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Ask HN: Is London Worth It?
I'm a software engineer in NYC, and have always wanted to explore Europe. Visa issues aside, is London worth it? Is it comparably better or worse than NYC, in your opinion, for a single guy in his 20s?
- osipov 5y ago
- 999900000999 5y agoI'm an American, and I had an amazing time vacationing in London. I actually had girls approaching me, one of which I still talk to. However, in London software engineers don't make all that much money. But... Hell yes, you should try living in another country! Life is too short to be stuck in one spot. Plus your a hop away from the rest of Europe, explore, see things. Visit old castles.
- gregjor 5y agoIdeally you work remotely for a US company and get US rates while living abroad. And avoid the places where girls approach you on the street.
- 999900000999 5y agoOhh, I was getting approached at concerts and stuff. I've yet to find a company that's willing to let me work remote from Europe. I guess I could do a corp2corp LLC with a mailbox in my home state, but I've never done that
- asdadsdad 5y agoWhy did you come back to the US?
- gregjor 5y agoIf you already work remotely then just go. No need to get permission. Taxes are the same for US citizens (eventually FEIE kicks in, a benefit to you). Unless you have a work permit in the foreign country you are either working illegally (enforcement close to nil, say you are a tourist when entering) or you have a long-stay visa that allows remote work — many countries offer such visas now. This is the digital nomad thing. Another route is freelancing. You just keep your US bank accounts and set up a mailbox, line up clients. I did this for six years and not one client cared where I was as long as I answered emails and phone calls promptly. I started traveling when I had a f/t remote job, I just started traveling, no one asked or cared.
- Nextgrid 5y agoMoney-wise, absolutely not. It's better than the rest of Europe, but still terrible compared to the US.
- gregjor 5y agoDepends on what “worth it,” “better,” and “worse” mean to you. If bad weather and high cost of living rank high on your list of desirable attributes, London has those. I wouldn’t wave “visa issues aside,” either. UK long-stay visas are hard to get. Maybe visit for a couple of months and decide for yourself instead of asking for random and meaningless opinions. I (American) lived in England for two years, it’s not on my list of places I would choose to live again, but everyone has their own criteria and opinions.
- thunkshift1 5y ago