Why life was better in London the 18th century than in the 17th century

I just finished to listen to two audiobooks: The English Society in the Eighteenth Century (Roy Porter), and Restoration London: Everyday Life in the 1660s. Both books where equaly entertaining and interesting. Now I can safely say that I would have prefer to live in the 18th century London than in the 17th century london. In the 17th century, you was not really free to think and express what you wanted. In the 18th century, things started to change. There was a lot of freedom of faith and even if people still expected you to believe in god, you was not necessarily burned anymore for being an atheist. Also, trade freed many poeple from their usual role. In the 17th century, you was either a poor paysan or a landowner. In the 18th century, you was either a poor paysan, a poor businessman, a middleclass buisinessman, a rich businessman or a landowner. I would be curious to read about London in the 19th century...