The young are tired of London – and who can blame them?

London has historically been the place to go for young creative types. These days, renting damp warehouses and staying in bad relationships just because being in a couple makes life cheaper are among the many grim choices some make just to be there. But they wouldn’t have it any other way. The thought of settling in a parochial university town or returning home to Little Borington is the closest thing to death imaginable. The peak age for moving to London is 23, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – shortly after graduation. Young Londoners accept high housing costs relative to pay as a trade-off for fun and potential. They want a different life to small-town Mums and Dads – and perma-debt is a price worth paying to be part of the action. Or is it? There’s a point at which those rosy specs start to lose their tint – the excitement becomes tiring, the restaurants a bit samey and the price tag: unacceptable.