Take a look at Luton. There's an express train to London for a relatively speedy commute.
How is London affordable now?
- Thread starter FL630
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Take a look at Luton. There's an express train to London for a relatively speedy commute.
Had a night in Luton last month, more than enough
What's the blackwall tunnel like in the mornings? I guess it can be unreliable at peak hours?
Yeah he was wanting to try and avoid having to cross the Thames there as part of the commute as it becomes something of a bottleneck until further to the west where there are a lot more options.
South east is a complex story - I'm not the most familiar with the area but I lived in and around it for about 4 years - some of the closer parts I really wouldn't choose to live in but a little further out if you know the areas fairly well there can be some really nice places dotted around.
Problem is hours change, etc. it only needs one person to be on the complete opposite hours to mess things up :s
London is definitely so much more doable when you can find a decent sharing setup though - but personally that is a very much last resort unless its a very good setup and I actually like the people I'm living with - anything else I find pretty miserable due to so many people lacking even the most basic ability to have consideration for anyone else and tidy up after themselves even a little bit.
South east is a complex story - I'm not the most familiar with the area but I lived in and around it for about 4 years - some of the closer parts I really wouldn't choose to live in but a little further out if you know the areas fairly well there can be some really nice places dotted around.
Problem is hours change, etc. it only needs one person to be on the complete opposite hours to mess things up :s
London is definitely so much more doable when you can find a decent sharing setup though - but personally that is a very much last resort unless its a very good setup and I actually like the people I'm living with - anything else I find pretty miserable due to so many people lacking even the most basic ability to have consideration for anyone else and tidy up after themselves even a little bit.
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The thought of living in London to me is horrible. But to spend all that money on travel, accommodation and then not having money spare to enjoy actually living in a city like London is crazy to me.
Also half your income to rent is relative, if you make 6k a month and spend 3k on rent, it still leaves you a comfortable amount. Making 1800pm and being left 900 is a bit less uncomfortable. Man I'm so fortunate to be spending less than 20% on bills + rent.
Also half your income to rent is relative, if you make 6k a month and spend 3k on rent, it still leaves you a comfortable amount. Making 1800pm and being left 900 is a bit less uncomfortable. Man I'm so fortunate to be spending less than 20% on bills + rent.
Man of Honour
Don't even consider it. I lived in Greenwich. Used the tube. If you go to city airport just take DLR. Sod driving.
Soldato
Do you need a car in London? I'd stay in Edinburgh /move north if at all possiblr but that's just me..
Don't bother trying to commute by car in London
Caporegime
I think it goes both ways, putting yourself in an uncomfortable position for a few years with the oppertunities London offers career wise can push you on much further than if you were to live up north, you can get by comfortably as a single person in a pretty respectable property on a wage at or even a couple of k below the national average up here.
If you do it right a few years in the city can set you up for life if you choose to move out, I know one or two who've done this and now work for respectable firms in Newcastle on salaries way above the average for this area and they can pretty much live like kings. If they had just stayed in this area on the same career path they self-admittedly would be nowhere near where they are now. Sacrifice can be a good thing if you don't waste it, they hated their time down there but had a clear plan and a long term goal.
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Soldato
pretty much! I did work in paddington and commuted by car twice due to the fact that I needed to carry a lot of stuff home.. but it took me 2hrs on average to do 11 mile journey and it costs £16 a day to park.
Soldato
Currently doing the same thing now. Opportunity and progression within the city can be extremely rapid if you work and plan well. A year or two with the commute from hell and then I'll look for work locally, even a sideways step would equate to a £400p/m payrise when the season ticket is taken into account.
It's a case of balance, and where you are in your career. At the beginning of my career I had no real need to enjoy living in London - aside from being away for university, I'd live here my whole life - but felt it prudent to invest heavily in my career to get ahead. I was living in Parsons Green in a ****** flat share paying £400/m in 2006. My remuneration was commission linked, so I knew that I could afford a better place, but just wanted to get my head down and work like crazy.
That said, the prospect of renting in London at my age (33) would be highly unappealing if I was planning on remaining in the city for the long term. I've always been quite happy where I've lived since moving up form the suburbs (Fulham, Old Street and then Whitechapel), but now I'm starting to think a mid-term plan would be to move back near where I'm from(Richmond/Twickenham area), or potentially to Oxford - my partner is from there - as remaining living on the cusp of Zone 1 can be quite draining
It's either a case of you getting more out of the city, or the city getting more out of you. If you feel you're in the former, then it's a brilliant place to live/work. If it's the latter, then it can be quite a tough existence.
That said, the prospect of renting in London at my age (33) would be highly unappealing if I was planning on remaining in the city for the long term. I've always been quite happy where I've lived since moving up form the suburbs (Fulham, Old Street and then Whitechapel), but now I'm starting to think a mid-term plan would be to move back near where I'm from(Richmond/Twickenham area), or potentially to Oxford - my partner is from there - as remaining living on the cusp of Zone 1 can be quite draining
It's either a case of you getting more out of the city, or the city getting more out of you. If you feel you're in the former, then it's a brilliant place to live/work. If it's the latter, then it can be quite a tough existence.
I don't use the blackwall tunnel in the mornings, I just use the train.
Soldato
Am I wrong to want North Korea to drop a nuke on London?
I hate the place, overpriced, dirty horrible city in general. There are a few nice pocket area's however the cost to live there is stupid.
Even visiting the city, I hate it. Too many people who are unfriendly and if you look at somebody you risk being attacked verbally or even physically.
I hate the place, overpriced, dirty horrible city in general. There are a few nice pocket area's however the cost to live there is stupid.
Even visiting the city, I hate it. Too many people who are unfriendly and if you look at somebody you risk being attacked verbally or even physically.
Man of Honour
I've spent plenty of time there and even in some of the slightly rougher areas I've never felt anymore at risk than any other big town or city and indeed I've never been verbally or physically attacked.
You're wanting a place to be nuked by North Korea. People in place are rude to you.
I wonder if these two could possibly be related.
Associate
Richmond/Twickenham is a beautiful area - spent many years living in St. Margarets. Must admit as soon as my daughter is out the door to Uni I'll be back there from living in the City fairly quickly
Unless you have existing family/attachment I don't understand the desirability of such areas.
A few of my friends were FTB'ers in areas such as Worcester park, Hounslow, Kingston after a few years of working in London & settling into career, & it takes them longer to get into Waterloo than it does from Woking! Not sure what you get exactly for the substantially more expensive housing.