London is HORRIBLE

[Anonymous]

My DD lives in London and I'll agree with you on the cost and the challenging housing stock if you don't have multiple millions. And yes, the trains can be expensive (the tube not so much).

Can't agree with you on the food, maybe because I have been going there since the 70's when the only decent food was Chinese. I find the quality of the food and the prices, both restaurant and grocery store, to be way better than here. The grocery stores in particular are a bargain and Waitrose is a very pleasant shopping experience.

Maybe you've been away from DC for too long, but I don't like going downtown anymore, while I have no qualms being out and about in London. The lack of guns in the UK is a major plus.

[Anonymous]

I went this summer for the first time in many years. Used to go often in my 20s bc I had good friends there and I lived in Europe. It has entirely changed: Not charming anymore, insanely overpriced, mean people is right: both aloof and sarcastic and dismissive, insanely overcrowding, more crime.

[Anonymous]

I am playing the world’s shortest song on the world’s smallest violin for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am playing the world’s shortest song on the world’s smallest violin for you.

+1 The food in London is great now--particularly if you look at Asian and Middle eastern cuisines. High quality theatre is super cheap compared to NY or even DC, and many spectacular museums are free (just ignore the dubious provenance of many of the most renowned artifacts). Also, I beg to differ about the overrated parks. They are in fact terrific. But if you prefer Takoma Park to Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Kensington Gardens, then there's not much I can say to you.

[Anonymous]

A few other things from living there that also suck OP

Train Strikes
NHS doctors, actually the whole NHS system
The fact that they use sort codes instead of Venmo
Their version of Pizza and Mexican Salsa is disgusting
The way they say Nike, Amazon, and Pasta is fu**ing grating

Find the Irish in the city, they are so fun and love Americans!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few other things from living there that also suck OP

Train Strikes
NHS doctors, actually the whole NHS system
The fact that they use sort codes instead of Venmo
Their version of Pizza and Mexican Salsa is disgusting
The way they say Nike, Amazon, and Pasta is fu**ing grating

Find the Irish in the city, they are so fun and love Americans!

If you can’t handle them using bank sort codes rather than venmo then living overseas probably isn’t for you.

[Anonymous]

It's nice to visit though.

Kind of like NYC. Sucks to live there but lots to see when visiting.

Both have great plays and parks and occasionally good weather. Best to visit not live there. I learned that in NYC and you're learning that same lesson in London. I feel for you. I could not take the damp.

[Anonymous]

I would try the museums OP, they are nice.

[Anonymous]

I’m from London and now live in DC. How long have you been there OP? I agree with you that a lot of London living is not great at all and DC is much better as a place to live. But there are some great things about London that you should try to experience while you are there. First, if you can I would leave Mayfair! Normals do not live there. Move to a better neighbourhood like Hampstead, Putney, Islington, etc. Second, you need to get out and enjoy what London has to offer - it absolutely has amazing restaurants, certainly many more great ones than DC has, and if you haven’t found them yet, that’s your project. I think prices are similar to DC once you have added all the tax and service to restaurant bills here.
Then go to the theatre! So much to see, and generally cheaper than NY. Go to museums and on weekends, get out of the city and get out of the country - take cheap flights all over Europe.

Also, LOL that someone doesn’t like bank sort codes instead of Venmo - people in the US routinely use checks!! Venmo isn’t needed because everyone has online banking on their phones, has done for years, and can transfer money instantly to each other using just their bank accounts.

[Anonymous]

Venmo only exists because the US banking system is so primitive that you can’t just instantly transfer money from one account to another like you can in every other country in the world.

[Anonymous]

I’m the Londoner PP above. One final thought: if you are expressing all of what your wrote to Londoners that you meet (they’re mean, their homes are “dumpy”, they have poor work ethic) then yes, you probably will find it hard to settle in and make friends. Just like you wouldn’t love a British person showing up in DC with all their ill-formed, brand new thoughts on your existence, British people aren’t massively keen on Americans who do that. So if you want to enjoy any of your time there, I’d try to change your attitude a bit.

[Anonymous]

Native Parisian here.

I think some Americans make the mistake of believing every part of every European city is going to be the same, because to them, Europe is so small, and they don't understand there can be huge differences in vibe, safety and upkeep from neighborhood to neighborhood. If they haven't gone out of their country much, they don't understand that standards of living and cultural expectations can be so different, even among English-speaking countries.

I've never been a London fan myself, but then again, I only like to return to my home city for family visits, not to actually live there! It's too polluted for me. I'm not a city girl.

But I DO understand that OP's problem appears to stem from lack of preparation and research. You need to do your due diligence, people, before you move! All of OP's discoveries should have come as no surprise. If she had gone into this armed with knowledge of UK infrastructure and lifestyle, she wouldn't be so disappointed today.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, we loved it. We stayed in a warm, dry $1M flat but it was not in fancy Mayfair. Staying in Mayfair is probably part of your problem.

Yes, they drink a lot of alcohol but I drank other things when at pubs with friends.

The trains took us everywhere and didn't seem that expensive.

Maybe change your mindset. It's so weird you'd rather be in Takoma Park...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Venmo only exists because the US banking system is so primitive that you can’t just instantly transfer money from one account to another like you can in every other country in the world.

Exactly. Until I did business with people in England, I had no idea how far behind the times the US is with technology!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Venmo only exists because the US banking system is so primitive that you can’t just instantly transfer money from one account to another like you can in every other country in the world.

Exactly. Until I did business with people in England, I had no idea how far behind the times the US is with technology!

+1 US payments are behind most of the rest of the world, including Africa, Asia and Europe. But enjoy your Venmo OP.