Moving To London

[picassosson]

Hello all,

I know a lot of people on this board (and Beach Boy fans in general) are from Europe, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. 

I'm an American born and raised in Upstate New York.  I was recently offered a new job by my company that would require me to relocate to London.  I currently live and work in New York City, and have never been "across the pond".  Any thoughts concerning the U.K. versus the U.S., or London versus NYC (ie. cost of living, culture, etc.) would be greatly appreciated.  I do feel like it may be worth it just to see the world, but New York will always be my home...

[Andrew G. Doe]

No denying, London is an expensive town, That said, it's also one of the most fascinating places on earth, bung full of history and culture, plus we also speak (more or less) the same language. From personal experience, there's nothing like living away from 'home' for an extended spell to make you appreciate both locations. Do it.

[the captain]

Assuming your company is going to properly compensate you for the dramatically higher cost of living, I think it's a GREAT opportunity.

[lance]

Hello all,

I know a lot of people on this board (and Beach Boy fans in general) are from Europe, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. 

I'm an American born and raised in Upstate New York.  I was recently offered a new job by my company that would require me to relocate to London.  I currently live and work in New York City, and have never been "across the pond".  Any thoughts concerning the U.K. versus the U.S., or London versus NYC (ie. cost of living, culture, etc.) would be greatly appreciated.  I do feel like it may be worth it just to see the world, but New York will always be my home...

Be smart about it and make sure you and your company cover yourselves on the bureaucratic front. Be prepared for a little culture shock(which often results in negative feelings towards your "new" home.) But do it. IN the end, whether you love it or not, it will be a great learning experience.

Are you single? Have kids? I would be careful if you have kids, otherwise, do it, do it, do it.

Never lived in the UK, but I have met a lot of Brits.
In my experience British people have excellent senses of humo(u)r. They get a little uppity about the dialect thing, but I think they mean that as a sort of joke and Americans don't enjoy that kind of humor so much, I think. They are excellent drinkers, as well.

My impression of London is that it is just as vibrant and happening as NYC, but the difference is that physically it's much much bigger. I have heard that NYC has more of a "village" feel to it than London, which is sprawling in comparison. I guess that might take some getting used to.

It will probably be significantly more expensive than than the USA--again, prepare for that. Also, if you're going to be  paid in dollars, know that that will make your salary fluctuate, although it seems the pound has stayed more or less steady at two dollars for the last few  years.

Hey, at least you'll have a greater chance of meeting fellow Beach Boys's fans..

[lance]

Hello all,

I know a lot of people on this board (and Beach Boy fans in general) are from Europe, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. 

I'm an American born and raised in Upstate New York.  I was recently offered a new job by my company that would require me to relocate to London.  I currently live and work in New York City, and have never been "across the pond".  Any thoughts concerning the U.K. versus the U.S., or London versus NYC (ie. cost of living, culture, etc.) would be greatly appreciated.  I do feel like it may be worth it just to see the world, but New York will always be my home...

Be smart about it and make sure you and your company cover yourselves on the bureaucratic front. Be prepared for a little culture shock(which often results in negative feelings towards your "new" home.) But do it. IN the end, whether you love it or not, it will be a great learning experience.

Are you single? Have kids? I would be careful if you have kids, otherwise, do it, do it, do it.

Never lived in the UK, but I have met a lot of Brits.
In my experience British people have excellent senses of humo(u)r. They get a little uppity about the dialect thing, but I think they mean that as a sort of joke and Americans don't enjoy that kind of humor so much, I think. They are excellent drinkers, as well.

My impression of London is that it is just as vibrant and happening as NYC, but the difference is that physically it's much much bigger. I have heard that NYC has more of a "village" feel to it than London, which is sprawling in comparison. I guess that might take some getting used to.

Although New York is a significantly safer city than it was twenty years ago, I think you will find that London is still much safer.

It will probably be significantly more expensive than than the USA--again, prepare for that. Also, if you're going to be  paid in dollars, know that that will make your salary fluctuate, although it seems the pound has stayed more or less steady at two dollars for the last few  years.

Hey, at least you'll have a greater chance of meeting fellow Beach Boys's fans..

[picassosson]

Thanks so much for all the warm advice! 

I wish I could've gotten back sooner, but this has to have been one of the crazy months of my life.  Besides the job offer, I got married, traveled far and wide for my honeymoon, and my grandfather passed away - all within the span of 3 weeks. 

In the end I had to turn down the offer, not because I didn't want to live in London - but because of circumstances outside of my control.  Wish it could have been!  In any case, I will most likely be visiting on business, so I'm sure I will eventually get to experience European life...