London is HORRIBLE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of these things wouldn’t bother me — I find the British polite rudeness hilarious—but I think many Americans don’t anticipate the issue with the daylight (even worse for Americans that move to Edinburgh). All of Europe has fairly dodgy housing as far as insulation, appliances, etc.

I was shocked how dirty the trains on the tube are and the seats are wildly uncomfortable. It makes wmata look elegant in comparison. I’d been to London before and didn’t notice this but it was striking on my last visit, so I guess they haven’t upgraded in a while. And of course the stations are terrible for disabled people, unlike DC.

I was also a little disappointed by some of the cheaper shopping — I remembered being able to get some real finds at M and S but now it just seems kind of meh. Globalization comes for all of us, even London. I went to harrods and it was just ridiculous — drippingly wealthy foreigners snatching up extremely expensive designer goods. Great people watching but not really shopping. And a little window into what I think has happened to the real estate.

I thought the parks were still quite nice though and didn’t have any problem with the food. I think everything we had in London was pretty good except for (surprisingly) the Indian place we tried inn Kensington which was well rated but seemed pretty basic.

My only issue with the food is the inexplicable British preoccupation with beetroot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I take it you did not previously travel to London before you moved there? It's been going down hill since before Brexit.

No

Never traveled to London before living here

We are here until q3 2025 😭

I can empathize! I lived there for less than a year of a supposedly permanent move. I HATED it. The winters are the worst too! So dark at 4pm and always overcast.

Like much of the northern US in winter...

London is farther North than most of the Northern US in winter. Certainly farther north than us here in DC. So, yes, it's darker there in winter. Just a fact, really.

I have a house in Massachusetts. Sunset today is at 5:27. In London it is at 5:36. In December/January both are at around 4:15.

Your winter numbers are off. There's only about 15 minutes of difference in sunlight today, but the further north you are the longer the days are in the summer, so you gain sunlight more quickly as the spring goes on. There's more difference during the winter solstice, where Boston has 9 hours 4 min of daylight and London has 7 hours 49 min. An hour and 15 minutes is substantial, especially as every hour that goes away comes from the time that there is actual full daylight. The sun is never as bright because it's lower on the horizon, so it's like sunrise and then a moment of daytime and then sunset. That's made even worse if it's cloudy and gray, as the sun rarely gets strong enough to penetrate.

London is further north in latitude than Quebec City. London stays warmer because of the Gulf Stream, but that doesn't affect the amount of daylight. Boston is at 42.3 degrees latitude, London is at 51.5 and Anchorage is at 61.2. In Anchorage, the speed at which the light comes and goes is actually noticeable from day to day, and I've never experienced that in New England (outside of maybe Maine).

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/london

Yes, there are fewer hours of sunlight in the winter compared to Eastern MA but the shortfall is in the morning. The sunset times are not very different from late fall to late winter, obviously it stays light much later in England in the summer, while where we are in MA it gets dark about an hour earlier than here in DC. But enough on this topic - go on and complain more about England.

The measurement of daylight is from sunrise to sunset. It takes the same amount of time for the sun to rise and set, and the shorter the day, the lower it is on the horizon, so what you lose is hours of full daylight (no matter what time it is when it occurs -- that's subject to longitude and where you are in your time zone). If you're in an area that has very short days, you basically get a sunrise followed by a sunset, and it's never really full on sunshine, even when the weather isn't gray. Losing those hours of full daylight makes a big difference.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately even living in the most beautiful place in the world can be a lonely experience if you don't make friends or find people to connect with. If you are unhappy then it becomes very easy to focus on the negative.

If you are leaving in 2025, I imagine it might not be possible to move from Mayfair. So, I urge you to find ways to connect with people (I know, easy to say, harder to do). Here are some suggestions:

Find some courses you are interested in. For example, a friend of mine is doing an online art history course where the students get together every month or so to visit an art gallery or museum and have lunch. She also started a ballet class (for older people). Is there a language you would like to try? A cooking class?

Find some way of volunteering. For example, a friend volunteers with Childline in East London. That is very full on and involves doing an overnight shift every two weeks but there must be other things. Maybe you could volunteer at a gallery. The Wallace Collection must be close to you.

Is there any sport or physical activity you enjoy? Maybe find a runners group. If you are a beginner, look for your nearest Park Run as that is very low key and community-oriented.

Maybe a craft? Find a knitting or crochet group. It doesn't really matter if you don't love the activity, it's way to find people you might have something in common with.

If you are not working, how about a part time job if your visa allows it? It would get you out of the house and talking to people. I would love to work a few shifts at Daunts books on Marylebone High St every week. Such a lovely vibe. There's one close to you.

You have to be robust finding new friends in a busy city. Push yourself to do something even if you don't feel like it. Sometimes, it's hard when you are keen on establishing a friendship but the other person isn't for whatever reason (eg too busy, already got a lot of friends).

I have moved to four different countries. I guarantee if you find people you are happy with then you will care much less about those things that are bugging you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately even living in the most beautiful place in the world can be a lonely experience if you don't make friends or find people to connect with. If you are unhappy then it becomes very easy to focus on the negative.

If you are leaving in 2025, I imagine it might not be possible to move from Mayfair. So, I urge you to find ways to connect with people (I know, easy to say, harder to do). Here are some suggestions:

Find some courses you are interested in. For example, a friend of mine is doing an online art history course where the students get together every month or so to visit an art gallery or museum and have lunch. She also started a ballet class (for older people). Is there a language you would like to try? A cooking class?

Find some way of volunteering. For example, a friend volunteers with Childline in East London. That is very full on and involves doing an overnight shift every two weeks but there must be other things. Maybe you could volunteer at a gallery. The Wallace Collection must be close to you.

Is there any sport or physical activity you enjoy? Maybe find a runners group. If you are a beginner, look for your nearest Park Run as that is very low key and community-oriented.

Maybe a craft? Find a knitting or crochet group. It doesn't really matter if you don't love the activity, it's way to find people you might have something in common with.

If you are not working, how about a part time job if your visa allows it? It would get you out of the house and talking to people. I would love to work a few shifts at Daunts books on Marylebone High St every week. Such a lovely vibe. There's one close to you.

You have to be robust finding new friends in a busy city. Push yourself to do something even if you don't feel like it. Sometimes, it's hard when you are keen on establishing a friendship but the other person isn't for whatever reason (eg too busy, already got a lot of friends).

I have moved to four different countries. I guarantee if you find people you are happy with then you will care much less about those things that are bugging you.

I think this is great advice but won’t work for OP because she’d have to interact with locals, and she has already decided that they’re all “mean”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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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!

+1,000
Their entire speech affect is so pretentious and whiny.

These two PPs are racist. You do not criticize another country's speech patterns. American accents are known in other parts of the English speaking world as inelegant. Are you offended when this is pointed out to you? Then stop criticizing other people's speech.

Wtf it isn’t racist to call out Brit’s for pronouncing a word incorrectly. It’s just plain ignorant to refer to a company name incorrectly. Both Nike and Amazon have investor relations calls. And they call their companies NIK-EY and AMAZ-ON. Not “Nyke” and “Ama-zin” ! Nike was coined from the Greek Mythology of Nike (which you Do know how to say correctly right?!) And Amazon was coined from the friggen rain forest in South America, the Amazon (and again you know how to say this one right?!)

And pasta is from Italy where they call it pah-sta.

And filet is from France where they call it Fil-ay. Not Fill-it.

The Brit’s may seem elegant but they are actually uptight dumbasses.

This is DCUM gold. I hate to break it to you, but the way you pronounce “pasta” and “fillet” is not the way they say it in Italy or France. And let’s talk about the way you say “Parmesan”!

Posters like the PP above probably shouldn’t travel anywhere outside the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately even living in the most beautiful place in the world can be a lonely experience if you don't make friends or find people to connect with. If you are unhappy then it becomes very easy to focus on the negative.

If you are leaving in 2025, I imagine it might not be possible to move from Mayfair. So, I urge you to find ways to connect with people (I know, easy to say, harder to do). Here are some suggestions:

Find some courses you are interested in. For example, a friend of mine is doing an online art history course where the students get together every month or so to visit an art gallery or museum and have lunch. She also started a ballet class (for older people). Is there a language you would like to try? A cooking class?

Find some way of volunteering. For example, a friend volunteers with Childline in East London. That is very full on and involves doing an overnight shift every two weeks but there must be other things. Maybe you could volunteer at a gallery. The Wallace Collection must be close to you.

Is there any sport or physical activity you enjoy? Maybe find a runners group. If you are a beginner, look for your nearest Park Run as that is very low key and community-oriented.

Maybe a craft? Find a knitting or crochet group. It doesn't really matter if you don't love the activity, it's way to find people you might have something in common with.

If you are not working, how about a part time job if your visa allows it? It would get you out of the house and talking to people. I would love to work a few shifts at Daunts books on Marylebone High St every week. Such a lovely vibe. There's one close to you.

You have to be robust finding new friends in a busy city. Push yourself to do something even if you don't feel like it. Sometimes, it's hard when you are keen on establishing a friendship but the other person isn't for whatever reason (eg too busy, already got a lot of friends).

I have moved to four different countries. I guarantee if you find people you are happy with then you will care much less about those things that are bugging you.

I think this is great advice but won’t work for OP because she’d have to interact with locals, and she has already decided that they’re all “mean”

Maybe. But I think it’s better to be compassionate - OP is struggling and needs some encouragement and guidance. I’ve been that friendless person in London and wish I’d had someone to steer me in the right direction. Now my best friends are in London and I really miss my life there. But it was hard at the start.

[Anonymous]

The person who said something about polite rudeness has it 100% right, described perfectly. I find it infuriating personally.

[Anonymous]

I love London. When we were there last year I ended up sitting next to this one armed guy on the Tube and when he realized I was from DC he went into this long, passionate diatribe on how much he hated Daniel Snyder. It was epic...I've lived in DC for 30 years and never met anyone who hated The Danny more than this random one armed dude from West London.

Plus the Indian food! And the soccer! God I'd love to live there for a while. OP, have you tried the puppy yoga? Because that was the big thing when we were there...puppy yoga places were everywhere and they even had bouncers with clipboards. Maybe it would help you relax and enjoy your time there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I take it you did not previously travel to London before you moved there? It's been going down hill since before Brexit.

No

Never traveled to London before living here

We are here until q3 2025 😭

I can empathize! I lived there for less than a year of a supposedly permanent move. I HATED it. The winters are the worst too! So dark at 4pm and always overcast.

Like much of the northern US in winter...

London is farther North than most of the Northern US in winter. Certainly farther north than us here in DC. So, yes, it's darker there in winter. Just a fact, really.

I have a house in Massachusetts. Sunset today is at 5:27. In London it is at 5:36. In December/January both are at around 4:15.

Your winter numbers are off. There's only about 15 minutes of difference in sunlight today, but the further north you are the longer the days are in the summer, so you gain sunlight more quickly as the spring goes on. There's more difference during the winter solstice, where Boston has 9 hours 4 min of daylight and London has 7 hours 49 min. An hour and 15 minutes is substantial, especially as every hour that goes away comes from the time that there is actual full daylight. The sun is never as bright because it's lower on the horizon, so it's like sunrise and then a moment of daytime and then sunset. That's made even worse if it's cloudy and gray, as the sun rarely gets strong enough to penetrate.

London is further north in latitude than Quebec City. London stays warmer because of the Gulf Stream, but that doesn't affect the amount of daylight. Boston is at 42.3 degrees latitude, London is at 51.5 and Anchorage is at 61.2. In Anchorage, the speed at which the light comes and goes is actually noticeable from day to day, and I've never experienced that in New England (outside of maybe Maine).

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/london

Yes, there are fewer hours of sunlight in the winter compared to Eastern MA but the shortfall is in the morning. The sunset times are not very different from late fall to late winter, obviously it stays light much later in England in the summer, while where we are in MA it gets dark about an hour earlier than here in DC. But enough on this topic - go on and complain more about England.

The measurement of daylight is from sunrise to sunset. It takes the same amount of time for the sun to rise and set, and the shorter the day, the lower it is on the horizon, so what you lose is hours of full daylight (no matter what time it is when it occurs -- that's subject to longitude and where you are in your time zone). If you're in an area that has very short days, you basically get a sunrise followed by a sunset, and it's never really full on sunshine, even when the weather isn't gray. Losing those hours of full daylight makes a big difference.

Not if you aren't a morning person. I only care about sunset times, not sunrise. I actually hate the early sunrise because it wakes me up before I am ready to wake up. Although I have been in places (northern Canada in December) where the sun didn't rise until after 9 am and that was late even for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love London. When we were there last year I ended up sitting next to this one armed guy on the Tube and when he realized I was from DC he went into this long, passionate diatribe on how much he hated Daniel Snyder. It was epic...I've lived in DC for 30 years and never met anyone who hated The Danny more than this random one armed dude from West London.

Plus the Indian food! And the soccer! God I'd love to live there for a while. OP, have you tried the puppy yoga? Because that was the big thing when we were there...puppy yoga places were everywhere and they even had bouncers with clipboards. Maybe it would help you relax and enjoy your time there.

I like London too. You’d have to be a miserable grouchy person to hate a stint there.

[Anonymous]

i'm from london and i truly think it's one of the best cities in the world, and an objectively 'better' city than nyc where i live now.

that being said, it's a BIG city and very varied. I'd never live in a flat in mayfair. like living in times square but more staid. live in a normal part of it.

also brits are hilarious and they are not mean! and the parks are great. you need a better plumber. the weather IS awful and things close stupidly early and it is expensive. But it's also amazing!

consider moving to hampstead, primrose hill, chelsea, west ken - even fulham or something. you'll make more normal british friends and it's lovely there. richmond? not mayfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i'm from london and i truly think it's one of the best cities in the world, and an objectively 'better' city than nyc where i live now.

that being said, it's a BIG city and very varied. I'd never live in a flat in mayfair. like living in times square but more staid. live in a normal part of it.

also brits are hilarious and they are not mean! and the parks are great. you need a better plumber. the weather IS awful and things close stupidly early and it is expensive. But it's also amazing!

consider moving to hampstead, primrose hill, chelsea, west ken - even fulham or something. you'll make more normal british friends and it's lovely there. richmond? not mayfair.

Agree. My DC lives in a London suburb and the neighborliness is off the charts. Very unlike our DC suburb where people don't even respond to a hello when passing.

We visited Richmond recently (yes, to see the Ted Lasso landmarks) and it was lovely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try being a Jew there. It’s your experience plus hate.

OH PLEASE

i'm jewish and grew up in london and experienced anti semitism exactly zero times.

compare that the petition the teachers in my kids school recently signed here, protesting the anti semitism speaker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never want to hear people say how great London is or London is better than dc.

1. Housing is atrocious. We are living in a roughly 2 million pound flat in Mayfair and the plumbing is awful, the insulation/windows are awful and we are always cold (and we are used to Montana cold but homes in London are cold whereas in the us homes stay warm). Our colleagues here have homes anywhere between 500k to 6 million pounds here in various neighborhoods and they are all dumpy

2. The parks are overrated

3. People are mean

4. The tube and trains are mindblowingly expensive

5. Service is poor

6. British “professionals” have horrible work ethic without the “la dolce vita” attitude of Italians/southern euros. It’s the worst of both worlds - uptight, high expectations yet also poor work ethic/quality.

7. Food is awful

8. Social life is way too alcohol centric

There is literally nothing redeeming about this place. I’d rather live in Dallas and I think the south is 🤮 !

dc is 100x better than London

Hey op I’ll trade you - want to do a house exchange , even if it’s just a week?

I live in a newly renovated SFH in Chevy chase. Yes I guess everything works great and I’m living in ultra comfort/convenience compared to the standard of living in many other countries, but I’m miserable most days. I HATE the feel of American suburbia and the excess of a SFH. I’m counting down to 2025 too when we move back to a real city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of these things wouldn’t bother me — I find the British polite rudeness hilarious—but I think many Americans don’t anticipate the issue with the daylight (even worse for Americans that move to Edinburgh). All of Europe has fairly dodgy housing as far as insulation, appliances, etc.

I was shocked how dirty the trains on the tube are and the seats are wildly uncomfortable. It makes wmata look elegant in comparison. I’d been to London before and didn’t notice this but it was striking on my last visit, so I guess they haven’t upgraded in a while. And of course the stations are terrible for disabled people, unlike DC.

I was also a little disappointed by some of the cheaper shopping — I remembered being able to get some real finds at M and S but now it just seems kind of meh. Globalization comes for all of us, even London. I went to harrods and it was just ridiculous — drippingly wealthy foreigners snatching up extremely expensive designer goods. Great people watching but not really shopping. And a little window into what I think has happened to the real estate.

I thought the parks were still quite nice though and didn’t have any problem with the food. I think everything we had in London was pretty good except for (surprisingly) the Indian place we tried inn Kensington which was well rated but seemed pretty basic.

My only issue with the food is the inexplicable British preoccupation with beetroot.

Born in America hot dog and Jello-eating American here. I enjoy eating beetroot. I actually got used to eating beets because in my midwest city the diner-type restaurants serve beet chunks on the Greek salads. Apparently it's Prince George's favorite vegetable. People should be more open-minded!