Calling all Londoners! Where can I live and be happy?
May 6, 2018 1:40 PM Subscribe
My cup runneth over! I am an American who wants to move abroad, and I have three job opportunities in the UK. I have always wanted to live in a city like London. Not all of the jobs are right IN London, and I need to start thinking about the commute and what's possible before I make a decision on which job I should take. Commute won't be the only thing, but it is a factor.
If it helps for reference, I currently live in Capitol Hill Seattle. It's the best place in Seattle for me to live in, and my commute is good. Other places I have lived in and enjoyed have been Boston (I lived in Allston but would have preferred Cambridge), Echo Park and Venice in Los Angeles. I had long commutes to live in those places and while it wasn't ideal, it was livable.
I have lived in more Suburban places in LA and Boston but wasn't particularly happy. I need to live close to fun/good restaurants in walking distance, both casual and more upscale. Lots of exercise options (gyms, but also things like dance classes or local sports leagues). Fun bars and other quirky things to do - an artsy community is highly preferred.
One other note: I have been to London twice, and I loved Soho, Camden and Shoreditch/Brick Lane the very most. I have only spent about 2 weeks total there my whole life, though, so there are plenty of towns I don't know about. I also visited Brighton and absolutely adored it. My gut tells me that Brighton would probably be a better long term fit for me in terms of artsy community and friends to be made, based on all I've seen, which is very limited. I've always wanted to live in the heart of a major city like London or NYC and this feels like my best chance to do that and I think I'd be bummed if I didn't try it for a bit.
So -- all things aside, assuming all the job offers come in and make equal financial/career sense:
A - is in the heart of London. Commute wise, a no-brainer, right? Except if I wanted to move to Brighton one day, could be an issue.
B - is in Guildford. Commute wise, as I understand it, not so bad, particularly since I think I'd be going against the commuter traffic. I think moving to Brighton one day and working here would also be off the table?
C - is in Horsham. Nicely equidistant from both London & Brighton but I'm concerned it would be a soul-sucking commute from London.
So. Tell me things. Am I right in assuming that with jobs A & B, an eventual move to Brighton would be off the table? What neighborhoods should I consider when looking at job C? I know you can get to Horsham via Victoria Station, but I don't know what neighborhoods might meet all of my criteria and not create too soul-sucking of a commute (i.e. quick to Victoria Station on the tube).
I think 1.5 hours (one way) is the max I could even consider, and even that makes me skeptical I could handle it. Is there a London or London adjacent town that I could live in that is 45 mins-1hr away from Horsham and would be fun to live in? I also would prefer not to have a car.
If it helps for reference, I currently live in Capitol Hill Seattle. It's the best place in Seattle for me to live in, and my commute is good. Other places I have lived in and enjoyed have been Boston (I lived in Allston but would have preferred Cambridge), Echo Park and Venice in Los Angeles. I had long commutes to live in those places and while it wasn't ideal, it was livable.
I have lived in more Suburban places in LA and Boston but wasn't particularly happy. I need to live close to fun/good restaurants in walking distance, both casual and more upscale. Lots of exercise options (gyms, but also things like dance classes or local sports leagues). Fun bars and other quirky things to do - an artsy community is highly preferred.
One other note: I have been to London twice, and I loved Soho, Camden and Shoreditch/Brick Lane the very most. I have only spent about 2 weeks total there my whole life, though, so there are plenty of towns I don't know about. I also visited Brighton and absolutely adored it. My gut tells me that Brighton would probably be a better long term fit for me in terms of artsy community and friends to be made, based on all I've seen, which is very limited. I've always wanted to live in the heart of a major city like London or NYC and this feels like my best chance to do that and I think I'd be bummed if I didn't try it for a bit.
So -- all things aside, assuming all the job offers come in and make equal financial/career sense:
A - is in the heart of London. Commute wise, a no-brainer, right? Except if I wanted to move to Brighton one day, could be an issue.
B - is in Guildford. Commute wise, as I understand it, not so bad, particularly since I think I'd be going against the commuter traffic. I think moving to Brighton one day and working here would also be off the table?
C - is in Horsham. Nicely equidistant from both London & Brighton but I'm concerned it would be a soul-sucking commute from London.
So. Tell me things. Am I right in assuming that with jobs A & B, an eventual move to Brighton would be off the table? What neighborhoods should I consider when looking at job C? I know you can get to Horsham via Victoria Station, but I don't know what neighborhoods might meet all of my criteria and not create too soul-sucking of a commute (i.e. quick to Victoria Station on the tube).
I think 1.5 hours (one way) is the max I could even consider, and even that makes me skeptical I could handle it. Is there a London or London adjacent town that I could live in that is 45 mins-1hr away from Horsham and would be fun to live in? I also would prefer not to have a car.
Brighton to London is a direct train that I think takes an hour, totally feasible commute. Horsham is a smaller station and so served by slower trains, on a different line that last year had so many cancellations my dad got his season ticket partially refunded...
Is the job in Horsham walking distance from the station or served by a bus route?
On preview, agree that Guildford and Horsham are not the exciting places to live, Job A.
posted by ellieBOA at 2:23 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is the job in Horsham walking distance from the station or served by a bus route?
On preview, agree that Guildford and Horsham are not the exciting places to live, Job A.
posted by ellieBOA at 2:23 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
I mean you could live in Brixton which is a short tube ride from Victoria, and then train to Horsham. But, you could also live in Brixton and work in central London, which is way under half the commuting time and you don't have to come home from flippin Horsham every time you want to go out in the evening & meet up with people.
So, it is kind of a no-brainer from where I'm looking.
posted by rd45 at 2:28 PM on May 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
So, it is kind of a no-brainer from where I'm looking.
posted by rd45 at 2:28 PM on May 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'm happy to second the people who say you don't want to work in Guildford and Horsham. Live and work in the city! You can always find another job in Brighton once you're in the UK if you decide you want to move.
posted by spielzebub at 2:37 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by spielzebub at 2:37 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
I spent 6 months living near Shoreditch and taking an hour + commute to a job on the fringes of London. I would not repeat this experience given any other option. London is a fantastic city but it will absolutely put you through the wringer. Take Job A and look for another position closer to Brighton if you still want to move there later.
posted by arha at 2:50 PM on May 6, 2018
posted by arha at 2:50 PM on May 6, 2018
A lot depends on your budget, and your visa (e.g. would you be able to easily swap jobs and find work in Brighton, or are you tied down to your particular employer?).
But the obvious answer to me is Job A. Depending on your budget, live somewhere like Brixton, which ticks all your boxes (loads of good restaurants at different prices, great live music scene, close to the centre). If you've got more money than maybe live more central; if Brixton is a bit pricey then maybe somewhere more like Crystal Palace...or Dalston, or somewhere in SE London? (I left five years ago so I'm not up on the latest neighbourhoods, but I'm sure someone can suggest good options).
And as others have said, Brighton to central London by train is feasible if you do move down there.
posted by Pink Frost at 2:53 PM on May 6, 2018
But the obvious answer to me is Job A. Depending on your budget, live somewhere like Brixton, which ticks all your boxes (loads of good restaurants at different prices, great live music scene, close to the centre). If you've got more money than maybe live more central; if Brixton is a bit pricey then maybe somewhere more like Crystal Palace...or Dalston, or somewhere in SE London? (I left five years ago so I'm not up on the latest neighbourhoods, but I'm sure someone can suggest good options).
And as others have said, Brighton to central London by train is feasible if you do move down there.
posted by Pink Frost at 2:53 PM on May 6, 2018
I say A.
I lived in Guildford for a few years. Its adorable and lovely but it’s tiny. It’s full of chain restaurants and a mall. I’m also gonna assume you’re gonna make a few friends through work. The thing is that they’ll probably go out after work in Guildford (it does have a few good pubs) and you’re gonna have to decide to do that or just head for the 1-1.5 hour commute back home. That’s if you decide to live in London and work in Guildford. If you live and work in Guildford I think you’ll end up going to London like once a month and you won’t really get to know it.
C is not a good choice for you based on your interests. Don’t move to another country to live in Horsham. No offence, it’s a probably a lovely town but, no.
My friends live one stop away from Brighton and one works in Central London and the other works in West London so it is possible. But the commute can be quite pricey with both trains and TFL and Brighton is not that cheap to rent these days. Or if it’s cheap it will be somewhere in between which sounds like a good compromise but trust me it’ll be more like you don’t get the benefit of either.
Based on the places you like I say A and focus your housing search out east (still some cheaper places for rent available) or south east.
posted by like_neon at 3:04 PM on May 6, 2018
I lived in Guildford for a few years. Its adorable and lovely but it’s tiny. It’s full of chain restaurants and a mall. I’m also gonna assume you’re gonna make a few friends through work. The thing is that they’ll probably go out after work in Guildford (it does have a few good pubs) and you’re gonna have to decide to do that or just head for the 1-1.5 hour commute back home. That’s if you decide to live in London and work in Guildford. If you live and work in Guildford I think you’ll end up going to London like once a month and you won’t really get to know it.
C is not a good choice for you based on your interests. Don’t move to another country to live in Horsham. No offence, it’s a probably a lovely town but, no.
My friends live one stop away from Brighton and one works in Central London and the other works in West London so it is possible. But the commute can be quite pricey with both trains and TFL and Brighton is not that cheap to rent these days. Or if it’s cheap it will be somewhere in between which sounds like a good compromise but trust me it’ll be more like you don’t get the benefit of either.
Based on the places you like I say A and focus your housing search out east (still some cheaper places for rent available) or south east.
posted by like_neon at 3:04 PM on May 6, 2018
Commuting anywhere in or around London is a miserable and expensive experience, living in central London is increasingly only possible if you have a trust fund. Over the last 10 years every single person I know in London has moved out, mostly moving a couple of hundred miles north. It is relatively easy to find jobs in London but theres a reason for that.
posted by Lanark at 3:08 PM on May 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Lanark at 3:08 PM on May 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
Absolutely definitely job A. Do not move to the UK in search of big city life and end up becalmed in Horsham or Guildford, dear God...
Live in London, take some weekend trips to Brighton. Way down the line when you've got more of a feel for the place, decide whether you like Brighton enough to make it worth the commute.
posted by penguin pie at 3:08 PM on May 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
Live in London, take some weekend trips to Brighton. Way down the line when you've got more of a feel for the place, decide whether you like Brighton enough to make it worth the commute.
posted by penguin pie at 3:08 PM on May 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
Definitely Job A.
The commutes from Brighton to Guildford and Horsham are both shit. Driving in rush hour traffic along small (by US standards) but jammed-up dual carriageways. Easily an hour each way in rush hour, possibly longer. My idea of hell.
Plenty of people live in Brighton and commute into central London. I wouldn’t personally, the train costs a fortune and you’ll be standing for the whole journey unless you have extremely sharp elbows, but people, including my dad and brother, do it day in day out for years.
Or you could always find a new job in Brighton. Yes the new visa would take time to sort out, but it would certainly be doable.
Current affordable artsy places to live in south London (I assume you want south for proximity to Brighton) would be places like Peckham, New Cross and Deptford. Brixton/Camberwell/Herne Hill are great (I live there) but they are stupidly pricy these days and accordingly less edgy and cool than they were ten years ago. For example all the clubs in Brixton have shut. Lots of the bars and restaurants have either closed or turning into chains. There is a Wahaca, Pret, Starbucks, Costa, Foxtons, H&M... I live there, I like it, but I am a middle-aged mother who still likes harking back to her 1990s raver days. It isn’t really cool any more.
posted by tinkletown at 3:09 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
The commutes from Brighton to Guildford and Horsham are both shit. Driving in rush hour traffic along small (by US standards) but jammed-up dual carriageways. Easily an hour each way in rush hour, possibly longer. My idea of hell.
Plenty of people live in Brighton and commute into central London. I wouldn’t personally, the train costs a fortune and you’ll be standing for the whole journey unless you have extremely sharp elbows, but people, including my dad and brother, do it day in day out for years.
Or you could always find a new job in Brighton. Yes the new visa would take time to sort out, but it would certainly be doable.
Current affordable artsy places to live in south London (I assume you want south for proximity to Brighton) would be places like Peckham, New Cross and Deptford. Brixton/Camberwell/Herne Hill are great (I live there) but they are stupidly pricy these days and accordingly less edgy and cool than they were ten years ago. For example all the clubs in Brixton have shut. Lots of the bars and restaurants have either closed or turning into chains. There is a Wahaca, Pret, Starbucks, Costa, Foxtons, H&M... I live there, I like it, but I am a middle-aged mother who still likes harking back to her 1990s raver days. It isn’t really cool any more.
posted by tinkletown at 3:09 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
I lived near Brighton and commuted to Canary Wharf for five years until 18 months ago. In theory it looks ok, but there have been years of issues on Southern Trains - just today the BBC is reporting that Gatwick Airport is in 'chaos' after rail replacement buses were overcrowded and passengers had to wait two hours for a bus. My last couple of years were really awful, average was easily 2 hours each way. People lost jobs and faced serious family issues because of it. So Brighton - London definitely not recommended.
Best of luck, it sounds like an exciting move!
posted by ElasticParrot at 3:11 PM on May 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best of luck, it sounds like an exciting move!
posted by ElasticParrot at 3:11 PM on May 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
Oh man I just saw you would prefer to not have a car. Live and work in London. I have nowt had a car in 11 years since I moved here (don’t even have a license) and that is def a major reason it would be unthinkable for me to live in Horsham or Guildford. Mayyybe Brighton but the commute would be a bastard for me. My friends who do it work 4 days a week. I think it would be better for you to live in London and go out to Brighton on nice weekends.
posted by like_neon at 3:11 PM on May 6, 2018
posted by like_neon at 3:11 PM on May 6, 2018
(Further to my comment above - I realise you're talking about only working in Horsham/Guildford, not necessarily living there, but still... don't pass up the opportunity to live and work in one of the world's great cities, in favour of spending half your life commuting out to provincial towns. You want to be able to finish work in the evening and do stuff in London right away, not finish work out in sticks and then have to sit on a train half asleep for an hour before you can even think of meeting friends for a drink.)
posted by penguin pie at 3:13 PM on May 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by penguin pie at 3:13 PM on May 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
No car? Definitely don’t work in Horsham or Guildford then. You can’t get to either from Brighton in public transport, unless you go into London and back out again (lunacy for a daily commute).
The train alone from Brighton to Guildford is 1:48 with two changes, and then you have the travel time to and from the station at either end, plus time waiting for the train... it could top 3hrs each way very easily if you just miss a train.
posted by tinkletown at 3:22 PM on May 6, 2018
The train alone from Brighton to Guildford is 1:48 with two changes, and then you have the travel time to and from the station at either end, plus time waiting for the train... it could top 3hrs each way very easily if you just miss a train.
posted by tinkletown at 3:22 PM on May 6, 2018
I currently have a brutal cross-London commute and would NEVER make this mistake again. It affects your outside-work life (cooking, social life, hobbies, working out) in uncountable ways. You're far better off finding somewhere to live in Zones 4 or something and commuting into central London like most other people do, and it'll make your outside-work life much easier.
Living in London and commuting to Horsham sounds like sheer lunacy. Quite apart from anything else, you won't have time to enjoy actually living and making friends in London because most of your hours awake will be spent commuting. If you go with the Guildford job, I would recommend finding somewhere to live that's relatively close by.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:18 PM on May 6, 2018
Living in London and commuting to Horsham sounds like sheer lunacy. Quite apart from anything else, you won't have time to enjoy actually living and making friends in London because most of your hours awake will be spent commuting. If you go with the Guildford job, I would recommend finding somewhere to live that's relatively close by.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:18 PM on May 6, 2018
Job A. Why would you not? Mainline London living for a year then if you want to stick around see if Brighton takes your fancy but don't commute for your very first job here, that makes no sense. Live as close to work as you can afford, and if you're working central anywhere from zones 1-3 will be fine.
posted by freya_lamb at 5:56 PM on May 6, 2018
posted by freya_lamb at 5:56 PM on May 6, 2018
Wow. I love how you are so bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and optimistic about London. First, the trains often don't run on time and cost a fortune. They often break down when it's too sunny or there are leaves on the track or a light dusting of snow has fallen. The A/C often stops working on those days when it gets up to 85 degrees in the summer and you're crammed into a train with no seats and your eyeball is right next to someone else's eyeball and OMG still don't make eye contact. And by fortune I mean a weekday annual pass from Zone 6 to 1 can cost nearly 3,000 gbp now. Living in central London will cost a fortune, but if you can comfortable afford it, do it. All the fun stuff is there. Oh yeah there are no seats on the train. The trains come in from far away and by the time it gets to you in Zone 3 you'll be ass to ass with others trying not to topple over. Oh yeah do you like having dry clothes? Most flats don't have a tumble dryer and your clothes will still be damp after 3 hours in the combo washer/dryer in the kitchen. I really hope you are a millionaire who can afford the absolute best in London. Otherwise it's a second world existence.
posted by KatNips at 11:25 PM on May 6, 2018
posted by KatNips at 11:25 PM on May 6, 2018
Wow, my experience of London is... not so bleak. My advice is to not be so afraid of the commute. EVERYTHING is 40 minutes to an hour. I currently live in Peckham (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE) and I'm contracting in Brixton, and it still takes around 40 minutes to get to work. When we first moved to London we moved to Clapham because it was on the Northern Line and it was miserable because I loathed that neighbourhood.
So I say go for option A first. You can always move to Brighton later on. London is a really big place, and finding the right neighbourhood to live in is absolutely pivotal. Accept that you're just going to be on a train for a really long time no matter what you do.
posted by nerdfish at 2:09 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
So I say go for option A first. You can always move to Brighton later on. London is a really big place, and finding the right neighbourhood to live in is absolutely pivotal. Accept that you're just going to be on a train for a really long time no matter what you do.
posted by nerdfish at 2:09 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
EVERYTHING is 40 minutes to an hour. I currently live in Peckham (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE) and I'm contracting in Brixton, and it still takes around 40 minutes to get to work. When we first moved to London we moved to Clapham because it was on the Northern Line and it was miserable because I loathed that neighbourhood.
Absolutely not my experience! But illustrates how much a short commute can contribute to general happiness when living in London. Peckham, Brixton and Clapham are pretty close to each other in London terms - well thought-out life plan, nerdfish! Everything is 40 minutes away if you tailor it to be so.
But if you live in Peckham, not right by the station, and work, in I dunno... Finsbury Park, and your friends turn out to live in Swiss Cottage, and you have that one great evening class in Earls Court - nothing is 40 minutes away. Also, if you're new to London there's a fair chance your social life might coalesce close to your office, especially at the beginning (you go for a quick drink after work with your colleagues, you meet their friends, the bars in that area become the centre for you all to meet, etc.). So make it easy on yourself and choose the central London job, and find somewhere as commutable as possible to live so you have the energy to do city living properly.
posted by penguin pie at 4:15 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Absolutely not my experience! But illustrates how much a short commute can contribute to general happiness when living in London. Peckham, Brixton and Clapham are pretty close to each other in London terms - well thought-out life plan, nerdfish! Everything is 40 minutes away if you tailor it to be so.
But if you live in Peckham, not right by the station, and work, in I dunno... Finsbury Park, and your friends turn out to live in Swiss Cottage, and you have that one great evening class in Earls Court - nothing is 40 minutes away. Also, if you're new to London there's a fair chance your social life might coalesce close to your office, especially at the beginning (you go for a quick drink after work with your colleagues, you meet their friends, the bars in that area become the centre for you all to meet, etc.). So make it easy on yourself and choose the central London job, and find somewhere as commutable as possible to live so you have the energy to do city living properly.
posted by penguin pie at 4:15 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
You should definitely go for job A. I'd be very happy to give you neighbourhood recommendations within London but would need to know a bit more about your budget and other requirements first!
posted by Lotto at 4:27 AM on May 7, 2018
posted by Lotto at 4:27 AM on May 7, 2018
Am I right in assuming that with jobs A & B, an eventual move to Brighton would be off the table?
Please do consider your visa status (although for all we know, you are a British national, in which case ignore this) as this will also place limits on what you can do, who you can work for and how long you can actually stay in the UK.
posted by vacapinta at 7:37 AM on May 7, 2018
Please do consider your visa status (although for all we know, you are a British national, in which case ignore this) as this will also place limits on what you can do, who you can work for and how long you can actually stay in the UK.
posted by vacapinta at 7:37 AM on May 7, 2018
Response by poster: These answers have been incredibly helpful. For some context, I've done the math and understand the cost of living and London can work. All of the opportunities have massive pros and cons but all are good jobs, none are bad. I've broken up each based on a 1-5 scale for pay/benefits, people, career growth, prestige and stability and they all get about the same cumulative score, though not on the same axes. So this is helping me a ton to add a realistic commute score to the board. Not that i'm overthinking things. :)
Scores right now, without factoring in commute:
A: 23.5
B: 24
C: 24.5
FWIW the london job scores the lowest but it is still high, because it scores low on "prestige" which has been a big theme on my resume to date and therefore a little scary.
All would be permanent jobs which would come with a visa.
posted by pazazygeek at 8:12 AM on May 7, 2018
Scores right now, without factoring in commute:
A: 23.5
B: 24
C: 24.5
FWIW the london job scores the lowest but it is still high, because it scores low on "prestige" which has been a big theme on my resume to date and therefore a little scary.
All would be permanent jobs which would come with a visa.
posted by pazazygeek at 8:12 AM on May 7, 2018
I concur with everyone above - Job A is the answer.
We can help you with where, exactly, in London you might like to live once we know where you'd be working and your budget - but let me reassure you that both Horsham and Guildford might as well be on the moon as commutable from Central London.
Britain, and especially London, just isn't like the US. It might not look far to travel on a map, but when your only way of getting there is two delayed trains and a bus, all of which are full of people who are already angry, and sweaty, and late, and sticky, and violently lost, I can reassure you that you will tire of Britain much faster than you ever thought possible.
Take a lush central London job and we can probably find you a neighbourhood which is only one tube ride away from it which feels like a lovely community and a bit Brighton-esque.
posted by citands at 8:13 AM on May 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
We can help you with where, exactly, in London you might like to live once we know where you'd be working and your budget - but let me reassure you that both Horsham and Guildford might as well be on the moon as commutable from Central London.
Britain, and especially London, just isn't like the US. It might not look far to travel on a map, but when your only way of getting there is two delayed trains and a bus, all of which are full of people who are already angry, and sweaty, and late, and sticky, and violently lost, I can reassure you that you will tire of Britain much faster than you ever thought possible.
Take a lush central London job and we can probably find you a neighbourhood which is only one tube ride away from it which feels like a lovely community and a bit Brighton-esque.
posted by citands at 8:13 AM on May 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
Don't live IN London, with London accommodation prices, and commute OUT of London to be paid a non-London wage. Do the opposite, or live in AND work in London.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:04 AM on May 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:04 AM on May 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
In London, and the south-east also to a degree, commute is a massive factor. If job A is only loosing by 1 point at the moment, and you want to live somewhere fun, quirky and artsy, not suburban, with an easy commute, then it wins hands down....
I haven't even considered applying for more prestigious jobs, that I know I would be in with good chance of getting, because the commute was too long and complicated, and I don't want to give up my fun, quirky, artsy neighbourhood (Walthamstow, since you're asking) and move somewhere more suburban. For me, the extra money and prestige are not worth the drop in quality of life. You may differ, and there are plenty of people who live out of London and commute in for 90 minutes plus and value that.
The key to a good London commute is having as few changes as possible. So if you can say roughly where in central London you'll be working, we can recommend areas that might fit your requirements that are on direct tube/train routes. If you're going to be based in South Kensington, good places to commute from to there will be different than to Shoreditch say.
posted by Helga-woo at 9:24 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
I haven't even considered applying for more prestigious jobs, that I know I would be in with good chance of getting, because the commute was too long and complicated, and I don't want to give up my fun, quirky, artsy neighbourhood (Walthamstow, since you're asking) and move somewhere more suburban. For me, the extra money and prestige are not worth the drop in quality of life. You may differ, and there are plenty of people who live out of London and commute in for 90 minutes plus and value that.
The key to a good London commute is having as few changes as possible. So if you can say roughly where in central London you'll be working, we can recommend areas that might fit your requirements that are on direct tube/train routes. If you're going to be based in South Kensington, good places to commute from to there will be different than to Shoreditch say.
posted by Helga-woo at 9:24 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Assuming the options are only A, B or C, it's not even close. Pick A.
The commute from the south coast (including Brighton) to London is infamously bad. It's just about doable in terms of distance, so people try, but it's run by the most unreliable and loathed train operator in the country. Seriously, pick a random day and search Google News for "london brighton train". Horsham looks no better.
Unless you want to live in Guilford (and you definitely don't based on your preferences), then don't take a job in Guilford. The counter-commute is not the worst in the world, assuming you live near a train station in South or West London with a direct link (e.g. Clapham), but why bother?
If you want to live in Brighton then you should find a job in Brighton. Since that's not on your list, you should live and work in London. Live in South London and you'll find weekend getaways to Brighton easier.
posted by caek at 10:50 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
The commute from the south coast (including Brighton) to London is infamously bad. It's just about doable in terms of distance, so people try, but it's run by the most unreliable and loathed train operator in the country. Seriously, pick a random day and search Google News for "london brighton train". Horsham looks no better.
Unless you want to live in Guilford (and you definitely don't based on your preferences), then don't take a job in Guilford. The counter-commute is not the worst in the world, assuming you live near a train station in South or West London with a direct link (e.g. Clapham), but why bother?
If you want to live in Brighton then you should find a job in Brighton. Since that's not on your list, you should live and work in London. Live in South London and you'll find weekend getaways to Brighton easier.
posted by caek at 10:50 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Job A definitely, and live in Shoreditch/Brick Lane -- it is fantastic (though a bit loud/noisy on weekends, but worth it.) Quite pricey though and if you have kids it wouldn't be very fun -- but if you can afford it, do it! You will not get a big city experience with Job B or C; Brighton is very nice but commute is awful. Other areas to consider -- Stoke Newington, Highbury, London Fields. Good luck!
posted by caoimhe at 11:45 AM on May 7, 2018
posted by caoimhe at 11:45 AM on May 7, 2018
Places to live: try down between Lambeth North, Elephant & Castle and Brixton. It's still affordable on a good salary, and near many things that are fun.
Here's a way you could swing the Guildford job, if the pay's decent:
Live as close to Waterloo Station as you can get; it's a REALLY fun, happening, artsy neighbourhood and you can still find affordable places if you look hard and are lucky. (Other stations on that line include Clapham Junction and Vauxhall). Guildford is only 35 minutes from Waterloo by train, and you'd be reverse-commuting, so no rush hour crowds on the train. If the job's near Guildford station, it's doable.
And then you'd have evenings and weekends to stroll down the South Bank, see plays at the Globe for £5, take in the free music that's always happening at the South Bank Centre, shop at Borough Food Market, etc. Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Soho are just over the river.
Worth a thought?
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:17 PM on May 7, 2018
Here's a way you could swing the Guildford job, if the pay's decent:
Live as close to Waterloo Station as you can get; it's a REALLY fun, happening, artsy neighbourhood and you can still find affordable places if you look hard and are lucky. (Other stations on that line include Clapham Junction and Vauxhall). Guildford is only 35 minutes from Waterloo by train, and you'd be reverse-commuting, so no rush hour crowds on the train. If the job's near Guildford station, it's doable.
And then you'd have evenings and weekends to stroll down the South Bank, see plays at the Globe for £5, take in the free music that's always happening at the South Bank Centre, shop at Borough Food Market, etc. Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Soho are just over the river.
Worth a thought?
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:17 PM on May 7, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
Only issue is that we don't know your budget, and living anywhere in even vaguely central-ish London is cripplingly expensive. But if that's solvable, a central London job leaves all your options open around commute, location and social life. Nail down that one tent peg first, and then the rest of the tent can rotate around it while you figure out your options.
posted by rd45 at 2:21 PM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]