Summary

The article discusses the challenges and considerations of moving to London, highlighting the city's crowdedness, busyness, high cost of living, the local mentality, and lack of nature, while acknowledging its unique cultural offerings.

Abstract

The author reflects on their personal experience and adjustment upon returning to London after living abroad, noting the significant lifestyle differences. The article emphasizes that despite London's vibrant culture, art, architecture, and history, potential new residents should be prepared for its intense urban environment. This includes dealing with large crowds not only in the city center but also in the suburbs, a constantly busy atmosphere, a notoriously high cost of living that often necessitates long commutes from outside the city, and a local mentality that can be perceived as unfriendly and impatient. Additionally, the author points out the scarcity of natural landscapes in London compared to other places, which could be a significant drawback for those who value proximity to nature.

Opinions

The author finds London to be a challenging place to live due to its crowded and busy nature, which is a stark contrast to quieter places they have experienced.
The high cost of living in London is a significant issue, with many residents choosing to live outside the city and commute in to maintain a decent quality of life.
Londoners are stereotyped as rude and impatient, which the author reluctantly acknowledges after experiencing different levels of friendliness abroad.
The lack of nature in London is a personal deal-breaker for the author, who prefers serene lakes and mountains over urban parks.
Despite these personal reservations, the author recognizes London's unique blend of modernism and history, along with its diverse cultural offerings, as aspects that make it a great city for many.
The author concludes that while they personally cannot see themselves living in London again due to a mismatch with their desired lifestyle, they still hold the city in high regard and believe it to be one of the best cities in the world.

Don’t Move To London Unless You Can Deal With These Things

Important things to consider before moving to London

When I first returned home to London after living abroad, I met with a recruitment agency, and the girl I had a meeting with had also spent some time living abroad.

We got talking about what it was like moving back to London. Both of us felt that it was a huge adjustment. “London is a beast” she said, and that always stuck with me. She wasn’t wrong, London is a beast.

Growing up in London, that lifestyle was all I ever knew. I thought the life I had in London was the norm for most of the world and I used to love it. It was only until I left London that I realized how unique the London lifestyle actually was.

Upon returning I realized how little I desired to live there anymore which is why I have made every effort to stay away. When I say this to people who aren’t from London they think I’m crazy. They can’t believe that I would want to live anywhere but London.

I have met a lot of people wanting to move there to live out their London fantasy. To those people I say, here are a few things to consider before making the move.

Crowds

London is one of the busiest cities in the world. I mean with a population of over 9.5 million just in one city, it is expected that the city will feel overcrowded. This has also spilled over to the suburbs too, where there are still quite a lot of people, it isn’t just isolated to the city centre anymore.

I actually used to love the hustle and bustle of living in London but after spending time in quieter places, you begin to miss the peace and serenity of being somewhere less crowded.

If you don’t like crowds definitely steer clear of the city centre.

Busyness

This ties in heavily to the above, but another thing I didn’t miss about London was how busy everything was. From the buses and trains to the bars and restaurants everywhere tends to always be packed.

Living in London feels like one huge permanent rush hour. It’s rare to find times when things are quiet.

My biggest issue with London life was the commute to and from work; it is not ideal if you have claustrophobia.

However, if you love having people around everywhere you go then this definitely is the place for you, but for me, it was just another huge turn-off.

High cost of living

London is notoriously known for being extremely expensive and this reputation does not fail to deliver. It really is expensive to live there.

So much so that many people are opting to move out of the city and commute to London so that they are able to own a decent house without sacrificing their quality of life.

It has become incredibly hard to own a house in London and the people who do either had their home passed down from generations or they have exceptionally high-paying jobs.

Once you leave the city your money will take you further.

Mentality

Londoners have a reputation for being rude, something people have constantly reminded me of whenever I would say I was from London. My landlord even commented that I was the first Londoner he ever saw smile.

I never used to think this until I went back there. I hate to say this especially as I am from there, but the level of friendliness is definitely not what I have experienced abroad.

People tend to keep to themselves, which is fine, but there is a general energy of impatience in the air. I even feel impatient when I am there too.

However, I can also see why this happens. With everywhere being so busy and fast-paced it is understandable that this rubs off onto the population as well. Living in London you need to have thick skin, otherwise, it will eat you alive.

Lack of nature

One of the biggest reasons I probably couldn’t live in London again is due to the lack of nature. Now, there are some really beautiful parks in London but it’s not quite the serene lakes and majestic mountains I have become accustomed to.

If not being around nature, or having parks as the only source of nature is all you need, then this is definitely the place for you. Because even though the UK is small, driving all the way to the north to see mountains feels like more of a trek and the scenery along the way isn’t as picturesque.

But what London lacks in nature it makes up for in culture, art, architecture, and history. If this is your thing you will love it here.

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate London at all. I just personally don’t think I could ever live there again because the lifestyle I desire doesn’t align with what London has to offer, but that is my personal opinion.

I still believe that London is one of the best cities in the world. It has a unique combination of modernism intertwined with history and this is apparent throughout the city.

There are so many amazing museums to visit, sights to see, and activities to do. London is a melting pot of so many different cultures and it is so evident there, and that is what makes it such a great city.

If you do ever want to move there, the above are things to consider. What might be a turn-off for me might be a benefit for you.

What everyone wants from their living environment is different, after all, there is no right or wrong way to live.

“In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in.” — Paddington Bear.