LondonKings

I was talking to my friend Chloe about making this blog, which is, of course, about living in London. Most of my friends are overseas (mostly in Australia as that is where I’m from) and they find it interesting. Bizarrely, my family has moved to a popular place, which didn’t quite hit me until recently. It seems to be one of those places people really want to go to, whether it be for the shopping or for a change of scenery, it’s just one of those places. Also apparently around Oxford St. and Camden and such, you’re supposed to see a lot of celebrities. Not totally sure about that, seeing as I go to those places fairly often and I’ve only ever seen Hannah Murray from the show Skins on Warren St.


London has never taken my interest, particularly. I want to be back at home in Australia if I’m totally honest. My best friends are there and most of my best memories too. But I don’t mind it here. I do have friends and they’re good, thankfully they understand how and why I get stressed and homesick. Right now, I’m looking to join a band. Two bands contacted me about joining them as I got the flu and am unable to show them any examples of my voice! One is in North West London and I can’t even remember where the other is.

My Top 5 Places In London:

1. The Pogo Cafe.

Vegan cafe in Hackney. I’m not vegan but by George they make the finest milkshakes.
I haven’t been there much lately but my friend Sophia and I used to have our own little tradition of going there every Friday.

2. The-Starbucks-Across-The-Road-From-Maida Vale-Underground Stn.

I used to live in Maida Vale when I was about 9 or 10 and I love that area. I think it’s quite pretty. Me and my friends used to go to the Starbucks across the road from the underground station after our GCSE study group on Mondays.

3. Camden High St.

This is, in my opinion, where you go if you want a corset or platforms that are higher than your head (I’m kidding). I love it there.

4. Oxford St.

I really like Oxford St. I go there whenever I have spare money. Normally I go thinking ‘I’ll go to Topshop and get new clothes!’ but end up leaving with more books and CDs from HMV and Books Etc.

5. South Woodford.

Which is where my favorite second hand stores are.
Next time I shall be writing about a specific place/event.

There are loads of things I love about living in London. The city is eclectic, a cosmopolitan metropolis stuffed to the brim with architecture and people, all jostling for their own bit of precious space in a city so vastly expansive but yet so crowded.

I’d liken my feelings about London to the way I feel about my favorite old pair of socks. Yeah, the left one has a hole in the toe, they’re both so misshapen from thousands of washes and they slip down the backs of your ankles until they finish in a bunch in that uncomfortable part of your foot. But you don’t (nay, can’t) throw them out. They stay in a ball at the bottom of your drawer for the end of a hard day at work, when you can wiggle them on.

That’s how London feels to me. For all its flaws – the uncomfortably crowded tube journeys, the people who barge you out of the way, the dirty graffiti and the urine soaked phone boxes – I still wouldn’t know what to do if I lost my dirty, stinky, unwashed London socks in the laundry.

The two cities do not compare. Visiting the UK again I'm not even interested in visiting Manchester again despite those many years I lived there, but London visits are always welcome.

I suggest the below not quite random classifications;

1. Weather
2. Culture
3. Nightlife
4. People
5. Food
6. Transport
7. Surroundings
8. Cost

1. Weather in London

London; Milder than the north all year. The leaves tend to fall off the trees at least a month later in autumn. You tend to have a few summer days a year that are virtually Spanish in terms of temperatures.

Manchester; The cliche is true, it rains a lot in Manchester. I've missed two whole summers where it was heavily overcast for six weeks right through the mid summer period. It gets depressing and over time became my main motivation for emigrating! (seriously!)

2. Culture in London

London; World class collections of art and antiquities, free to visit on your doorstep. Performing arts; theater and gigs galore. Great buildings and so many stories from the history of the place. There are few cities in the world that come even close.

Manchester; A few museums to satisfy perhaps 5 weekends in total. A few shows but really minimal. A relatively small selection for a biggish city. Some good gigs at The Arena.

3. Nightlife in London

London; It's not a city that never sleeps, but you can certainly go out every night if you wish. There are a heap of different areas offering their own social centres e.g. you can live in Islington and just go out there with plenty of choice.  Plenty of good pubs too!

Manchester; Quieter mid week, but plenty of nightlife at the weekend. The city centre is split in a weird way by commercial buildings so you have two social centres; Deansgate and canal Street. They kind of meet at one end of the centre.

4. People in London

London; Big cities cause people to have a protective facade, so you're not running into people on the street and striking up lifelong friendships that much. However so many of the people are not from London or even Britain that through work, study, activities you are going to meet people in a more relaxed setting. I have lifelong friends in London despite no longer living there.

Manchester; It's friendlier up north, on a superficial level. I was shocked by the barriers that people put up in Manchester. It isn't the same as Liverpool, Leeds or Nottingham, where I've also lived. There's a hard streak and after 11 years and a little time away I have one friend in the Manchester area.

5. Foods in London

London; You name it, you can find it. If I want decent food in the UK London is the place to find it. You want Michelin stars? No problem. Decent pub food? Also fine.

Manchester; My wife is something of a foody, and that was a problem in Manchester. You can easily find the usual British cholesterol enhancing tasteless stuff. Good restaurants are more difficult. I liked El Rincon and some of the places in Chinatown. Some pubs outside the city do great Sunday Lunches, but in general, yuck.

6. Transport in London

London; HM Gov spends 2700 GBP per head on transport in London compared to 134 GBP in Manchester, and it shows. (Transport cash 'skewed to London') I chuckled in the tube station when people were complaining they had to wait 11 minutes for the next train. My service in Manchester was every forty minutes, and sometimes they were cancelled without notice.

7. Surroundings in london

London; The city itself takes up a big swathe of the South East, and it's surrounded by places where the life has been sucked into the centre. Still though, well connected by rail so easy enough to get out and see the coast or countryside. If you like hill walking though, forget it.

Manchester; You have some great cities within easy reach. Liverpool and Leeds especially, and both worth seeing. You have countryside around you and the Lake District is an easy drive. Plenty of coastal resorts in easy reach too.

8. Cost- in London

London; The rents have been getting progressively crazier since I lived there. You're likely stuck with a flat share to afford it there now. Transport costs are cheap. Food and drinks can be obtained at decent prices. (There's a broad spectrum of incomes there and all are catered for.) That said, the more money you have the more of the stuff to enjoy you can actually do. Incomes are higher, so although you pay more the retirement savings they sock away for you are also higher. (Therefore if you intend to live there just a few years you're lining up a better retirement, plus all the benefits outlined elsewhere). Salary for comfortable living; 40-50k

Manchester; Cheaper than London however rents have also been increasing apace. Plenty of cheap food and drink. Perhaps 30% cheaper than London overall. Salary for comfortable living; 25-35k

Another thing while I was in Manchester

I've lived in Manchester and London, they both have advantages and disadvantages.

Manchester is a lot smaller. Everything is just on a smaller scale. That's not necessarily a good or bad thing. Manchester is big enough and enough of an economic center that there's not much you won't find.

• The centre is quite similar to the West End of London. It has a Piccadilly, a Selfridges, a Harvey Nichols and a Chinatown as well as the obvious cinemas bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
• The 'Northern Quarter' is quite similar to Soho.
• The rest of the inner city is more similar to Camden or Archway.
• Salford Quays is similar to London Docklands.
• Didsbury is quite similar to Islington.
• South and West of Manchester you get the Cheshire countryside which is very similar to the Home Counties, but a lot closer to the centre of the city.
• North and East of Manchester you get the Pennine Hills, which have no real equivalent near London.
• House prices and rent are both a lot lower, other prices aren't that much different. Overall it's approximately 25-30% cheaper to live in Manchester.
• There's no underground in Manchester, just a (IMO not very good) tram. But as it's much smaller, it's far more practical to have a car or bike. Travel times are way lower.
• Manchester's university campus and 'student area' is huge and all together in one area.
• Nightlife is a bit quieter during the week in Manchester, but it's buzzing at the weekend.
• There isn't the sheer variety of restaurants in Manchester that there is in London, but it's still OK.
• Central Manchester lacks the parks that London has, but it's a lot easier to get into the countryside.
• The weather overall is worse in Manchester.
• It's a bit of a cliche, but people are more friendly outside London. 

If you think it could possibly work for you, try London first.

I have no idea what your answer should be, but it won't be a hard choice for you to make.

They are totally different beasts, like comparing somewhere like Philadelphia with New York, or Paris with Lille.

Don't for one moment think these cities have much in common. Sure Didsbury is a bit like Islington, in so far as they both have people with blonde kids, left leading intelligent types and nice trousers, but they are no in any way similar. Didsbury has media sales managers on 22K a year leasing out BMW 3series with their monthly bonuses, Islington has world famous writers, diplomats daughters and famous rock-stars.

London is Best City Ever to Live

If you want to live life in the middle, to get by, to be comfortable and to do sensible things Manchester if for you, but to really live life, there is no option in the UK except London.

You will either get to London and know you simply have to be there, you will see the many massive issues with living there, the expensive, the size, the scale, the disgusting living and commuting conditions and you will love it for the amazingness that outshines all of this. London is almost like being at the center of the world, it's home to the brightest, best, hardest working, most competitive, most interesting people around. London is a spectacularly stupid place to want to live, but for many they can't imagine being anywhere else. It's an abusive but amazing relationship.

Or you just won't get it it.

In which case Manchester is far far far far more sensible. It's a totally logical place to live, but for me, it's for those that gave up on their dreams and who take a trip to London once a year to reassure themselves they prefer it up North, and they do this with success each time.

There is no such thing as a comfortable salary, people vary way more than salaries do and comfort means different things to different people.  On £25k a year in Manchester you can take your pic of any area in town, hang out in the best bars, own a car, join a nearby golf club, go to the nicest restaurants in town, and feel like a really "successful" person. Do feel the same in London you are not talking about earning 50% more, you are in a world of oligarchs and billionaires, you'd need ten times more. This doesn't mean people try to earn 10 times more but it does mean in London you change your view of what comfortable is. You accept that 50% of the city can't be lived in, that you will have to live with other people, that you won't own a car etc etc and for 30k you will have a comfortable life in a different way.

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Why should I live in London? 

And yes, I'd recommend living in London for a few years. Or longer.

• Location: It takes 5-7 hours to the east coast, 8-10 to India, 10-12 to west coast of the USA and furthest Africa. And two hours on the train to Paris! The "Prime Meridian"

• Food: For most long-term expats, food is often the sore point. Lack of easy access to food we like or prefer can make adjusting much harder. In London, however, all kinds of food and foodstuffs for cooking are easy to find. Eating out regularly was an expensive endeavour a few years ago, but now fresh and good food of various kinds can be had affordably. Within spitting distance, one can find food as diverse as north African, Argentinian, Indian, French, Italian, Vietnamese etc. If Michelin starred fare is more your thing, then London offers plenty of those too.

• Fashion: London Fashion Week. Bond Street. New Bond Street. And quirky stores in Mayfair, Sloane Square. And the average Londoner is often turned out in a manner that is stylish, yet not copied off a magazine. Fashion in London is at once a street art, a serious business pursuit and a thing of plain visual pleasure.

• History, Culture and Intellectual Opportunities: Resident collections in all our art galleries and museums are free to view. Hardly any music artist bypasses London for concerts to launch their new albums and we have some great venues to host them (from Earl's Court to the Royal Albert Hall). We even have a museum in a house that was used both by Handel and Hendrix, not at the same time, obviously [1]. Theatre, musicals, ballet, classical and modern dance, operas all jostle for space in one's summer calendar. Although bookstore chains are dying pretty much everywhere else, some of our best Indie stores continue to thrive - including Daunt and Foyle's. Accordingly we have author events galore, not to mention some of the most engaging well-curated book collections on display. Superb talks at the various learned societies and at the many Universities and schools around London, and at paid fora such as Intelligence Squared will keep you busy through the year. Why, a friend once conducted an experiment whereby he managed to have pizza and free beer every evening for a few months just by attending start-up events. That reminds me to mention the vibrant start-up culture in the east of London - which is a moving feast of London's history.

• Nature: Good walks in the woods [2] and some treks can be had within easy distance of London. Friends here are regular hikers and find plenty to keep them interested.

• Londoners: While having a reputation for being somewhat rude and standoffish, Londoners can boast of having amongst them some of the most talented writers, thinkers, artistes, actors, opinion formers. It is inspiring to live in an environment that constantly challenges you to engage and raise your game. No matter what your game is. And yet on any given day, you could hear more than a dozen languages being spoken on the tube or on the street. It is diverse and yet somehow has a dominant culture of its own.

• And London is tiny. And walker-friendly. One can walk - indeed one must walk - all over town to see the city in its glory without needing to get on a bus or in a taxi (although we do both often). You will come across large open green spaces (like Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Hampstead Heath) and blue plaques [3] where you least expect them. An average building in London has more history packed in it than entire counties and cities elsewhere might. I can't speak for others but for me it does put life in perspective. The river Thames is majestic at the best of times and walking along it, one can see the city in its glory.

Note on the weather: London gets less precipitation than Paris and than Sydney. British people talk about the weather because it is better than talking about something more personal. It is a cultural thing, not proof of how bad the weather is all the time (although at the time of writing, it is mid-May, it is raining and I have complained about my fingers having turned blue with cold when I went out for a walk; but by the time I finished typing the response, I have had to pull the blinds down to stop the sun getting in my eyes and it is warm outside)

Great for Football fans & Indian food lovers: Playing football and watching it were my favorite aspects of living there. And besides India, has the best Indian food

Expensive: When I was there 1 British Pound Sterling = 1.80 United States Dollar. When I found a pizza for 10 pounds I was excited.

Never boring: Always can find something to do or somewhere to go. Art shows, parks, music, football games, etc...

Gloomy: I grew up in Southern California so the lack of sunshine was something I noticed.

Frustrating: The tube provides stellar public transportation but if there were delays or during work rush times it could be daunting to get to your destination. Also, no one seems to know which side of the pavement to walk on or which side of the escalotor to stand on!

Inspiring: I love to write and the diversity, weather, parks and rich history made it a wonderful place to be inspired

Anyone who’s ever lived in London knows how expensive it can be- even the smallest places can cost a bomb. There are alternatives, however, to owning or renting property in the capital- for those short on money and not tied down, there are several options which might prove better, cheaper, and far more interesting, and give much-needed shelter for hardly any price at all. Find below all the possible ways to get free accommodation in London.

#1 House Sitting

Becoming a house sitter is ideal for many people looking to find quick property in London without the hassle or expense of buying a house or staying in hostels. With websites like Trustedhousesitters.com and Housecarers.com, anyone can register for only £3 to 5 a month, and begin to search for houses around the world. Housesitting can range from one night to a year, and is a fantastic way of staying in London without the hassle or expense of booking a hotel or hostel, completely free of charge, with only the need to keep the house tidy and safe- and any pets cared for and well-fed- standing in the way of a free and fantastic holiday in one of the greatest cities in the world.

#2 House Swap/Home Exchange

Home Exchange works exactly like it sounds- for those with homes of their own, sites such as homeexchange.com and Stay4free allow an easy way to communicate with fellow homeowners in other countries or places, swapping houses and enjoying locations that otherwise would have cost them a fortune to visit. While each site has a small fee included in the signing-up price- ranging from £5.95 a month to around £13, for the most basic services- it is clear that this is a great deal less than any other form of accommodation while staying in the capital, where even Premier Inns in the city can cost upwards of £200 pounds. Add to this the use of a kitchen, bathroom, and television, among many other features only found in an empty house, and the price is well worth it.

#3 Become a Property Guardian

While becoming a property guardian is not a completely free way to find housing in London, it is absolutely one of the cheapest ways to live and work in the city that can be found. While there are a number of property guardian companies out there, with some offering housing in empty homes from between £150 and £500, many of the cheaper and less commercially-minded websites, like Camelot and Dot Dot Dot or Ad Hoc Property Guardians, can provide properties from £35-£70 a week, even in places like London, as well as many other places across the U.K. Becoming a Property Guardian allows tenants fresh from university or only working part-time- or simply those not willing to invest vast amounts in housing- to watch a property, be it a house, flat, or even former church or school, on behalf of the owner, paying a small fee in return for keeping the place safe and tidy, and in some cases contributing back to the community via volunteer work for certain hours every month. However, it must be said that in many cases there is only a two-week notice given before being asked to move out, so flexibility is a must (well, for those who would rather not live on the streets).

#4 Free Accommodation for Work Exchange

A great- and hey, when you think about it, a pretty obvious- way of finding free places to stay in London is in exchange for work or volunteering. Luckily for those looking for free rooms, a lot of other people have thought of this first, and with a little searching a number of websites can be found that cater to this kind of exchange. Sites like Workaway, Helpx and Gumtree allow travellers and volunteers to register an account, and begin to search for homes in the U.K. or elsewhere that are seeking lodgers. Most often this will come with certain conditions- most households will expect a few hours of work a week, or help doing chores or providing meals- but even so, this averages on both sites to roughly four or five hours a day, providing plenty of time to look for jobs, see the sights of London, or just laze about in someone else’s home.

For those not comfortable living in strangers’ homes for any period of time (I wouldn’t live in mine, and I’m me) hostels are also a good place to try out this exchange in a place of greater privacy and formality- simply ask the owners if they’re looking for work, and if that can be exchanged for lodging. There’s much less chance of wandering in on someone’s grandma in the bath when in a hostel, too.

#5 Couch Surfing

Similar to the above, but without all of the hard work, couch surfing is the activity of moving from house to house, staying on couches (that’s where the name comes from, get it?) and travelling wherever you want to go. Couchsurfing.org is a great venue for this: it allows surfers to register (admittedly, for a one-time fee of £12.50 or so) and then browse for homes to stay in. Open requests can be created where surfers can write paragraphs about who they are and what they are looking for, allowing home-owners to search for them, and there are a number of events that occur in almost every city, allowing new and regular couch-surfers to meet up and discuss things, or to find out more about the phenomenon. While some homeowners may request work done in exchange for the room, many give couches for free for a temporary time- often for a week or so- making this a great website to find free accommodation in the bustling capital.

The above are fantastic ways to find accommodation in London, for however long you are looking to stay: from a week to a year, there are plenty of sites that cater specifically to those with little cash and the ability and willingness to work for their stay. It goes without saying that good references, a willingness to work hard and a good demeanour are a great head start in looking these sorts of housing for nearly nothing in a city as bustling as the capital, but for those looking hard enough, these places can be found, giving great free accommodation in London.