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Haven't worked in NYC but I've worked in London for 3.5 years and am in the process of leaving/going remote because I don't rate the quality of life here at all

Haven't worked in NYC but I've worked in London for 3.5 years and am in the process of leaving/going remote because I don't rate the quality of life here at all and I'm exhausted from it. Things that take its toll for me: 1. Too. Many. People. You can barely book a restaurant or get a seat anywhere. 2. Nothing works. Trains, airports and mobile network reception. 3. Commuting. Rush hour is crowded, the tubes are disgusting, getting anywhere across town takes at least an hour so you rarely want to risk trekking somewhere unless you know it will be worthwhile/you can get in. 4. Renting / moving house is super stressful. Estate agents are constantly exploiting you. A whole bunch of my friends raved about London a few years ago which is why I came out but I don't think it is what it used to be. That being said, there is a lot of opportunity here and you can earn well if you hustle. I'd suggest you look at starting out as a contractor. I think there are better places to live and work in tech, in other European cities like Berlin, Stockholm and Amsterdam.

dnate 7y ago
shh berlin sucks don't go there
C1sc0cat 7y ago
Never had a problem getting a set in a restaurant in London - and Compared to NYC the Tube is heaven. Typical Londoner complains that they have to wait up to 10 minutes for a bus - compared to the rest of the UK where you might get two busses an hour and they stop running after 6:30.
catchmilk 7y ago
Been on HN for over a year, never created an account, but I just had to reply to this. Where in the hell have you been living? 1. Barely book a restaurant? London is so over-saturated with restaurants/bars/pubs, one can barely keep up. I've been living in London for 7 years and there's still an abundance of places my friends and me want to try. I can _maybe_ remember once or twice that we couldn't book due to it being full - but those were overly fancy places. 2. You've got to be kidding me. You mean the tube that comes every 2 minutes? Or the express trains to every airport (apart from Luton) that are spot on most of the time? I've traveled around America, Europe and Africa - London airports are by far some of the most efficient ones I've encountered (again, apart from Luton. Luton can suck it) 3. Is commute enjoyable anywhere in the world? You're talking as if people in Stockholm or Berlin loved sitting in public transport next to strangers for 30 min straight. 4. Point taken. The real estate market is one of the worst industries here, agents suck. That's what happens when a city has such high demand and barely any supply. I've seen people complain about a lot of things in London, but never #1 or #2 like you. Pretty unrealistic view of the city.

dnate 7y ago

shh berlin sucks don't go there

C1sc0cat 7y ago

Never had a problem getting a set in a restaurant in London - and Compared to NYC the Tube is heaven. Typical Londoner complains that they have to wait up to 10 minutes for a bus - compared to the rest of the UK where you might get two busses an hour and they stop running after 6:30.

catchmilk 7y ago

Been on HN for over a year, never created an account, but I just had to reply to this. Where in the hell have you been living? 1. Barely book a restaurant? London is so over-saturated with restaurants/bars/pubs, one can barely keep up. I've been living in London for 7 years and there's still an abundance of places my friends and me want to try. I can _maybe_ remember once or twice that we couldn't book due to it being full - but those were overly fancy places. 2. You've got to be kidding me. You mean the tube that comes every 2 minutes? Or the express trains to every airport (apart from Luton) that are spot on most of the time? I've traveled around America, Europe and Africa - London airports are by far some of the most efficient ones I've encountered (again, apart from Luton. Luton can suck it) 3. Is commute enjoyable anywhere in the world? You're talking as if people in Stockholm or Berlin loved sitting in public transport next to strangers for 30 min straight. 4. Point taken. The real estate market is one of the worst industries here, agents suck. That's what happens when a city has such high demand and barely any supply. I've seen people complain about a lot of things in London, but never #1 or #2 like you. Pretty unrealistic view of the city.