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Living in London
fray
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, as the title suggests, basically I'm thinking about moving to london, but having never really spent any time there before now I need some help and/or advice.
Specifically I'm looking at south-east london, so new cross, lewisham, greenwich, peckham or thereabouts, and ideally I'm hoping for somewhere fairly cheap (i.e. £300 - 400 a month ex bills), where I'm not too likely to get shot or something. A quick look at gumtree suggests there are places that would be in the right price range in various different areas, but as I say I don't know london, so I have no idea where it's a good idea to live and where it isn't. Is there anywhere in particular I should be looking, or anywhere to definitely avoid?
Specifically I'm looking at south-east london, so new cross, lewisham, greenwich, peckham or thereabouts, and ideally I'm hoping for somewhere fairly cheap (i.e. £300 - 400 a month ex bills), where I'm not too likely to get shot or something. A quick look at gumtree suggests there are places that would be in the right price range in various different areas, but as I say I don't know london, so I have no idea where it's a good idea to live and where it isn't. Is there anywhere in particular I should be looking, or anywhere to definitely avoid?
"I told you," said Ford. "Eddies in the space-time continuum."
"And this is his sofa, is it?" said Arthur.
"And this is his sofa, is it?" said Arthur.
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"And this is his sofa, is it?" said Arthur.
10 years ago.
London is expensive.
Put it this way, I have spent the majority of my life living in four cities: New York, London, Washington D.C., and Oakland (across the bay from San Francisco).
London was the most expensive by far. I don't know whether or not you could get by on 1000/month; that's really dependent on how cheaply you're comfortable living. But 500/month rent in anyplace you'd want to live in a neighborhood where you're not going to be constantly beset by white van men and drunken yobs strikes me as an underestimation.
Lovely city though; I miss it deeply. Best of luck.
"Expensive" is relative
As a student from the south-west, London is expensive. If you grew up in Surrey, not so much. As a civil engineer now living there, one of my best friends lives pretty comfortably. I think your estimation for food (if you eat in) and travel is about right (Oyster card will make a lot of savings for you), but it could go to 150 quid (5 pounds a day for 30 days) if you use public transport as your main means of travel.
If it helps any, my friend lived in Highgate, and it was lovely. If you can get a room in a house with others there, that might be very nice.
"And this is his sofa, is it?" said Arthur.
Re the council tax, well I still think it should be slightly cheaper being a student. We have a PHD student in the house (always have) and that seems to somehow lower it for us. However the tax varies quite a lot depending on your council area.
You could live pretty cheaply out in places like Croydon and take the national rail into town (South West London is served pretty well these days). It would kind of suck though for your social life though