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I have lived in London for six years. The tech scene is very vibrant, but I struggle with the 'big city' aspect. Strangers are generally ruder in public than el

I have lived in London for six years. The tech scene is very vibrant, but I struggle with the 'big city' aspect. Strangers are generally ruder in public than elsewhere in the UK (not a reflection on them, more a side-effect of nobody ever having personal space). The commute is miserable, and nights out in Zone 1 & 2 tend to be overly commercialised, tacky and unfriendly, with the exception of a few hidden gems. It's not somewhere you can clear your head by going for a walk, even the numerous and beautiful parks are crowded with young families on a sunny day. Quaint, village-type areas are well known and swarming with tourists. "Going for a walk" means something totally different in London- you're not going to escape the bustle, and will probably end up spending money. If you are somebody who can deal with a complete absence of personal space while outside, don't mind being herded around like cattle, and the constant drone of traffic/sirens, London otherwise has a lot to offer (good restaurants, museums and art galleries, lots of tech Meetups).

koyote 12y ago
>It's not somewhere you can clear your head by going for a walk, even the numerous and beautiful parks are crowded with young families on a sunny day. Quaint, village-type areas are well known and swarming with tourists. "Going for a walk" means something totally different in London- you're not going to escape the bustle, and will probably end up spending money. I beg to differ. Yes, of course a place like Hyde Park will be full to the brim on a sunny day. But I have never had a problem finding a quiet area to walk around in London. Even walking about 5 minutes south-west from Hyde Park around the side streets of South Kensington you will quickly find yourself to be the only person walking around the beautiful houses. A nice park if you want some peace and quiet I can recommend is Richmond Park. It's massive and there's loads of space around to explore without being herded around like cattle or having to endure the constant drone of traffic/sirens.
vidarh 12y ago
> It's not somewhere you can clear your head by going for a walk, even the numerous and beautiful parks are crowded with young families on a sunny day So go a bit further out (and consider moving further out). Bromley or South Croydon is full of actual countryside and the occasional bit of woodland with far fewer people, and still in London, for example. You'll find quiet or quieter parks dotted around the outer edge of London if you just look a bit. If you don't need completely quiet, there are plenty of quieter places closer to the centre too. Like the river walkway from around Imperial Wharf (on the north side of the river) towards Barnes, and further towards Richmond (Barnes and Richmond and the area in between also have plenty of quiet areas). Especially if you walk into residential areas instead of near the commercial districts. The solution of going further out applies to pretty much anything in London: Avoid zone 1 and 2 unless you want big, loud, expensive and commercialised. It's fun now and again, but there are so many alternatives.

koyote 12y ago

>It's not somewhere you can clear your head by going for a walk, even the numerous and beautiful parks are crowded with young families on a sunny day. Quaint, village-type areas are well known and swarming with tourists. "Going for a walk" means something totally different in London- you're not going to escape the bustle, and will probably end up spending money. I beg to differ. Yes, of course a place like Hyde Park will be full to the brim on a sunny day. But I have never had a problem finding a quiet area to walk around in London. Even walking about 5 minutes south-west from Hyde Park around the side streets of South Kensington you will quickly find yourself to be the only person walking around the beautiful houses. A nice park if you want some peace and quiet I can recommend is Richmond Park. It's massive and there's loads of space around to explore without being herded around like cattle or having to endure the constant drone of traffic/sirens.

vidarh 12y ago

> It's not somewhere you can clear your head by going for a walk, even the numerous and beautiful parks are crowded with young families on a sunny day So go a bit further out (and consider moving further out). Bromley or South Croydon is full of actual countryside and the occasional bit of woodland with far fewer people, and still in London, for example. You'll find quiet or quieter parks dotted around the outer edge of London if you just look a bit. If you don't need completely quiet, there are plenty of quieter places closer to the centre too. Like the river walkway from around Imperial Wharf (on the north side of the river) towards Barnes, and further towards Richmond (Barnes and Richmond and the area in between also have plenty of quiet areas). Especially if you walk into residential areas instead of near the commercial districts. The solution of going further out applies to pretty much anything in London: Avoid zone 1 and 2 unless you want big, loud, expensive and commercialised. It's fun now and again, but there are so many alternatives.