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Would/do you live in a tower block?


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Old 22-12-2016, 13:33
Pitman
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I lived in one for about a year and a half, the lifts being broken down never bothered me, I was on the first floor
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Old 22-12-2016, 13:56
swingaleg
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I've lived in a tower block for 30 years

We've only been evacuated for fire once......... I went 'down' but some people went 'up' and got stuck on the roof

just googled and found the news reports ...........it was 10 years ago ............
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Old 22-12-2016, 14:23
gother
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Nothing like that, yes you get one or two prats but every area has them, that news story is from 1988 too times have changed.
The block i'm in has cctv, 24hr security, a cleaner who comes daily, a caretaker who keeps the grounds clean and neat.
Sometimes i have to nag the housing association to get repairs done but not often.
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Old 22-12-2016, 17:41
BadLadAsh
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I've always wanted to live in one but the reality is probably very different to how I imagine it.
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Old 22-12-2016, 18:11
Beanybun
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I always imagine, I suspect unfairly, that it would be like that song by Pulp, "Mile End", used in Trainspotting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xfkfc79_q4

"We didn't have no where to live, / we didn't have nowhere to go
'til someone said / "I know this place off Burditt Road."
It was on the fifteenth floor, / it had a board across the door.
It took an hour / to pry it off and get inside. / It smelt as if someone had died;
the living-room was full of flies, / the kitchen sink was blocked,
the bathroom sink not there at all. / Ooh, / it's a mess alright, / yes it's
Mile End. / And now we're living in the sky! / I'd never thought I'd live so
high, / just like Heaven / (if it didn't look like Hell.)
The lift is always full of piss, / the fifth floor landing smells of fish
(not just on Friday, / every single other day.)
Below the kids come out tonight, / they kick a ball and have a fight
and maybe shoot somebody if they lose at pool.
Ooh, / it's a mess alright, / yes it's / Mile End.
[mumbled mutterings... you love it...]
Oo-ooh / Nobody wants to be your friend
'cause you're not from round here, / ooh / as if that was
something to be proud about. / The pearly king of the Isle of Dogs
feels up children in the bogs. / Down by the playing fields,
someone sets a car on fire I guess you have to go right down
before you understand just how, / how low,
how low a human being can go. / Ooh, / it's a mess alright, / yes it's
Mile End. / (don't do that! Leave it out!) / Bababa...
Lalala..."
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Old 22-12-2016, 18:26
maggiek
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Yes, I'd live there but in the East End of London.

Per the words of Tony, the taxi driver, in Michael Apted's 7 Up Series, "The Square; it's me mum, me dad, me gran; it's all I know & it's all I want to know."

He had me at that!
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Old 23-12-2016, 02:14
Turbulence
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Maybe in 80s Miami. But not now, not here. Oh no, not now, not here.
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Old 25-12-2016, 14:10
Sun Glasses Ron
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We lived in a tower block for years on the 17th floor
Loved it tbh -it was council owned & refurbished
At the time the council were selective of the tenants who moved in
This made a big difference -Its generally not the flats that are a problem
But the tenants & landlords failure to deal with them properly

Although there are some very badly designed blocks that will never be nice
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Old 25-12-2016, 14:17
miss_astrid
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I couldn't. I like having a garden, and I associate tower blocks with built up urban areas. I like living in the countryside.
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Old 26-12-2016, 00:18
abigail1234
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I always imagine, I suspect unfairly, that it would be like that song by Pulp, "Mile End", used in Trainspotting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xfkfc79_q4

"We didn't have no where to live, / we didn't have nowhere to go
'til someone said / "I know this place off Burditt Road."
It was on the fifteenth floor, / it had a board across the door.
It took an hour / to pry it off and get inside. / It smelt as if someone had died;
the living-room was full of flies, / the kitchen sink was blocked,
the bathroom sink not there at all. / Ooh, / it's a mess alright, / yes it's
Mile End. / And now we're living in the sky! / I'd never thought I'd live so
high, / just like Heaven / (if it didn't look like Hell.)
The lift is always full of piss, / the fifth floor landing smells of fish
(not just on Friday, / every single other day.)
Below the kids come out tonight, / they kick a ball and have a fight
and maybe shoot somebody if they lose at pool.
Ooh, / it's a mess alright, / yes it's / Mile End.
[mumbled mutterings... you love it...]
Oo-ooh / Nobody wants to be your friend
'cause you're not from round here, / ooh / as if that was
something to be proud about. / The pearly king of the Isle of Dogs
feels up children in the bogs. / Down by the playing fields,
someone sets a car on fire I guess you have to go right down
before you understand just how, / how low,
how low a human being can go. / Ooh, / it's a mess alright, / yes it's
Mile End. / (don't do that! Leave it out!) / Bababa...
Lalala..."
I love Jarvis Cocker and Pulp and love Trainspotting so thank you for posting this
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Old 26-12-2016, 14:10
DigitalSpyUser
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I had to live in one at University, as they had taken one over. Worse had to share a room. They crammed 5 of us into a two-bedroom flat (converted part of the living room into another room). The students I had to share the flat with were doing drugs (I wasn't). It was bloody awful and it has put me off for life.

I was looking for somewhere to move to a couple of years back and looked at two privately owned flats in ex-council/housing association flats. Just the concrete and the smell of urine I had to pass to get to the front door was horrendous. It's not that I am against social housing. I live in a masionette that is ex-housing association but I have my own front door and back garden.

I have also lived in privately owned "luxury" apartments and the like. The worse noise problem was in one of the so-called nice apartment. I have to say my current neighbours (wether in privately owned or housing association) are pretty nice.
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Old 26-12-2016, 14:29
Princessxxxx
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It all depends on if its social housing or private. Usually bigger the block the more problems and smells.
A friend lives by the river in london, million dollar views, privately bought but several floors down social housing they ave a separate entrance but still manages to bring the tome ne of the building down. I was told that the council insists on 10% of all new builds being so-called affordable housing - friend bought 5 yrs ago for 110k now worth estimated d 500k
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Old 26-12-2016, 16:43
Heatherbell
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Not lived in one myself , but used to have friends and relatives who lived in one not too far from us. The accommodation itself was OK , just very dated and drab. But the stairwells halls and lifts were disgusting , plus the lifts kept breaking down (probably because of all the piss rusting the gears ). Eventually all the tenants were offered new housing and the block was scheduled for demolition . Then I think there was some sort of negotiation process went on behind the scenes (with gay activists possibly?) because next thing we knew it was all refurbed , new kitchens and bathrooms and doors and windows top to bottom . New lifts system and a nice little private car park for residents on what used to be just a patch of rubbish strew land behind the bins area . It is now almost totally occupied by gay guys, lesbian ladies and variations thereof 👬 / 👭 and it is gorgeous ! I know two people who live there now and I love visiting . The views over the city are stunning and the occupants are incredibly house proud of every facet of the building, not just their own flats . There's always some resident or other out cleaning the hallways and lobbies and decorating them with pictures and flowers . The lifts are spotless and have posh air fresheners in them. I've even seen Yankee candles burning in the hallways sometimes . The community spirit is brilliant and they all help each other out . Fabulous little haven of beautifully maintained delight . I'd live there in a heart beat . For sure people make the place what it is and if enough care then high rise living is great .👍
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Old 26-12-2016, 16:49
Princessxxxx
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Hiya HB

Where is this block please??
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Old 26-12-2016, 17:10
Heatherbell
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Hiya HB

Where is this block please??
I'd rather not say Princess . Nothing personal to you , just a thing I have re being careful regarding personal info online and because I've already said that it's near my home .
Oh and I should have said it is council housing , not private .
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Old 26-12-2016, 18:52
cnbcwatcher
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I wouldn't live in one but my university has one and the law department is based in it. I've been up in it loads of times.
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Old 26-12-2016, 18:59
Patti-Ann
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Years ago I delivered the mail in a 12 storey tower block. It has one lift to the odd floors and one to the even. I got the lift to the 12th floor and then walked down the stairs floor to floor. A couple of times one or other lift was out of order, but never both of them together
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