American Living in London for 12 Years: AMA

[Anonymous]

Where would you suggest an empty nester US couple live if they have the opportunity to work in London for 3-5 years? Possible work in Cheswick or near US embassy on other side of the river. Assume 4-5k pounds per month- less would be fine too. This won’t happen for a few years, so we have time to wait out Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you miss anything about the U.S.?

Honestly, not really! At the beginning, absolutely. I felt like I didn't belong and even though I spoke the language (obviously) and had a British husband, I felt like a fish out of water in a place with a completely different culture. After a few years I found my friend group and started to assimilate and now feel like I "belong." Having children really helped.

Of course I miss my family and friends but we are very lucky to be able to see them regularly.

Talk about how the culture is different. I found London to be very much like any other touristy city with American chains and tons of Americans living/working there. Tons of waiters/waitresses from the USA.

[Anonymous]

I love London. I lived there for a year many years ago and miss it. The exchange rate is much better now than when I was there. Do your kids go to state schools or private? I’m a teacher now and I’m curious what their educational system is like. I love Hampstead Heath. It’s hard to believe it’s in London.

[Anonymous]

It was another expat who pointed me to DCUM when we realized we were moving back to the US several years ago. I miss London every day and we are always trying to figure out how to wrangle another relo.

[Anonymous]

You’re very lucky! I absolutely love London. I’ve been there 4-5 times and am always sad to leave.

I also love the rest of England; I’ve been to the Cotswalds, Cambridge, Henley, and Liverpool. I found the people in Liverpool to be *so* friendly. From the very first moment I got there and a kind older man helped me when I was clearly lost (this was prior to smartphones being around and I only had a street atlas) to some very fun women I hung out with at a club, it was such a good time.

[Anonymous]

I am assuming your children attend independent schools. How are the fees compared to Sidwell?

Do you have private health insurance?

Do you employ Polish or Slovakians as household help?

[Anonymous]

I studied abroad in the UK in the 90s. A good college friend of my dad's settled there, and a few weeks after I got there he told me, "When I first moved here, I hated it and thought there were so many weird things about this country. Then after about 2 months, I felt like I could never imagine calling anywhere else home." That kind of tracked with my, admittedly not very representative experience, as a student.

Did you have a similar adjustment period? What about other American ex-pats you know?

I feel like moving to the UK is a little bit of a unique experience...because it's foreign in many ways, but the language is the same so the foreign-ness can catch you off guard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re very lucky! I absolutely love London. I’ve been there 4-5 times and am always sad to leave.

I also love the rest of England; I’ve been to the Cotswalds, Cambridge, Henley, and Liverpool. I found the people in Liverpool to be *so* friendly. From the very first moment I got there and a kind older man helped me when I was clearly lost (this was prior to smartphones being around and I only had a street atlas) to some very fun women I hung out with at a club, it was such a good time.

+1 and following this AMA. I first visited London on a middle school trip and I’ve been back 4 times - it’s my favorite city!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am assuming your children attend independent schools. How are the fees compared to Sidwell?

Do you have private health insurance?

Do you employ Polish or Slovakians as household help?

I’m sure OP will answer, but generally UK independent schools are MUCH cheaper than in the US.

Take Thomas’s Battersea for example, which is the school little Prince George attends. The fees are something like 6,500 pounds a year. They go up to 7,200 when the kid is 8-13 years old.

https://www.thomas-s.co.uk/our-schools/battersea/admissions/fees-and-bursaries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you typically weekend or vacation?

What places outside of London would you recommend?

We live in North London so we spend a lot of time at Hampstead Heath or in Primrose Hill (big parks) with friends or at museums or our children's many activities. We vacation all over Europe and America and Asia for vacation!

My favourite places outside of London are the Cotswolds/Oxford, Windsor, and Leeds.

St Johns Wood?

[Anonymous]

Do Brits think Americans are all meth heads and redneck Trumpers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you pay US taxes?

As a Brit about to move back to the UK once Covid is over a couple of questions?

- Do you maintain a US bank account?
-Do you pay taxes in US, how does that work? Main issue I worry about!
-Did you ship items over, if so how long to ship?
-What was your experience renting in London, prices in comparison and ease of setting up in advance?
-Any problems with a UK bank account?

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid, the cheapest sweet I could buy was a Cadbury Fudge bar for 10p. What’s the cheapest candy bar now and how much does it cost? Do your kids read Dandy or Beano? Do you buy them annuals and selection boxes at Christmas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do Brits think Americans are all meth heads and redneck Trumpers?

I am not the OP but I have a DC at university in the UK. No, there are so many Americans in the US that they're not deemed terribly exotic and a ton of Brits have traveled to the US so they've seen it for themselves. I've traveled widely across the country and most Brits don't even bat an eye when they hear an American accent. The are, however, frequently interested in engaging in political discussions. While they know Americans aren't all Trumpers and rednecks (their own Brexit issues have helped them understand how a country can be deeply divided), they are often quite judgmental about the gun violence and lack of universal healthcare. They are also absolutely gobsmacked when you tell them how much a private college education costs. When I explained to one very nice British girl that my DC's international expenses weren't even close to what I'd have to pay in the US, her jaw actually dropped.

[Anonymous]

Who cares?