London: Anyone Spend Time There?

I haven't spent significant time there, but if you like international people/life and you like New York, then you should like London. Last time I went was in January and damn the weather sucked. Almost drains the energy out of you - but its like that in the Northeast here too. Also, you should go to Nobu if you like Sushi.

 

Londond is quite expensive.

The weather sucks, most of the time.

The food sucks.

Night Life is good.

I love spain too. I try to make a trip to Barcelona everynow and then when I fly through Europe.

 

I have a friend of the family that I haven't seen in sometime, but who I've stayed with in London, and went there one other time when She wasn't in town. But it's been a long time since I've been there.

When I was there there were some strange hours when pubs were closed during the middle of the day. Remember that public transportation stops fairly early in the evening if you go out, make other arrangements to get home. It's a great city, with a lot of great people.

I love Spain as well, but it's been a long time since I've been there. This winter I will either be going to Spain or Disney World. They are about the same price.

 

IMO, only Tokyo, Stockholm, and maybe Geneva are more expensive. London makes Manhattan feel like one big discount island.

There's plenty of hot chicks and many of them are quite interesting to talk to as well. As far as different types of people, I think only NY can rival London as a melting pot.

The shesha venues are top-rate. But the niteclubs are mostly 'private members only' so you will have to find some people to invite you w/ them. I find the restaurants to be quite good, although the service can be atrociously rude.

London has been experiencing an economic re-flation in the past couple years with housing prices skyrocketing and unemployment practically undetectable. Consequently, Bling-Bling is in full effect in London these days with people spending and living it up like there's no tomorrow. BMW/Benz is to London as Honda/Toyota is to Houston.

There are so many cool neighborhoods to hang out in there that it's pointless for me to even list em.

Cheers Mate

 

The weather is horrible, and most stuff are way more expensive than Houston. One advice, stay away from the subway during rush hours.

 

Lived in Sculthorpe, England. But too young to remember anything important. Buy an umbrella. Visit the castles.

 

I lived there last yr for a while...

Cost of living...more expensive than Houston

Crowds....very international...a lot of arabs, south africans, irish, americans...definitely diverse

Weather absolutely sucks...the summer is okay...but the fall/winter is the most miserable weather ever...cold and rainy and when it isnt raining, its overcast

Women - dont know what you mean...but most of the women there loved american guys...possibly because american men believe in visiting the dentist from time to time...(most men over there look like they are still losing teeth or about to get braces....then again, the women over there arent much different in that respect)

Food is quite possibly the WORST I have ever eaten. The meat is awful...even the fast food restaurants taste different. The Pubs are outstanding and a lot of fun...but the food absolutely sucks.

 

I found that generally speaking, prices in London are about 175% of what you'll find in NYC. This goes for restaurants, drinks, taxis, clothing, etc etc. Even the same audio CD you purchase in the states for $18 will be about 17 pounds in London.

A nice 1 bedroom apartment to rent in a nice area like maybe Bayswater will probably run about $2000- $2500 per month. To get a place in one of the top areas like Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Regent's Park, or Kensington....you're talking several thousand!

I find Paris to be much less expensive and far more lively at night. But unfortunately I don't speak French

 

Apparently Kevin Spacey does.
Look for him in the theatre

 

My cousin lives there. My mom and her family used to live there. I visit occasionally.

The tube system rocks.

The cost of living is unbelievable.

The weather sucks, unless you love rain and gloom.

The nightlife is great, and the variety of things to see and do is great.

The 24hour bus system is amazing.

At least the Burger King is okay, cause they didn't have that when I lived in France.

Easyjet is the way to travel, and London is a good base to have to be able to travel Europe.


NO NBA BASKETBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unlike many parts of Europe, basketball is not even close to the top of the popularity charts in the UK. The most you will get is one game per week on Sunday afternoon on SkySportsExtra, which is the equivalent of ESPN2.

F3Kings, is the best sportsbar in town. It is right beside the West Kingsington tube stop, one stop outside of zone 1. It has cheap food, cheap drinks, is very very big, and the management wants it to be sports oriented. Many TV viewing areas. Even though it's more of a hangout for 20 somethings to drink, watch music videos, and play pool, I was able to talk to the manager and he absolutely agreed to give me a whole room of NBA Basketball to watch a Kings T'Wolves playoff game live. It's cheap and huge and good because it's not in the tourist area.


Also, you have to pay an anual fee to have a TV, even if it is just over-the-air BBC non calbe stuff. They have TV cops coming around with detectors to see where TV signals go, and then they raid your home if you aren't up to date with your TV registration payments.


Oh, and the theater is always interesting, like seeing Luke Perry and the chick from American Pie do a theater adaption of When Harry Met Sally. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3379531.stm

 

Actually, the best sports bar is called the sports cafe or something similar....its on Haymarket street...they actually have the best food (other than the casinos) in town...its bar food (wings, burgers etc) but its good

 

pippendagimp has pretty much summed it up.

It's an awesome city, except that weather (but Southern Europe is close enough), traffic (just use public transportation, don't get a car), British food (but there is plenty of other food) and many British women suck (insert obvious joke here, plus, there are also a lot of beautiful women from all over the place in London). Also, it IS extremely expensive, not even comparable to Houston. Houston is one of the cheapest cities in the US. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Anyway, if you have a chance to live there, go for it, it will be an experience you will never forget!

 

I probably shouldn't be saying this as a German, but Paris is great except for all the Parisians living there .

 

I think those Parisian chicks are pretty damn hot!! The accent, the fashion, the French perfume....they can be ultra high-maintenance to deal with though ....and as a few here have mentioned, the British birds are generally homely looking and in need of a skilled orthodontist. However, London still offers many many international hotties to wet your beak on. And also, as SJC can probably atest to, Berlin is an awesome city to spend some time in as well.

And regarding the cold, rainy winters in London...i find that almost anyplace you live in Europe will be dreary for about 1/2 the year anyways....even Barcelona/Madrid. London prob has crappy weather 3/4 of the year. But still it is a very cool place and worth all the hassle. London is so cool and progressively modern....you feel like you are at the epicenter of civilization when you're there

 

ya i've taken the train from London city center to Paris gare du nord for the weekend....many ppl do it....it's about 2.5hrs i remember and maybe $300 roundtrip...

to get to spain you need to fly....otherwise it would take you at least 22 hrs just to get to Madrid.......as Kim mentioned, take Easyjet....it's their version of Southwest airlines and flies out of London Gatwick airport...

 

i spent two months in london over the summer, and i have to say

expensive as hell


food sucks(as in really, really, really bad)


women arent much to look at AT ALL trust me...thankfully youll have spain to visit

weather sucks

other than that...cool city

 

That's a tourist trap. It's actually across from where When Harry Met Sally is playing. The food isn't as cheap as F3Kings, but it's pretty cool for having a bunch of TV's, but only 2 Skyboxes. Meaning there's only 2 types of programming that can be on, maybe 3, b/c they might have a US Satellite too, but I'm not sure.

F3Kings has a different feel. You should check out both. Sports Cafe is more like ESPN Zone, but not as good by any means.

I tried to watch some NBA playoff games at The Sports Cafe. No Luck. They were showing futbol. I got nothing against futbol, but the lack of sports variety at Sports Cafe, makes it more of a tourist chic thing than a place that tries to be a real sports bar.

F3Kings mostly isn't sports patrons, but they try to be real sports oriented.

As for the train:

it's more of a thing to do just to say you did it. Flying is faster and CHEAPER. And if you want to do scenic stuff, take the ferry from the cliffs of Dover...those are beautiful.