London
Jan 4th 2016, 4:13 am
#1
Account Closed
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
London
So, I spent a few days in London for NYE and enjoyed it thoroughly. A few observations;
- It's full of tourists.
- It's full of foreigners doing normal jobs (coffee shops, waiters etc).
- It's a bit grubby in places but surprisingly clean in others.
- It's ****ing expensive.
- It's good fun.
- Brick Lane cuzza is certainly up there as one of the best I've had.
- It's non stop and piss easy to get around.
It's full, and I mean full...every ****ing 30 seconds full, of people asking / begging / even demanding your change for a hostel or their dog or some food.
That alone would genuinely make it hard to live there. I hated it.
- It's full of tourists.
- It's full of foreigners doing normal jobs (coffee shops, waiters etc).
- It's a bit grubby in places but surprisingly clean in others.
- It's ****ing expensive.
- It's good fun.
- Brick Lane cuzza is certainly up there as one of the best I've had.
- It's non stop and piss easy to get around.
It's full, and I mean full...every ****ing 30 seconds full, of people asking / begging / even demanding your change for a hostel or their dog or some food.
That alone would genuinely make it hard to live there. I hated it.
Jan 4th 2016, 4:48 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,520
Re: London
Where were you in London? The number of tourists vary greatly depending where you are, although migrants/non-doms are everywhere. Hard to believe it but I remember when the staff at Costas were actually, you know, British.
I love London but it's shocking how expensive it is. I bleed money much more quickly in London than in Dubai despite many things being cheaper.
Pros to today's London: much cleaner, much safer and rapid gentrification has cleaned up many areas that were pretty grotty just five years ago. Shoreditch, King's Cross, Hackney and many points further eastwards. The cosmopolitan vibe is impressive and stimulating.
Downside: too bloody expensive. Even if you have a good salary a decent flat cost a fortune and it seems that normal people, even with upper middle class incomes, are being forced out of most of central London in lieu of affluent overseas buyers. Some areas of central London are now empty ghettos of non-doms/overseas owners who spend a few weeks a year in the city and leave the property empty the rest of the time. London feels increasingly isolated from the rest of the UK and less and less "British" as time goes on. What Britishness remains seems mostly the UK brand - Union Jack flag, Keep Calm Carry On posters and minis, all touted as just another style rather than anything meaningful.
Despite the positives I'm not sure if I like the long term trend towards being a playground for the global rich/students.
I love London but it's shocking how expensive it is. I bleed money much more quickly in London than in Dubai despite many things being cheaper.
Pros to today's London: much cleaner, much safer and rapid gentrification has cleaned up many areas that were pretty grotty just five years ago. Shoreditch, King's Cross, Hackney and many points further eastwards. The cosmopolitan vibe is impressive and stimulating.
Downside: too bloody expensive. Even if you have a good salary a decent flat cost a fortune and it seems that normal people, even with upper middle class incomes, are being forced out of most of central London in lieu of affluent overseas buyers. Some areas of central London are now empty ghettos of non-doms/overseas owners who spend a few weeks a year in the city and leave the property empty the rest of the time. London feels increasingly isolated from the rest of the UK and less and less "British" as time goes on. What Britishness remains seems mostly the UK brand - Union Jack flag, Keep Calm Carry On posters and minis, all touted as just another style rather than anything meaningful.
Despite the positives I'm not sure if I like the long term trend towards being a playground for the global rich/students.
So, I spent a few days in London for NYE and enjoyed it thoroughly. A few observations;
- It's full of tourists.
- It's full of foreigners doing normal jobs (coffee shops, waiters etc).
- It's a bit grubby in places but surprisingly clean in others.
- It's ****ing expensive.
- It's good fun.
- Brick Lane cuzza is certainly up there as one of the best I've had.
- It's non stop and piss easy to get around.
It's full, and I mean full...every ****ing 30 seconds full, of people asking / begging / even demanding your change for a hostel or their dog or some food.
That alone would genuinely make it hard to live there. I hated it.
- It's full of tourists.
- It's full of foreigners doing normal jobs (coffee shops, waiters etc).
- It's a bit grubby in places but surprisingly clean in others.
- It's ****ing expensive.
- It's good fun.
- Brick Lane cuzza is certainly up there as one of the best I've had.
- It's non stop and piss easy to get around.
It's full, and I mean full...every ****ing 30 seconds full, of people asking / begging / even demanding your change for a hostel or their dog or some food.
That alone would genuinely make it hard to live there. I hated it.
Jan 4th 2016, 5:01 am
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Disneyland, Dubai
Posts: 15,887
Re: London
Not London, but the Millhouse report is for Derby and B'ham.
1) Everyone is fat
2) Everyone is miserable
3) Everyone appears to be stupid
(my son who lives there points out the above too)
4) All service jobs are done by eastern Europeans (who are alright)
5) Fruit / good foods are quite expensive - crap is cheap
6) People love sorting their rubbish into different coloured bins
The plus sides:
1) In winter, there are none. Summer is still amazing.
1) Everyone is fat
2) Everyone is miserable
3) Everyone appears to be stupid
(my son who lives there points out the above too)
4) All service jobs are done by eastern Europeans (who are alright)
5) Fruit / good foods are quite expensive - crap is cheap
6) People love sorting their rubbish into different coloured bins
The plus sides:
1) In winter, there are none. Summer is still amazing.
Jan 4th 2016, 7:09 am
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2015
Location: Abu Dhabi via Barcelona
Posts: 1,478
Re: London
Not London, but the Millhouse report is for Derby and B'ham.
1) Everyone is fat
2) Everyone is miserable
3) Everyone appears to be stupid
(my son who lives there points out the above too)
4) All service jobs are done by eastern Europeans (who are alright)
5) Fruit / good foods are quite expensive - crap is cheap
6) People love sorting their rubbish into different coloured bins
The plus sides:
1) In winter, there are none. Summer is still amazing.
1) Everyone is fat
2) Everyone is miserable
3) Everyone appears to be stupid
(my son who lives there points out the above too)
4) All service jobs are done by eastern Europeans (who are alright)
5) Fruit / good foods are quite expensive - crap is cheap
6) People love sorting their rubbish into different coloured bins
The plus sides:
1) In winter, there are none. Summer is still amazing.
Jan 4th 2016, 8:37 am
#5
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Re: London
Bahtatboy's report:
1 night / 1 day in London:
1 Hadn't realised how expensive travel had got: tube, congestion charge, taxis.
2 On the other hand, parked the car in an underground car park for a day, cost me £15 (50% discount courtesy of the nearby hotel, which itself was good and good value).
3 Didn't notice that it was any less British than 10 years ago.
12 days in God's Own Country:
1 Awful, don't come.
1 night / 1 day in London:
1 Hadn't realised how expensive travel had got: tube, congestion charge, taxis.
2 On the other hand, parked the car in an underground car park for a day, cost me £15 (50% discount courtesy of the nearby hotel, which itself was good and good value).
3 Didn't notice that it was any less British than 10 years ago.
12 days in God's Own Country:
1 Awful, don't come.
Jan 4th 2016, 9:12 am
#6
Account Closed
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
Re: London
Where were you in London? The number of tourists vary greatly depending where you are, although migrants/non-doms are everywhere. Hard to believe it but I remember when the staff at Costas were actually, you know, British.
I love London but it's shocking how expensive it is. I bleed money much more quickly in London than in Dubai despite many things being cheaper.
Pros to today's London: much cleaner, much safer and rapid gentrification has cleaned up many areas that were pretty grotty just five years ago. Shoreditch, King's Cross, Hackney and many points further eastwards. The cosmopolitan vibe is impressive and stimulating.
Downside: too bloody expensive. Even if you have a good salary a decent flat cost a fortune and it seems that normal people, even with upper middle class incomes, are being forced out of most of central London in lieu of affluent overseas buyers. Some areas of central London are now empty ghettos of non-doms/overseas owners who spend a few weeks a year in the city and leave the property empty the rest of the time. London feels increasingly isolated from the rest of the UK and less and less "British" as time goes on. What Britishness remains seems mostly the UK brand - Union Jack flag, Keep Calm Carry On posters and minis, all touted as just another style rather than anything meaningful.
Despite the positives I'm not sure if I like the long term trend towards being a playground for the global rich/students.
I love London but it's shocking how expensive it is. I bleed money much more quickly in London than in Dubai despite many things being cheaper.
Pros to today's London: much cleaner, much safer and rapid gentrification has cleaned up many areas that were pretty grotty just five years ago. Shoreditch, King's Cross, Hackney and many points further eastwards. The cosmopolitan vibe is impressive and stimulating.
Downside: too bloody expensive. Even if you have a good salary a decent flat cost a fortune and it seems that normal people, even with upper middle class incomes, are being forced out of most of central London in lieu of affluent overseas buyers. Some areas of central London are now empty ghettos of non-doms/overseas owners who spend a few weeks a year in the city and leave the property empty the rest of the time. London feels increasingly isolated from the rest of the UK and less and less "British" as time goes on. What Britishness remains seems mostly the UK brand - Union Jack flag, Keep Calm Carry On posters and minis, all touted as just another style rather than anything meaningful.
Despite the positives I'm not sure if I like the long term trend towards being a playground for the global rich/students.
Studios in the rough area were 350-500 GBP PER WEEK. High end is equivalent to roughly 140,000 dizzers a year. For a ****ing studio. Mental.
Not London, but the Millhouse report is for Derby and B'ham.
1) Everyone is fat
2) Everyone is miserable
3) Everyone appears to be stupid
(my son who lives there points out the above too)
4) All service jobs are done by eastern Europeans (who are alright)
5) Fruit / good foods are quite expensive - crap is cheap
6) People love sorting their rubbish into different coloured bins
The plus sides:
1) In winter, there are none. Summer is still amazing.
1) Everyone is fat
2) Everyone is miserable
3) Everyone appears to be stupid
(my son who lives there points out the above too)
4) All service jobs are done by eastern Europeans (who are alright)
5) Fruit / good foods are quite expensive - crap is cheap
6) People love sorting their rubbish into different coloured bins
The plus sides:
1) In winter, there are none. Summer is still amazing.
Jan 4th 2016, 9:21 am
#7
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: London
If you see someone who is not obese and tattooed who displays normal human behaviour, you will find on examination that they are FOREIGN. That certainly applies outside London. Not sure about the Great Wen. I avoid it. No place for a poor pensioner like me !
Jan 4th 2016, 2:18 pm
#8
Excess Baggage
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 5,479
Re: London
I've been working in the Smoke (bang centrail, pretty much) for the last 4 months. Thank God I get a break at weekends back in North Yorkshire. London is just too busy, noisy, expensive and full of posey, money-obsessed tossers. On the plus side, you will always find something to do or something different to eat...as long as you have money!
Jan 5th 2016, 1:21 am
#9
Wannabe Cycling God
Joined: Jul 2009
Location: West Kensington, Dubai
Posts: 1,157
Re: London
I've been working in the Smoke (bang centrail, pretty much) for the last 4 months. Thank God I get a break at weekends back in North Yorkshire. London is just too busy, noisy, expensive and full of posey, money-obsessed tossers. On the plus side, you will always find something to do or something different to eat...as long as you have money!
Jan 5th 2016, 6:25 am
#10
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Kuwait
Posts: 1,202
Re: London
Brick Lane/Commercial Road used to be my old stomping ground when I was working in the City. Its changed dramatically over the last 10 years. Brick Lane has now turned trendy whereas it used to be seedy/dodgedy to say the least! I remember last time i was in London, it was 06:30 and i was waiting at the trainstation - it was grey, cold, wet and many of the faces were miserable - then i remembered why i decided to move from the UK !!
Jan 5th 2016, 1:17 pm
#11
Excess Baggage
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 5,479
Re: London
So a bit like Dubai then?
Jan 5th 2016, 1:18 pm
#12
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Dubai
Posts: 13,547
Re: London
Last time I was in London I stayed in South Kensington. As a born and bred Anglo Saxon Englishman I really felt I was in the minority.
My deluded Mrs thought everybody was really friendly until we saw someone clearing a shelf of Holland and Barret products into their hoody.
I reported the theft to the girl on the counter who replied "it's ok it will be on cctv"!
My deluded Mrs thought everybody was really friendly until we saw someone clearing a shelf of Holland and Barret products into their hoody.
I reported the theft to the girl on the counter who replied "it's ok it will be on cctv"!
Jan 5th 2016, 2:06 pm
#13
Excess Baggage
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 5,479
Re: London
Last time I was in London I stayed in South Kensington. As a born and bred Anglo Saxon Englishman I really felt I was in the minority.My deluded Mrs thought everybody was really friendly until we saw someone clearing a shelf of Holland and Barret products into their hoody. I reported the theft to the girl on the counter who replied "it's ok it will be on cctv"!
