The Joys and Struggles of Moving to London

I am fascinated by the fact that each of us has our town, city or village that they call home, and that place is theirs and only theirs to call it so. Some decide to stay where their roots are bound and live their lives close to normality. Others, like myself, are travellers and move from destination to destination, never really settling down. In the last five years, I have lived in five various locations spanning the length of two countries, England and Portugal. After finishing college in York, UK, studying abroad in Guimaraes, Portugal, and graduating from Manchester, UK, my friends and I decided to move forward together and relocate ourselves and our theatre company to London.

Since then, I have relocated to a new London borough and have signed a contract binding me to my new home for the next three years, the most prolonged period in one location since I can remember. London is a phenomenal city to live in with huge perks and activities to do; however, it does come with its negatives. Some are known way in advance of the move, while others you have to experience for yourself first before coming to light. Here are some of the joys and struggles I found I’ve experienced when I moved down from the North of England to one of the most famous cities in the world!

The Cost of Living...

Every Brit will tell that London is more expensive to live in than any other part of the UK by huge margins. Compared to the other major UK cities, the price is astonishing and can more than double the price for the same amount of living space and facilities. For example, a one-bedroom apartment in London's city centre costs nearly enough twice as much, roughly £1,600, as an apartment in Manchester, closer to £840. These high rents do not stop swarms of people from choosing London as their home, as its population is expected to rise from 9million people currently to 11million by 2050.

Due to the high rents and constant flood of investment into deprived areas, many families are forced out of the capital due to the ever-increasing living costs. I currently live in an apartment with my partner and two close friends, which helps keep spending manageable. Living with other people drastically reduces living costs and provides excellent company for rainy nights, which is more common in London than you’d imagine.

Everything life has to offer is right at your Doorstep!

One major perk of living in a city like London is the endless possibilities at your doorstep. No matter your interests, a quick look online and you are bound to find something to do only a tube ride away. Live performances and music, food festivals, gallery openings and fashion walks, I really could go on forever.

Ever since the pandemic turned the world upside down, London has slowed right down. It is strange to see no tourists flood the city centre or the west end echo noise between each theatre. The whole city has had the chance to breathe a little, and now that we come ever so closer to reopening society, London prepares to explode with its vibrant colours once more, and its people are ready to party!

The cost of socialising is crazy, especially Pubs!

Moving to London has been the best thing I could have done for my liver, as drinking has become such a rarity; I cannot remember the last time I went to a club and absolutely lost it. Up North, not a problem. Gather the boys on a Wednesday night, classic £1 a pint, and do the classic checklist. Keys? Check. Phone? Check. £20? Check.

That £20 will do you enough for the whole night plus a cheeky kebab after to ease down the alcohol. You really cannot beat Northern prices on nights out. Do not be surprised to find yourself in a pub in London and be asked to pay £6 for a pint of the house lager. Daylight robbery! I admit that London has lots to offer when it comes to event choice; however, it drastically reduces your clubbing options, especially when on a budget.

The noise… oh the noise…

One thing is for sure, cities like London never sleep. The closer you find yourself to the city centre, the more noise pollution you will experience, especially if you live on the side of a busy road. I am quite fortunate to live on a side street that barely peaks out onto a busy road used by London buses throughout the night. Yes, London night buses are incredibly regular and run all night every night, usually taking 15minutes for the next bus to arrive!

You also have street cleaners, bin men, noisy neighbours and drunken streetwalkers, planes flying overhead to land in one of London’s many airports. The streetlights are always on, and the traffic, filled with beeping horns and speeding cars, is not the usual noise that will help you fall into a deep slumber. I do admit, over time, I have gotten used to the sound, and, just like the humming of a fan, the background noise provides slowly soothes me to sleep. To understand this, you need to live close to any major city centre and hear the noise yourself. The transition from alien noise to part of your life is astonishing!

The weather is less than great.

Being the capital of the UK does not bless you with constant sunshine and warm weather. Most of the time, London is either covered in a cold fog, completely drenched by a downpour of rain, cloudy (which means BBQ weather), or too hot to handle heatwave that is becoming more frequent in the past years. As I now live roughly 10 minutes away from the river Themes, I look forward to the spring sunshine and the summer heat. As much as I love the cold, it is time to enjoy London for what it can be, and for that to happen, a little sunshine goes a long way!

You can be anyone you wish to be and pursue any career available.

I will finish off this list with an inspirational trait that you can find in London. As there are every type of person, culture, and community at your fingertips, you can be whoever you want to be and become whoever you wish to be. There will be guidance, training and mentors ready to help you move forward with your dreams. Just like the tale of the small-town girl moving to the big city with big dreams, London can allow you to express a side of yourself you never thought you had. I am still transitioning to finding out what type of person I am and want to become. One thing is clear, I am not the small-town boy I was before, and I think I cannot return to that lifestyle for the foreseeable future. I always saw myself as a city boy, and London has most definitely become a part of my identity.

I am slowly becoming a Londoner…