[wj4]

Was the transition easy? What area do you prefer? Feel free to list your stories/opinions.

I'm currently in California and is somewhat thinking of relocating to London for personal reasons. Of course before I jump the gun, I would do more extensive research myself. But for now, this thread will do.

[nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

Originally Posted by wj4

Was the transition easy? What area do you prefer? Feel free to list your stories/opinions.

I'm currently in California and is somewhat thinking of relocating to London for personal reasons. Of course before I jump the gun, I would do more extensive research myself. But for now, this thread will do.

For "personal reasons"?? I hope to god you aren't chasing after a woman!

[wj4]

I've always wonder what it would be like to live in the U.K. I made a thread earlier this month or maybe last month about traveling and living in different parts of the world and got some good replies.

I'm single, no debt, no attachments really so I thought it would be cool for me to move there and see how it's like.

[SteveMD]

I was born and raised in North London (East Finchley) and moved to Maryland when I was 26 so I have done it the other way around to what you are considering.

What specifically do you need to know?

Owning and running a car in London is exhorbitant - just the insurance will kill you unless you are pretty well off and you can't drive in town at all.

The pound /US Dollar exchange will kill you initially until you start earning British currency. Property in London is very expensive - think New York.

On the other hand, if you live in London, you don't need a car. Public Transport is probably the best in the world IMO.

The transition for me was easy. I had a job in place and stayed with friends for a couple of months until I found an appartment. Getting credit here was a bit of an issue even though my credit was good in the UK. It took me three months to get a Visa card but I was able for some reason to buy a used car on credit without much trouble.

No other real issues - Guinness wasn't widely available in Baltimore - I had to hunt it down, I missed British TV for a while, British food and Indian restauarants were hard to come by.

This was in 1989. You have the internet now, you can talk to freinds and family on Skype, read the LA Times online etc. None of that was available for me.

Let me know if you have a specific concern.

[wj4]

Originally Posted by SteveMD

I was born and raised in North London (East Finchley) and moved to Maryland when I was 26 so I have done it the other way around to what you are considering.

What specifically do you need to know?

Owning and running a car in London is exhorbitant - just the insurance will kill you unless you are pretty well off and you can't drive in town at all.

The pound /US Dollar exchange will kill you initially until you start earning British currency. Property in London is very expensive - think New York.

On the other hand, if you live in London, you don't need a car. Public Transport is probably the best in the world IMO.

The transition for me was easy. I had a job in place and stayed with friends for a couple of months until I found an appartment. Getting credit here was a bit of an issue even though my credit was good in the UK. It took me three months to get a Visa card but I was able for some reason to buy a used car on credit without much trouble.

No other real issues - Guinness wasn't widely available in Baltimore - I had to hunt it down, I missed British TV for a while, British food and Indian restauarants were hard to come by.

This was in 1989. You have the internet now, you can talk to freinds and family on Skype, read the LA Times online etc. None of that was available for me.

Let me know if you have a specific concern.

Hey Steve, what was the reason(s) you made the move? (I understand if it's personal and you don't want to disclose the information).

The streets in general in London are more narrow than the U.S. right?

I also hear of wacky weather, ie sunny one day and snow the next?

I bet the fashion scene is a lot better there, ie fashion week and such. We have nothing here in L.A.

I know the cost of living is high. I read that it's up there with N.Y. and Tokyo as being some of the most expensive places to live.

Did it take you a while to switch to U.S.'s dialogue version of English...ie 'color' vs 'colour', 'realize' vs 'realise'.

If I do make the switch, I would make sure that I have a decent job lined up at the very least. I would not dare just to pack up one day and move there.

I didn't know that about car tax. I just know it was high, like other places in the world. The U.S. has got it so good when it comes to prices of cars and gasoline.

The currency exchange isn't too bad right now I think. I just ordered a sweater off from a British based company and it's about 1.2 USD to 1 Euro. It was higher about a year ago though if I recall correctly.

[nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

Originally Posted by wj4

The currency exchange isn't too bad right now I think. I just ordered a sweater off from a British based company and it's about 1.2 USD to 1 Euro. It was higher about a year ago though if I recall correctly.

England uses the pound, not the euro.

[sawzall]

I thought i'd jump in to answer a few of your questions. My GF lived in London (Angel) for a while, so I spend a fair bit of time there.

Originally Posted by wj4

The streets in general in London are more narrow than the U.S. right?

In general yes, particularly in the city.

Originally Posted by wj4

I also hear of wacky weather, ie sunny one day and snow the next?

I've never experienced such extreme changes in weather in London. I find its pretty moderate, and its usually just a question of rain vs. sun. It does snow once in a while in winter, but its not like living in Wisconsin or something like that.

Originally Posted by wj4

I know the cost of living is high. I read that it's up there with N.Y. and Tokyo as being some of the most expensive places to live.

Yup. It is definitely up there. Coming from the US, be prepared for some serious sticker shock. A lot of things cost double what they do in the US, but part of that is also due to the fact that the VAT (tax) is normally included in the sticker price of things.

Originally Posted by wj4

Did it take you a while to switch to U.S.'s dialogue version of English...ie 'color' vs 'colour', 'realize' vs 'realise'.

The dialogue does take a bit of getting use to. You'll hear terms like quid, lift etc., which will take some time getting used to. Think of it like moving from LA to Boston, you'll get used to the accent/colloquialisms pretty quickly. I doubt you'll have problems there.

Originally Posted by wj4

If I do make the switch, I would make sure that I have a decent job lined up at the very least. I would not dare just to pack up one day and move there.

Definitely the right plan. My girlfriend got a promotion to move to London, and that made life a lot easier. I've had other friends move there without one and it was tough because the cost of living is so high in London. A couple (who worked in finance) had to move back home after 4 months because they couldn't find proper employment.

[bmwmthree]

OP, make this thread in the UK off-topic or UK regional. Good luck, I've always wanted to live in the UK for a year. Even though I've never been there, it seems fun.

[wj4]

Originally Posted by ferrari355fi

England uses the pound, not the euro.

Stupid me!

shizzle - thanks for the input. I didn't want to quote you because it will just be a wall of text.

I don't think any country out there besides the U.S. has large roads, lol. (Even in the older parts of U.S. ie Northeast have narrow roads).

Because the cost of living is higher there, I would guess that there would be more jobs to accompany such lifestyle. In a recent listing of billionaires by Forbes magazine, London is up there with NYC and surpassed L.A.

I don't really plan to make the move for several years at the earliest. I'm just getting my M.S. this semester and will start my M.B.A. next semester. At the very least, I plan to have $50,000 of 'free money' when/if I do make the move.

I wonder how high homes can cause. It's already pretty expensive to own a regular home in a middle class area here as is.

[wj4]

Originally Posted by bmwmthree

OP, make this thread in the UK off-topic or UK regional. Good luck, I've always wanted to live in the UK for a year. Even though I've never been there, it seems fun.

I just want to experience their culture. Go to a pub, go to a soccer...err football game and sing, etc.

I will do make the thread over there with a link here so it can be cross linked.

The UK guys were pretty helpful when I last made the thread there asking for help to find cake shops that deliver.

Edit: Link to the UK OT

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...74#post7920674

[SPQR M3]

Originally Posted by wj4

Stupid me!

shizzle - thanks for the input. I didn't want to quote you because it will just be a wall of text.

I don't think any country out there besides the U.S. has large roads, lol. (Even in the older parts of U.S. ie Northeast have narrow roads).

Because the cost of living is higher there, I would guess that there would be more jobs to accompany such lifestyle. In a recent listing of billionaires by Forbes magazine, London is up there with NYC and surpassed L.A.

I don't really plan to make the move for several years at the earliest. I'm just getting my M.S. this semester and will start my M.B.A. next semester. At the very least, I plan to have $50,000 of 'free money' when/if I do make the move.

I wonder how high homes can cause. It's already pretty expensive to own a regular home in a middle class area here as is.

You should come to Australia, where the roads are W-I-D-E.

[makammo]

Lived in Australia, and the UK.

Fire away with any questions and I'll answer them as detailed as I can.

In regards to the original question, the initial transition is always going to be tough, but like others have said, with the advent of skype, internet, communications etc. it is much easier now to feel less homesick.

The hardest thing if you're going on your own will be loneliness at first. That's what I had when I first moved to Australia. (Back in London now).

Australia is very similar to the US in terms of block/road structures etc.

I did find though that I became very bored and felt 'out of the loop' very quickly. London is one of the busiest and most congested/interesting capital cities in the world to live in. A move to anywhere else besides NY would kill me. Think about this.

[wj4]

Originally Posted by marlonmarc

Lived in Australia, and the UK.

Fire away with any questions and I'll answer them as detailed as I can.

In regards to the original question, the initial transition is always going to be tough, but like others have said, with the advent of skype, internet, communications etc. it is much easier now to feel less homesick.

The hardest thing if you're going on your own will be loneliness at first. That's what I had when I first moved to Australia. (Back in London now).

Australia is very similar to the US in terms of block/road structures etc.

I did find though that I became very bored and felt 'out of the loop' very quickly. London is one of the busiest and most congested/interesting capital cities in the world to live in. A move to anywhere else besides NY would kill me. Think about this.

I'm sure I will have more questions later, but I'm working on limited time at the moment.

Why did you move to Australia? How's the cost of living there? I'm just asking because I hear that a lot of kids from my homeland choose to go there for graduate school (because going to UK or US would be too costly for them).

How's the job market in London? I know it's a very broad question. But is it hard to find a decent job to make ample money? I will have 2 Masters degrees by the time I go, if I decide to, with adequate experience under my belt.

Eek, gotta go for now. Will ask you more later, lol.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by wj4

I just want to experience their culture. Go to a pub, go to a soccer...err football game and sing, etc.

I see a Green Street Hooligan in the making I am an avid English football fan..i follow Man U (like any typical american)

[SteveMD]

Originally Posted by wj4

Hey Steve, what was the reason(s) you made the move? (I understand if it's personal and you don't want to disclose the information).

The streets in general in London are more narrow than the U.S. right?

I also hear of wacky weather, ie sunny one day and snow the next?

I bet the fashion scene is a lot better there, ie fashion week and such. We have nothing here in L.A.

I know the cost of living is high. I read that it's up there with N.Y. and Tokyo as being some of the most expensive places to live.

Did it take you a while to switch to U.S.'s dialogue version of English...ie 'color' vs 'colour', 'realize' vs 'realise'.

If I do make the switch, I would make sure that I have a decent job lined up at the very least. I would not dare just to pack up one day and move there.

I didn't know that about car tax. I just know it was high, like other places in the world. The U.S. has got it so good when it comes to prices of cars and gasoline.

The currency exchange isn't too bad right now I think. I just ordered a sweater off from a British based company and it's about 1.2 USD to 1 Euro. It was higher about a year ago though if I recall correctly.

I initially followed a chick over here. She was doing an abroad program in London as many do. I was self employed with no real roots so I thought WTF - I always wanted to ride in a Yellow Cab lol.

The language thing didn't affect me at all. You will have a harder time understanding Cockney and British slang in general not to mention all the Irish and Scots that you will bump into.

Umm..realize that you can't just move there and work. If you show up at Heathrow with a one way ticket, you won't even make it through immigration unless you have a visa. You will need an employer to offer you a position and then sponsor your work visa/permit. I would look for a US Employer with a London branch. Once you get your permit, you will have free healthcare.

Although the currency exchange seems reasonable, what you must realise is that something that costs $5 in the US - like a beer for example, costs close to 5 pounds in London, a cheeseburger is $2 here and 2 pounds in London - or more. So you are paying 150-200% more depending on the current exchange rate. This is why the Brits love Disneyland - everything is about half the price when you come here instead of going there.

London is expensive but you can live on the outskirts and commute since the underground is reliable and regular.

Cars are smaller with smaller engines (BMW 318 and 518 for example). Gasoline is about a pound twenty a liter or about $7 per US Gallon. If you see an Escalade in London, it's probably a Premier Division soccer player or an Arab lol.

[OC Guy]

I must have missed something in my London experiences but I didn't see much of the appeal of living there, especially compared to other European countries. I would prefer France. What am I missing here?

[wj4]

Forgot to ask...I also hear that stores close quite early over there?

[SteveMD]

Originally Posted by OC 335i

I must have missed something in my London experiences but I didn't see much of the appeal of living there, especially compared to other European countries. I would prefer France. What am I missing here?

I grew up there so I love it. My memories of my late teens and early twenties doing pubs and clubs are epic but I wouldn't want to live there now unless I was seriously well off - like in the top 2% because otherwise you're going to be living in a garage or above a shop in a one bed flat.

Granted, my old mates are all now happily bedded down in their suburban semis 5-10 miles from the city center but it took them 30 years to get what you would call a beginner home here in the US.

I just love the pubs and the food (indian).

[Aija]

Originally Posted by SteveMD

I initially followed a chick over here. She was doing an abroad program in London as many do. I was self employed with no real roots so I thought WTF - I always wanted to ride in a Yellow Cab lol.

The language thing didn't affect me at all. You will have a harder time understanding Cockney and British slang in general not to mention all the Irish and Scots that you will bump into.

Umm..realize that you can't just move there and work. If you show up at Heathrow with a one way ticket, you won't even make it through immigration unless you have a visa. You will need an employer to offer you a position and then sponsor your work visa/permit. I would look for a US Employer with a London branch. Once you get your permit, you will have free healthcare.

Although the currency exchange seems reasonable, what you must realise is that something that costs $5 in the US - like a beer for example, costs close to 5 pounds in London, a cheeseburger is $2 here and 2 pounds in London - or more. So you are paying 150-200% more depending on the current exchange rate. This is why the Brits love Disneyland - everything is about half the price when you come here instead of going there.

London is expensive but you can live on the outskirts and commute since the underground is reliable and regular.

Cars are smaller with smaller engines (BMW 318 and 518 for example). Gasoline is about a pound twenty a liter or about $7 per US Gallon. If you see an Escalade in London, it's probably a Premier Division soccer player or an Arab lol.

+1
I went to vacation to London last summer and it was pretty much like you described it from my short experience in London.

I was surprised how much much thinner the highway lanes are and how the yellow light turns on before the red AND the GREEN on intersection~...

Cars there are so much smaller in size and engine. One car i kept seeing alot was the Mercedes E270 i think it was.

Public Transportation was amazing. Me and a group of cousins wanted to go to Central London to hit up the bars and decided to take the public transportation. (And we also met quiet of few girls in the bus as well )

[wj4]

Originally Posted by SteveMD

I grew up there so I love it. My memories of my late teens and early twenties doing pubs and clubs are epic but I wouldn't want to live there now unless I was seriously well off - like in the top 2% because otherwise you're going to be living in a garage or above a shop in a one bed flat.

Granted, my old mates are all now happily bedded down in their suburban semis 5-10 miles from the city center but it took them 30 years to get what you would call a beginner home here in the US.

I just love the pubs and the food (indian).

It's not so cheap here either. A ~1,400 sq ft home in my area, a middle class neighborhood, commands for around $700,000.

Now I want to visit the place even more, haha...for whatever reasons that may be.

[makammo]

Originally Posted by wj4

I'm sure I will have more questions later, but I'm working on limited time at the moment.

Why did you move to Australia? How's the cost of living there? I'm just asking because I hear that a lot of kids from my homeland choose to go there for graduate school (because going to UK or US would be too costly for them).

How's the job market in London? I know it's a very broad question. But is it hard to find a decent job to make ample money? I will have 2 Masters degrees by the time I go, if I decide to, with adequate experience under my belt.

Eek, gotta go for now. Will ask you more later, lol.

Cool.

I moved for University. Spent a couple years in my really, really young years here (from age 1-4) so got citizenship and didnt have to pay international fees to go to Melbourne University which is a world class one anyway. Also fancied being so far away and the experience/maturing it would bring.

The cost of living in Oz is, at the moment, artificially inflated and impractically high. It's not anywhere near the cost of London (and couple this with the exchange rate means I rape australian dollars with my pounds) but it is definitely extortionate if you're earning Australian Dollars. But, you can live better if you have less money. Food is generally cheaper, fresher, cleaner, and if you hit the markets and out of town places (which you 100% need a car for), you can get on quite well.

As for the Job Market in London. How long's a piece of string I guess...it depends what industry, and what experience/qualifications you have. As well as what salary expectations you have. If I had to sum it up though, I'd say it's horrific. The most recent 2 years, and the forthcoming 2 years are probably going to be the hardest for any graduate/professional loooking for work. As with the majority of these things though, it's who you know, not what you know. If you are connected or can arrange a US employer with a London branch as mentioned, you won't have trouble. Otherwise you'll stand very little chance right now (depending on your degree class/area, and experience).

To put it in perspective, the average salary is ~£20,000, or $30,000.

Most graduates come out of Uni looking at around 22-25,000 (again this is LARGELY dependent on your degree/internships while at Uni).

Finance/banking/economics graduates can start on anything from 25 to 35k pounds. Law tends to be slightly higher. My brother started straight out of medical school on 36k as a first year junior doctor.

For the (what we call 'Mickey Mouse') degrees that 95% of Uni-goers do though, you can expect around 21/22k, with obliterated earning potential compared to those who have done professional degrees.

Shit I'm rambling. Anything more I think of/you ask let me know.

P.S. London fucking rules. Anyone who even dared comparing those cheese eating surrender monkeys with London should be shot.

/

An average house price for something like this around 5-6 miles from London in a "normal" london borough you are looking at around 300-400k pounds (~620,000USD). Bearing in mind the average house price in London is around 220k right now (although this is not a true average since there are a large number of social houses, projects?, which are pathetically small and run down, that bring the price down).



This is a 4 bed terraced (attached to another house on both sides).

Go for a detached and you're looking in excess of 800k.

Go for the more desireable London areas, or suburbs further out (8/9 miles) like Kingston/Inner Surrey and you can add a million pounds on top of that.

Clothing stores generally close around half 5/6 if you live out of London. Shopping Centers (Malls) close around 10pm, and shops within the area classed as London/West End will close around 7/8pm.

Restaurants are usually open until around midnight again depending. In London you can turn up at 1am in some spots.

If you park and drive in London, you can park and drive anywhere in the world. I LOVE driving abroad and around Europe, it's a piece of fucking cake.

[Javi335]

UK and his people are ugly and grey. They got (from the envy) a feeling of arrogance and haughtiness against the rest people of the world, as you can see in Top Gear when they come to another countryes. Since it is an island, the intermarriage is normal there for centuries so is plenty of retards.

His succesfull in the past, was based on copy and aproach the roads we opened. They go there abouts showing off polite and thin, but the truth is that when they come to Spain they show his real face; a people of drunkards and whores.

Just take a look what they left on USA; a civil war and bad food habits. In the other side, we give the rodeo or the sunny California state.