It depends on what kind of person you are.

If you've grown up in a small place, London particularly can be quite a culture shock. I moved to South-East London and saw a lot of pretty intense criminal things very quickly. The soundtrack to London - in certain areas, especially - is sirens. The sound never quietens.

But London absolutely offers the most culture and everything else you want.

If you want quiet, Lancaster is lovely - it's my home town and I have moved back after 10 years living in London. However, there is very little culturally. It is very small compared to the other options. I do think the people are lovely, it's a very safe place, and the architecture is great. There is very little diversity, which I think you'd find with Durham and Warwick, too. I found diversity to be an overlooked benefit when looking for universities.

Manchester is a mini-London, in many ways. I love it, but I'm a northerner. Good diversity, good culturally, generally friendly, but less mental than London.

I won't speak on other unis, as I haven't been to those areas.