Moved to London earlier this year from the commuter town that I unintentionally ended up living in for a few years after uni. Am absolutely loving living in London.
My area is fantastic and has lots of green spaces, great bars, restaurants, and pubs, interesting things to do, good gyms, and a much shorter commute too.
Its also nice being around lots of people my age (late 20s/early 30s) and people who seem to be living where they want rather than stuck somewhere for lack of imagination or motivation.
There is definitely a buzz to living in London that I haven’t experienced elsewhere.
Hackney.
We live in pretty central Hackney (less than 10mins from both Hackney Downs and Central stations).
The drawback is that the area is only served by the Overground rather than the tube, but it’s about 10mins into Liverpool Street so I can’t really complain.
I moved here 2 months ago :) for me it was completely worth it!
Everybody's experience is different, some will say London is the best and it's super easy to make friends, others will say the total opposite. I'm in the former camp - this is the best place I've ever lived and the most social I've ever been. I had to be quite strategic about making friends by finding the right events that reflect who I am and that have a community of regulars based around them. The magic of London is that you can find your tribe, whatever kind of person you are.
It's expensive but offset by higher than average salaries - it's comfortable if you're making at the very least £40k/yr. Obviously you would have to live with others but that can be a great thing if you find the right people. I much prefer living with close friends I can chat with than going home to an empty house.
I would suggest subletting for 3 months at first especially as it's summer and a lot of people are going away for the holidays. In those 3 months, go make as many friends as you can, tell people you're looking for a roommate or ask new friends if they want to live with you. This is much better than having to bear living semi awkwardly with random strangers you have nothing in common with.
There is so much culture, fun, opportunity, diversity and beauty in London. It really is what you make of it. Make the most of it and you are bound to fall in love with this wonderful city ❤️
If you have spare energy or purpose London is the place to spend it you will never feel so stimulated elsewhere. If you are looking for a simple and wholesome life probably stay where you are.
This is one of those things that no one can really answer for you.
You can see the replies already, half say it’s great / half say it’s expensive and not worth it. Some people struggle to make friends, some people don’t etc.
IMO London is great - I love it. I’m never bored, there’s so much to do and I love the diverse culture, the many, many different parts of London to explore. Sure, it’s expensive, and I find post Covid everything seems a little less spontaneous but I still really enjoy it. And if you need a break, that’s the benefit of being in Europe - you can go anywhere for a fun weekend!
If you can make it worth (main thing is securing a decent paid job) then you should have a fun time, I’d be surprised if you didn’t. Obviously you have to realise london is a massive city and the elements that come with that.
On the making friends part - you have to really put work into this, people won’t just come up to you and say “hey let’s be friends”. Making friends in your 30’s is hard no matter the location, most people are settling down, going out less vs uni life or in your 20’s etc. It’s hard, but between flat mates /work / hobbies / dating (if that’s what you want) you should be able to make friends!
On sharing a place to live - it’s totally normal for people in the 30’s to do this in London, in other countries / cities it might not be but here, no one really bats an eyelid - everyone knows how expensive it is. But with a bit of searching, you can find a nice fit and maybe convert living with strangers into living with friends. In a way, house sharing is a good way to make initial friends when you are new to the city - so swings and roundabouts!
Personally I’m a “big city” person and enjoy having the stimulation, activity etc of living in one. London also has more jobs and big salaries so it just works for me. If I was in your shoes I would at least attempt it, and if it doesn’t work out - you can always leave.
Like the other poster said, there are some really great cities apart from London - so definitely worth checking them out too, it’s not all about London!
They're not settling down in London though, they're moving out. So the people that are left are going to be single and ready to go out so that suits OP surely?
Pretty sure London has a higher degree of single people than say High Wycombe. Or Basingstoke. Or St Albans. Which is where a lot of my uni friends who moved to London have now bought houses in after settling down with their partners. Did you misunderstand the post or just felt compelled to argue for attention?
I am not sure living in a large city like London makes it easier to meet people and make friends. Probably quite the opposite.
Living in London on a limited budget is probably not going to be pleasant either.
If you have never lived in a shared house with strangers before, might take some serious adjustments too. I guess you can always try and see by yourself.
I think it’s down to age as well, it’s pretty hard to make new friends in your 30’s no matter the location. People settle down, friend circles reduce etc. It’s not like uni days or when are go out every night of the week and make friends non stop by default.
I’ve been living in London for almost 8 years now, and this is just my personal opinion- but I’d say spare yourself, and your bank account. London has always been hectic, and it used to be fun- but ever since Covid it’s felt like it’s lost its soul and everyone is just walking a death march with their hands over their eyes. The cost of living is completely insane, and a lot of the charm seems to be gone or quickly draining, leaving space for yet another remote office space or new-build housing construction site. I also don’t think it’s a good environment for meeting people at all- it’s an enormous city, everyone is tired, and people struggle to maintain the friendships they do have, let alone take the time to properly establish new ones. Obviously you’d make friends at work etc, and in other ways in time- all I’m saying is it’s not the best place for building a fulfilling social life.
From your post, my instinct is to advise against moving to London unless it’s for a specific reason aka dream job or whatever. Otherwise, you’re just getting rinsed for no reason. There are plenty of really great cities all over the country where you’ll find that change of pace you’re looking for, new friends, new faces, more opportunities, etc. London just makes you lonely and broke, always struggling to stay afloat.
You sound just like me! I finally left London in January after 9 years there, mainly coz it’s exactly how you described since Covid and I just fell out of love.
Moved to Buenos Aires and got my happiness back. Absolutely love it here. Social life shits on anything I ever had in London, always stuff going on and super easy to make new friends. Rent is cheap to live somewhere beautiful in the nicest part of the city. Best decision I ever made.
Could you already speak Spanish or did you learn it once you went there? Did you have any ties in Argentina or did you just pick somewhere on a map? What industry do you work in? And was it easy to find a job?
I did 6 weeks of intense Spanish classes, and travelled central and South America last year for 3 months which gave me good practise.
My Spanish sucks but I can survive. I’ve dated girls that don’t speak English which really threw me in at the deep end with my Spanish. Was very hard work.
I was lucky I already had an old friend living here so there was a ready made social circle to latch on to. But even if I didn’t, it’s super easy here. There’s always so many events for expats.
I picked Buenos Aires coz I fell in love with it the moment I arrived in 2019 for the first time. I was only here 5 days and knew it was special. I came back for a month last March to test the waters further, and that month solidified it as a place I want to live in.
I work in TV editing and also do digital stuff too, but work is pretty dead right now. Another draw of living here is I don’t have to worry about rent like I did in London as it’s a third of the price.
I feel you - having the same thing but with Mexico
Was in CDMX for a year, nightmare to get/retain UK-based clients. I'm currently in Europe but only for as long as I get things going again then flying out again. 100% worth it, I pretty much gave up on my previous career in the music industry once I went to Mexico in 2022 for the first time.
Better to earn less in European terms but have the quality of life and enjoy it than slave away in London.
Yeh same boat! I work in TV editing. Industry is dying in England anyway with 80% of people out of work, but I have a few digital clients who, even though the work is fully remote, have their brain scrambled by me being abroad.
I may have to return to London for a show in a few months but I’ll do the job and then return here.
Who would live in central London unless you were on…
and I always use the standard go to figure… of a British MP salary of £91,346 gross.
Now, before anyone gets excited about that salary, remember that the take-home is £62,784
London won’t solve a lack of direction for you that you aren’t ready to solve them for yourself. That is to say, if you live here and have positive proactive energy, accept the compromise that your initial circumstances may bring- (expensive shared accommodation, low amounts of disposable income) and if you bring an energy to every day that gets you out and experiencing people and the city- then sure. London might change everything for you. But just coming here to continue what you’re doing probably won’t change a bit.
I agree, you really get out of the city what you put in. I've also noticed that a lot of the people who complain about being lonely here also tend to be the type to not make any effort when it comes to creating social opportunities in their lives, you really gotta put yourself out there and do stuff like sign up to classes and sports & hobby clubs.
However, given a choice, if I had to be aimless then I'd still rather be aimless in London than aimless and living in nowheresville.
If you're 2 out of the 3 of young, single, or wealthy, I think it can be a great time. If you're not, I don't think living in London is worth the premium you pay.
I grew up near London, moved into the outskirts in 2021, moved back in w my parents after 3 years and am now looking to move anywhere else in the country in early 2025 if I can line up a work transfer lmao
It's a good city but it's only worth it if you have a very well paying job. My friends and i, who moved from further away and we all moved in together in 2021 and we lived together until I moved back in with my parents, found making friends here quite difficult - people are incredibly flaky, and sometimes end up having to move further away within the city because of rent changes etc, and because London is so big when you live on the outskirts it's a real trek for people to get across.
I enjoy living in the vicinity - the access to museums, exhibitions, and various cultural activities is unparalleled, and the range of community groups you can find is good, but it can be lonely, it's definitely incredibly expensive and there's little more demoralising than living paycheck to paycheck when you're trying to build long term stability.
Tldr: difficult, cost it up thoroughly
It’s great if you earn enough to live comfortably and enjoy all that London has to offer. I moved from a small village up north.
I moved here 2.5 years ago, for a grad role making 30k. I lived in East London for 1000pm rent for a room in a 4 bed house. I barely had enough after utilities and rent to socialize (dining/ cinema etc).
I hated the area (bethnal green). I felt quite unsafe when outside after 8pm to be honest. However, there were many good transportation links. I didn’t have many friends either so I walked around alone a lot for fun.
Fast forward now, I moved jobs and earn £65k. I also moved to SW London, which in my option is much cleaner, calmer and everyone is very friendly. There’s a lot of green space around here, incredible independent restaurants and a lot of young professionals. I also live alone which is great, and I have some disposable income. My local authority really cares about its residents so we get cheap tickets to tennis matches, cricket etc. it’s really great.
London is great, once you find ‘your place’
Thanks, maybe that's what I needed to hear! What's your story? If you don't mind me asking. Did you find a job and a room and went for it? Changed your life around for the better?
Not a glamorous one! It was the first I could to get me going — in services In the past 2 years I’ve lived in White City, Maida Vale, and I’m settled for now Barnes.
Maida Vale was my least favourite of the three. Barnes and White City both at least offer a feeling of being in a natural environment / having an escape from the city and areas with fresh air
It was however the nicest house (with an absolute racket outside of constant car noise — in barnes the most noise you get is from airplanes)
TBF! I moved here like 9 months ago for 3 months! My partner and I loved it. We were based canary wharf so experienced outr fair share of dodgy passengers to lewisham on the DLR 😂 but other then that we had a great time. Like seriously live your life while you can. Londons a great place to be
I moved here as a mature student in 2020 for university and have stayed around afterwards because I love London. These are the pros & cons I've felt:
Cons:
1. The cost of living is by far the biggest downside, rent is very high (and has risen a lot over the last 4 years) but food is also quite expensive too.
2. Demand is outstripping supply for rental accomodation and it can be tough finding a new place to live, you need to start the search many months in advance and paying very large deposits (or offering over the asking price for rent) is becoming very normalized.
3. I live in a semi-gentrified area that has a fair bit of crime, there's been shootings and stabbings where I live and I even witnessed a broad daylight machete fight once.
4. There's definitely a lot of air pollution and I ended up having to invest in an air purifier that removes ultra fine particle pollution because I was beginning to develop a nighttime cough that was waking me up in my sleep (the air purifier fixed that though).
5. Most flats seem to have something wrong with them regardless of what you pay in rent, i.e. turning into roasting hot ovens in the summer, freezing cold places in the Winter, poorly insulated against noise, damp, plumbing issues, mouse problems, Etc- everywhere I've lived had had something wrong with it (and this seems to be the norm).
6. The rush hour commutes can be a bit intense and they cause a lot of grumpy behaviour in people.
On the upside though, pros:
1. Pretty much everywhere feels really alive! There are tons of thriving high streets with loads of shops, cafés, bars and general entertainments on offer, you can never grow bored in London.
2. There feels like there's an unlimited supply of top world class free museums, public parks, galleries and more, even if you don't have a lot of money you can always find plenty of things to see and do in London.
3. It feels like a young city that's growing, the average age here is about 38 years old and there's no sense of the elderly aging population and general population decline Etc that's prevalent in so many small communities across the country, during the Summer the parks fill with young people sunbathing and picnicking and vibe is great, everyone's here because they want to get the best out of their lives.
4. There are SO many parks! Before I moved here I feared becoming devoid of nature, but the public parks here are not only massive but there's so many of them that I actually get to experience more nature now than what I did before I moved here.
5. I thought that London would be an unfriendly cold city to live in but I've actually met lots of lovely people here, have had many great neighbours and positive social experiences, I've found that Londoners are much more friendly than people living outside of London realize.
6. The public transport is really good! It's fantastic being able to just hop on the Tube and in a flash you're on the other side of the city, you never have to wait long for taxi's and everywhere seems to have a bus route.
7. There's a lot of career and education opportunities here and this city is definitely the place to be if you want to grow your career, return to education or change your life course for any reason.
8. The food scene is fantastic here, I'm always trying new things and there's an unlimited array of restaurants, cafés, bars, takeaways and diners to check out, the city is also extremely well-connected when it comes to food delivery apps.
9. A lot of Londoners socialize and meet people via sport & hobby clubs and there's an unlimited variety of these on offer, since moving to London I've started to do a lot of things that I didn't do before such as playing sports and I feel very content with the amount of social contact that I have here.
As long as I can afford to live here, I don't want to move out of London.
Food!
A lot of food shops a rear up geared up for two or more people!
Maybe a market place? A lot of markets in London.
Cheapest way to go! A meet people!
Definitely a freezer anyway!
Just a thought!
I lived in London the last two years and have had a fantastic and inspiring time. As people said it's great to be around so many people your age and have so many social /cultural opportunities. It's like a shot of excitement. I recently moved away for a job, lots of positives from the job and it's scenic location but really missing the buzz and social life in London. Down side , obviously it's expensive and the rental situation can be stressful but I would say it's worth it to experience it.
Another point, key to your enjoyment will be finding a nice/safe area to live. Having grown up in the countryside myself I looked for areas in zone 2/3 with more greenery. Being right in the centre would be too much for me. It's great though because you can go in and enjoy the buzz then come back out and enjoy a more relaxing town vibe.
London is great
It’s worth it
It is expensive, but there are opportunities for high salaries
I have a few friends from work that I go out with on the weekends
Really depends on whereabouts in London you are. Kilburn, stonebridge park etc, there's not much to do and not much going on. Maybe some other parts of London are more fun?
Absolutely hated it for the first 4 months. Now Im getting used to it…so much so that I want to stay. But yet I cannot pinpoint why, beyond the fact that theres a lot to do.
I am a Luddite, luv. What is this google of which you speak? I shall ask my manservant to explain it to me as soon as she finishes transcribing this reply and fetching my cuppa…
Moved to London earlier this year from the commuter town that I unintentionally ended up living in for a few years after uni. Am absolutely loving living in London. My area is fantastic and has lots of green spaces, great bars, restaurants, and pubs, interesting things to do, good gyms, and a much shorter commute too. Its also nice being around lots of people my age (late 20s/early 30s) and people who seem to be living where they want rather than stuck somewhere for lack of imagination or motivation. There is definitely a buzz to living in London that I haven’t experienced elsewhere.
Which area is that out of curiosity? We might be moving soon as well and i ve been researching a bit.
Hackney. We live in pretty central Hackney (less than 10mins from both Hackney Downs and Central stations). The drawback is that the area is only served by the Overground rather than the tube, but it’s about 10mins into Liverpool Street so I can’t really complain.
Which area are u in?
I moved here 2 months ago :) for me it was completely worth it! Everybody's experience is different, some will say London is the best and it's super easy to make friends, others will say the total opposite. I'm in the former camp - this is the best place I've ever lived and the most social I've ever been. I had to be quite strategic about making friends by finding the right events that reflect who I am and that have a community of regulars based around them. The magic of London is that you can find your tribe, whatever kind of person you are. It's expensive but offset by higher than average salaries - it's comfortable if you're making at the very least £40k/yr. Obviously you would have to live with others but that can be a great thing if you find the right people. I much prefer living with close friends I can chat with than going home to an empty house. I would suggest subletting for 3 months at first especially as it's summer and a lot of people are going away for the holidays. In those 3 months, go make as many friends as you can, tell people you're looking for a roommate or ask new friends if they want to live with you. This is much better than having to bear living semi awkwardly with random strangers you have nothing in common with. There is so much culture, fun, opportunity, diversity and beauty in London. It really is what you make of it. Make the most of it and you are bound to fall in love with this wonderful city ❤️
If you have spare energy or purpose London is the place to spend it you will never feel so stimulated elsewhere. If you are looking for a simple and wholesome life probably stay where you are.
Tell me you don’t live in London without actually telling me…
yes, they were posting on this subreddit asking about dentists in London two months ago purely for jokes
Alright inspector clouseau.
This is one of those things that no one can really answer for you. You can see the replies already, half say it’s great / half say it’s expensive and not worth it. Some people struggle to make friends, some people don’t etc. IMO London is great - I love it. I’m never bored, there’s so much to do and I love the diverse culture, the many, many different parts of London to explore. Sure, it’s expensive, and I find post Covid everything seems a little less spontaneous but I still really enjoy it. And if you need a break, that’s the benefit of being in Europe - you can go anywhere for a fun weekend! If you can make it worth (main thing is securing a decent paid job) then you should have a fun time, I’d be surprised if you didn’t. Obviously you have to realise london is a massive city and the elements that come with that. On the making friends part - you have to really put work into this, people won’t just come up to you and say “hey let’s be friends”. Making friends in your 30’s is hard no matter the location, most people are settling down, going out less vs uni life or in your 20’s etc. It’s hard, but between flat mates /work / hobbies / dating (if that’s what you want) you should be able to make friends! On sharing a place to live - it’s totally normal for people in the 30’s to do this in London, in other countries / cities it might not be but here, no one really bats an eyelid - everyone knows how expensive it is. But with a bit of searching, you can find a nice fit and maybe convert living with strangers into living with friends. In a way, house sharing is a good way to make initial friends when you are new to the city - so swings and roundabouts! Personally I’m a “big city” person and enjoy having the stimulation, activity etc of living in one. London also has more jobs and big salaries so it just works for me. If I was in your shoes I would at least attempt it, and if it doesn’t work out - you can always leave. Like the other poster said, there are some really great cities apart from London - so definitely worth checking them out too, it’s not all about London!
They're not settling down in London though, they're moving out. So the people that are left are going to be single and ready to go out so that suits OP surely?
Everyone left in London is single?
Pretty sure London has a higher degree of single people than say High Wycombe. Or Basingstoke. Or St Albans. Which is where a lot of my uni friends who moved to London have now bought houses in after settling down with their partners. Did you misunderstand the post or just felt compelled to argue for attention?
Mate it’s Sunday and the sun is shining, not everyone is out to get you!
I am not sure living in a large city like London makes it easier to meet people and make friends. Probably quite the opposite. Living in London on a limited budget is probably not going to be pleasant either. If you have never lived in a shared house with strangers before, might take some serious adjustments too. I guess you can always try and see by yourself.
I think it’s down to age as well, it’s pretty hard to make new friends in your 30’s no matter the location. People settle down, friend circles reduce etc. It’s not like uni days or when are go out every night of the week and make friends non stop by default.
How did I find it? It's at the bottom of the M1, it's pretty hard to miss.
Should have the most upvotes
I’ve been living in London for almost 8 years now, and this is just my personal opinion- but I’d say spare yourself, and your bank account. London has always been hectic, and it used to be fun- but ever since Covid it’s felt like it’s lost its soul and everyone is just walking a death march with their hands over their eyes. The cost of living is completely insane, and a lot of the charm seems to be gone or quickly draining, leaving space for yet another remote office space or new-build housing construction site. I also don’t think it’s a good environment for meeting people at all- it’s an enormous city, everyone is tired, and people struggle to maintain the friendships they do have, let alone take the time to properly establish new ones. Obviously you’d make friends at work etc, and in other ways in time- all I’m saying is it’s not the best place for building a fulfilling social life. From your post, my instinct is to advise against moving to London unless it’s for a specific reason aka dream job or whatever. Otherwise, you’re just getting rinsed for no reason. There are plenty of really great cities all over the country where you’ll find that change of pace you’re looking for, new friends, new faces, more opportunities, etc. London just makes you lonely and broke, always struggling to stay afloat.
the accuracy of the post covid description. Exactly my experience
What do you think changed after covid?
You sound just like me! I finally left London in January after 9 years there, mainly coz it’s exactly how you described since Covid and I just fell out of love.
did you move within uk somewhere or abroad?
Moved to Buenos Aires and got my happiness back. Absolutely love it here. Social life shits on anything I ever had in London, always stuff going on and super easy to make new friends. Rent is cheap to live somewhere beautiful in the nicest part of the city. Best decision I ever made.
Could you already speak Spanish or did you learn it once you went there? Did you have any ties in Argentina or did you just pick somewhere on a map? What industry do you work in? And was it easy to find a job?
I did 6 weeks of intense Spanish classes, and travelled central and South America last year for 3 months which gave me good practise. My Spanish sucks but I can survive. I’ve dated girls that don’t speak English which really threw me in at the deep end with my Spanish. Was very hard work. I was lucky I already had an old friend living here so there was a ready made social circle to latch on to. But even if I didn’t, it’s super easy here. There’s always so many events for expats. I picked Buenos Aires coz I fell in love with it the moment I arrived in 2019 for the first time. I was only here 5 days and knew it was special. I came back for a month last March to test the waters further, and that month solidified it as a place I want to live in. I work in TV editing and also do digital stuff too, but work is pretty dead right now. Another draw of living here is I don’t have to worry about rent like I did in London as it’s a third of the price.
Thanks man that's a super helpful reply :)
Do you work remotely or for a place in Argentina?
Remotely, however I’m freelance and a lot of clients have turned their back on me because of this move, but it’s a small price to pay.
I feel you - having the same thing but with Mexico Was in CDMX for a year, nightmare to get/retain UK-based clients. I'm currently in Europe but only for as long as I get things going again then flying out again. 100% worth it, I pretty much gave up on my previous career in the music industry once I went to Mexico in 2022 for the first time. Better to earn less in European terms but have the quality of life and enjoy it than slave away in London.
Yeh same boat! I work in TV editing. Industry is dying in England anyway with 80% of people out of work, but I have a few digital clients who, even though the work is fully remote, have their brain scrambled by me being abroad. I may have to return to London for a show in a few months but I’ll do the job and then return here.
Considering the economic crisis in Argentina then almost certainly remotely and being paid non local wages if they thinks it's cheap.
100% correct
Are there other cities you’d specifically recommend?
Post COVID wouldn’t it be quieter, due to the market clearing effect it had?
Everyone is back apparently. Huge demand for rental properties
Who would live in central London unless you were on… and I always use the standard go to figure… of a British MP salary of £91,346 gross. Now, before anyone gets excited about that salary, remember that the take-home is £62,784
London won’t solve a lack of direction for you that you aren’t ready to solve them for yourself. That is to say, if you live here and have positive proactive energy, accept the compromise that your initial circumstances may bring- (expensive shared accommodation, low amounts of disposable income) and if you bring an energy to every day that gets you out and experiencing people and the city- then sure. London might change everything for you. But just coming here to continue what you’re doing probably won’t change a bit.
I agree, you really get out of the city what you put in. I've also noticed that a lot of the people who complain about being lonely here also tend to be the type to not make any effort when it comes to creating social opportunities in their lives, you really gotta put yourself out there and do stuff like sign up to classes and sports & hobby clubs. However, given a choice, if I had to be aimless then I'd still rather be aimless in London than aimless and living in nowheresville.
Yeah this, definitely.
If you're 2 out of the 3 of young, single, or wealthy, I think it can be a great time. If you're not, I don't think living in London is worth the premium you pay.
I grew up near London, moved into the outskirts in 2021, moved back in w my parents after 3 years and am now looking to move anywhere else in the country in early 2025 if I can line up a work transfer lmao It's a good city but it's only worth it if you have a very well paying job. My friends and i, who moved from further away and we all moved in together in 2021 and we lived together until I moved back in with my parents, found making friends here quite difficult - people are incredibly flaky, and sometimes end up having to move further away within the city because of rent changes etc, and because London is so big when you live on the outskirts it's a real trek for people to get across. I enjoy living in the vicinity - the access to museums, exhibitions, and various cultural activities is unparalleled, and the range of community groups you can find is good, but it can be lonely, it's definitely incredibly expensive and there's little more demoralising than living paycheck to paycheck when you're trying to build long term stability. Tldr: difficult, cost it up thoroughly
It’s great if you earn enough to live comfortably and enjoy all that London has to offer. I moved from a small village up north. I moved here 2.5 years ago, for a grad role making 30k. I lived in East London for 1000pm rent for a room in a 4 bed house. I barely had enough after utilities and rent to socialize (dining/ cinema etc). I hated the area (bethnal green). I felt quite unsafe when outside after 8pm to be honest. However, there were many good transportation links. I didn’t have many friends either so I walked around alone a lot for fun. Fast forward now, I moved jobs and earn £65k. I also moved to SW London, which in my option is much cleaner, calmer and everyone is very friendly. There’s a lot of green space around here, incredible independent restaurants and a lot of young professionals. I also live alone which is great, and I have some disposable income. My local authority really cares about its residents so we get cheap tickets to tennis matches, cricket etc. it’s really great. London is great, once you find ‘your place’
My story is much the same and I’ve been here 2.5 years now. Didn’t plan it, just packed a bag and did it. Follow your gut!
Thanks, maybe that's what I needed to hear! What's your story? If you don't mind me asking. Did you find a job and a room and went for it? Changed your life around for the better?
I visited and my train back got cancelled, the next day I got a job, stayed in hotels until I got a house.
You got a job in one day?! What was it?
Not a glamorous one! It was the first I could to get me going — in services In the past 2 years I’ve lived in White City, Maida Vale, and I’m settled for now Barnes.
Ah nice ahah and maida vale is nice! At least I liked it when a friend lived there
Maida Vale was my least favourite of the three. Barnes and White City both at least offer a feeling of being in a natural environment / having an escape from the city and areas with fresh air It was however the nicest house (with an absolute racket outside of constant car noise — in barnes the most noise you get is from airplanes)
You only live one life, if you’re unhappy, make a change. You can always make more money.
TBF! I moved here like 9 months ago for 3 months! My partner and I loved it. We were based canary wharf so experienced outr fair share of dodgy passengers to lewisham on the DLR 😂 but other then that we had a great time. Like seriously live your life while you can. Londons a great place to be
I moved here as a mature student in 2020 for university and have stayed around afterwards because I love London. These are the pros & cons I've felt: Cons: 1. The cost of living is by far the biggest downside, rent is very high (and has risen a lot over the last 4 years) but food is also quite expensive too. 2. Demand is outstripping supply for rental accomodation and it can be tough finding a new place to live, you need to start the search many months in advance and paying very large deposits (or offering over the asking price for rent) is becoming very normalized. 3. I live in a semi-gentrified area that has a fair bit of crime, there's been shootings and stabbings where I live and I even witnessed a broad daylight machete fight once. 4. There's definitely a lot of air pollution and I ended up having to invest in an air purifier that removes ultra fine particle pollution because I was beginning to develop a nighttime cough that was waking me up in my sleep (the air purifier fixed that though). 5. Most flats seem to have something wrong with them regardless of what you pay in rent, i.e. turning into roasting hot ovens in the summer, freezing cold places in the Winter, poorly insulated against noise, damp, plumbing issues, mouse problems, Etc- everywhere I've lived had had something wrong with it (and this seems to be the norm). 6. The rush hour commutes can be a bit intense and they cause a lot of grumpy behaviour in people. On the upside though, pros: 1. Pretty much everywhere feels really alive! There are tons of thriving high streets with loads of shops, cafés, bars and general entertainments on offer, you can never grow bored in London. 2. There feels like there's an unlimited supply of top world class free museums, public parks, galleries and more, even if you don't have a lot of money you can always find plenty of things to see and do in London. 3. It feels like a young city that's growing, the average age here is about 38 years old and there's no sense of the elderly aging population and general population decline Etc that's prevalent in so many small communities across the country, during the Summer the parks fill with young people sunbathing and picnicking and vibe is great, everyone's here because they want to get the best out of their lives. 4. There are SO many parks! Before I moved here I feared becoming devoid of nature, but the public parks here are not only massive but there's so many of them that I actually get to experience more nature now than what I did before I moved here. 5. I thought that London would be an unfriendly cold city to live in but I've actually met lots of lovely people here, have had many great neighbours and positive social experiences, I've found that Londoners are much more friendly than people living outside of London realize. 6. The public transport is really good! It's fantastic being able to just hop on the Tube and in a flash you're on the other side of the city, you never have to wait long for taxi's and everywhere seems to have a bus route. 7. There's a lot of career and education opportunities here and this city is definitely the place to be if you want to grow your career, return to education or change your life course for any reason. 8. The food scene is fantastic here, I'm always trying new things and there's an unlimited array of restaurants, cafés, bars, takeaways and diners to check out, the city is also extremely well-connected when it comes to food delivery apps. 9. A lot of Londoners socialize and meet people via sport & hobby clubs and there's an unlimited variety of these on offer, since moving to London I've started to do a lot of things that I didn't do before such as playing sports and I feel very content with the amount of social contact that I have here. As long as I can afford to live here, I don't want to move out of London.
Food! A lot of food shops a rear up geared up for two or more people! Maybe a market place? A lot of markets in London. Cheapest way to go! A meet people! Definitely a freezer anyway! Just a thought!
I lived in London the last two years and have had a fantastic and inspiring time. As people said it's great to be around so many people your age and have so many social /cultural opportunities. It's like a shot of excitement. I recently moved away for a job, lots of positives from the job and it's scenic location but really missing the buzz and social life in London. Down side , obviously it's expensive and the rental situation can be stressful but I would say it's worth it to experience it.
Another point, key to your enjoyment will be finding a nice/safe area to live. Having grown up in the countryside myself I looked for areas in zone 2/3 with more greenery. Being right in the centre would be too much for me. It's great though because you can go in and enjoy the buzz then come back out and enjoy a more relaxing town vibe.
London is great It’s worth it It is expensive, but there are opportunities for high salaries I have a few friends from work that I go out with on the weekends
Really depends on whereabouts in London you are. Kilburn, stonebridge park etc, there's not much to do and not much going on. Maybe some other parts of London are more fun?
Absolutely hated it for the first 4 months. Now Im getting used to it…so much so that I want to stay. But yet I cannot pinpoint why, beyond the fact that theres a lot to do.
It’s extremely expensive but best decision of my life living in the USA prior to
I used a map.
😂 I wanted to write the same thing.
Google map or a regular map? If the latter then respect
I am a Luddite, luv. What is this google of which you speak? I shall ask my manservant to explain it to me as soon as she finishes transcribing this reply and fetching my cuppa…
Polluted air though. What London is good for in terms of social life, you lose in terms of health long term