[Closed] Help solve my London move dilemma - please!

No, 50K is only about a third of what you need for a decent lifestyle.

Yes!
No!
Yes!
Depends!

IMO 30k was the minimum to be comfortable in a professional, "zone 2" living, london lifestyle* in 2002/3. With inflation and rental increas, Id say its probably clsoer to 40k now.

(and before the lefties get all excited, that "lifestyle" is as a distiniction from "a bare minimum to survuive" or a "working wage" etc etc.)

I moved to London straight from Uni and left 6 opr 7 years later with a new wife who also wanted to move out of the city (even though she grew up in "London", beckenham). We met at the hockey club we were both members of. There are loads of ways of meeting new people. As for having more things to do, its odd, but you rarely make the most of city living when you live in a city 🙂 it's expensive as well.

Try it, you can always leave again.

hitman how old are you? (waves at stoner a once fellow WestHampstead'er) 🙂

LOL! Wish I had as much as that! Unless you have particularly spensive tastes, that will be plenty. More than enough. I mean, contrary to popular superstition, London's prices are pretty much the same as everywhere else. It's only really accommodation and houses, that cost more. And there's shitloads more choice.

Tell you what mate; why not come on our London Pootle next weekend, on the 29th? Come and meet people, have a ride round some of That London's famous London, see new stuff, maybe see the place in a whole new light.

The streets may not be paved with Gold, but it's an amazing place, if you open your mind.

Let me take you by the hand...

i will still only be earning 50k

as said, i think you'll find this is the bare minimum for londoninium. however should you wish to invest some in my nigerian bank deposit system i can happily arrange to find you suitable accommodation for a paltry 45k.

if you fancy a change and got that sort of income why not? you can always move back to rural place if it's not your thing. fill yer boots

London's not a sentence, you can come and go as you please. Especially on 50k!

Like Stoner says, try it!

and despite the fact that people like Hora turn up there, west Hampstead is a nice area (highest density of further educated peeps in the country 🙂 ) with a great hockey club.

🙂

Hitman - is there 'somewhere in between' - benefits of a city (people, stuff happening, shops at the end of the road etc), but with some benefits of being close to outdoor stuff?

It sounds like people is the main reason to move...?

Some cities (Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow for example) are very close to outdoor stuff.

50k is the bare minimum for London, your having a laugh 😆
So how do LOADS of people manage who earn less than that? When I first moved to London I earnt 11k a year.

If your 30's or younger, go for it. You only live once ffs and you'll regret not experiencing a move like that later on. I know alot of people who stayed in Huddersfield and never left. Yep great place but they never knew London. I had some fantastic years there, saw some really eye-raising stuff including weird clubs, scenes, stabbings, made some great friends and fell over alot.

The North Downs is less than 40mins from central London with some utterly fantastic riding to be had. I lived in West Hampstead and later in East Croydon- alot cheaper and 10mins from London. Please feel free to email me any questions at all (email in profile).

As for missing the great outdoors for hobbies, priorities. Life balance springs to mind. When you meet the right person (alot bigger chance in London) then you can downsize and reconsider, until then FFS enjoy your life- its the only one we have. Dont become bitter and isolated by staying in a rut. 🙂

50k will be loads to live a very good life in London so long as you're not aiming to live in Chelsea and keep Columbia's economy going.

There are loads of people in London who also like outdoorsy stuff so whether it's mtbing or other, you'll always be able to find like minded people to travel/do stuff with.

I'd say just give it a go and don't get completely caught up in the London thing of work/pub/recover and forgetting to do anything else (speaking as a Londoner who's seen lots of people including mtbers come to London and do exactly that!)

cheers everyone
I'm in my early 40s (he says coyly!)
Very unsure about this - one part of me wants to try it out, whereas another part of me thinks I could hate it! Also I think theres a truth in that theres lots to do in London but its very expensive to do those things, so you often the end result is the same. Also concerned that if I move up and do meet a partner, I'll want to move straight back to where I live now!
The joys of being indecisive!

"IMO 30k was the minimum to be comfortable in a professional, "zone 2" living, london lifestyle* in 2002/3. With inflation and rental increase, Id say its probably closer to 40k now."

I was going to get on my high horse about this until I read:

"(and before the lefties get all excited, that "lifestyle" is as a distinction from "a bare minimum to survive" or a "working wage" etc etc.)"

It's totally dependent on what you see as comfortable. Until I bought a flat in Walthamstow, I was living in zone 1 for a few years. Rent was high but I could walk/ride everywhere and going out could be a spur of the moment thing.

I lived in Covent Garden when I was earning £15k and I didn't think I restricted myself by not having much money. If you've got no dependents or responsibilities then I'm pretty sure anything over £25k is extra bike money.

Plenty of people ride in the downs/south london/etc, you can always take a train to somewhere else. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Having said that, I'm not earning anything now so I'll let you know in a couple of months how that's going.

Different strokes for different folks and all that.

Cheers Hora, a lot of what you say rings true
A bit concerned I may be getting on a bit in my early 40s for a move
Not sure I'm going anywhere career-wise or life-wise staying here

matt
I was also thinking along these lines - maybe Bristol or Cardiff or similar
I do think I may be going from one extreme to the other!

where do you live at the moment??

i think you'll find this is the bare minimum for londoninium

LOL! If you have a taste for cocaine and spensive prostitutes!

London being 'spensive' is a myth. There's loads to do for nowt, and with an Oyster Card, transport is pretty reasonable, speshly considering the enormous extent of the tube, rail and bus network. It's stuff like housing and insurance that will carry a premium. A loaf of bread in Sainsbergs is the same price here, as in Aberystwyth. If indeed there even is a Sainsbergs in Aberystwyth. And if you shop around, places like Asian grocers, local markets etc, you will find some bargains.

The trick, in London, is to economise on the superfluous. You don't need a car, for example. A cheap tatty bike will do for pootling about, so yer bling machine don't get nicked. Why visit spensive restaurants, when you can find plenty of places selling fantastic food, for as little as £10 a head, or even less?

No, you can have a great time in London, on a lot less than youd imagine. You just gotta know where to look.

And the looking, is half the fun!

I live out in SW London (Raynes Park). I have a 20-minute train ride to Waterloo, or a 50-minute bike ride to work, and a 25-minute train ride to Dorking.

This works quite well as a compromise.

Early 40's? Well your finding your life partner where you are at the moment.

What have you got to lose? Rent out your place currently and live in London initially for a year. Take it from there and assess your situation at the 1yr anniversary.

I still have fond memories of Camden 🙂
Plus whenever I go back to London I suddenly drive WORSE than any londoner (cough traffic lights are 'advisory' and one way streets apply to others)

Seriously, it will be an experience in the very least. Worse case scenario? You stay where you are and your 50, single and angry with the world.

:-)hora, but probably quite true!

if you're in your early 40s and a "professional", then I suggest this might be a kind of budget you should look at (off the top of my head you realise):

per month

Rent £1,000-£1,200 for a 1/2 bed flat in Zone 2
Travel £90 travelcard per month
Dinner out £25 per night, say, £300 per month
Beers out £10 per night, say, £150 per month
Shopping £200 per month
Council tax £100 per month
Utilities £50 per month

= £2,100 per month before "exceptionals"

that works out at £35k before tax.

Stoner as hitman is single I'd advise a house share short term (to get to know someone) or...

rent outside zone 2 (£1k WTF!) - £600 a month for East Croydon etc.

If you live like Stner suggests, then you won't have a lot left over.

I know plenty of 'proffessionals', onthat sort of money or more, andthey don't spend anything like that amount a month.

£1000-1200 a month on a 1/2 bed flat???? Yes, if you simply must live in a Docklands apartment or something!

Of course, you lifestyle is up to you. You could follow Stoner's suggestion, and end up with **** all at the end of the month, or you couldbe a little more frugal, and have more to put away, or have for lovely things like holidays, new bikes or Cocaine and spensive prostitutes.

I know people who are 'living the dream', and there are loads of people willing to sell you that dream, but it aint gonna make you any happier. Bigger bills each month, maybe.

Find out where other STW/cyclists tend to live in London and move into that general area? Weekend riding sorted and a loose-circle of friends with shared interest to begin with?

If I was ever single, I'd live Manchester in a shot (and this is bloody city)- I'd move either straight to London or Edinburgh and start busting dance moves on alot of dancefloors, hanging out at libraries winking alot etc 🙂

All the best. Seriously, mail in profile. If anything it will be another opinion/angle to think about.

start busting dance moves on alot of dancefloors, hanging out at libraries winking alot etc

Oh, sorry, 'winking'; I thought you said...

You'd probbly get arrested a lot at your age, Hora.

Rudeboy, you live on an estate in the near east somewhere if I recall correctly? No offence, it is all naturally a matter of personal choice, but £1,000 a month for a 2 bed flat is not an outrageous rent in many parts of London. 🙂

[i]You'd probbly get arrested a lot at your age, Hora.[/i]

Even as a kid doing alot of questionable activities I was never arrested.

£1k for a 2bed flat? Thing is, hitman doesnt need two bedrooms. Initially he could get away with a largish studio until he learns London/locations better. Like I said he could get easily away with 600-700 max if he choses wisely. Google...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?searchType=RENT&locationIdentifier=REGION^68910&radius=0.0&displayPropertyType=flats&minBedrooms=&maxBedrooms=&minPrice=&maxPrice=700&maxDaysSinceAdded=&sortByPriceDescending=&_includeLetAgreed=on&primaryDisplayPropertyType=&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldDisplayPropertyType=&oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldSecondaryDisplayPropertyType=&letType=&letFurnishType=&houseFlatShare=false&x=83&y=2

I think £1k+ per month is excessive - rents seem to be diving down here in south London. I've been in London off and on over the years and still get a bit frustrated with the outdoors side of things. You can get to the Chilterns and the North Downs on the train easy enough but to get on the M4 for a weekend in Wales you can expect to sit in a lot of traffic out and back (took us 2.5hrs to get from the M25 to the flat one Sunday). Personally, I'd live in southwest or west London for ease of escape. Living in zone 1 or 2 isn't really necessary - I'm in 3/4 and it's still only 15 mins to London Bridge, Borough Market, the South Bank.
Other than that, it's what you make of it. It's a big place and most of my friends seem to live in my vicinity - I very rarely cross town to go out socially. But if it's right for your career, I'd say do it.

BD; With rents actually falling atm, £1000 pm is excessive, unless yo want something a bit 'nice', maybe with a little terrace of garden or something. There are plenty of cheaper options, as Hora points out. My place is spensive, as it's very near Canary Wharf, and I'm looking to move out soon, as I know I'll find something cheaper.

If you want to live in Hampstead, or posher parts of town, you will pay for it, but places like Hackney, Camberwell, Newham etc are a lot cheaper, and just as good if not better, in terms of local 'vibes'. Hampstad is not that great anyway; no soul. A mate of mine lives with his wife, in a nice little 2 bed terrace in Stratford, and pays only about £750 pm or less. Little garden too.

There are quite a lot of little flats within houses, that are springing up. You share a front door with a family, or whoever, but have yer own little self-contained bit.

Yes, accomodation can be spensive, but it needunt be killer, unless yer a ponce.

I think there's two sorts of "vibe" basically isn't there, one much more expensive than the other. My wife is a great fan of a rather genteel vibe, involving well-manicured people, black labradors, boutique shops, babies in very large prams, Cayennes on the street and organic granola. We have lived in places with a vibe which was more to do with crack-heads trying to chew through the front door and murder boards on the way to the station and she didn't like it. It was much cheaper rent, and the food was better admittedly. 😉

hitman, I'll move in with you. We'll be like Baddiel and Skinner in the early days 😀

But there's an awful lot in between, really!

We jolly well have not had a stabbing or owt for some weeks, now.

2 bed for 1k is quite cheap!
The thing about living further out is that any rent savings tend to be absorbed by rail fares. Cycling is an option, but its not as quick as you'd think due to the sheer volume of cars/busses/traffic lights and other cyclists.

If you don't do it, you will probably regret not trying. If you do go for it & don't enjoy it - at least you gave it a go & you'll likely have some stories to tell afterwards!

[i]If you don't do it, you will probably regret not trying. If you do go for it & don't enjoy it - at least you gave it a go & you'll likely have some stories to tell afterwards! [/i]
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Amen.

MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Many many thanks for the replies - really informative and helpful
Spending today thinking over my options so any more advice would be apreciated
BTW Hora I may take you up on that offer so be careful!!

Just an opinion, but I find living in London grinds you down. It's a ****in dive, people are horrid, nobody is friendly, far far different from what you're probably used to. Some on here see London through rose-tinted glasses, compared to everywhere else I've been in the UK, including other major cities, London is the crapest of the lot - fact. Sorry to burst your bubble but thought someone should mantion the sh*t side on London. Oh and remember buy a stab vest...

£1000-1200 a month on a 1/2 bed flat???? Yes, if you simply must live in a Docklands apartment or something!

fred, anywhere in zone 2 (i.e. not out essex with the fishwives where you live) is going to be around that price now. There are almost no "bargains" in zone 2. Furthermore, the OP is in his early forties and a professional.

Not an 18 yr old yoof with an apple mac like you.

Finally, a flat share or rent a room might be fine for the short term or for the younger professional, but I expect for a more mature man it wouldnt be so great. Not least because h's going to be on the pull, picking up slighlty more discering ladies who might not want to end up picking their way across a flat-mate's dirty laundry on the way to seduction heaven!

I reiterate, to live the comfortable lifestyle of a professional man in your late thirties/early forties in central london requires about £35k.

Yes, but the shit side can be found in any other major city. Which won't have a lot of the benefits of London.

As for 'people are horrid', well, I'd suggest that with that sort of attitude, you aren't going to have too many positive experiences with others.

I've experienced rudeness and unfriendliness in some very nice little rural villages. London does not in any way have the monopoly on this.

I find, if you take a moment to try and empathise with others, you will be treated a lot more warmly. Many people do put up a barrier, as a city with 13 million people living and working in it can be a scary place. But take a step back, relax, smile and have a cheery disposition, and you can disarm all but the most uptight miserable ****ers.

A lot of people come here with preconceptions about how things will be. And if only one or two negative things happen, to confirm theri 'suspicions', then you'll never be able to change their minds.

London is not a place for the narrow minded, the bigoted, the ignorant. Like I say, have an open mind to stuff, and you can have a great time.

Of course, there are some who can't hack it. Just a bit too feeble minded.

S'a fantastic place! Greatest City on Earth! Come on, give it a go. What you got to lose?

Don't let the media scare stories or all those murder boards put you off, London is perfectly safe so long as you carry a knife.

[s]Don't let the media scare stories or all those murder boards put you off, London is perfectly safe so long as you carry a knife[/s]

[b]Tech9.[/b]
Leave a beautiful corpse hitman. Dont die old by the sea.

fred, anywhere in zone 2 (i.e. not out essex with the fishwives where you live) is going to be around that price now. There are almost no "bargains" in zone 2. Furthermore, the OP is in his early forties and a professional.

Not an 18 yr old yoof with an apple mac like you.

Bullshit. Prices are coming down all the time. A mate of mine owns a flat on the Isle of Dogs. 2 bed, ex-council (now HA). Fantastic view of the Thames, and City. He first had it up for £1400, last year, pre-Apocalypse. Had to drop the price, again and again, as there was no interest. I think it's now being let at £1k pm. His mortgage has come down a good chunk, so he still earns from it.

This is 5 minutes walk fro Canary Wharf. One of the most spensive parts of London.

Of course, as I said, if you do want a 'luxury' pad, then you will pay over the odds.

And BTW; I'm in my late 30s, and also a 'professional'. So not much different to the OP. Last year, this flat looked like a good deal. My investigations have shown I could be saving up to £200 a month, merely by moving to another area. So, I will be doing so.

And I live almost in the shadow of One Canada Square. Zone 2; DLR 100m from my building, loads of transport links close by, etc. Hardly 'Essex'.

Of course, if you only look at the showcase places in estate agents' windows, you will tend to find their 'best' (most spensive) properties. Dig a bit deeper, and there's a lot more choice.

FFS RudeBoy you are soo bloody predictable, are you on another wind up like yesterday?

He's heard the good side, from people like you, and I just pointed out the other side, and the other side really does exist despite the blinkers attached to your head

I'm not going to be drawn into a whos right and whos wrong with you, especially after yesterdays admission that you just post your shite to wind people up

When are you gonna get a life and stop trying to "educate" everyone in the "Ways of the RudeBoy"

The irony here is that a WHOLE lot of the problems in London are caused by "rudeboys"

fred - anything east of Tower Hill is null and void.
Might as well be living in Gravesend.

The only reason they extended Zone 2 out that way was to keep the cost of people commuting to canary wharf down.

And I wouldnt pay £1k per month for an Ex-council flat beyond wapping, when you can pay £1k-£1.2k for a decent 2 bed duplex in Hampstead or prim hill, or god-forbid clapham.

The only reason the far-east flats are coming down in rent is because all the bankers who rented them paid over the odds to be near the wharf. Now with a drop in employment out there no-one else in their right mind wants to rent that far over when the rest of the business world is 10 miles further west.

East Croydon, you turn right out of the station exit and straight into chaville. Turn left and straight into normaldom. My one regret was not moving to East Croydon sooner. I always thought it was some sort of 'Watford of the south' when I passed it on the train. Trains pass through there every minute of the day into Victoria.

You've got the Blacksheep bar (they have break dance nights!) with Marco (top lad). Addiscombe riders club, The Ship (air guitar metal pub), etc etc etc. Just the right blend of grit with London 🙂

Blimey, Stoner's Incredible Talking Arse!

Zone 2 was here long before Canary Wharf mate. What do you know, anyway, Commuting Boy? 😉

You know you're just digging a hole now.

And you're a ponce. Primrose Hill? Shows how little you know. You'd need a chunk more than £1200 a month for a lot of places round there! And Clapham? That's almost Surrey! 😆

When are you gonna get a life and stop trying to "educate" everyone in the "Ways of the RudeBoy"

The OP was asking for advice on possibly moving to London. As a Londoner, I'd like to offer him some positive advice. No harm in that. Had you tempered your statement with 'but there's loads of good stuff too', then fair enough. But you din't. So, I chose to counter that, with advice based on my own experience. Which, I'd hazard a guess, might be a little more deeper than most people on this forum, seeing as I was born and raised here, and have lived all my life here, not just moved here for work. therefore, I think it's safe to say, I probbly have a greater depth of understanding of many aspects of London life, than many people on this forum. I don't say this with arrogance; I say it because it's probbly true.

Educate? Just trying to offer some helpful advice.

I'm not on a 'wind up', If you have chosen to get wound up, that's your call.

whatever wideboy. you can have the last word, but Ill drop a tenner says that if the OP does move to london, it wont be further east than tower hill because its a crap option.

Leave East London to the posers and students.

Nobody wanted it before them.

Behave yourself, and get back to your white whine spritzer! 😀

Moving away from the practicalities and on to the happiness issue - if is entirely possible to be just as lonely in a big town as a small town. Do you know anybody in London that could help you meet people ?

The older you are the harder that is - at your age do you really want to be going out to the pub every weekend ?

As a fallback, you should listen to Oscar Wilde "it is better to regret something you have done than something you haven't done"

Go for it, but give yourself an escape clause. Tell everyone you will be moving for a year to see how you like it (er not your new employers obviously !). Rent your flat out, give it a year.

Good luck

P.S I worked out the other day that I had moved 6 times in three years, once to somewhere proper foreign - have settled on small town life near awesome biking with commute to great job

It's easy to make friends in London, especially so in the internet age.

There's lots of other lonely people, so you just need to locate them and ask them out for a drink.

Ultimately London will lead to the Hitman [b]and her[/b]

IGMC

London is the crappest of the lot - fact. Oh and remember buy a stab vest...

Oh, I don't know, I think Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool are worse, but then again every city has its good and bad.

As for buying a stab vest - what a load of toss spouted by an idiot.

Coming form West London I'd have to say the Germans didn't bomb the East end enough. 😉

Ive seen alot of violence in London. A womans body was kept in the boot of a Merc one road down from my flat. I witnessed two steamings of a wine shop at the top of my road, an armed robbery of the newsagents next door (yes why the need for weapons?!), Two yuffs stabbed outside West Hampstead tube station (we walked past the paramedics trying to stabilise them in the road), a guy kicked to death down the road on a Sat night, Albanians constantly having running fights etc etc etc. Even so. I honestly dont think London is anywhere near how rough Manchester can be. Not even close.

I live in the highest knife crime area in the UK so I know what I'm on about. A **** who pulled a knife on me a couple of years back has now thankfully been murdered himself. So **** you Sonor who's the idiot heh?

Rose-tinted spec wearing ****s

I have lived in central London on & off since 2004 and moved away November 2008 (redundancy victim!), mate just do it, I've lived a fair few places city and country in the Uk and a little overseas and in my opinion its one of the best. Theres more than a dozen people can do in a lifetime, its exciting and vibrant, great fun and reasonably full of opportunities.
I think your £50k will be fine, many down there are on way less! The big considerations, accomodation & its location has a huge effect on costs obviously But commuting on the public transport in rush hour is truelly Grim, if you can avoid the rush hour its better, If i were you i'd look for a room in a shared house or apartment with people who are like you ( a good start for the social life) and with an easy commute. Round Hoxton is uber cool and young, Isle of Dogs is good for the city or greenwich park, you could cycle if you like.
Good luck if you go and enjoy, I think you'll love it.

[i]I live in the highest knife crime area in the UK so I know what I'm on about. A **** who pulled a knife on me a couple of years back has now thankfully been murdered himself. So **** you Sonor who's the idiot heh?

Rose-tinted spec wearing **** [/i]

Someone pulled a Tech 9 on me last week. He/his whole family, his milkman and window cleaner all subsequently disappeared.

No one messes with Capo Hora 🙄 😆

Blimey.

S'a bit much, all this.

Hitman; please, don't be put off by the negativity of some individuals. I won't pretend London is perfect, because it quite clearly is not.

But for all it's faults, it is an amazing, fantastic place. I love it to bits, and I've seen a fair bit of it's seedy underbelly!

You know you've at least got a few oher STWers to hook up with; as I said before, why not come up for our urban pootle next Sunday, meet a few bods, get a feel for the place? We'd be happy to show you around.

It's my Home, and I'm chuffed that people want to come here. And it's my responsibility, as a Londoner, to try and help them have a positive experience of the place.

I live in the highest knife crime area in the UK so I know what I'm on about. A **** who pulled a knife on me a couple of years back has now thankfully been murdered himself. So **** you Sonor who's the idiot heh?

Rose-tinted spec wearing ****

So you're going on what happened to just you? Yeah, everyone in London should wear a stab vest, because they've all had knives pulled on them. The figures would clearly show that thousands upon thousands of people in London(out of a population of millions) have been stabbed. Get real.

If anybody here honestly believes your drivel that everyone in London is carrying and you should wear a stab vest, then I offer the following phrase for them to contemplate:

"He who writes for fools are assured of a large audience."

I've lived here for 8 years and like you I moved here for the money, a 50% pay rise to about 35K at the time. Earning that money in my early 20's I was in my element. I had planned to move back North now we have a family but we have stayed and I don't regret it at all. There is loads to do, choose the right suburb and its more villagey feeling than the equivalent in many other cities, the next steet to me has local pubs restaurants, cafes and a dozen or so independant retailers. I ride on the Surrey Hills most weekends, 35 miles & 45 mins away, and the only other place in England I like riding more is the Lakes, it takes years to get to know the cheeky stuff but once you do its a bloody great riding spot.

The downside is the cost of living though, with 2 kids in childcare and a 3 bed house, my outgoings will be >4K a month. 😯

Hitman

I moved to London 1996 I think it was, when I was 26, and left when I was 33.

I personally would not move back again, as yeah, I would miss the countryside too much. I ended up in Leeds in 2005 and that city has a very vibrant night life, plenty to do, plus you can be in the countryside in minutes and north, south, east and west within an hour or so drive you have amazingness everywhere. Leeds is not the only city with a real mix like that obviously.

I see you have a job offer in London, and that may well change things, but yeah, just something to throw into the mix. Is it really London you are after, or would somewhere smaller be better for you? I have no idea, just something to think about really.

BTW - I was living in Hampton at the time if that is of any significance.

I could never live in London. I live pretty comfortably oop north on 17.5k a year and don't have to work full time.

Spose you could always give it a go though.

Do it, throw yourself into it and you'll never look back. It's not called the greatest city in the world for nothing. Also the women in the summer are a sight to behold

Wow, just checked back to find 65 posts and some minor disagreements!
Thanks to all those who posted to help me with my decision
To clarify, I'm not moving for the money, more to be around more people,as its so isolated here
Am thinking also about more of a halfway house move - smaller city but closer to countryside/coast, but job opportunities are limited at the mo
Would say that if I hadn't visited London recently the stories re: violent crime would really put me off but found from the short time I spent there that Londoners were really friendly people and I didn't feel overly threatened

Don't want to sound -ve although suspect I might to you, and am only putting this forward as a counter to all the "go for it" postings, but have you considered that you might be having a bit of a mid life crisis? I suspect that if you move to London to immerse yourself in the social scene there that you will just end up feeling old and even more lonely. Instead of burning all your bridges, how about starting a campaign to track down the things you are after nearer to home? There are bound to be sports you can do regardless of any injuries you might have had - plenty of adrenalin in dinghy sailing, parapenting, diving etc, any of which can be done after your knees/ hips or whatever have packed in. Not sure of your inclinations, but also loads of socially orientated groups everywhere e.g. charities, environmental groups full, kind of, almost by definition, with nice friendly people, and from experience there are definitlely plenty of nice women involved in all kinds of eco/environmental groups. On the other hand if you are completely lethargic/uninterested in organised activities, but still want to meet women, how about personal ads? Again from experience (met my wife through a personal add) it is possible to find someone, but I found that placing a very honest ad was the way to go, rather than answering ads, which was totally useless. Personally I think you might be better off giving that a chance rather than pulling up whatever roots you do have where you are, possibly for no benefit.

rightplace
no I don't, some very valid points there
I have tried some of the methods suggested but probably not hard enough, maybe its time to try again before such a move

Where do you live(ish) BTW

rightplacerighttime, some good points and a good counter. However you can still keep friendships/roots going back 'home'...as long as you don't rely on the trains ($$$) then you'll never see home again (or once a year!).

I say plan to do it for only one year. You've at least tried it then.

Either way, all the best. My price for my lowly advice is one pint of ale, collectable whenever I see you in the future 🙂

Live in Wales at the moment

the stories re: violent crime would really put me off

From personal experience, violent crime isn't any more of a concern than it is if you live anywhere else in the UK these days. Less so, in fact. I've lived in Manchester and Oxford and both those places had way more aggro. Violent crime does happen in London but it generally happens to violent criminals.

This is from a middle aged man that's never left Stoke-on-Trent. There are pros and cons for living in any area,not just London. If I was in your situation,with that job offer,I'd be there like a shot. It is one of the best cities in the world.....doesn't necessarily mean the end to the loneliness problem though.
Good luck with what ever you decide.

Ok. I often get accused of 'glossing over' the bad stuff. So...

London is a massive city, which will undoubtedly have many problems and social issues. Within certain parts of it's diverse culture, you will find poverty, hate, greed, fear, aggression and violence.. Aspects of these may indeed affect you, at some time or another. Such a wealthy city, and there are beggars on the streets. There is fear. There is hatred. There is racism. There is homophobia. There is possibly prejudice in every form. Only this week, a Sikh temple, right by my mum's, was deliberately set ablaze, and has been virtually destroyed. Every day, you may find something that may make you cry. Every day, you may see something that makes you really angry. The selfishness, the greed, the lack of caring, the insensitivity of people will astound you.

Traveling around at rush hour is a truly soul-destroying experience. The place stinks of fumes and all sorts of nasty smells. There is rubbish all over the place. Just trying to get about can be fraught with all sorts of difficulties.

During my life, I have been abused; physically, racially and culturally. I have been beaten up more times than I care to remember. Been in more fights than I can count. I've been stabbed, baseball-batted, hit with iron bars, had me face kicked in. Had bottles and bricks thrown at me. Had a gun pointed at me. Been deliberately driven into, whilst on me bike, and on foot.

London is not a place for the lonely soul. In a city of millions, you may never feel so alone, in your entire life. At times, it may seem that no-one cares, that you have been ignored, forgotten, discarded.

London takes no prisoners, yet can feel like the worst Gulag on Earth.

When you are at your lowest point, London can become your prison cell; incarcerating you into a darkness so deep, from which you feel you may never surface.

Trust me; I probbly know this shit more than most.

But (and yes, there's ALWAYS a 'but'...).....

It's STILL the Greatest City on Earth.

Given the choice, I woon't swap it for any place on Earth. Seriously.

Call me biased, call me deluded, call me absolutely insane!

It's still a ****ing incredible place.

And it's my Home, and I'm proud to call myself a 'Londoner'.

And anyone else can, too. Wherever you're from, whoever you are. If you chose to make it your Home, you are part of it. And it becomes part of you, if you let it.

And there's nowt wrong with that.