow, highly recommend going in spring / summer. Decent elevation walk at times but mostly flat. You can park in that lay by I've tagged, but do have to cross the opposing lane so can be a bit difficult (make sure you park in lay by right next to the forest - the lay by on the opposite side of the road is riddled with crater sized potholes which I did not know were when I first pulled in at like 40mph. My old car was blackboxed and thought I got into a crash cuz we essentially was off roading for like 0.5miles) But yeah all those spots I'd recommend going at some point - especially if you roll up a few joints and go explore

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tttkkk@reddit

Thanks, saving this for the next sunny day. Been to all small woods at MK many times, but they are a bit artificial, Woburn stands out a bit but still is no Forest of Dean or national parks. Eyes demand new sights. Didn't know of some close places that you mentioned neither where to get joints :)

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Zed2000@reddit

Yeahh, the nature reserves you can find spotted around are your best bet for large explorable forests (with the bonus of parking as well usually), just make sure you have powerful lights / torches if you plan to stay out after dark. The amount of times we've got lost trying to get back to the car on terrain that we know and even with lights is too much. Ahah well if you plan on going to those spots some weekend and want me to tag along, hmu, I can smoke you on np

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OnlyRobinson@reddit

As a visitor but not resident the one disappointing thing with MK is the lack of a proper light rail/tram public transport. The entire place is built around cars and that’s quite depressing

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fuzzbook@reddit

Public transport isn't great but the city is also probably the best city in the UK in regards to cycling infrastructure.

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bezerkish@reddit

It has no history or culture. I’m originally for. One of the countries biggest cities. There is civic pride and identity that has been built over centuries…. This simply doesn’t exist in Milton Keynes. It’s soulless and multi-cultural to a point where you could be in any identityless city anywhere in the world. I use the station a lot and it’s like Mad Max’s thunderdome…..

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Its something I really appreciate and MK, because it doesnt have those generational people who think its 'theirs' it means you do not experience that 'you're not from here' prejudice when you move there. People from all cities and nations, all feel like they belong, and that means alot. It has quite a bit of important history, you can find out about that if you read. And it is building it's own from it's own unique creation.

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bezerkish@reddit

Yes, it’s nice if you are not a native English person, but to be fair, that’s the same for most cities in the UK these days where the cultural heritage has been removed and replaced with ghettos full of people that speak English as a second language and have no interest in the country and it’s traditions, culture, history or heritage. Hey Hoh, change is inevitable in all things excepting vending machines and I accept the fact that the country i once new has now been eradicated by the mass immigration of the last 30 years. I don’t like it but I I understand that it is inevitable….

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

The foreign population in the UK is 14%, which means 86% of the country is British. I think you have drank too much of the kool aid. It's good that you are accepting of it. Ultimately people from other places bring in diversity which can fuse with the Native culture and create beautiful sub cultures and also creates a more harmonious open mindedness to other people and their differences. It also creates great food dishes like Chicken Tikki Masala......and fish and chips (that's right, Fish and Chips came from immigrants). The fear that the UK is losing its own identity is unnecessary. The UK culture is very strong and will remain consistent. But even the culture and traditions you love so much came about from a mash-up of French (the Normans) and viking culture mixed with Anglo Saxon and a little Roman. So dont worry my friend, you are all good. And if you are accepting of what you thought was an invasion, then you will hopefully be even more welcoming now you know it's not nearly as bad as you thought. Lastly, you are right about liking MK if you arent native English. It seems alot of English people are stuck in their ways and rejecting of that which is new and different. In this example, they want all cities to be these gradually evolved cities through the Georgian, Tudor and Victorian days...whereas other people really embrace new and more thought out cities like MK.

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bezerkish@reddit

It’s just life, you can accept it and look for the good (I frequently do) or you can constantly look for the bad and be angry and bitter 😂 I always go out of my way to be nice…

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IrishBA@reddit

MK is awesome if you have kids, need to be in London a few days a week, want easy access to the countryside and parks. It's so convenient from a transport perspective and is fairly near a handful of airports. The housing is not cheap, but compared to options Surrey and other options slightly closer to London it is. In 4 years of commuting the biggest hassle has been strikes and ticket prices. 37 mins to cover 50 miles into London is hard to beat. It lacks a university campus and nightlife which doesn't revolve around chains pubs. I'm at home with kids at the weekend so my very occasional nights out happen mid week I'm London after work.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I think that's it, I'm not young and trying to party all the time, and for my adult lifestyle with a family, MK is so great. And it's so wide and open it never feels claustrophobic. Which gives me head space.

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mikexallan@reddit

I used to live in St Albans and the best part about that was being able to walk out of our front door and walk to a really, really nice park. Walk to really nice independent shops, cafes and bars. I can’t do that in MK. We have to get in the car and the parks are a bit average. There’s not an abundance of nice independent shops/bars/restaurants and there’s too much of an abundance of the big chains.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Which parks have you visited in MK? To say they are average. And what park in St Albans are you using as a comparison?

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C_beside_the_seaside@reddit

I fucking loved living in New Barnet - all the tube and mainline access but also Trent Park & St Albans etc a really short trip. Hatfield. People often miss ways to get out of urban centres!

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Medium_Cantaloupe_50@reddit

Yeah. As someone who lives in MK and commutes to london, the train ticket prices are insane. If the company you work for pays it for you, then fine. If you're self employed like me it's like having a second mortgage. I honestly don't understand how they can get away with charging so much money for a short return train journey - it's daylight robbery. I like MK, but it's not worth the money if you're a commuter. Better off buying a more expensive place in London and putting the extra £700 a month you pay for the train into a more expensive mortgage in London. For the extra £700 a month on a mortgage, you'll end up with a similarly sized place in london and save yourself the hours spent on the train each day

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IrishBA@reddit

Yeah, I mean if you have to be in London 700 pounds worth of the time, that may be the case for some people. You aren't buying a 4 bed detached with a garden and double garage in London within walking distance to schools for 700 more than you pay here for the same. Demand crushes that equation quickly enough. Prices scale up pretty quickly when in London. Might work for a flat, smaller house, but not even close for a detached place. Also, 700 quid extra a month puts you in a different mortgage product bracket which gets very expensive. Also, schools.

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Medium_Cantaloupe_50@reddit

Yeah I guess once you get up to that size of house then it doesn't really apply especially as detached houses aren't as common in London. But it's likely anyone in a 2-3 bed flat/semi can comfortably purchase a similar place for the equivalent increase in mortgage costs. Obviously not in central London but definitely somewhere within the tube network and avoid exposing themselves to the exorbitant train costs once you leave London

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Fluid_Ad_98@reddit

Exactly what I did. Figured that money is better spent paying off a mortgage than down the drain on overpriced transport.

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DustTheHunter@reddit

Be proud that it's one of the only shopping centres in the UK that has retained footfall post COVID. While highsteets are dying across the UK, the shamed one in MK is actually thriving. Clearly something is right with it

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IrishBA@reddit

I mean it's not like it has a real commercial high street to compete with it anywhere close! What are you going to do, get your Xmas shopping in Bedford. No ta.

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Squishwhale@reddit

Clearly everyone is popping into Northampton!

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IrishBA@reddit

That'd be a brief visit 😀

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Squishwhale@reddit

But the trauma lasts a lifetime

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Ok_Key_51@reddit

Haha definitely not.

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Notagelding@reddit

Also the only shopping centre where Question Time has been filmed 😂😂

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waltzwithpotatoes2@reddit

I used to live near and work in MK, I like it, we always used to go there for cinema and shopping instead of the ones in our home towns. I think there are a few issues, it's so efficient at moving people around that it almost feels empty, even the shopping center doesn't ever feel to busy. A bit counter productive but the lack of people does give a vibe. I also don't think it has its own "neighborhoods" and areas that have distinct characters unlike other cities. London has a convent garden, Shoreditch, Camden.. Liverpool has Georgian Quarter, Ropewalks, The center, Manchester has Northern Quarter, Media City, Canal Street etc. I don't think MK really has anything like that, it all just blends in. The lack of history means just means their is a lack of soul. I also think they made a mistake with the the rules regarding the buildings, the "no buildings above treelines" means you kinda lose your typical cityscape so apart from xscape it's just a sea of square 6 story buildings. Not to mention that there are some areas in the center they can't build on due to the ground being unsuitable so you have just patches of unkept land (e.g. opposite Sainsbury's in the hub)

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keithmk@reddit

Lack of history? LOL, there is a roman road running through it, roman villa, the coaching inns, the canals weren't built last week. The old market towns dating back to Norman Conquest times, saxon remains. You need to go outside your front door and open your eyes

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waltzwithpotatoes2@reddit

Newport Pagnell, Stony, Olney are not Milton Keynes though. What I meant is that there are no areas that have historic roots in the city proper that have grown and evolved through history that have shaped the areas. Again you look at London, Liverpool, Manchester etc each have districts and areas that have grown over the years and have their distinct character and history behind them. MK doesn't have that...

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keithmk@reddit

What? Olney is outside of MK, yes, but I never mentioned it. NP was outside the original designated area, but is very much part of the Borough of MK. Stony has been part of MK since the origin of the idea of MK. MK village is a very old village slap bang in the heart of MK. It was there from at least Norman times. Wolverton grew with the railways as did Bradwell. There is even a Roman encampment at Fenny, let alone its growth since the coaching days. You are just wrong

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waltzwithpotatoes2@reddit

Again you missed the point Are these areas comparable to the places I mentioned in other cities, all these are towns outside the city proper. Come out of bank station in London and see the mix of old houses and banks with the skyscrapers mixed in, or St Paul's. Goto Manchester, Liverpool , Bath , Bristol and got to the city centers and they have the character of the old and new. Sure yeah if you go into the towns outside of MK proper you can find something but the city center proper, nope, there is no history between those glass and grey buildings, no old churches, cathedrals , no signs of industry. This is why people think MK is soulless..

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keithmk@reddit

Again you missed the point. They are not towns outside of MK proper, they are an integral part of it. Step out of Wolverton station and you are there in the heart of a historic old part of the city that has grown over time, there are old parts and new all mixed in. There is even an old abandoned saxon village there. Or Stony, an integral part of the city from its very conception. Have you ever been to Stony or MK Village, or Fenny or anywhere from the original MK. You choose one site in MK, the city centre and condemn the rest of a large and varied city based on the age of that. My question to you then. What about the O2 Arena in London, Oh Wow it was built for the 2012 Olympics, no history, no organic growth is there? This is exactly the same sort of point that you have tried to make. I suggest that you look at MK as you know next to nothing about it. When you attempt to make assertions about a place at least try to get the facts correct

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waltzwithpotatoes2@reddit

I've been to MK plenty, was born in Bedfordshire and worked next to the coach station for 5 years and another 5 years in Sherrington so I know about MK. If you want to defend it then that's fine, but if you think MK and the center (which most people think of when they think of MK) is comparable to the areas and the centers of other cities history wise then that's on you. Imho it's not, and so do plenty of others which is why people think it's soulless. People outside of MK, and I guess even myself, don't think of Wolverton , Stony when they think of MK, I don't and so do many others. So don't equate them as part of MK history. They think of the center and the copy and paste estates around it and the giant industrial estates before you get out to stony, Newport etc. Ironic though o2 arena was originally the millennium dome, not built for the Olympics, so insert quip about basic facts here. However what I would say is that you can see all the old docks and wharfs around the o2. I actually now live in the Olympic park, which is what you described, I mean you're right you are not going to get much history from the old rail yards and wasteland that have made way for green spaces and a stadium. You still have the old canals, locks, original bridges, old factories either converted or still going, old churches and town buildings in the immediate area. But that's your outsider perspective isn't it? Just like my view of MK is shared by a lot of outsiders (even though close by) as much as that obviously hurts you.

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keithmk@reddit

You don't think of the key original areas of MK as part of MK? They are and always have been part of MK. So you don't like MK because it is new, but you only judge it on the new parts and choose to ignore all the integral parts because they don't fit with your rather distorted narrative. LOL

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xxmekailxx@reddit

Look here: https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/parish-register-interests This is a list from Milton Keynes CITY Council of all the civil parishes (areas) in MK, and Bletchley, Stony, Wolverton, Newport Pagnell and Olney are ALL listed there. They are all governed by Milton Keynes CITY Council, so one would have to assume that, yes, they are in the "city proper" of MK, which refers to the administrative boundaries of a city. So yes, they ALL count as settlements with history within, and not outside of, MK. Also, visit Bradwell Abbey, Broughton, Loughton and Simpson and you'll find quite a bit of history.

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xxmekailxx@reddit

Btw, Olney is also part of the Borough of MK (look it up) because the borough, which is the political entity administered by MK Council, extends pretty significantly beyond the original designated area and built up area (NP is part of the latter). MK's modern boundaries are somewhat ambiguous and confusing, but in any case, you can find history wherever you draw the MK boundary to be.

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keithmk@reddit

Sorry, my error. you are of course correct. This strengthens my argument about MK being such a wide and diverse area with a wealth of history and different places. I must admit my comment about Olney being outside MK dates back to when I first moved into the area in the early 70s. Do you remember the sign as you crossed over the M1 from the NP direction welcoming you to the designated area? Of course it has changed so much since then, since it was handed over by the development corporation to the borough. That's a while ago!

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xxmekailxx@reddit

Yes, MK has expanded substantially since the development corporation got disbanded, and it even covers quite a large unbuilt rural area, which is why many people don't know that the MK borough is bigger than they think. There are signs near Lavendon saying "Welcome to Milton Keynes." I believe the old welcome signs near Newport Pagnell on the H3 are still there though.

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IrishBA@reddit

That's a bit like saying Ealing isn't in London. They are completely and utterly part of Milton Keynes. Olney is debatable.

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xxmekailxx@reddit

Yes, Bletchley, Stony and Wolverton are just as much a part of MK as the literal city centre is and any estate like Monkston or Stantonbury are. Olney is a weird one because even though it's separated from inner MK by countryside, it falls under the City Council's jurisdiction and receives all MK public services, can vote in MK elections and is included in most statistics for MK, so it's a bit like how some parts of Bromley and Kingston-upon-Thames are cut off from the rest of London by countryside, but are still counted as part of the city as they still fall under the jurisdiction of London services like TfL and can vote for the Mayor of London, so I'd also count Olney as part of MK for that reason.

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xxmekailxx@reddit

Politically, they all fall under MK City Council, so are administratively part of the City of Milton Keynes. Bletchley, Wolverton and Stony Stratford in particular are 100% MK because they were part of the original New Town plan from the beginning. Bletchley is arguably one of the most important towns in the country for WW2 history. And even in the inner city areas, there are plenty of historic villages which are now estates where you can find quite a bit of history, like MK Village in Middleton, which modern MK takes its name.

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AvadaBalaclava@reddit

Well they are. Olney is debated but the other two are definitely Milton Keynes

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Emotional-Stay-9582@reddit

Just to comment on the lack of history. All MK suburbs are named against original historic names. New Bradwell/Bradwell was the site of a medieval priory which eventually belonged to Cardinal Wolsey. It was in Stony Stratford that the two Princes (of Tower fame) were intercepted by their uncle Richard III. It was in Grafton Regis that their mother lived and married Edward IV. Henry VIII often visited the manor and there is a picture of him and Ann Boleyn in the local church. Stony Stratford is also the location of the original ‘Cock and Bull’ story. Bletchley has been inhabited since Roman times and was known for its vines and more recently as the birth place of digital computers (and much more). Literally scratch the surface in MK and history comes out of the ground.

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Rcsql@reddit

You've summed up what I was struggling to find the words for. It's soulless, homogeneous, bland and lacking in character. Which is fine for some.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yeah. That building height rule is gone now, so that will change over time. I think we have these districts, I just think the city has been designed to be alot more populated than it currently is, I mean Manchester for example is double the population. We have the stadium area, the theatre district, the shopping district, the lake, then we have the smaller suburbs, but none of those have enough people in them to feel substantial. Once the population grows big enough and some of them taller buildings come, I think we will see the city come into it's own.

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Scones_and_BrakeDust@reddit

People love to talk s\*\*\* because it makes them feel better about their own s\*\*\*\*y lives. Ignore them.

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evolutionIsScary@reddit

I lived in MK for 10 years until about 2002. I found it incredibly soulless. When I used to drive down the dual carriageways, maybe on my way from the south of the city to the centre, it would be a surprise to see a human walking alongside the road on the redways (as I think they used to be called). That's what leads to its soullessness. Today I live in a small town just outside London and there are people everywhere, which is what I prefer. The noise can be too much sometimes where I live now but I think I prefer that to the quiet of MK. Because the city revolves around its road system and because public transport in MK at the time was awful it became hell on those occasions when I needed a garage to fix my car. Without a car for several days it was horrible trying to get around. I worked in Oxford for a while and used to commute on a motorbike. The journey took an hour one way. When my motorbike broke down I had to take a bus to work. That took 3hours and 20 minutes one way! One good thing about MK is the trees. They are everywhere and look fantastic in summer. Even Fishermead, near the city centre, which was an area people avoided if they didn't have to be there and where the houses were poorly built, has incredible streets with four lines of trees along their length. It used to be really difficult getting back home at night from the city centre if I had been out drinking. There weren't enough taxis. I can remember walking to the central railway station and queueing for a taxi there, only to be forced out of my place in the queue by violent drunk chavs. Another good thing was that in the south of MK, where I lived, crime was non-existent. It was rare to see a police car in my part of the town. One thing I hated about MK was the stench. It would only happen when the wind was in a certain direction. It came from the brickworks at Kempston, which produced gases that smelled a bit like burning brake or clutch discs. That smell alone would deter me from living in MK again.

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TrickyAd4473@reddit

Living in Kempston, I can confirm the main brickworks are now gone and largely knocked down as well. We have replaced it with the far more attractive near by landfill site though but I imagine smell from that travels far less at least...

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evolutionIsScary@reddit

That is really interesting. If the smell has gone for good I might even consider returning to MK some day. In the past you could even smell the stench from the brickworks in north London if the wind was in the right direction. If the site that produced that awful smell has been demolished then that is good for the people of the south east and good for the environment too. :)

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Maybe the lack of people everywhere is the issue. It is really spread out, whereas most cities are quite concentrated. I think it really needs a much larger population to fill it out. I guess this doesnt bother me because I like peace and not loads of people all the time. I cant smell anything bad, that must be gone now. I can imagine in 2002 this city was no where near as good as it is now. 20 years is a long time. It has alot going on for it now, and is still growing. You should maybe pop in some time to see how its changed.

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evolutionIsScary@reddit

I think the stench only affected the south of MK, near the H10. I hope the stench has gone now. It was there for all of my time in MK, not every day of course, and it was truly horrible. I could not open my windows and even when they were closed the smell still entered the house. I find it hard to believe that the smell no longer occurs but would love to be wrong. You're right, 20 years is a long time. The last time I was there was maybe 10 years ago. Next summer I think I'll drive up the M1 one Saturday and simply wander around the city centre for a while, maybe eating at Five Guys (if I remember the name of the burger place correctly). The trees of the city and the wide-open spaces of the dual carriageways make MK pleasant in summer but soulless in winter when the leaves have long fallen and the rain comes down from a grey sky to lash your windscreen.

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okaybutnotho73@reddit

Most places have something they’re known for - landmarks and such. For MK it’s the cows and roundabouts. For Windsor it is probably the castle, for Silverstone it’s probably the racing circuit.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I wish we were more known for having the only genuine Peace Pagoda in the western hemisphere, look it up on Google, which is situation right next to the active Buddhist temple who man it. It's awesome to look at and visit. Or the first multiplex cinema in the UK. A cinema which revolutionized cinema in the UK, now we have all multiplexes. Or the first delivery robots, a fleet of them, driving around the city delivering whatever to whoever needs it. Or the light pyramid, aligned with the central street 'midsummer boulevard' which are all in turn aligned with the summer solstice. Meaning the whole city is aligned with the summer solstice. Or Bletchley park, where the world war 2 code breakers were based (watch the movie the imitation game) Or the other list of cool things I could mention. Or if only people mentioned the roundabouts for the efficient system they are. Navigation is easy once you understand the system, and traffic is extremely rare. I dont remember how hard driving into town on a Saturday used to be.

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okaybutnotho73@reddit

Lived in and around MK for over 10 years - Wolverton (home of royal trains and mentioned in Domesday) and Olney (pancake race, John Cowper). I totally agree, why is MK only known for the cows and roundabouts? Did they get huge amounts of publicity that stayed in people’s heads? We moved there in 1979.

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Dangerous-Study-7195@reddit

my gripe: all-modern construction issues such as very high prevalence of asbestos

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TheRealVillas@reddit

I'm Scottish and have no idea why this sub was recommended to me but to give an answer then I think a lot of hatred comes from the football club

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WarningObvious23@reddit

I would agree, for sure not the only reason, but how MK Dons came to be as a football club will be contributing to it for sure, the football community has a large voice. Having visited MK dons for an away match it came up constantly followed by disdain for the city, also came up a lot when visiting Wimbledon as you can imagine.

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CrabbyT777@reddit

I never had a thought about the place other than “oh look, concrete cows”, but ever since my old team moved there to die I feckin hate the place, which is irrational af as it was just down to a couple of blokes, not whole city

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Extra_Reality644@reddit

It’s so funny how you said it has everything you need then named IKEA and Costco as examples. How about useful public transport, affordable housing, decent jobs and stuff to do for young people apart from take drugs in parks? Couldn’t afford to rent a one bed flat in MK on my full time salary, couldn’t afford a car. It was pretty decent to cycle round but I did get mugged on the redway and also followed several times by complete strangers. If you like it there then fine good for you but I found it a very difficult place to live.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Well, IKEA and Costco were only mentioned because they are examples of shops you normally have to drive quite far to find. There is loads to do for young people. I mean literally the list is endless. Sorry you got mugged. That's shitty. And yeah, housing ain't cheap. But then, name somewhere decent in the south that is?

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brajandzesika@reddit

Went to Milton Keynes twice, tried to find a city center but... it seems that there isn't one? All people just walk from shop to shop, but there is no place you could call a 'center' - am I right of am I missing something ?

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Central MK is the big grid road area, and it has blocks, like in America. It has the mall, the theatre district, the financial district, Xacape, and the Hub. Then you have surrounding districts/suburbs such as Stony Stratford, Wolverton, and Bletchley, which all have there on centres as well.

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xxmekailxx@reddit

Don't forget Kingston and Westcroft, which are pretty big retail districts in the city.

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JHDudman@reddit

MK Dons are part of the problem, they desperately need a re-brand.. Often it's the first thing,(other than roundabouts), that people think of when asked about MK.

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hungrycrisp@reddit

Personally to me it is souless, I like the bustling and people watching of London. MK feels fake for some reason. I think it’s a place to move to once you’ve stopped hanging out with friends and only hang out with your partner and 2 year old.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

This is probably true when you consider just the town centre. (Although we did a stag night there and had a decent time), but the town centre is more a shopping and entertainment district. You go there if you want to catch a movie or do some activities, like skiing, or the theatre. Have some dinner (yes there are chain restaurants, but some are decent places like Middletons Steak House, but there are a few local owned places too), going shopping of course, and such and so on. If you are looking for more of a high street pub vibe, with more local restaurants, then you'll head to Bletchley, Stony, Wolverton or Newport Pagnell, all part of MK. You cant compare it to the bustle of London, lets be honest, but I think it has alot more than you think. Just rememebr, our high street in the centre is a huge mall, everyone is inside. Its got alot of soul though. It is a place for families, its lack of a night life (in terms of pubs and clubs) is great because that type of activity brings issues such as drunken crime, and causes the hospitals extra stress. You can also be in Camden in 35 mins on the train, and the trains run late, so it doesnt need a night life, so its soul is in its families, its parks, and fields, its wild animals, its nature reserves, its lakes..its a calm city, but with everything you could ever need in it, and you dont get stuck in traffic for hours at rush hour or weekends. It also tends not to have the 'your not one of us' locals you tend to get in older cities, so it feels more inclusive. Its soul is in its uniqueness, its quality of life and access, it creates harmony in a way, much likes its grid system. And that would fall in line with the fact we have a Buddhist temple and the only Peace Pagoda in the western hemisphere.

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hungrycrisp@reddit

I’m sure it’s great if that’s what you’re looking for! I like being close together and not having to travel to find decent places/there being something on the doorstep. I also am not scared of drunken nightlife, I’m out most weekends in central and it’s good vibes. My friend lives in MK and she has to leave every night out early(11) to get that train. She also has a tough time dating there. Like I said, it’s a place to go once you’re settled and your social plans are dwindling. Different folks different strokes. Hope you enjoy your time there!

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No-Computer-2847@reddit

Because it’s a soulless shithole. Happy to help!

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Thanks for your input. I think 'stole' is what you meant. Your opinion means alot to me.

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No-Computer-2847@reddit

I said what I meant and I meant what I said. I’m sorry if that upsets you.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

It doesnt. Because really, you said nothing at all. If you did have anything of value to add, I would be genuinely interested to hear it 👊🏽

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No-Computer-2847@reddit

If you only wanted to hear specific answers that matched your preconceptions I'm not sure why you asked the question in the first place.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Oh dont misunderstand me, I dont only want to hear opinions that match mine, I want to hear opinions offering a different perspective. But that's not what you provided, you just made an empty comment. You offered that it's a 'soulless shithole' but no information to explain why. So that means nothing to me. And then said we *stole* all our sports teams, but named none, gave no specifics. Is 'buying' the same as 'stealing'? If a team chooses to move, was it stolen by the city? I mean theres so many holes in your opinion, that it's no longer even an opinion. Its just trolling, so it's useless. I hope it gave you what you were looking for though 😉. I'm going to get back to reading other peoples opinions. Have a good one.

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HammerToFall50@reddit

I’m going to say, simply: roundabouts.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yes, because who wouldnt rather deal with gridlocked rush hour traffic everyday and on the weekends.

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HammerToFall50@reddit

It’s not so much the roundabouts themselves but for someone who visits it’s difficult to remember the way to anywhere. 🤣 the concept is great. It’s the only place in the country I need use a sat nav every time I visit.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Oh I see, it's the fact that the roads all look the same. Interestingly when I first moved there I found it initially hard to get instant bearings on things, for the reason you mentioned, but after a short amount of time I was able to map out nearly the entire city. It's a very simple system, so I think, maybe before you have figured out such a system, its alien. You are used to looking for landmarks. But once you do it's really easy I go 4 blocks this way, then 3 blocks that way. You dont need to make more than a couple of turns.

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NaturalAirWaterFire@reddit

If people talk shit about MK they're usually jealous because they're from Northampton or Luton 😂 I do get why people think it's soulless, from an outside perspective it's very easy to see it that way but living here you're more in it and know what's going on and what to do.

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marbmusiclove@reddit

Born in Luton, Leighton/stewkley in infancy, grew up (6-18) in MK. Nothing about MK would want to make me go back as an adult (currently 25). Far too expensive and not enough to do as a young person who enjoys certain kinds of nightlife, it was great for rock-oriented gigs tho. It’s somewhere I might consider to raise children, but there are probably similar places with a lower cost of living

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NaturalAirWaterFire@reddit

Great for the rock scene I do agree. I'm 4 years older than you and agree on certain types of nightlife, at the same time I felt I just made do until I went to uni!

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marbmusiclove@reddit

Me too!! Boring city unless you like shopping or skating

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NaturalAirWaterFire@reddit

Haha this easily sums up my teen years 😂 mostly shopping or window shopping, because I couldn't skate, but knew lots who could! I find it less boring as an adult now and settled back in after uni.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yeah. We dont have a condensed central area, we have lots to do, but spread out. Which is what the city was designed for so I guess it worked. But it means spending enough time here to figure it all out. But, the fact that we are in such a great location to go to other places, also adds to the benefit of MK.

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NaturalAirWaterFire@reddit

Absolutely! Definitely pros and cons to the design of Milton Keynes. Sometimes with it being spread out, it's sussing out logistics of going to some places. Like, I love MK11 but I have to work out if I want to budget in a taxi so I can have a few drinks, if anyone wants to be a designated driver or if I just bite the bullet and drive. I didn't mind so much when I was in walking distance of the place 😂 It is a great location for so many things, I love being on the edge of the country and have all the amenities needed within 20mins.

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mrbadassmotherfucker@reddit

Shhhhh it’s our secret 🤫

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C_beside_the_seaside@reddit

I will talk shit about Norwich as it's my hometown, but I do love it for the reasons you love MK! The parks (Earlham, Eaton, Waterloo & Wensum, Riverside Walk & Mousehold Heath) and the ...well, ok, the diversity was never really off the scale & the gay pubs had blacked out windows when I was growing up (but so did the dodgy rough pub on the end of my street so) I do wish more cities had stuff within reasonable distance. Even here in Dundee you need to jump onto the A road ring road to really get to the big trading estates, although I can kinda walk to them, I'd need a taxi to get stuff back from B&Q etc. My eventual goal is a remote bungalow with a load of caravans my friends and I can have a commune in but... I'm mental, Milton Keynes would probably be just as nice 😂

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Excellent-Ticket-803@reddit

Pure cope.

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nitram343@reddit

MK is a weird city. Its very (VERY) convenient. It has a bit of everything (skiing, kart racings, climbing, football, ice ring, shopping centre, theatre, cinemas, golf, mini golf, tennis, Paddington, restaurants, pubs, clubs, gyms, lots and lots of parks and green spaces... I dont know, you name it, probably has it). But at the same time, hardly has places to walk around and just enjoy city sightseeing. It has very little to none city vibes. If you compare it with small population cities/towns... then its not so bad. but if you compare it with the Sheffield, Leeds, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Birmingham... then if feels like, well, what it is a city that was build just in the 60s, with a bit of an identity crisis of where it wants to go (government plan is to make it a half a million city, then local Karen complain every time a tall(ish) building is planned, or a building that hasn't been used in more than a decade is about to be demolish. Even The old bus is a graded building!!! Think about that! It has the potential to be great city, but some people wants it to remain as it is, just a commuting town.

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philster666@reddit

I feel the city has caught a lot of flak due to the football team move, not due to the city itself.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Where did that team come from? I keep hearing about a stolen football team?

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CrabbyT777@reddit

Wimbledon FC were homeless after the owner decided to sell their ground rather than redevelop it to all-seater, and having borrowed the Crystal Palace FC ground for a decade, were lured to MK with the promise of a new home and future. Once there they folded and the new club was formed, meanwhile Wimbledon fans formed a new team in SW London (google AFC Wimbledon). Ironically two decades later, MK “Dons” and AFCW are both in the same division (MK having dropped several, and AFCW having had nine promotions), and boy those are fun games to attend. Not

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philster666@reddit

Wimbledon FC, a team from South London, controversially relocated to Milton Keynes in 2004. Whilst teams have moved areas in the past mostly only a few miles at most. In this case the owners upped sticks and moved the club to a completely different city, in an act that was largely derided by neutral football fans and obviously incensed Wimbledon fans, who would go on to found a new club AFC Wimbledon soon after.

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

They bought Wimbledon and moved it to MK.

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Albert_Herring@reddit

It was much the same before the theft, as I recall Reddit has just bounced this post to me, used to live in Bucks a long time ago, visited MK for, well, bike racing mostly, and my sympathies in that story are entirely with Wimbledon fans. But even back in the early 1980s it was just commonly seen by us outsiders as a soulless wasteland of roundabouts and concrete cows with a big car park in the middle and more cycle paths than we were used to.

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Inside-Judgment6233@reddit

Disliked MK due to Wimbledon football stuff. Liking it more due to Red Bull Racing connection

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CrabbyT777@reddit

Same, then my aunt moved there and now I have to visit her with a bunch of AFCW stickers in my car windows :-)

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yeah, when Verstappen drove the car around the streets, so cool. And 20mins to Silverstone. Win.

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Orngog@reddit

You'll get a better understanding by asking *what* shit people say about Milton Keynes, I think

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Xaerob@reddit

To me the greatest feature about living in MK is it doesn't get in the way of life. Other cities may claim more charm and character, but you also spend a lot of the time in a traffic jam. Which is OK for visiting, but I really appreciate that when I'm home in MK I can actually get to my home in 10 mins from the train or coach station, parks, schools, shopping centre, lakes, supermarkets, etc regardless of time of day as can every other resident. There isn't another city like that in the UK. Likewise walking and cycling network just enables everyone to get on with their life. And yes we can even get out of MK fast too when we want to travel. It's well connected to the rest of the country hence the logistics companies based in MK.

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Boop0p@reddit

>but I really appreciate that when I'm home in MK I can actually get to my home in 10 mins from the train or coach station, parks, schools, shopping centre, lakes, supermarkets, etc regardless of time of day as can every other resident. \*every other resident that owns a car. Those that don't have to spend a lot of time waiting for buses, walking, or cycling because everything is so spread out. The layout of MK benefits those that can afford to own a car, and disadvantages those that can't.

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Xrystian90@reddit

Cos you stole your football club

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Boop0p@reddit

I live in LB. Things I appreciate about MK: * Lots of green space. * Red ways. * Big car free shopping spaces. * The green space means presumably less of a heat island effect vs dense cities. So now I've got that out of the way and you don't all think I have nothing good to say about the place, things I dislike about MK: * It's an American city dropped in to the UK. Car is king. Yes there's spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, but they're often circuitious routes that are poorly lit and poorly signposted if at all. * While there are great pedestrian zones, there are also vast swathes of land taken up for parking, much like an American city in the 70's. Why is the railway station a 20-30 minute walk from the railway station? Some people with mobility issues rely on their cars, yes, but others can't drive at all. How does having to cross multiple car parks serve them? * It's terribly sparse. If I lived in MK and someone told me they did too, they might live a 5 minute walk or cycle away from me, but they also might live a 40 minute cycle from me on the other side of the city. Not the case in a denser town or city. I do not hate MK (as my friend who lives there thinks!) but I find it deeply frustrating that it's so spread out and assumed that everyone owns a car.

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straightupdebs@reddit

I love MK. We are a family of 5. I love biking through MK. Yes, convenience is essential when runing a career, a household amd several ages family members needs. It's geographical location is key for progress and growth and I love how green it is. the trees make my day, the fresh air quality, the fact that it is growing makes it accommodating for growing families and in the time I lived in MK I have witnessed alot of improvements. I believe it is a great place to live, it's a great place for ppl with go getter mentality. I also drive and yes find it so easy and wuick to get from A to B. I love IKEA, CostCo, all the British supermarket chains aswell as the parks the new neighbourhoods being built, its easy access to London and other adjacent cities. The OU is growing and I lobe the fact that you also have Buckingham University as well as the new multimillion pound new Campus that's about to come to MK, which is meant to be the new "Silicon Valley" of Britain. I love the technological advances made across history from its conception and the fact that is DOES HAVE HISTORY- through the adjacent villages all around and inside that became Milton Keynes. I wouldn't move. it's the place to raise a family whist having all the different facets from counter barns, country side, farming land, to Fortune 500 companies established for years in MK, to the amazing facilities, not to mention the over 15+ lakes (yes some are man made but still beautiful) the landscape is absolutely stunning it's clean and organised, just how I like my life to be. there's so much in MK. education is great, you can do hiking, forest walks, lake walks, the architectural design of the properties around MK is just so innovative and beautiful to look at. We've mentioned The bowl- Michael Jackson actually performed there! for those who said it has no culture and music scene is poor... I am quite happy that it doesn't have a night life as this would bring more drugs and crime in more police calls fights and use the NHS resources on patients with alcohol poisoning and victims of club fights, rape etc...I mean I rather the city treated the community issues rather than put more wood on the fire. I have had a less sedentary life in MK than in any other city I've lived in and I have lived in many countries and appreciated many cultures around the world. MK still is to me my favourite place to come back to. There's plenty of character and pubs around chain and old traditional ones you just need to actually look round! Yes it's defiantely different from the rest of the "typical" cities in UK...and that's what's supposed to be like and known for. its original and planned. I like that. It's a successful new city and I root for its growth, in fact I want to contribute to its growth. I am proud to say I'm from MK. As to the people, majority of people I have met in MK were people who were very kind, helpfull and supportive. I think that there is a great community vibe and I also feel that being a new town makes it that people are more open and receptive since its anew town. Other towns with "history" are quite xenophobic, close knit and difficult to make acquaintances. I experienced that first hand, but not in MK. The added benefit is that of MK becomes outgrown you cnas till reach out further ahead in London, or catch a flight and regroup! I hope it grows and I know that the generation of people in MK will make it even better especially the youth that's there right now, who love their city.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I 100% entirely agree, your comment is totally precise and exactly my point. I actually touched on MKs inclusiveness as a response to a comment above...I'm gonna copy it here for you to read. "It kind of is a new Nirvana though. The old suffering of cities which have grown randomly and therefore have no structure which creates tight streets, close buildings, traffic Jams, bad access, making day to day life a pain in the ass is gone, and a new spacious, efficient way of living has been born. IKEA and Costco were mentioned because these types of places dont exist in all cities, they are hugely convenient and usually you have to drive to another city to find them, but there is more to MK, as I also mentioned. People talk about its lacking in cultural identity, but really it is growing that as we speak, because it is so new, and so far its cultural identity is openness and acceptance for all. In other UK cities I've ran into those 'we are from here, and you are not one of us' people, but in MK that doesnt exist, everyone is welcome, from anywhere, and that means alot to people, and that harmonious embracing attitude is MKs culture, as is the love for the natural beauty spots which are dotted all around and throughout the city. So many lovely places to go enjoy from Nature to adventure. Plus its ideal location to get anywhere in the country. Its cultural identity is Modern, forward thinking, open minded freedom and efficient convenience to enable you to focus on the important things in your life. There are no chains on the feet of people who live in MK, and it's for everyone who wants it. We even have the only peace pagoda in the western hemisphere as well as a Buddhist temple where Buddhist live. We have a multi religious church in the centre. Our main road 'Mid Summer Boulevard' (and the city) was built inline with the summer solstice, where the sun will rise in line with that road in the centre of the city and shine upon the light pyramid at Campbell park. We have a part in the centre of town which is as big as central park in NYC, which has its own theme park, lake with water activities, tree adventure climbing area, and all kinds of things to do. We have the only redwood trees in the UK, this list could go on. Ultimately, Milton Keynes is about inclusion and that is what makes it great."

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Kayos-theory@reddit

As someone who pre-dates MK by almost 10 years I can maybe shed some light. It was one of the first “New Towns” and comedians and satirists immediately locked on to it as a “ridiculous” thing. People were indoctrinated into believing this was a new fangled fad thing. The thinking was that “Towns do not spring like Athena, fully armed from the forehead, but instead grow organically from small communities expanding over centuries”. Add in the fact that modern architects were generally treated with some disdain in the 60’s because, having been charged with finding quick, economical ways to house large numbers in crowded cities following the destruction of the blitz, threw up soulless concrete tower blocks that most people hated. So, a “new thing”, which Brits, particularly middle englanders, are predisposed to treat with suspicion and disdain, designed from the ground up by the despised architects. It became a meme. MK, the ridiculous “experiment” doomed to fail. But it didn’t. So now it’s hated even more. Side note: not sure if the concrete cows were ironic or if someone actually thought they were things of beauty, but we then had the “cow parade” throughout the UK with “worthy” cities all displaying concrete cows in their town centres, so I guess MK had the last laugh there. Until Liverpool had to jump the shark with the superlambbanana. I mean, really Scousers, what were you thinking?

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L0rdLuk3n@reddit

When I was around 20, I did door to door sales for multiple companies across the country. Every area had the odd arsehole, but generally, the further north I worked, the nicer the people. For instance, I sold talk talk in newcastle and had a chat with everybody who answered and was offered food and drink multiple times a day. I couldn't actually make a sale there because the residents had taken the time to listen to the fantastic deal that was on offer and had already signed up with previous door knockers. Then I got to MK. Out of everywhere I have worked, I've never met such a bunch of miserable, aggressive, self absorbed cunts. So if anybody asks me about MK, my opinion of the place is based on the absolute shitcunts I've met there.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I would imagine you just had bad luck, or maybe MK people have a no BS attitude.

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alillypie@reddit

Mk is great. The dual carriageways, IKEA Costco the shopping centre Xscape all the green spaces lots of new houses. The city has so much to offer and it's so close to all the main cities for jobs

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

My sentiments exactly

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pigdogpigcat@reddit

This is kind of the point OP. MK is great for you, because people have different needs. But the fact you list as positives in a few posts things like bowling, dual carriageways, ikea, Costco Etc... For many people that's like a nightmare of somewhere to live. I live in Manchester, not far from an ikea, I can't imagine in a million years listing that as a 'feature', and that's kind of the point. MK is just a standard provincial town, and if you like the cinema and frankie and bennys and all that other stuff, great, but it is what it is, not some kind of new nirvana. It's kind of revealing that almost nothing in this thread discusses the cultural benefits, if any, of MK. When I worked there I found it pretty soulless tbh, but again, that's just me.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

It kind of is a new Nirvana though. The old suffering of cities which have grown randomly and therefore have no structure which creates tight streets, close buildings, traffic Jams, bad access, making day to day life a pain in the ass is gone, and a new spacious, efficient way of living has been born. IKEA and Costco were mentioned because these types of places dont exist in all cities, they are hugely convenient and usually you have to drive to another city to find them, but there is more to MK, as I also mentioned. People talk about its lacking in cultural identity, but really it is growing that as we speak, because it is so new, and so far its cultural identity is openness and acceptance for all. In other UK cities I've ran into those 'we are from here, and you are not one of us' people, but in MK that doesnt exist, everyone is welcome, from anywhere, and that means alot to people, and that harmonious embracing attitude is MKs culture, as is the love for the natural beauty spots which are dotted all around and throughout the city. So many lovely places to go enjoy from Nature to adventure. Plus its ideal location to get anywhere in the country. Its cultural identity is Modern, forward thinking, open minded freedom and efficient convenience to enable you to focus on the important things in your life. There are no chains on the feet of people who live in MK, and it's for everyone who wants it. We even have the only peace pagoda in the western hemisphere as well as a Buddhist temple where Buddhist live. We have a multi religious church in the centre. Our main road 'Mid Summer Boulevard' (and the city) was built inline with the summer solstice, where the sun will rise in line with that road in the centre of the city and shine upon the light pyramid at Campbell park. We have a part in the centre of town which is as big as central park in NYC, which has its own theme park, lake with water activities, tree adventure climbing area, and all kinds of things to do. We have the only redwood trees in the UK, this list could go on. Ultimately, Milton Keynes is about inclusion and that is what makes it great.

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Del_Prestons_Shoes@reddit

People talk shit about everywhere that’s the joke

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Lilyjoch123@reddit

It’s the most boring city in the world, very little independent business, almost no music scene, it’s expensive and it’s just plain ugly. Also you have to drive everywhere and even though it is MADE for a tram system the public transport is dire.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I can always tell when someone has spent almost zero time in Milton Keynes.

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BicycleStipee@reddit

It’s got no real character or history being so new. All the buildings are ugly, modern, utilitarian. The fuck of that goofy pyramid? Also the fantastic road system is often gridlocked… Yes I know there’s historic areas within as with all of the UK, but as a city it’s new.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

The road system really isnt ever gridlocked. The pyramid was the first multiplex cinema in the UK, actually it changed cinema in the UK forever. And yeah, lots of history, from Roman roads and houses, to WW2 code breakers.

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6637733885362995955@reddit

It's great on the motorcycle for practicing getting your right knee down. Fast roundabouts followed by straights.

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broadmindedelder@reddit

It is wrong... but did you know Latin for Milton is turdus

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xxmekailxx@reddit

I hate it when people say that MK has no history. When the New Town was designated in 1967, it literally included many pre-existing villages, hamlets and, yes, market towns which people claim aren't really MK. Bletchley has been part of MK for the city's entire existence, and is literally one of the country's towns most famously associated with the WW2 efforts. They didn't hold the AI summit at Bletchley Park for no reason. Technically, you could even include Olney, which has been part of the administrative/political boundary of MK since 1972, and was where the famous Amazing Grace Hymn was written, commemorated at the Cowper and Newton Museum. We shouldn't just ignore the older towns which are still officially part of the City of Milton Keynes. Plus, does history really bother that many people. For us Milton Keynesians, it's more of our uniqueness that makes us special, rather than our history. Not many other similarly sized cities can claim having a park no more than a mile away from most residents, or being able to walk/ride across the city within a few hours without having to get caught up in the road traffic, or being able to drive across the city during rush hour and not want to bash your head on the steering wheel thanks to our fast flowing network of grid roads and dual carriageways, not to mention how our city centre isn't cramped into a few alleyways like other town and city centres are, and the city in general is much more modern and spacious compared to the Victorian layout of places like Northampton and Luton. These people should take a visit to Northampton, Luton or Leicester and see for themselves if they'll be amazed with the horrible traffic and cramped (and generally dirty) streets. Sure, MK has is sh*tholes, like Fishermead and Netherfield, but literally every town and city in the world does. We also have almost everything anyone can ask for in a city, with many shopping centres, bars and restaurants, clubs, an art gallery, a theatre, a theme park, bolling alleys, cinemas, six museums, lots of green spaces, not to mention the traditional English settlements that you can find both within and on the doorstep of MK's borders, and you're only a 40-50 mins train/bus ride away from London, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge. Other than a small Uni of Beds campus and the Open University, we don't have an MK university, but I imagine we'll get one sometime in the not too distant future. Personally, I love MK, and I honestly can't imagine what my life would be like if I lived elsewhere.

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Squishwhale@reddit

I live in New Bradwell and we are surrounded by history! I love the feel of living in a village but having all the facilities of a city. There are estates in MK id be less keen on, but having lived in Northampton for several years anything is preferable to that dump

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Thank you, this is exactly my point! It's amazing how people don't see it.

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Squishwhale@reddit

Agree with all of your points, we have a 3yr old son and it's a fab place to bring up kids.

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heyjavs@reddit

I stayed in MK for a few months and I loved it there. Excited to move in MK soon for good, I call it introvert wonderland lol and it's nice that it's close to London

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Ill-Dot-9255@reddit

STOP IT. MILTON KEYNES ISNT REAL.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Is that a joke I have never heard before, or are you just confused?

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Ill-Dot-9255@reddit

No what? Milton Keynes is a government scam to funnel away money,

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drinkbeerbeatdebra@reddit

I’ve met two people from MK in my life and they were (and hopefully still are!) total, total legends!

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Uk-brill@reddit

Because UK brill tho

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PeacefulAndTranquil@reddit

every place in britain hates every other place in britain

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j_sgt@reddit

From Yorkshire myself and visited MK for a week with work this summer. Idk how to describe it but it just felt way too modern and sanitary. The best way I could put it is, it felt like I was constantly in a shopping centre…even when outdoors.

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mdh89@reddit

Roundabouts for days!! Saying that, the system really does work and the number of roundabouts followed by national speed limits is generally great to drive around in a HGV, aside from the obvious problem which is taxi drivers not indicating or indicating wrong. Aside from that it’s pretty nice tbf. So many roundabouts.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yeah, but like you said, those roundabouts make for an efficient get around. Never run into traffic jams, and can get all across the city nice and quick. Cant think of another city which offers that.

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mdh89@reddit

100% agreed mate, just see it being a nightmare for people who can’t work roundabouts. Best layout I’ve driven on in a city by far.

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garykasparov@reddit

Soul less and bought it’s football team. Only joking, never been. But you are the first person I’ve seen talking shit about Norwich.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Norwich us a lovely town to slow down and retire. But glass ceiling if you want growth. About 10 years behind the rest of the country.

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garykasparov@reddit

Yeah I’ll take that as a compliment to the city to be fair.

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Long_Ad_4412@reddit

It's literally just rectangles and car parks.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yes, that is all it is...to people who havent spent any time there.

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Temporary_Mountain29@reddit

I grew up in Norwich, I don't live there anymore but I would 100% choose it over MK any day. I used to work in MK and I just thought it was very dull personally. Each to their own!

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Norwich is great if you want to retire.

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Temporary_Mountain29@reddit

It's also great for young people. I have lived in Cambridge for 7 years now and I would move back to Norwich in a heartbeat, but my partner doesn't want to.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I lived in Norwich for 15 years, its peaceful, and nice, but it's got a glass ceiling, and it's about 10 years behind the rest of the UK. I left, and although I have alot of love for the place, returning would be a big backwards step...in my opinion.

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bagofnowt@reddit

As with everything it's subjective, it suits a lot of people. To me, being from Northampton, it was a great place to visit as a teenager for shopping, the snow dome and generally dicking around with my mates. As an adult I've lived in Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield and Cambridge and I can safely say I have absolutely zero desire to go to the centre of MK. It's a giant shopping centre and some housing estates. There's zero culture, art or nightlife. Everything is a chain, it's impossible to find any independent shops or eateries. That said there's some beautiful villages surrounding it, Stony Stratford being one of them.

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xxmekailxx@reddit

Milton Keynes is way more than just the city centre, we have plenty of beautiful villages and towns IN the city, not just surrounding it, Stony being one of them.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I hear you. But stony isnt a village surrounding it, it is part of it. I think alot of people think of MK as just the centre, but when you think about all of it, there is alot more to it than you Think. I have also lived in cambridge, and it's a lovely town, like alot of same same lovely towns in England, but I love MK for its total uniqueness, and absolute practicality and convenience.

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Notagelding@reddit

I lived in Newcastle for most of my twenties, and one year in Atlanta, but then returned to MK. I don't think I'd move away again because I'm very content here now! Maybe I'd move to London but haven't got the money for that anyway and I can visit when I want anyway!

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Atlanta looks like it's full of Trees too.

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Notagelding@reddit

Not really central Atlanta, but the suburbs have a lot of greenery!

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Legitimate_Cable_90@reddit

Because it's not a real place. If it wasn't for the coach and train station. Nobody would even know it exists.

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Resipa99@reddit

MK is fine but as a new town it has a bit of an artificial feel ie. Trees are equidistant and too many mini roundabouts.Still of course a great town and hospital plus it’s full of friendly folk but not Stepford Wives feel

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Vyvyansmum@reddit

Hello from Basingstoke, another much maligned town.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Tell me more?

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FrothyB_87@reddit

From Northampton, grew up disliking Milton Keynes because its existence was considered part of the decline of Northampton. People that once would have had a day out to Northampton for their shopping from all over, Buckingham, Brackley, Towcester, would now go to Milton Keynes. Then I knew some kids in school who had moved up from Milton Keynes. They seemed quite posh in comparison and seemed very "superior" so to my child brain that was a other mark against the place. As a young adult, I worked roughly halfway between Northampton and Milton Keynes. Houses in any area that wasn't Conniburrow were entirely out of reach, so another black mark. As it was, the non rough areas of Northampton were also out of reach, so it was likely just bitterness on my part. I've had to spend the last few months in MK every day and I'll say as a place to work it has grown on me and everything is very convenient. The standard of driving is appalling, but I think the number of small dual carriageway sections and roundabouts brings it to the fore as an issue. I'm not a massive fan of the buildings, but then I like old as opposed to modern. I still wouldn't like to live in MK, unless it the old village bits of Loughton, Bradwell or somewhere like Willen but I don't think it's a terrible place anymore and would say it's far better than Northampton.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the insight. It's a very interesting perspective from the local area.

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bagofnowt@reddit

Far better than Northampton isn't exactly challenging, speaking as someone who grew up there. The decline of the place in the last 15 years really is staggering.

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Spiderill@reddit

Does anyone from MK call it "Milky Beans"? I got told that by a girl from Northampton.

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Wasp_Chutney@reddit

I’ve only been once to collect a bike I bought on eBay. It does feel a bit like an industrial estate/retail park and lacks a bit of charm what I saw of it. That said, it’s very easy to get around, I crossed from one side to the other in a few minutes and the arterial roads, minor roads and cycle paths work well. I live in York which is the opposite to MK, it’s a pain in the arse to get around in a car, it took an hour yesterday to travel 1.9 miles!!!! But the centre is beautiful. MK does feel like a post war urban planning experiment that has been brought to life. Interestingly the bits on the outskirts has lots of generic looking semis in cul de sacs, York is the same. The centre of MK is interesting just because of its context with British urban planning and architecture. I might have a weekend there next year.

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Striking_Employer888@reddit

Had a night out in MK once - visiting the chain establishments there. High point was a big fight in the KFC, to which I alerted the cops and they broke it up. Didn’t my get twister though and went to bed hungry ![gif](emote|free_emotes_pack|facepalm)

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redrabbit1984@reddit

I'm not from MK but my ex GF was and it felt totally soulless to me. You've already alluded to dual carriageways everywhere (concrete) and a lack of nightlife (soulless). It feels dead and like a bit industrial estate We went out once drinking and it just felt like weird walking across quiet roads to get to another place with nothing else there and traffic, the odd bus, silent and dead. I used to get off the train at MK "Central" and feel there's been a mistake. This can't be the central station. Where is all the hustle and bustle, the atmosphere and energy. Once again it just felt like an out of town, third tier Industrial estate. Good for shopping but the definition of boring. I didn't see much green spaces but I've heard that it is good for that. Also heard some other positives but my own experience was just flat.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I think that's something I like about MK. It has everything you need for your day to day life, but it is also calm and quiet. The parks are all over and really nice to explore. I've never noticed the lack of hustle and bustle at the train station myself. But I do agree, it's really spread out so it can feel like walking across the street to the other side where there is nothing there. But then, if you go to Stoney Stratford or Wolverton, which are still MK, you can still have that more traditional high street. The city centre is the shopping district, not really the bar crawl district. But then inside Xscape and Centre MK it's always full of life. I guess it depends on what you are looking for.

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lozz212@reddit

Stony Stratford, we’re fussy on the spelling lol. I’ve only ever lived in MK, except Leicester for a few year while at uni. MK is great, but the centre of Leicester does have something MK doesn’t, I can’t describe what it is, but there is definitely something.

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ElectricFlamingo7@reddit

I'm from Leicester and our city centre certainly has some things MK doesn't, but I'm not sure if any of them are good things!

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

This is the main thing I think. MK doesnt have that "town centre", but I think it has alot more than what it doesnt have. After living in cities with town centres, but all the other flaws, I'll take the lack of flaws and lose the town centre.

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Cavemans_Club@reddit

People hate what they don't understand.

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suicine88@reddit

It's because people tend to be ruled by mob mentality. There is nothing malicious about it, but it's a common phenomenon

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SouthernDelicious@reddit

That’s just the UK in general unfortunately.

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suicine88@reddit

Agreed, but I would also argue that it's a humanity thing. The UK is not better or worse in that regard.

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Sorry_Nectarine_3609@reddit

Because you call it MK. enough said.

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fnuggles@reddit

I'd have.to say that to myself and I expect many people brought up in a more traditionally laid out town, MK feels quite unusual, kind of American but not quite (roundabouts) it has a lot of good features but can confuse these who haven't been much. Plus there's always a lot of people who make fun of places they don't know at all, based on stereotypes (e.g. Liverpool, and Luton where I lived fot a bit). Not much you can do about that really, if you enjoy living there that's all that matters. I'd guess that you like it partly because it's home - not to say there aren't other good reasons.

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ASFOS@reddit

Liverpool has a crazy bad rep from almost exclusively people that have never visited. It used to irk me and I'd try defend the city, but now I just laugh it off because if anything it means it isn't as overpopulated or overhyped as maybe the likes of Manchester and obviously London. It's easy to have historical prejudice about places and be influenced by media narratives if you're an actual sheep, but I believe you can't really make judgement of a place until you actually visit it - even a few times.

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fnuggles@reddit

Yeah I've only been to Liverpool a couple of times but I really like it, largely because of the people. I had your point in mind too with my first comment - if you like somewhere and others are put off by reputation, that's almost entirely good for you (lower prices, less busy, fewer twats around).

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ASFOS@reddit

Precisely! Liverpool has definitely had a bit of a cultural/reputational renaissance the last decade or so - reflected by rising house prices and prices in some districts, but it's still a *lot* cheaper than Manchester, which is more or less the "London of the North" now.

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OleaC@reddit

Go to MK Lebanese food for a lamb shawarma wrap. This food hut is in the courtyard of The Centre MK. Brag about it to your non MK friends.

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

You get definitely get lamb shawarma outside of MK.

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OleaC@reddit

Of course, but as good?

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

Yes, definitely.

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GoodEbening@reddit

Lebanese Grill House is the best in CMK for me. https://maps.app.goo.gl/7ssjbdn7BLz7Jenx7?g_st=ic

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bagofnowt@reddit

Lmfao. Bristol has a place in St Nick's market that is widely considered to be one of the best in the country.

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CasioJay88@reddit

Lol one hundred percent

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Fancy-Prompt-7118@reddit

Do they? Mortal Kombat is a sick game.

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Chathin@reddit

Love being able to cycle / walk around MK .. and that's about it. There's nothing really great going for it, nothing unique, nothing interesting (outside of the Bowl) and I swear down there's something in the water that makes people live there a little too long a bit .. weird. Only place I've ever encountered a flasher, which, sums up MK in a nutshell to me.

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eddiecymru@reddit

I moved to the area around 12 years ago. Being unfamiliar with MK it was hard to quickly determine which parts of MK were nice to live in. Ultimately settled in Buckingham and then bought a house in Brackley. I still visit MK often as it’s good for shopping. I personally wouldn’t live there unless I was a London commuter. It’s quite expensive, and there’re a lot of new build estates that all look and feel similar. Not a bad place to live by any means though

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VertigoRoll@reddit

Curious, did you settle there because of the price? Schools? If money was less of an issue (rather than no issue), would you have settled in MK?

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eddiecymru@reddit

When it came time to buy, MK was still an option, but it was around 15-20% more than Brackley for a similar house in a decent part of MK. We were quite flexible on location. Also child-free so no concerns about schools. If a nice part of MK and Brackley were identically priced, we’d have probably gone for MK! It just wasn’t worth the larger premium for us.

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No_Percentage7306@reddit

It's a bit of a British thing. People love shitting on places. Moaning. Etc.

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ianbreasley1@reddit

I didn't know people did talk down MK

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factualreality@reddit

Because its 'unnatural'. Every other settlement in the uk basically evolved over time and are complete hodgepodges as a result. Milton Keynes was designed and feels alien to most people as a result.

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Effective_Athlete_87@reddit

Agree. My mate bought a flat there and walking around the neighbourhood gave me weird eerie vibes. It’s very ‘sim city’ in some places, all the flats and houses look the same, it’s all a bit too perfect looking. It probably didn’t help that most of her neighbourhood was still empty as she was one of the first to buy so it was also very quiet.

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mothmanrightsnow@reddit

Really depends on your preferences, particularly relating to new towns, their layout and what's in them. Personally not a huge fan but it only matters if you like it!

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Low_Fisherman_6317@reddit

Hope they don't tear down The Point

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Entire_Memory_2184@reddit

The thing with the concrete cows was caused ignorant people thinking that a new town placed concrete cows rather than having real ones. As though it was some kind of black mark against urbanisation and industrialisation. What would be next? A duck pond with wooden ducks? etc - and somehow children in MK would only know what a cow was by looking at concrete ones. Whereas they were actually a sculpture that depicted one facet of what MK is like - there's a plethora of fields in and around MK full of cows - with paths through them. I guess the roundabout thing is mistake. I mean, they had kind of the right idea - put the houses, footpaths away from roads and have a grid system of roads. But it was badly implemented. It ends up with actual poor infrastructure for cycling because the redways are constantly interrupted with side streets and, at the same time the other roads are just completely unusable because people are driving like they are on motorways. If you want to cycle from LB to north MK then you more or less have to go around the edge in the little villages and B-roads - but on paper it should have an almost dutch style set of redways that would be traffic free - but they really don't work well except, perhaps, for the most casual of cycling.

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frigloo@reddit

I prefer MK to fornite or rocket league. Not even a debate really.

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BellendicusMax@reddit

Because its a love it or hate it city and I'm.in the latter camp. Lived there for a few years and it is the most soulless and uninteresting place I've ever visited. It's not nasty and horrible like Luton - although there are many areas of MK that would benefit from a gentle course of carpet bombing. It has a shopping centre. That's about it.

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evolutionIsScary@reddit

![gif](emote|free_emotes_pack|grin)

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Dragonspears-nerd@reddit

Because nobody seems to be posting anything other than opinions, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_towns_in_the_United_Kingdom The new town iniative has been widely panned as causing car dependence, a heavy maintenance burden beyond the means of the local authority due to the master planned nature of the towns, and ghettoization. They are characterised by urban spawl and a lack of organic centres; along with misplaced third-places, and an often brutalist, hostile urban landscape. These things contribute to income inequality and crime. None of that is the fault of residents mind. I've been a few times, without a car, and the place is almost impossible to get around on foot. The buses were good though. It feels very US in it's layout. For those who didn't open the link, Telford is another example that has many of the same issues as MK.

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evolutionIsScary@reddit

There's a big difference between MK and other new towns. When they created MK they put lots of money into it but, I believe, let other new towns such as Warrington-Runcorn fend for themselves to a great extent. MK is a successful new town (now city) whereas other new towns have failed. MK is 50 miles from London, which is probably why they spent so much on it. If I had to live in a craphole estate, I would rather it were in MK than any other new town.

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chagawagaloo@reddit

Lived here for 7 years now and I love the place. I used to live in Brighton and Hong Kong and, while there's aspects about those cities that are better (nightlife for one), the convenience of the city is much more a priority for me now. It's got room to grow, and it's been steadily improving since I got here with a bunch of new eateries and places to go that don't take you all day to get to. Everyone I've brought to visit has shared the same soulless sentiment but I've managed to change a few of their minds after showing them what it does have. To me, it's the perfect blank canvas. It's got the perfect infrastructure already setup, and just needs people to come and paint a beautiful picture on it. It only gets that when people appreciate it for what it has, and stick around to help make it into something better.

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Gypsy_Green@reddit

I recently moved to MK after years in Brighton, and I absolutely LOVE IT here. Lived in several 'major' cities, and this is the only place I've lived and thought, "Holy shit, this place is clean af." Open green spaces, lakes, and random pockets of nature tucked away completely unspoilt by litter or graffiti - but the best thing? I rent a 2 bed flat (with a DRIVEWAY!) for the same price I was paying for a room in a shared house with no parking lol. Also...IKEA.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I agree 100% with all you just said! It is ready to be a major city, now it just needs the growth.

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InfluenceTechnical84@reddit

I don't no all I can say being from peterborough is your whole town center is better you have great days out so not sure why people will talk shit bout mk 🤔

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

MK is a very efficient city to live in and to get around. I wasn't born here and I don't mind living here. But compared to other cities I've lived, like Leeds, it is a bit soulless.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I've lived in Norwich, and Cambridge and several others, and I disagree. It may not have the usual English city character, but it has it's own.

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

It's fine to disagree. I does have it's own character, but to me it's not as strong a character as other paces I've lived.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I think the lacking of a night life is the issue. It doesnt have like one main cultural area. It's a bit spread out. But still, I think it's only now really coming into it's own. In a few years I think it will be even better.

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

Yeah, the nightlife is dead too. I'm glad I wasn't here when I was younger and went out lots. Unless you like chain bars you're out of luck.

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didyousayquinceberg@reddit

The only reason I went to MK when I was younger was the nightlife 😂

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

If you were that age again would you still travel to MK for nights out? Where would you go these days?

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didyousayquinceberg@reddit

No idea the sanctuary was a big deal then so it seems odd when someone says it doesn’t have much of a nightlife . I think it’s the ikea now though 😂

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

The sanctuary closed almost 20 years ago!

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didyousayquinceberg@reddit

I know 😂 🧓

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Yeah, but for night life hop a train, 30 mins into London, last train back is like 3am, so you can have your night life there, without having to live in a place like London. When I lived in other cities it could take almost 30 minutes to get to the centre anyway. I think that is actually the reason why night life hasnt taken off in MK.

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

Yes you can go to London, but it doesn't really add to the argument that MK has character if the answer to no nightlife is "go to London".

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Well, it says London has night life. If night life is what you call character, perhaps your idea of character is just different.

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

I would say nightlife is an element of a cities character.

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BillyBatts83@reddit

Horses for courses, my man. If you love it, that's awesome. You're in the right place. I used to have a client based there and I found MK to be grey, concrete and utterly devoid of character. Could not get back on the train to London fast enough.

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SplitTheG@reddit

Born in MK, spent most of my life here before moving away. Milton Keynes is a soulless place where culture goes to die. Everything is a chain food place, kids entertainment or an empty lot. The ‘city centre’ is dominated by concrete and empty space OR car parks. Imo poor excuse for a city. MK seems to have next to no cultural identify. The popularity seems to boil down to its convenience. Lots of 9-5 jobs, shoddy new builds and dual carriage ways for all the cars! How boring..

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nasted@reddit

Because that’s what they’ve read in the Sun/Mail/Express/Telegraph hatepapers.

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i_have_exploded@reddit

I've lived here for over 20 years but it is kind of a weird place. Because of the way it was designed it's not a place where you can wonder around the back streets and find interesting little shops and so on. There's no sense of music/art culture here; there's music and art, but not like you'd find in a place like Manchester or Bristol (search on Google for 'famous musicians from Milton Keynes' and see how many you recognise lol). There's no renowned club night that ravers will travel to from across the country. Visually it's quite pleasant in many areas with all the trees and grassland plonked everywhere between the housing estates (some of which are fairly rough). The grid system is handy for getting around and the bus services aren't too bad. Overall it's not objectively a bad place by any means. If you want a fairly quiet suburban life you could do worse. It's just... it's not the kind of place where you plan to live out your days, you know? Especially if you're wealthy.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

I think it is a good place to live out your days, simply because you can have a very convenient home life, but access to other places across the country with ease. If you could only stay in one city, maybe it's not gonna top other major cities, but if you are gonna be centrally located to be able to visit the south and north, and experience all the places the UK has to offer, but then have access to all you would need, in a quiet comfortable way, when at home, I think it's perfect for that.

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i_have_exploded@reddit

Yeah, that could be true for some depending on their priorities. I think people probably move here for its geographical convenience more than anything else. If I had money I'd much rather live on the outskirts or further afield in a place like Bozeat.

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Forest-Dane@reddit

It's mostly just a throwback to when it was relatively new. There's a lack of focus there though. Feels like something is missing, well history I guess

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

It's been great hearing peoples opinions on this. Thanks. Much appreciated.

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kyee-97@reddit

Its full of scum bags?

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Guess I'm a scum bag then.

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Emergency_Cookie_318@reddit

What the fuck is a Milton Keynes? A fancy pork pie?

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pops789765@reddit

You want to hear what they say about Norwich…..

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Lol, I'm assuming you are referring to inbreeding?

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pops789765@reddit

You might think that, I couldn’t possibly comment.

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GonJumpOffACliff@reddit

It's all just banter lmao

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BellamyRFC54@reddit

It’s because it’s an internet thing to

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LoudMilk1404@reddit

Crime is pretty high.

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nuttydogpoo@reddit

I’ve lived here for around a decade, it’s central, convenient and serves my needs. It has its problems like everywhere else, grass is always greener and such. People just like to moan. Oh, and IKEA is in Bletchley….

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

Indeed, and Bletchley is in MK 😉

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Juk1993@reddit

I run an online shop. I've blacklisted the whole of Milton Keynes as everyone who has been from there has moaned about something. In a big way.

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TreKeyz@reddit (OP)

It's hard to imagine everyone from one place moaning about your items, unless those items are specifically an issue to that place. I dont think people from MK tend to moan more? In my experience people from MK are more open minded.

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Major-Peanut@reddit

You should have a look at Milton Keynes Moan on FB. It's the best thing about mk

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Juk1993@reddit

Hey, maybe I've been unlucky. 4000 orders, no complaints except from people from MK. I kind of think its a rival as it just doesn't make sense.

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

Definitely

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