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It’s been a tough start to the year and, understandably, London is tense. We recently shared this map of London’s most stressed boroughs and boy, did it resonate with you lot.
The map, which analysed 5 million tweets for signs of stress, pinpoints how anxious city dwellers are according to the borough they live in. It must have struck a chord, because more than a thousand of you left comments on Facebook to share your opinions on why.
From poorly connected train stations to sky-high council tax, here’s a rundown of exactly what’s bothering the capital:
Travel
‘Suspect the angry tweets coming from Richmond and Kingston had something to do with South Western Railway.’ Suzie Joughin
Council tax
‘Of course people in Richmond are very stressed and angry, considering the amount of council tax we pay… It’s the highest in London 😡’ Adriana Panzariu
Work
‘I live and work in Westminster and I’m frigging well stressed out. I can’t wait to retire and get out of the place.’ Wendy Smedley
Crime
‘I grew up in Tower Hamlets, E1 to be precise. While schools, transport and public services have improved dramatically, the thing that has improved and then worsened of late is crime.’ Ruhel Uddin
Politics
‘No wonder Kingston is top of the list – with the Lib Dems at the helm, the overbuilding of student flats or private “luxury flats”, the erasing of perfectly good estates, shop closures, high commercial rents, high council taxes, the parking costs… It used to be such a lovely, relaxing place to live!’ Lise Jacqueline Rigault
A bit of everything
‘Even if you live in a nicer part of London, it’s stressful. Polluted. Overcrowded. Expensive. Crime-ridden. So many Londoners have moved out.’ Jeanette MacDowall
And some of you chose to interpret the map a little bit differently:
‘I lived in Limehouse for a while. Close to the river. Some decent pubs. All those canals. Close enough to the “city” to visit and far enough away not to hear it.’ Paul Z Thomas
‘Good to see I live in one of the least stressed boroughs – the whiff of weed as you enter Tower Hamlets might be a factor. Whatever, I’ll take it.’ Byron Myers
‘On first glance I thought this was the London map of coronavirus outbreaks 🤭’ Dan Broderick
Make up your own mind on this map of stressed-out spots in London.
Need to unwind? Find out where Londoners go to relax.