| Visiting London is a blast, living and working there is a grind. I was deeply unhappy after three years (from 2016) but I really enjoy going back to visit socially. I was earning pretty decently and living in Zone 2 between Holloway Road (Piccadilly) and Highbury & Islington (Overground) stations. Once the novelty wore off and I'd got into the work day commute all I noticed was how filthy and over-crowded it is, and how nothing works. Too hot, too cold, too much snow or too much rain and trains don't run which causes a massive backlog of people and delays. It takes 40 min to get anywhere and there are frequently obstacles during your journeys (signal failures etc). You live in the same town but never see some of your friends because it is such a saga to get there and back. I worked in Leicester Square and could not get proper mobile signal there most of the time. Moving apartments is super stressful and estate agents gouge you every step of the way. Doing any sort of admin in that town is an absolute nightmare. The restaurants are some of the best in the world but most of the time you need to book at least two weeks in advance, so there is almost zero chance of spontaneity. While restaurants are a bit pricey it's a 50% chance of being mediocre or the best meal of your life. Not to mention every time you sit down you are reminded that your two hour time limit on the table has started. Any exciting band or festival has tickets that sell out in seconds. I also felt that interactions with people could often be a fine line between sarcasm and being patronising. A lot of my friends raved about London 10 years ago (and I believe them) but most have now left or are wanting to. It's a shame though, London seems like it can be a great city but is being crushed under the weight of all the people and honestly the quality of life I experienced there was just not that good. It really feels like too many people have moved there and it's become a bit of a tragedy of commons situation. Sorry to be a downer but I really feel that London gets a lot of hype and from my experience doesn't seem justified in its current state. So just wanted to share some of my experiences. |
London is in a weird political situation too - the national government is conservative but the mayor is labour. So it’s politically expedient for national government to fuck up London for political points - especially transport budgets.