Places

[benlehman]

It's time once again to play the "where should Ben live" game.

I and the Girl are considering living in three different places, from this winter to next fall (after that we'll, if we're still a "we," be headed to whatever school will have her.) We're looking at living in Boston, SF Bay Area, or London. What's going on is that she's doing grad school preperations and studying for the Foreign Service Exam, and I'm (hopefully) working and continuing to run my publishing company. So job availability, etc, is a good thing. London is advantageous as she has an aunt that lives there, who would put her up, but probably not me.

Anyway, I know that there are people who've lived in all these places, and do presently, so ... convince me where to go! I've lived in the Boston area and Bay Area before, but never been to England. Why does one place rock more than another?

Comments

[pete-darby.livejournal.com]

I will warn that London is very much "teh expensive"; I've just moved away from Southern England for that reason. If you can't get relatives to put you up, I'd think just the accomodation costs would be enough to put most folks off.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Are there available small service jobs which can be used to pay for rent and board?

yrs--
--Ben

[pete-darby.livejournal.com]

You'll be competing with a shedload of folks in the twilight regions of legality from the far flung corners of our former empire, many of whom will have far lower living costs, to put it as tactfully as I can.

Or, another way, how desparate are you to live in London? Because I think you'd have to be desparate to come here without pretty well paid employment. And you'll be competing with folks who are REALLY desparate to be there.

But, if you can find work that pays for your living costs, it rocks. Not as hard as Liverpool, IMHO, but I'm deeply biased, as I've found my favourite pub in Liverpool.

[faerieloch.livejournal.com]

London is, I would say, about as expensive as the Bay Area but has better public transportation so it's easier to live a bit farther out. However, we would love to have you in the Bay Area. :)

Something else you should consider is where your lady will be applying to grad school. If it's in the US, it's easier to live here while applying. Conversely, if she's more interested in going overseas, it's worth living over there (particularly if you'll be there long enough to be able to claim residency in the European Economic Community which will make her eligible for a whole bunch of money she wouldn't otherwise have).

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. Thanks!

yrs--
--Ben

[ornithoptercat.livejournal.com]

London is VERY expensive. Especially with the dollar so weak. What's more, you'll have a very hard time getting a work visa. I adore London, but unless you can get a job and a visa all lined up, I DON'T recommend living there.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Huh. I was under the impression (from Girl) that there's an automatic 6-month visa / work permission for Americans. Is that new?

[noradannan.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there's a visa permission for Americans, but I wouldn't bet on the work permission, especially with the EU rules.

Some info that might be useful: Working in the UK (http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/working_in_the_uk/en/homepage/your_status/coming_to_the_uk_.html) and The British Consulate (http://www.britainusa.com/visas/showcats.asp?i=65002&L1=41000)

Personally, while I highly recommend living abroad, I wouldn't move there on a whim. If one or the other of you has a yearning desire/big reason to go to London, then by all means do, but it's Just Easier in the US.

PS - Boston is cool.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

I know EU and UK have different policies wrt Americans, though ... I'll poke.

yrs--
--Ben

P.S. I know. But cold.

[locke61dv.livejournal.com]

P.P.S. But: global warming!

[gigolohitman.livejournal.com]

Which will make some places colder :-)

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

My sister just moved to London and she had a devil of a time finding a flat... Eventually had to call my mom at 4 AM Mom-time to get her to cosign, because she had no British rental history. Now she's having a devil of a time getting a telephone, since she has no telephone history there. Apparently people get added to their parent's telephone bill and start building up their history that way? Anyway, so no internet, either. And after 5 weeks, still no job, and the dollar/pound conversions are pwning her.

I think London is more expensive than the Bay Area or Boston... Though I'm living in a shared house in the Bay Area, so that's as cheap as it comes. Also, there are lots of good gamers here. ;)

[chgriffen.livejournal.com]

I've been to London twice, and I know people who live there (and one American who moved there). I can only second what everyone else said about it being expensive and difficult to get into.

[locke61dv.livejournal.com]

It seems that Boston/SF will be best if she's applying stateside. I don't know about the cost. Both are certainly expensive, so it depends on how far out from the core city still counts. Some neighborhoods of each are more affordable than others. You could scour the jobnets / craigslists to see which one currently has more of the kind of work you're doing on the side.

Of course, it would be great to have you in the area, and foreign_devilry is here as well (at least until the summer/fall). On the other hand, San Fransisco!

[relevance.livejournal.com]

London is expensive on the order of New York City and Tokyo. It is an unspeakably amazing place, but it will do everything in its considerable power to destroy your finances. That said, if you do live there, I would very much like to drop by and visit you.

My vote goes to Boston, but for purely selfish reasons. Although... it's my understanding that proximity to New York can be useful for publishing.

[nikotesla.livejournal.com]

Boston:

Con: Also expensive, and a little alienating. Cold in winter.

Pro: Nathan, Dev, and the rest of BSG. A little further out, the WMSG and the surrounding greater metropolitain Arkham area. Good food, abundant swimming shores for the gorgeous summers and cross-country skiing in winter (or the downhill variety if you're into that kind of thing). Super88 and the rest of Chinatown (including Chow Chau City) (which I'm sure has its parallel or greater in SF).

[gbsteve.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner that I love London so.

London, whilst expensive is affordable if you both have jobs. If one of you has a good job then it should be easily within your price range. Similar housing can be priced very differently in different areas so you have to hunt around a bit. Generally South and East are cheaper than North or West for example.

I'm not sure why getting a phone should be so hard. I'd have thought good credit history and a credit card would be enough.

In the last few weeks, I've been to a talk on Victorian Sexuality (given by the pornographer who wrote the flavour text for the Dying Earth rpg), seen early Kandisky at the Tate, my wife went to a Tarot conference and she's going to see the Scissor Sisters at a not so secret fancy dress only gig next month. And there are plenty of gamers.

[gigolohitman.livejournal.com]

London!

Although I haven't been to any of the other options, so I have exactly 0 credability. But London is a really exciting place. And I'll visit if you like :-). It is expensive though, that much is true.

However, it isn't that hard to get a phone! That sounds crazy! Seems like someone got truely unfortunate somewhere.

Linux,games,software,news

[(Anonymous)]

Hi
Mac OS X software,news mobile ,games
http://spdimon.info

G'night

free dating site

[(Anonymous)]

MESSAGE