Hi all

I have been offered a job in London. I 90 per cent sure I will take it.

This means packing the wife and child up and moving from Oz.

Do any of you have any advice about the best places to live.

Im inclined to find somewhere out of london and commute.

Of course I am looking forward to catching my first ever Toon game!!!! Oh boy.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Answers

Another Posting

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Don't live in London - move to Newcastle! It's a long commute mind but the best place to live!

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Lama, no-one can answer that for you. It depends on what you're looking for, how much you have to spend ect..

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

"This means packing the wife and child up"

Do you mean this as in packing them in, or just packing them in a case?

If you are fairly certain you want this job then take it. You will notice that tissues will be black when you blow into them after living in London for a few days. Maybe you could live somewhere on the outskirts, as long as an Underground station is nearby you'll have no bother commuting.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Mark...while we'd all like to commute from Newcastle, you're inclination to travel into London from somewhere nearer is, sadly, more sensible...unless you have a private income. If you take the job, where will you be working?

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Mark,
I'm sure the Lahndan bbs lads will give you a few pointers.

Good luck in your career deliberations, and of course you'll be a very welcome addition to the UK clique - you have to buy the customary initiation round of beers in 'The Strawberry' mind!

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

I can only give u advice from experience Lama- I live in Upminster on the border of Greater London/Essex. My other half commutes in+ it takes about 1 hour 15 mins each way door to door including tubes. Houses still quite expensive though much cheaper than most of London- £200k for average semidetached. Nice little town+very peaceful though still plenty of acticity close by for pubs etc. Were renting a 2bedroom flat for £650/month. Its right on the M25 for 'easy'access to matches outside London-easy to train to London matches+London pubs for foreign satellite- recommended area. Good local schools for the little 'un too.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

The offices are located in Dartmouth street Westminster. Just near Buckingham Palace as I understand it.

a 2 br flat would be the go I think and I reckon I could afford about 650-750 a month.

I wouldn't mind an hour commute.

Thanks all for your advice so far.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Initiation round in the Strawberry.

Get your orders in Lads and Lasses.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Lama - that's nice and central (well, south-central) so it shouldn't be a nightmare commute from anywhere within reason. You've got Charing Cross and Victoria near your work so if you're looking for a train commute then sarf of the river might be handy. For instance, Dulwich - Victoria is about fifteen minutes. Rents: no idea about anywhere other than Mortlake (about a grand+ a month for 2b) but there's loads of internet letting agents so you should be able to get an idea from a bit of surfing...
Trouble is, the only real way to do it is to spend a few days here looking at a few areas and seeing what you like.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Well I have no shortage of relatives and freinds in the UK so I could stay with them whilst searching for more permanent diggings.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Agree with what Dan's said....probably south of the river would be a good commute (if there is any such thing in this shithole town...oops pardon!) for you. There are some lovely places down in Surrey that aren't too expensive (South of Guildford area) that are still on the mainline into waterloo in about 45-50 mins.

Have a look on:-

www.findaproperty.com www.primelocation.co.uk

Where will all depend on your income and what you're willing to spend...Good luck....

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

i used to spend 1250 a month in Bermondsey near tower bridge. a total waste of money, but it beats travelling for hours every day. sounds silly to pay that much, but our maths worked out that i'd SavE money and be home in time for tea. the thought of commuting anywhere makes me want to pack it all in and be a croft farmer. in all honesty lama, i would steer as far away from london as is humanly possible. think black snot.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Again I agree with Swift.....you need to seriously seriously re-consider this choice mate....do you really want to leave Aus and move to this smelly, dirty, crime ridden, terrorist targeted dump??

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

I loved London so much I moved 340 miles away :-) Miss the gang, but not the place.

However, Ealing in west London is nice - it's fairly cosmopolitan and (too?) close to central London. Thing is, anywhere that's commutable, in a attractive location will be very expensive. Kingston in South West London is very popular too, with Richmond Park, the Thames, big shopping centre and a 25min train journey to Waterloo. Not sure about renting, but good semi-detached properties are £250-400k+ a throw! Acton is popular with Aussies doing their Euro tour, and although it's a f**king dump at the moment it's up and coming.

Really best off to spend 6 months in the best you can afford and start looking around. London is massive (not in the jungle-istic rave kind of way) and unless you're a cabbie you'll never know everywhere. And you won't get assualted by Dennis Wise either.

Best thing if you're coming from Oz is that any pub you go to will have 90% Aussie bar staff...so you'll be fine :-) Good luck, mate :-)

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

I live in South west London Lama and if you are thinking of South of the river you could do a lot worse than Brixton or Herne Hill. The tube from Brixton to Victoria takes 10 mins and if you are looking for rents there are plenty of places. The housing market has gone mad round there but has calmed down recently. If I was you I wouldn't buy just yet and rent for a while while prices plummet. I know what you have heard about Brixton but it is a really great place to live with great transport links and pubs and clubs galore. Real up and coming as they say dahn here

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Canny handy for St James's Park Tube (District and Circle lines) - now there's a canny name for an underground station - and, as others have pointed out, not far to connect with mainline terminals Victoria / Waterloo / Charing Cross. Two Chairman pub nearby is good base camp to seek inspiration.

Have, personally, always preferred north and west rather than south...don't want to get even further away from Newcassel...but each to his own. Good luck.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Thank you all very much for your advice

It's not a permanent move. Its like an extended holiday if you like. The black snot won't bother me too much. We're going to give it 12 months and see what happens.

I hope I can catch up with some of you guys when we do get over there. A Newcastle expedition is the first thing on the list. Ive put it above finding a home for my family and I.

See you all soon!

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

In that case, and as a loyal subject of the Commonwealth, I think Her Maj should let you have rent free accommodation down the road in Buck Palace. There's plenty of room. And as it'll be her Jubilee Year, Philip will have a load of Brown stashed away for post-jumpers-for- goalposts kickabouts in St James's Park.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2001