Hey Evan , I just discovered your channel and I just watched goodbye Chiswick , i to came to live here in the 1976 ,and I knew nothing about London aside from the tourist spots , I was very lucky to have moved to such a pretty place ,since then I’ve moved away and come back ,and it always feels like home , I can really empathise about your sadness leaving , and I loved the filming you have done of the sights , I know it’s now a year ago ,but I’m hoping you found somewhere just as nice thank you for making this vid and I wish you health and happiness wherever you are now ❤❤❤
There is no Chiswick Board of Tourism. Theres an Occult Initiate Society of Snobby Grandmas who are determined to make sure the rest of London is priced out of the area, and to keep it as boring as humanly possible.
This is sad. As somebody living in SW London, with its parks and riverside, I can only say that if I had to leave it would tear me apart. But here's the saddest part : as a member of the older generation, I bought my current flat in '75, when even a single primary school teacher as I was then could easily afford to live here. Now, it's out of the reach of so many people. Even those earning the national average wage would need almost three times as much in order to buy. That is just so wrong, so I feel for you and for all of those who have lost out and will continue to lose out. We need the likes of you, Evan who look at your area with eyes of love and not with eyes ringing up the pound signs.
I was teaching in Barking in 76-78 and could not afford any of the properties. In 1980 I moved into computing and worked in Southgate. Even with getting double a teacher's salary in the three years there I could not afford to buy. I moved to Cambridge where my house was 3 times my income and my office was in the middle of a field (Cambridge Science Park was mostly empty in 1982).
@@danielwebb8402 No, it was a much smaller percentage. In 1975, my flat cost me eight and a half thousand, my deposit, I believe, was two thousand. I have to add that even then it was cheap, I was expecting to pay two thousand more. However the building was sound, but the decoration inside was horrible, but even then, a lick of paint was cheap.I guess people couldn't see beyond that. It's now worth over four hundred thousand. My mortgage, I seem to remember was about £58 a month, and at that time I think my salary was in the region of £3,500. That meant that the property was worth two and a half times my salary. Two and a half times a current primary school teacher's salary wouldn't get it, not even two teachers taking out a joint mortgage. That's how unfair things have become.
Until the millennium, owning a flat in London was at least a possibility. I had friends who bought run down houses in the 80s and 90s as long term restoration projects, and they were not rich. Public sector workers could aspire to a place of their own, even if it wasn't in the best areas. A school headmaster might own a house in Hampstead, that would now sell to an oligarch. It must be weird to inhabit a place and grow in affection for it, but only to perpetually service someone else's lifestyle or mortgage.
@@danielwebb8402 That's today's prices. Many desirable properties were purchased years ago, or are on mortgages that are a fraction of their current value. Unless an owner needs the cash it makes no sense to sell, because the income in London is virtually guaranteed and pays for a downsized second property once the kids move out. This removes swathes of nicer houses and flats from the market, seemingly permanently. The speed with which house prices have risen means the purchaser may have matched any interest payments in a short period, not at the end of 25 years.
Thank you. Once I get resituated in a new home (in a month or 2) I'm hoping to get my printing biz back up and running so I'll be able to print more of Foggy Boat :)
I'm a foreigner living in Chiswick, and I never realised Evan also lived here (I've seen a few videos, but not all). It felt a bit surreal seeing Chiswick in a UA-cam video, but it was really nice seeing it highlighted in here before he left.
I'm crying here with you Evan :( I remember when you moved in from the meme mansion and talked about the little things like having carpeted stairs and a long enough bathtub; the things that made it feel so much like a home. Feels like it was just yesterday! You really have changed and discovered so much about yourself in Chiswick and I know all of us watching are SUPER PROUD of all you have achieved and know that there is soooooooooo much more that you will achieve. Can't wait to see what the future holds! Speaking of achievements, WHY THE HELL HASN'T EVAN GOT 1 MILLION SUBS???????? YA'LL WHO WATCH AND DON'T SUBSCRIBE, GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER AND CLICK THE RED BUTTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gah, Evan! That feeling of absolutely loving a place, but realizing you probably won’t ever be able to afford living there long term. That one hits deep. A mixture of warm, joy and cold, depressive reality.
This is such a lovely heartfelt “love letter” to Chiswick. As you walk into the next stage of your life You have to hold all of the memories close to your heart. As you go out and have fun making more memories in your new home.
As someone who grew up very nearby Chiswick I really feel the pain of realising you can’t actually afford to live there. It’s beautiful but completely unaffordable, especially compared to my parents who moved there in their mid twenties.
I'm from Chiswick, but in exile elsewhere in London now due to costs. Still spend a lot of time here as my parents are still here. Very soppy feelings seeing all my places in this lovely video.
London is a massive collection of villages, that all got joined together by circumstance more than anything. Chiswick is one of the places that has 100% retained the village identity. I live in another village of London. 😁
@Cian MacGana hey, I say it as I've seen it. Lived in London my whole life... And that whole Z2-3 of NE London is all suburban housing, little green. And the North Circular is very Dominant... Even Z3-4 around the A40 is built up. You have to get out to Harrow etc before you get green again.
I love how since this country is old and we have built/rebuilt so many times there are always hidden places you can find to cities/towns/villages you never knew existed even if you have lived there all your life. A perfect example is a nice pub I grew up near - it was years later when I moved back to the area me and my mate found that the entire back garden was a massive bowling green and on sunny days it was a glourious place to come and have a few shandys. From outside all you see is a stone wall... inside it was almost a secret garden :) You will find another chiswick.... and it'll be in the last place you ever thought to look!
I lived in Acton just to the north from 1996 to 2007. Moved to South London in 2007 but got a job at Chiswick Business Park at the same time. Doh! I love Chiswick but I could never afford to live there and I am 56 with all the resources that implies. You are doing the right thing, moving on.
Your life in Chiswick with all your friends is literally an inspiration to me, that's the ideal life to me (as someone who is hardly 23). I just need the friends first..
When Evan was struggling to describe how Chiswick is one of those places that's "just for the people here", I couldn't help but hear: "This is a local town for local people, we'll have no trouble here".
As someone with a family member living in Richmond, I can relate harrrd to the feeling of sadness at the realization that I could never afford to live there. I’ve so many fond memories of visiting these places in chiswick and I appreciate the immense effort you put into this video. It made me remember why I bloody love visiting London. 👌🏽
I live in Chiswick and seeing where I walk everyday in this video is honestly so weird. Chiswick is a definitely a place for people who live here lol, I’ve made the same comment before when trying to describe it to people
It seems just five minutes since you moved there Evan....as an 'oldie; who has moved many times I promise you that home really is where the heart is, I was heartbroken when I left London after 20 years, so many memories and good times, never thought I'd end up on the Isle of Wight, but I am really happy here...where ever life takes you, I wish you good friends and contentment..take care..x
This is so surreal I've lived in chiswick my entire life, my parents moved here like 30 years ago when it was a little run down and much cheaper than it is now, I had no idea you live here too!! I've never heard anyone on the internet talk about my hometown ever, I didn't even know people knew it existed haha!! It always felt like a little secret spot in london to me, like a less famous Kew
Honestly there are only 2 things I know about Chiswick. 1. That Donna Noble is the best temp in Chiswick. She can do a hundred words per minute. 2. It’s on the “other side of the river”. Congrats on the move and thanks for sharing the lovely video about Chiswick.
Have you ever watched a video of a place you've never been to and felt like it's home? Well, that's how I feel watching. I'm Canadian, and I've been talking for years about wanting to live in the UK one day. This video has absolutely encouraged that feeling in me, and maybe one day I'll get to see this place in person, and maybe even live there. Chiswick is for people who live there, and I guess people like me, who long for a place so peaceful and lovely. Amazing video, Evan. I can't wait to see your next adventure!
If you think living in the UK is peaceful, then please take note. We have more people living on this small island than Canada and Australia combined. Many Brits would love the opportunity to live in Canada, a far nicer place to live than here I'm afraid.
I hope you make it here one day. We have a wonderful country but unfortunately some miserable bastards love to run it down. Ignore them. They love wallowing in their own misery. They're the kind of people who wouldn't be happy where ever they are in the world. You sound like someone who would easily appreciate the beauty we have in this country.
@@amethystlarktree5962 You're delusional and have obviously not travelled the country. Awful roads, takeaways, run down houses, litter, food banks, homeless people, boy racers, drug dealers, stabbings, council houses. I could go on. The country is a shit hole.
The charm of a country village mixed with the vibrancy of a city. Definitely a winning combination. The problem is that also makes for unaffordable housing. 😅
My Ex worked at Chiswick Park and after one evening of a few drinks at Moot follweed by a stroll down the high street and dinner a Franca Manca, I was convinced for us to move from SW London. We ended up living in new Kew Garden station in an equally wonderful area. I could bare to move too far from Chiswick/Kew/Richmond and now live in Brentford. I couldn't imagine not living near this area, near the river. Access to the river, especially walks from Kew Bridge to Richmond kept me sane during the lockdowns. A wonderful area which doesn't feel like London, yet is close enough.
I worked in Chiswick Business Park for 6 years until last year and it's so weird seeing people write about Moot! For years it was either there or the Union across the courtyard for after works drinks :)
I really love how you described Chiswick with such feeling. Living here myself for 45 years I feel rather proud now. Wherever you go I hope you carry on taking photos and enjoying life. Thankyou from Chiswick 🙂
Waw that was probably one of the most heartfelt videos you have ever done. Chiswick looks like such a beautiful place to live in. The amount of trees in Chiswick is beautiful. Thank you for uploading this video evan ❤️❤️
This is your best ever-video Evan. This is how London writes itself into people's hearts and how people write themselves into the history of London, as you now have. London grew out of many villages (apart from the City of London of course) and each one has its own character. You have lived in different London villages, so you get that now. Chiswick is the one you will take with you. And revisit, maybe, for a long weekend once a year, to reunite with old friends (even after they've left too), bitch about what's changed, tell each other stories about the glory days, make some more... Good luck with the higher ambitions. Don't waste any successes on trying to buy a Chiswick mansion. Liverpool looks great. And Chiswick won't completely disappear under the flooded Thames yet awhile...
@@petehall1985 Brentford has 1 good thing if you're near the 65 bus. An easy commute into London. Where I lived it was a five minute walk to the station, then either a 10 minute ride to either Richmond or South Ealing station or 15 to Ealing Broadway. Two of those stations are terminus, so you could be virtually guaranteed a seat.
I love this video. I'm currently in the US but my fiance's parents own a flat in Chiswick right down the road from Avanti. This video gave me such a warm feeling because I love all the times I've spent there. We're planning to move there next year, so from one American to the next, I promise I'll take the time to appreciate it as much as you did.
I love Chiswick. It's the perfect place in London. You're close enough to Central London, White City/Westfield's, Richmond etc and with very good public transport links. It's nice and green, good places to eat/drink and clean! (Go down the road to Hammersmith or Shepards Bush...🤢, Not as nice or clean!). Yes, it is expensive to buy (i live in a council flat, but love Chiswick!).
Thank you for your comments Evan and thanks for visiting us. Really hope your move goes well and you find friends and community in the next place. Blessings from the team at Christ Church. 👋😄
Ah, great film. When I moved to London 30 years ago, moved into a shared flat opposite Gunnersbury Park. Now lucky to live in Chiswick. The Old Packhorse is my local..
I left Chiswick well over a decade ago, it's a lovely corner of London. I guess it was before your time when there was a dry cleaners in Turnham Green called Turn Them Clean...
I worked in Chiswick for 8 years, till 2020. I lived near Chiswick for 11 years. Definitely a great place. Once, as the Head of History in a local school, I spent around 3 months designing a new "local history scheme of work" (working on it whenever I had a bit of spare time). I regret not saving in. The school must still have it. I may have the scheme of work itself, but not all the materials. Anyway, I spent hours at the Local library (Chiswick Library) looking for books and skimming through them. I borrowed many of them and I planned all the lessons and the activities. I learnt a lot about Chiswick. Chiswick was conceived as a utopian city. It has a highly original architecture and there is no neighborhood in Britain, let alone abroad, that looks like it. It's not a perfect place, but it is my favourite London neighborhood. Unfortunately, it is a rich man's place like all good London neighborhoods.
You brought back lovely memories, as a former resident of Ealing. I couldn’t afford Chiswick either but the parks and the river are free and beautiful. Thank you.
Yeah I saw that. Isn't that what every high road is called? I'm thinking of all the places around us and I can't think of anywhere that calls it a High Street (tbf I haven't thought for that long)
Yeah Chiswick is my home too, came from Spain in late 2019 & I found my first best friend at Gunnersbury park, that friendship extended to a whole group, in which we rode to Chiswick business park on the weekends, eating ice cream at the high street & buying antique books for our birthdays from the antique shop there. Chiswick is special to those who live in it, as their life's get formed by it's beaty and uniqueness.
I wasn't prepared to get all teary-eyed, its really amazing to see how connected you are to chiswick and how much you truly care about a place, it felt really emotional :)
Wow, Evan, what a fab homage to Chiswick. I left Chiswick after 31 years on 16 Dec 2021 and moved to Pinawa in Manitoba Canada. Your movie brought back such heartfelt memories of the lovely places I too visited and was part of, I miss it very much. Thanks buddy.
I love the Old Cinema antique shop! Chiswick High Street is a treasure trove of shopping, great restaurants, some nice pubs. It's a lovely, more quiet and relaxed area of London to stay in and convenient by bus and Tube to the rest of London.
First time I’ve commented on one of your videos but I loved this, particularly the bit at the end! Had my own similar goodbye recently to a part of London that I also got to know even better during lockdown.
The majority of professional people in London rent. Many of the green spaces and trees in London are a testament to the Victorians and it's now remarkably green for a city. Small parts of it are actually quite nice. And surprisingly quiet. That feeling you connected with in the ring of trees, the changing seasons and the sunsets over Gunnersbury Park, that's the spirit of the place, the true soul of Britain. That's the experience of generations of poets and lovers, like sitting round the fire and telling stories, it's one of the most ancient experiences. Every part of Britain has its equivalent of the little circle of trees, none of them are quite the same. But yeah I get it, beautifully told by the way
The feeling of being attached to a place and realising that you cant afford a house in it is genuinly the worst feeling ever, it hits close to home. Anyways evan good luck settling in your new place which is hopefully soon ❤
I love how you sound like a Brit to me until I see and hear you next to a born and raised British person. 😂. And yes, all the British accents make me realise you still have a USA accent
really? idk where you're from but as a brit (someone who literally lives in chiswick actually lol) he sounds VERY american but that might just be because i'm used to people who sound very british 😅
this is such a beautiful documentation of the area. I did my undergrad in ealing nearby and work in chiswick so seeing these areas Ive spent nearly 4 years of my life walking around through your lens is so special. thankyou for renewing my appreciation of this beautiful area I can call home
This brought back similar feelings I had as an Irish man who spent eight wonderful years in Chiswick and Gunnersbury (Grange Road), in the 70s. Thanks for your reflections, and for evoking memories of a different world a half century ago, but in the same effecting and emotive place.
Yay, Chswick! Friends of ours had a roof top apartment above what is now (according to Google) More Yoga. So cool to watch the aeroplane lights approach Heathrow as we bbq'ed. I swear I counted 13 sets of lights at once, once. They loved the area, too.
I left my childhood home of 33 years last year and boy this is what it felt like. I lived my entire life there (right around Cherry Hill!). Now, a year later, I've painted every room trim to ceiling, switched out every outlet and cover to create distinct room feels, and grown in ways I never knew possible. Also, thank you for crying. We as men are urged not to, and it's past time we normalize that it's okay sometimes to cry.
I lived in Ealing by the common for 35 years, and Chiswick was always part of that experience.. Now back in my native Australia I often revisit my past through these youtube offerings. This lovely video left me in tears of nostalgia.
As someone who lives in Acton and whose local park is Gunnersbury and I've spent so much of my childhood in it and also knowing all the places in Chiswick, it is weird for someone to put it so emotionally for a place I've taken for granted as one of the places with shops we don't have all my life.
I'm saying goodbye to my Chiswick this week. And like you, I'm a dual US/UK citizen. We are little scrappers aren't we? Anyway, I don't know exactly where I will land for another week or so. Your video helped me process those feelings. And I sat there with you, looking at that group of trees and thought. Yes. To every time, there is a season. It's true. Wishing you endless hope and happiness and thanks for showing us your whole heart.
I was born near Turnham Green Station over 78yrs ago, and spent my childhood there. I have not lived there for many years now, but your "Chiswick is just for the people here" rang so true. Many thnks for the video.
Great to watch a video of Chiswick on UA-cam, as a long term resident of Chiswick myself, you captured the sentiments and everything that’s great about it!
A stunning watch. Beautifully shot. I know how much attention to detail and hard work you put into your craft, and it absolutely shines here. I don’t understand these things particularly, but you can really see it: very artful and cleverly put together. On a different note, you said as a renter, you felt like you weren’t making a mark like a buyer. But, all ‘owners’ are temporary. We are all transient through the spaces we occupy. One day, our time will be done for good and the marks we leave are not so much in the physical. And the way you’ve documented your time here is far more permanent, far more beautiful and far more impactful that simply owning a home. You’ve made memories and shared them. With yourself, with your friends and with us. And we’re grateful too. Because you used the world you lived in to give us your authentic self
When places become our memories and we have to say goodbye, knowing things are never going to be quite the same again. You encapsulated it beautifully Evan.
As a person who moved to West London from the North. You do you grow here it's this weird mix of finding yourself and finding yourself in a city that lets you breath. Places like Chiswick are that enclave of fresh air in a city that seemingly never stops, even after the shops have closed and the workers have gone home it's still beating and to be able to go home to a place like that to exist in a place like that is a home from home I never thought I'd ever experience. But remember you'll never be that far from Gunnersbury Park if you're not leaving London.
I cried because I can see just how much this place means to you. It was a beautifully made video. It truly looks like a really lovely area to live. I'm really glad you got to capture so much of it in video and pictures. Chiswick would be proud of this video. I hope you get your new home soon and get to settle in. Lots of luck your way. (:
I grew up in Chiswick and Gunnersbury Park was just a short walk away. It looks different now - slightly wilder and more meadow-y. I haven't been there for about twenty years, and after seeing your film, it's made me want to make an effort to get there and see how its changed this year. Thanks for the video and making me reminisce. Chiswick really is a special place. My parents still live there, so I go back every now and then, but parking is a bit of a nightmare. I miss the riverside pubs in Strand-on-the-Green and near Chiswick Mall. Happy days. Hope you're happy wherever you are now (I'm in the wilds of Oxfordshire).
Realising I’ve lived round the corner from Evan for the last four years - thanks for such a lovely commentary on Chiswick. I too love Gunnersbury Park and it’s dilapidated magic :)
Thank you, Evan, I live opposite the Gunnersbury station. I never realised how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful place after seeing your video. We shall live very close by and are truly neighbours to each other before. You made me realise how beautiful Chiswick is, and made me appreciate more of where I live.
If you cry, we all cry with you together. I have been watching your content for 6 years where you were doing altogether with doddlevloggle, neonfiona and others. And it was great to see a footage with doddlevloggle. While watching your videos for 6 years, I changed many places. Started from Azerbaijan went to Lithuania then Malta and currently watching from Canada. But hope, one day will be in the same country, city and waiting to meet you soon. Your true fan. Even while, I created my own channel here. Full of inspiration man! Love you so much! ❤️
Wow dude this was a lovely video. Your perspective really resonated with me - I spent 15 fantastic and formative years in my own little unloved and overlooked corner of London, growing up and becoming the person I am now, before moving into the next chapter of my life. London changes everyone and everyone changes London, too, in their own small way. And that is the beauty of the city. Your story is London's story and vice versa. Thanks for making this.
Such a beautiful video! And I think that Chiswick being for people who live there is a wonderful thing! We need more places like this in the world. Places first and foremost fulfilling the needs of the inhabitants.
A beautiful video both in content and execution. It clearly hold a special place in your heart and I can see why. I’m certain though that given time you will eventually come to say the same of your new area. The thing which came across most to me in this video was the bond you have with your wonderful friends. We might move homes but it’s people who make our lives. Best of luck to you Evan x
@evanEdinger i worked in Chiswick for 5 years, the best 5 years of my career, i worked at a place called Sam's brasserie, a restaurant which i'm sure was long gone before you got there, but it was opposite the Barley Mow pub, if you know where that was. seeing this video made me realise how much i miss living there, well, not there, obviously icould nevr live in chswick! i lived in isleworth, i'm not made of money! but seriously this film was a beautiful love letter to a place i took for granted and should have appreciated more while i was there.
I loved this. This is how I feel about Boulder, Colorado. I spent 6 years there but knew that I wouldn't get to stay because the rent is so high. I don't regret leaving but I'll always remember falling in love with it and that hope from back when I thought I'd get to stay.
Jolly good show appreciating the out of the way, simple, anonymous places (anywhere that's designed for commerce, Instragram photos, and/or "I've been there" boasts). There's this guy Thoreau who loved a pond and its environment. You're brave to tell a story without high drama except your own emotions, but hey, where are you going next??? And, you can always return to Chiswick! It's not being walled off to visitors!
The part about the circle of trees hit home for me. I've lived in lots of different places, and I always seem to have a favourite part that nobody else really notices.
Aha! I specifically go to Chiswick to visit the Old Cinema. UA-cam algorithm very much on point recommending this video! Other wonderful things about Chiswick are the incredible charity shops and Kimchimama, one of the best bibimbap’s in London. The architect who designed the business park also designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris - its beautiful, as is your video.
Thanks for posting this Evan. I was your sort of age when I lived in Chiswick in the mid '80s. There's a lot of nostalgia for me in your video. It's interesting to see how some things have changed, too. I moved from the Liverpool area where I see you're heading. When you get there, you might like to check out my hometown of Southport, twenty miles to the north. It's kind of like Chiswick but with a beach. Not much sea, but great beach!
I love this video so much. I recently moved out of my first apartment after only having lived there for less than a year. It was in a suburban area where I never thought I'd end up unless I one day had kids and bought a house. Just a small township centre, nothing spectacular; I lived right next to the woods and had a five minute walk to the lake. I went for long walks exploring the neighbourhood that really wasn't that worth exploring - but it was to me. I knew my favorite bench by the lake, my favorite giant houses that I loved to imagine living in, and the place on top of the mountain where I hiked when I needed a good cry. I met the same elderly couple walking their dog every day on my way to work and I smiled at the same cashier every week at the grocery store. The time I spent there was short and I knew when I moved in that I'd probably leave pretty soon, but this place came to mean everything to me. It was where I truly gained independence, and it was simply MINE. I had my own relationship with this place that I didn't have to share with anyone.
This is the longest and most heartfelt poem about Chiswick ever recited
It should be recited when ppl first come to the area
I’m still not 100% convinced that Evan isn’t being paid by the Chiswick board of tourism
hahahah I had friends message me that from my photos xD
😂😂😂
Well, he didn't mention the Chiswick poltergeist or David Tennant or the Chiswick Playhouse😁 so they want their money back.
Hey Evan , I just discovered your channel and I just watched goodbye Chiswick , i to came to live here in the 1976 ,and I knew nothing about London aside from the tourist spots , I was very lucky to have moved to such a pretty place ,since then I’ve moved away and come back ,and it always feels like home , I can really empathise about your sadness leaving , and I loved the filming you have done of the sights , I know it’s now a year ago ,but I’m hoping you found somewhere just as nice thank you for making this vid and I wish you health and happiness wherever you are now ❤❤❤
There is no Chiswick Board of Tourism. Theres an Occult Initiate Society of Snobby Grandmas who are determined to make sure the rest of London is priced out of the area, and to keep it as boring as humanly possible.
This is sad. As somebody living in SW London, with its parks and riverside, I can only say that if I had to leave it would tear me apart. But here's the saddest part : as a member of the older generation, I bought my current flat in '75, when even a single primary school teacher as I was then could easily afford to live here. Now, it's out of the reach of so many people. Even those earning the national average wage would need almost three times as much in order to buy. That is just so wrong, so I feel for you and for all of those who have lost out and will continue to lose out. We need the likes of you, Evan who look at your area with eyes of love and not with eyes ringing up the pound signs.
I was teaching in Barking in 76-78 and could not afford any of the properties. In 1980 I moved into computing and worked in Southgate. Even with getting double a teacher's salary in the three years there I could not afford to buy. I moved to Cambridge where my house was 3 times my income and my office was in the middle of a field (Cambridge Science Park was mostly empty in 1982).
My parents bought our house in SW London for £250k back in around 2000, and only 20 years later it over tripled in price for the exact same house
@@danielwebb8402 No, it was a much smaller percentage. In 1975, my flat cost me eight and a half thousand, my deposit, I believe, was two thousand. I have to add that even then it was cheap, I was expecting to pay two thousand more. However the building was sound, but the decoration inside was horrible, but even then, a lick of paint was cheap.I guess people couldn't see beyond that. It's now worth over four hundred thousand. My mortgage, I seem to remember was about £58 a month, and at that time I think my salary was in the region of £3,500. That meant that the property was worth two and a half times my salary. Two and a half times a current primary school teacher's salary wouldn't get it, not even two teachers taking out a joint mortgage. That's how unfair things have become.
Until the millennium, owning a flat in London was at least a possibility. I had friends who bought run down houses in the 80s and 90s as long term restoration projects, and they were not rich. Public sector workers could aspire to a place of their own, even if it wasn't in the best areas. A school headmaster might own a house in Hampstead, that would now sell to an oligarch. It must be weird to inhabit a place and grow in affection for it, but only to perpetually service someone else's lifestyle or mortgage.
@@danielwebb8402 That's today's prices. Many desirable properties were purchased years ago, or are on mortgages that are a fraction of their current value. Unless an owner needs the cash it makes no sense to sell, because the income in London is virtually guaranteed and pays for a downsized second property once the kids move out. This removes swathes of nicer houses and flats from the market, seemingly permanently. The speed with which house prices have risen means the purchaser may have matched any interest payments in a short period, not at the end of 25 years.
That boat pic is brilliant and Evan is just so lovely
Thank you. Once I get resituated in a new home (in a month or 2) I'm hoping to get my printing biz back up and running so I'll be able to print more of Foggy Boat :)
@@evan call it foggy mcboatface
It is a really nice photo! Somehow I didn’t realize that Evan was also a photographer.
@@evan That image is STUNNING :) Kia Kaha {Stay Strong)
I'm a foreigner living in Chiswick, and I never realised Evan also lived here (I've seen a few videos, but not all). It felt a bit surreal seeing Chiswick in a UA-cam video, but it was really nice seeing it highlighted in here before he left.
I liked the part where I said Chiswick
You wanna be Casey neistat so bad it's embarrassing
@@adonaiyah2196I would agree with you if I also shared your lack of media literacy
I'm crying here with you Evan :(
I remember when you moved in from the meme mansion and talked about the little things like having carpeted stairs and a long enough bathtub; the things that made it feel so much like a home. Feels like it was just yesterday! You really have changed and discovered so much about yourself in Chiswick and I know all of us watching are SUPER PROUD of all you have achieved and know that there is soooooooooo much more that you will achieve. Can't wait to see what the future holds!
Speaking of achievements, WHY THE HELL HASN'T EVAN GOT 1 MILLION SUBS???????? YA'LL WHO WATCH AND DON'T SUBSCRIBE, GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER AND CLICK THE RED BUTTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First
Gah, Evan! That feeling of absolutely loving a place, but realizing you probably won’t ever be able to afford living there long term. That one hits deep. A mixture of warm, joy and cold, depressive reality.
This is such a lovely heartfelt “love letter” to Chiswick. As you walk into the next stage of your life You have to hold all of the memories close to your heart. As you go out and have fun making more memories in your new home.
As someone who grew up very nearby Chiswick I really feel the pain of realising you can’t actually afford to live there. It’s beautiful but completely unaffordable, especially compared to my parents who moved there in their mid twenties.
No. I live IN Chiswick and i slightly agree with you but it is worth the money with the beautiful views
I'm from Chiswick, but in exile elsewhere in London now due to costs. Still spend a lot of time here as my parents are still here. Very soppy feelings seeing all my places in this lovely video.
This video is so beautiful - an artistic love letter.
London is a massive collection of villages, that all got joined together by circumstance more than anything.
Chiswick is one of the places that has 100% retained the village identity.
I live in another village of London. 😁
Barnes, Putney? A lot of the places that feel like villages are somehow south of the river (excluding Chiswick obviously!)
@@Macbobob ..don't forget Ealing and even Twickenham 💕
@@Macbobob Indeed, I live south of the river. ;-)
The north is a barren waste land of built up suburbia, especially NE London...
@@NikolaHoward ...always rivalry between north and south 🤣🤣
@Cian MacGana hey, I say it as I've seen it.
Lived in London my whole life... And that whole Z2-3 of NE London is all suburban housing, little green. And the North Circular is very Dominant...
Even Z3-4 around the A40 is built up.
You have to get out to Harrow etc before you get green again.
I love how since this country is old and we have built/rebuilt so many times there are always hidden places you can find to cities/towns/villages you never knew existed even if you have lived there all your life.
A perfect example is a nice pub I grew up near - it was years later when I moved back to the area me and my mate found that the entire back garden was a massive bowling green and on sunny days it was a glourious place to come and have a few shandys. From outside all you see is a stone wall... inside it was almost a secret garden :)
You will find another chiswick.... and it'll be in the last place you ever thought to look!
I lived in Acton just to the north from 1996 to 2007. Moved to South London in 2007 but got a job at Chiswick Business Park at the same time. Doh! I love Chiswick but I could never afford to live there and I am 56 with all the resources that implies.
You are doing the right thing, moving on.
Your life in Chiswick with all your friends is literally an inspiration to me, that's the ideal life to me (as someone who is hardly 23). I just need the friends first..
Thanks for being so open and vulnerable with us. We know that isn’t always easy but it is appreciated.
When Evan was struggling to describe how Chiswick is one of those places that's "just for the people here", I couldn't help but hear:
"This is a local town for local people, we'll have no trouble here".
Yarp
As someone with a family member living in Richmond, I can relate harrrd to the feeling of sadness at the realization that I could never afford to live there. I’ve so many fond memories of visiting these places in chiswick and I appreciate the immense effort you put into this video. It made me remember why I bloody love visiting London. 👌🏽
I live in Chiswick and seeing where I walk everyday in this video is honestly so weird. Chiswick is a definitely a place for people who live here lol, I’ve made the same comment before when trying to describe it to people
You're so good at taking the perfect shot for every single landscape it's amazing 👏
It seems just five minutes since you moved there Evan....as an 'oldie; who has moved many times I promise you that home really is where the heart is, I was heartbroken when I left London after 20 years, so many memories and good times, never thought I'd end up on the Isle of Wight, but I am really happy here...where ever life takes you, I wish you good friends and contentment..take care..x
Oh god. We're leaving London soon. I'm heartbroken, I've lived the same square 5 miles my whole life but it needs to happen at least for a few years
Every Doctor Who fan knows exactly what Chiswick is and the best temp.
Donna Noble ftw!
"im just a temp from cheswick!"
100 words per minute *wiggles fingers*
Lol yeah but they didn't acc film in Chiswick tho, so now you've seen the real Chiswick!
Met David while buying my Christmas tree 2 years ago
This is so surreal I've lived in chiswick my entire life, my parents moved here like 30 years ago when it was a little run down and much cheaper than it is now, I had no idea you live here too!! I've never heard anyone on the internet talk about my hometown ever, I didn't even know people knew it existed haha!! It always felt like a little secret spot in london to me, like a less famous Kew
I've just moved to Uni from Chiswick and it's really surprising how many people know where it is! (And know how expensive it is😅)
Honestly there are only 2 things I know about Chiswick.
1. That Donna Noble is the best temp in Chiswick. She can do a hundred words per minute.
2. It’s on the “other side of the river”.
Congrats on the move and thanks for sharing the lovely video about Chiswick.
Have you ever watched a video of a place you've never been to and felt like it's home? Well, that's how I feel watching. I'm Canadian, and I've been talking for years about wanting to live in the UK one day. This video has absolutely encouraged that feeling in me, and maybe one day I'll get to see this place in person, and maybe even live there. Chiswick is for people who live there, and I guess people like me, who long for a place so peaceful and lovely. Amazing video, Evan. I can't wait to see your next adventure!
If you think living in the UK is peaceful, then please take note. We have more people living on this small island than Canada and Australia combined. Many Brits would love the opportunity to live in Canada, a far nicer place to live than here I'm afraid.
go north. you will regret the south trust me. and its cheaper and more beautiful up north
I hope you make it here one day. We have a wonderful country but unfortunately some miserable bastards love to run it down. Ignore them. They love wallowing in their own misery. They're the kind of people who wouldn't be happy where ever they are in the world.
You sound like someone who would easily appreciate the beauty we have in this country.
@@amethystlarktree5962 You're delusional and have obviously not travelled the country. Awful roads, takeaways, run down houses, litter, food banks, homeless people, boy racers, drug dealers, stabbings, council houses. I could go on. The country is a shit hole.
@@EinkOLED wow jeez, I mean dude it ain’t perfect but we got it better than most 😎
The charm of a country village mixed with the vibrancy of a city. Definitely a winning combination. The problem is that also makes for unaffordable housing. 😅
My Ex worked at Chiswick Park and after one evening of a few drinks at Moot follweed by a stroll down the high street and dinner a Franca Manca, I was convinced for us to move from SW London. We ended up living in new Kew Garden station in an equally wonderful area. I could bare to move too far from Chiswick/Kew/Richmond and now live in Brentford. I couldn't imagine not living near this area, near the river. Access to the river, especially walks from Kew Bridge to Richmond kept me sane during the lockdowns. A wonderful area which doesn't feel like London, yet is close enough.
I worked in Chiswick Business Park for 6 years until last year and it's so weird seeing people write about Moot! For years it was either there or the Union across the courtyard for after works drinks :)
I really love how you described Chiswick with such feeling. Living here myself for 45 years I feel rather proud now. Wherever you go I hope you carry on taking photos and enjoying life. Thankyou from Chiswick 🙂
A huge hello from @christchurchw4 - thanks for featuring us. Do come again!
Waw that was probably one of the most heartfelt videos you have ever done. Chiswick looks like such a beautiful place to live in. The amount of trees in Chiswick is beautiful. Thank you for uploading this video evan ❤️❤️
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is your best ever-video Evan. This is how London writes itself into people's hearts and how people write themselves into the history of London, as you now have.
London grew out of many villages (apart from the City of London of course) and each one has its own character. You have lived in different London villages, so you get that now. Chiswick is the one you will take with you. And revisit, maybe, for a long weekend once a year, to reunite with old friends (even after they've left too), bitch about what's changed, tell each other stories about the glory days, make some more...
Good luck with the higher ambitions. Don't waste any successes on trying to buy a Chiswick mansion. Liverpool looks great. And Chiswick won't completely disappear under the flooded Thames yet awhile...
Just think "I'm leaving Hounslow" and you wontt feel so bad!
Or brentford.......
@@petehall1985 Brentford has 1 good thing if you're near the 65 bus. An easy commute into London. Where I lived it was a five minute walk to the station, then either a 10 minute ride to either Richmond or South Ealing station or 15 to Ealing Broadway. Two of those stations are terminus, so you could be virtually guaranteed a seat.
I live in chiswick, but in Ealing!
Yeah I thought he said he lived in Hounslow in another video? Have I missed something here?
@@jenjones90 I mean it's in the borough of Hounslow, Chiswick is managed by Hounslow council
I love this video. I'm currently in the US but my fiance's parents own a flat in Chiswick right down the road from Avanti. This video gave me such a warm feeling because I love all the times I've spent there.
We're planning to move there next year, so from one American to the next, I promise I'll take the time to appreciate it as much as you did.
I love Chiswick. It's the perfect place in London. You're close enough to Central London, White City/Westfield's, Richmond etc and with very good public transport links. It's nice and green, good places to eat/drink and clean! (Go down the road to Hammersmith or Shepards Bush...🤢, Not as nice or clean!).
Yes, it is expensive to buy (i live in a council flat, but love Chiswick!).
Thank you for your comments Evan and thanks for visiting us. Really hope your move goes well and you find friends and community in the next place. Blessings from the team at Christ Church. 👋😄
This is such a good advert and love letter for the UK and the smaller towns people forget about!! Such a great video
Thank you :)
Ah, great film. When I moved to London 30 years ago, moved into a shared flat opposite Gunnersbury Park. Now lucky to live in Chiswick. The Old Packhorse is my local..
It's evident you had a lot of love for that city. How special it will be any time you're able to visit!
Oh I love Chiswick! When I used to live in Southall I would go over to Chiswick on the weekends and high street was always just so magical.
I left Chiswick well over a decade ago, it's a lovely corner of London. I guess it was before your time when there was a dry cleaners in Turnham Green called Turn Them Clean...
haha
Makes me proud to live in Chiswick this
As someone who lives in a relatively cheap city to drink in, the "£15 for two pints" bit nearly killed me
I worked in Chiswick for 8 years, till 2020. I lived near Chiswick for 11 years. Definitely a great place. Once, as the Head of History in a local school, I spent around 3 months designing a new "local history scheme of work" (working on it whenever I had a bit of spare time). I regret not saving in. The school must still have it. I may have the scheme of work itself, but not all the materials. Anyway, I spent hours at the Local library (Chiswick Library) looking for books and skimming through them. I borrowed many of them and I planned all the lessons and the activities. I learnt a lot about Chiswick. Chiswick was conceived as a utopian city. It has a highly original architecture and there is no neighborhood in Britain, let alone abroad, that looks like it. It's not a perfect place, but it is my favourite London neighborhood. Unfortunately, it is a rich man's place like all good London neighborhoods.
Sad innit
You brought back lovely memories, as a former resident of Ealing. I couldn’t afford Chiswick either but the parks and the river are free and beautiful. Thank you.
I’ve lived in Chiswick my whole life and loved seeing you appreciate it all- including the High ROAD aha
Yeah I saw that. Isn't that what every high road is called? I'm thinking of all the places around us and I can't think of anywhere that calls it a High Street (tbf I haven't thought for that long)
Yeah Chiswick is my home too, came from Spain in late 2019 & I found my first best friend at Gunnersbury park, that friendship extended to a whole group, in which we rode to Chiswick business park on the weekends, eating ice cream at the high street & buying antique books for our birthdays from the antique shop there. Chiswick is special to those who live in it, as their life's get formed by it's beaty and uniqueness.
I wasn't prepared to get all teary-eyed, its really amazing to see how connected you are to chiswick and how much you truly care about a place, it felt really emotional :)
I didn't wake up today thinking I'd be crying about Chiswick, a place that I've never even thought about before, but here I am. 🥲
Wow, Evan, what a fab homage to Chiswick. I left Chiswick after 31 years on 16 Dec 2021 and moved to Pinawa in Manitoba Canada. Your movie brought back such heartfelt memories of the lovely places I too visited and was part of, I miss it very much. Thanks buddy.
What do I take from this video? The importance of place in people’s lives! So underrated in this globalised world. We ignore it at our peril!!!
I love the Old Cinema antique shop! Chiswick High Street is a treasure trove of shopping, great restaurants, some nice pubs. It's a lovely, more quiet and relaxed area of London to stay in and convenient by bus and Tube to the rest of London.
First time I’ve commented on one of your videos but I loved this, particularly the bit at the end! Had my own similar goodbye recently to a part of London that I also got to know even better during lockdown.
We have both river floods and something called wellies in Chiswick Evan 😉
The majority of professional people in London rent. Many of the green spaces and trees in London are a testament to the Victorians and it's now remarkably green for a city. Small parts of it are actually quite nice. And surprisingly quiet. That feeling you connected with in the ring of trees, the changing seasons and the sunsets over Gunnersbury Park, that's the spirit of the place, the true soul of Britain. That's the experience of generations of poets and lovers, like sitting round the fire and telling stories, it's one of the most ancient experiences. Every part of Britain has its equivalent of the little circle of trees, none of them are quite the same. But yeah I get it, beautifully told by the way
Welcome back to a man who is sponsored by Chiswick
The feeling of being attached to a place and realising that you cant afford a house in it is genuinly the worst feeling ever, it hits close to home. Anyways evan good luck settling in your new place which is hopefully soon ❤
You made a home and a nice "home"-age to it. (Sorry, I had to, master of puns). Looking forward to the next adventure.
I love how you sound like a Brit to me until I see and hear you next to a born and raised British person. 😂.
And yes, all the British accents make me realise you still have a USA accent
So his accent is kind of a mix now. Still leaning toward American though.
really? idk where you're from but as a brit (someone who literally lives in chiswick actually lol) he sounds VERY american but that might just be because i'm used to people who sound very british 😅
as an American, he sounds very American to me.
You made a grown man cry Evan! Your'e such a nice guy and deserve everythin good that comes your way!
this is such a beautiful documentation of the area. I did my undergrad in ealing nearby and work in chiswick so seeing these areas Ive spent nearly 4 years of my life walking around through your lens is so special. thankyou for renewing my appreciation of this beautiful area I can call home
This brought back similar feelings I had as an Irish man who spent eight wonderful years in Chiswick and Gunnersbury (Grange Road), in the 70s. Thanks for your reflections, and for evoking memories of a different world a half century ago, but in the same effecting and emotive place.
Yay, Chswick! Friends of ours had a roof top apartment above what is now (according to Google) More Yoga. So cool to watch the aeroplane lights approach Heathrow as we bbq'ed. I swear I counted 13 sets of lights at once, once. They loved the area, too.
This was so weird! I live in Chiswick and it was weird seeing all the roads I know and go on everyday!
I left my childhood home of 33 years last year and boy this is what it felt like. I lived my entire life there (right around Cherry Hill!).
Now, a year later, I've painted every room trim to ceiling, switched out every outlet and cover to create distinct room feels, and grown in ways I never knew possible.
Also, thank you for crying. We as men are urged not to, and it's past time we normalize that it's okay sometimes to cry.
I lived in Ealing by the common for 35 years, and Chiswick was always part of that experience.. Now back in my native Australia I often revisit my past through these youtube offerings. This lovely video left me in tears of nostalgia.
Sobbing uncontrollably. 😭😭😭😭😭😭 This was so beautiful. I'm about to make a big move myself and haven't really faced it until now. Xx
As someone who lives in Acton and whose local park is Gunnersbury and I've spent so much of my childhood in it and also knowing all the places in Chiswick, it is weird for someone to put it so emotionally for a place I've taken for granted as one of the places with shops we don't have all my life.
I'm saying goodbye to my Chiswick this week. And like you, I'm a dual US/UK citizen. We are little scrappers aren't we? Anyway, I don't know exactly where I will land for another week or so. Your video helped me process those feelings. And I sat there with you, looking at that group of trees and thought. Yes. To every time, there is a season. It's true. Wishing you endless hope and happiness and thanks for showing us your whole heart.
A love letter to my hometown. An antidote to the bike path rage and moths. So glad you mentioned the doggos! Chiswick does amazing dogginess.
I never knew somewhere in London could be so green and beautiful. I understand now why you're so determined to stay.
I was born near Turnham Green Station over 78yrs ago, and spent my childhood there. I have not lived there for many years now, but your "Chiswick is just for the people here" rang so true. Many thnks for the video.
Great to watch a video of Chiswick on UA-cam, as a long term resident of Chiswick myself, you captured the sentiments and everything that’s great about it!
A stunning watch. Beautifully shot. I know how much attention to detail and hard work you put into your craft, and it absolutely shines here. I don’t understand these things particularly, but you can really see it: very artful and cleverly put together.
On a different note, you said as a renter, you felt like you weren’t making a mark like a buyer. But, all ‘owners’ are temporary. We are all transient through the spaces we occupy. One day, our time will be done for good and the marks we leave are not so much in the physical. And the way you’ve documented your time here is far more permanent, far more beautiful and far more impactful that simply owning a home. You’ve made memories and shared them. With yourself, with your friends and with us. And we’re grateful too. Because you used the world you lived in to give us your authentic self
When places become our memories and we have to say goodbye, knowing things are never going to be quite the same again. You encapsulated it beautifully Evan.
It's these kinds of genuine videos from Evan that really make this channel stand out.
As a person who moved to West London from the North. You do you grow here it's this weird mix of finding yourself and finding yourself in a city that lets you breath. Places like Chiswick are that enclave of fresh air in a city that seemingly never stops, even after the shops have closed and the workers have gone home it's still beating and to be able to go home to a place like that to exist in a place like that is a home from home I never thought I'd ever experience.
But remember you'll never be that far from Gunnersbury Park if you're not leaving London.
I cried because I can see just how much this place means to you. It was a beautifully made video. It truly looks like a really lovely area to live. I'm really glad you got to capture so much of it in video and pictures. Chiswick would be proud of this video. I hope you get your new home soon and get to settle in. Lots of luck your way. (:
I can only hope I find somewhere where I can make as great a memories like you have. You loved that place Evan.
Wishing your new journey to be full of joy and happiness. Best wishes Liv from Dublin 🥰💖
I grew up in Chiswick and Gunnersbury Park was just a short walk away. It looks different now - slightly wilder and more meadow-y. I haven't been there for about twenty years, and after seeing your film, it's made me want to make an effort to get there and see how its changed this year. Thanks for the video and making me reminisce. Chiswick really is a special place. My parents still live there, so I go back every now and then, but parking is a bit of a nightmare. I miss the riverside pubs in Strand-on-the-Green and near Chiswick Mall. Happy days. Hope you're happy wherever you are now (I'm in the wilds of Oxfordshire).
Realising I’ve lived round the corner from Evan for the last four years - thanks for such a lovely commentary on Chiswick. I too love Gunnersbury Park and it’s dilapidated magic :)
Thank you, Evan, I live opposite the Gunnersbury station. I never realised how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful place after seeing your video. We shall live very close by and are truly neighbours to each other before. You made me realise how beautiful Chiswick is, and made me appreciate more of where I live.
If you cry, we all cry with you together. I have been watching your content for 6 years where you were doing altogether with doddlevloggle, neonfiona and others. And it was great to see a footage with doddlevloggle. While watching your videos for 6 years, I changed many places. Started from Azerbaijan went to Lithuania then Malta and currently watching from Canada. But hope, one day will be in the same country, city and waiting to meet you soon. Your true fan. Even while, I created my own channel here. Full of inspiration man! Love you so much! ❤️
Wow dude this was a lovely video. Your perspective really resonated with me - I spent 15 fantastic and formative years in my own little unloved and overlooked corner of London, growing up and becoming the person I am now, before moving into the next chapter of my life. London changes everyone and everyone changes London, too, in their own small way. And that is the beauty of the city. Your story is London's story and vice versa. Thanks for making this.
Such a beautiful video! And I think that Chiswick being for people who live there is a wonderful thing! We need more places like this in the world. Places first and foremost fulfilling the needs of the inhabitants.
A beautiful video both in content and execution. It clearly hold a special place in your heart and I can see why. I’m certain though that given time you will eventually come to say the same of your new area. The thing which came across most to me in this video was the bond you have with your wonderful friends. We might move homes but it’s people who make our lives. Best of luck to you Evan x
@evanEdinger i worked in Chiswick for 5 years, the best 5 years of my career, i worked at a place called Sam's brasserie, a restaurant which i'm sure was long gone before you got there, but it was opposite the Barley Mow pub, if you know where that was. seeing this video made me realise how much i miss living there, well, not there, obviously icould nevr live in chswick! i lived in isleworth, i'm not made of money!
but seriously this film was a beautiful love letter to a place i took for granted and should have appreciated more while i was there.
I loved this. This is how I feel about Boulder, Colorado. I spent 6 years there but knew that I wouldn't get to stay because the rent is so high. I don't regret leaving but I'll always remember falling in love with it and that hope from back when I thought I'd get to stay.
Chiswick looks amazing
Jolly good show appreciating the out of the way, simple, anonymous places (anywhere that's designed for commerce, Instragram photos, and/or "I've been there" boasts). There's this guy Thoreau who loved a pond and its environment. You're brave to tell a story without high drama except your own emotions, but hey, where are you going next??? And, you can always return to Chiswick! It's not being walled off to visitors!
Thanks for the kind comment :)
This is without doubt the single best video, that I have either watched on UA-cam. Just brilliant. Keep it together, Man, Evan.
The part about the circle of trees hit home for me. I've lived in lots of different places, and I always seem to have a favourite part that nobody else really notices.
Wonderful! May you find peace and happiness wherever you go. x
A most beautiful goodbye. I shed a tear or two, listening. Your new journey is about to begin. Sending blessings. 🙏🏻❤️
This was my favorite video of yours to date, Evan!
Love it so much and I love how thoughtful, introspective and beautiful it was.
Aha! I specifically go to Chiswick to visit the Old Cinema. UA-cam algorithm very much on point recommending this video! Other wonderful things about Chiswick are the incredible charity shops and Kimchimama, one of the best bibimbap’s in London. The architect who designed the business park also designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris - its beautiful, as is your video.
Thank you :)
Thanks for posting this Evan. I was your sort of age when I lived in Chiswick in the mid '80s. There's a lot of nostalgia for me in your video. It's interesting to see how some things have changed, too.
I moved from the Liverpool area where I see you're heading. When you get there, you might like to check out my hometown of Southport, twenty miles to the north. It's kind of like Chiswick but with a beach. Not much sea, but great beach!
I lived in Chiswick for the two years I lived in the UK and it brought so much nostalgia :') did make me cry
I love this video so much. I recently moved out of my first apartment after only having lived there for less than a year. It was in a suburban area where I never thought I'd end up unless I one day had kids and bought a house. Just a small township centre, nothing spectacular; I lived right next to the woods and had a five minute walk to the lake. I went for long walks exploring the neighbourhood that really wasn't that worth exploring - but it was to me. I knew my favorite bench by the lake, my favorite giant houses that I loved to imagine living in, and the place on top of the mountain where I hiked when I needed a good cry. I met the same elderly couple walking their dog every day on my way to work and I smiled at the same cashier every week at the grocery store. The time I spent there was short and I knew when I moved in that I'd probably leave pretty soon, but this place came to mean everything to me. It was where I truly gained independence, and it was simply MINE. I had my own relationship with this place that I didn't have to share with anyone.