Lonely Londoners in search of friendly neighbours should move to the north-east, according to a new study of public attitudes. High house prices outside the reach of many young workers, and the capital's expensive and unreliable transport system, are bad enough. But the study, prepared to help policy makers, has found that Londoners, while being less satisfied with their surroundings than people in any other region, also live in England's most unsociable and "least cohesive" communities. Apparently, the friendliest neighbours are to be found in the north-east. The study undertaken for the National Housing Federation to determine future trends by the year 2010, finds that people in the east of England are most satisfied with their lives, while Londoners are least satisfied. After extensive interviews around England, it found that the east and the south-west are regarded as being "the most suitable areas to bring up children", while London is considered the worst. And Londoners are most dissatisfied with their income, while people in the east and the south-east are the happiest with wage levels. Although the study puts the average house price in the capital at £200,000, it finds Londoners are least satisfied with their leisure time. By contrast, people in the north east, where the average price is £75,000, are the most satisfied. But in trying to explain the dissatisfaction with the capital, the study, Regional Futures, offers little new. "Work-life balance in professional business, financial services and the public sector in London and the south-east demand long working hours and the stress of commuting compounds this," it notes. But overall, it finds that by 2010 all regions will face some similar problems - divorce rates will top 60%, it estimates, while 40% of the population will be over 55, and, most startling of all, men will start to outlive women. Jim Coulter, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents 1,400 government-funded housing associations, said the report generally made bleak reading. "But it confirms much of what we already know - that there is a growing disparity and difference between, and within regions, and a growing polarisation of income and wealth." The study will be used by the federation to launch a campaign, called In Business for Neighbourhoods, at its annual conference in Birmingham this week. The aim is to extend the reach of housing associations, the main providers of "social" homes for renting, into wider community initiatives, ranging from job training to childcare.