About to start a new life in Glasgow; need to be bombarded with advice

June 28, 2010 10:33 AM

What should a young couple moving to a new city know? Know of any decent job/temp agencies worth checking out in Glasgow? What about gigs/concerts/pubs/clubs? I'd even appreciate some words of advice regarding living with a loved one for the first time. Anything at all will be received with much thanks!

So I have just finished university, and my girlfriend and I received 2.1s. We've both had quite a few jobs (bar work, admin work, working with children, etc.) and we can't wait to start a new life in Glasgow. My girlfriend lived there for a year so has quite a good (albeit outdated) knowledge of night life, places to visit, restaurants, etc., so I'm more interested in what we should be aware of starting a new life in general. I'm looking for long, wordy tales of personal experience - can you help?

We're both fully aware that the job market in the UK is a bit buggered, but at the same time we know that there are good jobs to be had if you're a bit opportunistic and resourceful. As graduates we want to look for quite a good starting job but there's no reason why we wouldn't take up other jobs like bar or office work. I have some savings that I've figured out will last us a few months if we're both unemployed but I'd rather not wait that long...

I'm sure I've missed some key details out so please ask for more info. We're both 21, can both drive... That's about all that comes to mind right now. Thanks in advance.

posted by jhighmore to work & money (8 answers total)

I was in a similar position to you several years ago, albeit I was moving to Washington, D.C. Here are a few things I considered carefully, which I think led to a successful transition:

*Don't go for the first, easy-to-get housing unit you find. Spend some time doing some research and find the nicest place possible for the lowest rent.

*If you can find a place close enough to all of the necessities, calculate whether it makes more sense to own a care or get public transit passes.

*Create a projected budget and stick to it as best you can. Automate as many bill-paying expenses as possible using online banking and the such. Make sure both of you are on the same page with your finances, as this is often an area of contention and frustration for new couples, especially once who have yet to achieve a secure income.

*Make sure you live someplace with a nearby inexpensive grocery store!

*Research local civic clubs, social groups, etc. and check them out. Joining an organization like this benefits you socially, helps you to get to know the community faster, and may help with making business contacts and finding a job.

*Make sure both of you have your own personal time to do something that doesn't always involve being with each other. Getting away from each other every now and then makes your time together all the more valuable and enjoyable. Otherwise, it's easy to get sick of each other -- not good for a new young relationship.

*Last but not least: If one of your snores loudly, make sure you have earplugs on hand! :) (Well, you asked for tales of personal experience.)
posted by GnomeChompsky at 11:34 AM on June 28, 2010

I was in Glasgow for less than 24 hours a couple months ago, and fell in love with it.

But I don't have any advice about Glasgow, since I don't know anything about it. Advice about moving in together? I can do that.

Money. Figure it out. Who will pay for what? Will you each have separate accounts, and split everything 50-50 even if one of you makes twice as much? Will you each have separate accounts, and then a third, household account that you contribute [some amount] to for rent/groceries/etc.? Will you have just one account, that each of you puts all your money into? Different things work for different people, and what works for your parents/friends/mefites may not work for the two of you.

Are you generally on the same level about discretionary spending? If one of you goes out and buys an expensive toy instead of putting more money into the vacation/savings fund (for instance), how much aggro will that create?

How do each of you feel about household chores? It's good to figure out - roughly, at least - who will do what, and how often (e.g. dishes every day, floor mopping once a week).

Both these things can breed an absurd amount of resentment if not worked out/communicated about, and both can act as triggers for other issues. Good luck and have fun!
posted by rtha at 11:36 AM on June 28, 2010

What about gigs/concerts/pubs/clubs?

King Tut's and the Barrowland are fantastic; Glasgow's got a pretty decent live music scene overall.

Warning in advance, though: IME (and the experience of everyone else I know who's ever rented here, alas) Glasgow letting agents are a bit useless, verging on the criminally inept. Something to watch out for!
posted by Catseye at 1:25 PM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

I live in Glasgow, but don't have time to write an enormously detailed response right now, though feel free to send me a message for more tips. However, to get you going, here are some bars, which frequently have gigs and other cool stuff going on, that you will end up visiting whether you mean to or not:

Stereo - bar/gigs/food.
Nice 'N'Sleazy's - late night bar/gigs.
13th Note - bar/gigs/food.
Mono - bar/excellent record shop/food.
The 78 - bar/events/Thursday Dub 'n' Grub nights with cheap cheap food and DJ sets.
CCA (Centre for Contemporary Arts) - art/film/events/cafe downstairs, bar upstairs.
posted by cincinnatus c at 2:24 PM on June 28, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thank you all so much for the advice and info so far, it's just what I need!

Just as an aside: the accommodation is set in stone, we both love the place, have stayed there before and fell in love, so no need for advice on places to live thanks!
posted by jhighmore at 5:57 AM on June 29, 2010

Vodka Wodka is brilliant, hectic without ever being rowdy or unwelcoming.

The excellent Brel is nearby too.
posted by Quantum's Deadly Fist at 12:59 PM on June 29, 2010

New life in Glasgow? Congratulations jhighmore. When we first got married my wife moved to Glasgow from Prague (I moved back from London to Glasgow at this time.) We had a great time (more than I anticipated having grown up near Glasgow but associated it with being at school in the schemes with little money and freedom).

There's loads to do from clubbing to comedy clubs and the weegies (Gloaswegians) are outgoing to a fault (sometimes a very big fault as the idiots are as keen to make contact as the nice folk but the nce folk really do outnumber the idiots).

You said you have accomodation sorted and you already known its good, excellent, but if you do ever look then I can only second Catseye's comment above RE letting agencies. If you ever do have to look try to get personal references on these businesses (I'll add here that Let's Direct are cowboys of the highest order).

You mention that you are up for some bar work- that is an excellent way to get to know a city, and especially Glasgow- if I had one bit of advice would be to do some bar work even while looking for something else. The rage of people you meet, events you hear about and all over flavour of Glasgow that would be an ideal introduction.

Feel free to MeMail me if I can help with any specific questions (been out of Glasgow for 4 years but friends and family still there and I visit regularly so can be of use except about the newest bars and restauarants)
posted by Gratishades at 3:13 PM on July 11, 2010

'range' not 'rage' (depending on the football results when maybe rage is not inappropriate word)<small?
posted by Gratishades at 1:40 AM on July 12, 2010