I’ve read this sub and have seen so many similar comparisons but thought my background may be slightly different than others.

I am a Japanese native and have been in Tokyo for the last 10 years, but also lived in other parts of Asia and the US throughout my childhood.

I find Tokyo depressing, stagnant, lacking diversity and nature, questionable work life balance and isolated from the world.

I get paid well as I work in fintech and not for a Japanese company, so I know I am better off than others here but would like to move out soon.

My options are New York or London through my current job. I would definitely need to negotiate my salary but what would be a better option given the following;

I’m planning to move with my partner who is in IT and a small black Shiba dog. We do not plan to have children. I don’t see this as a permanent move though things may change.

Things that I would prioritise -vacation days -parks, any green areas -ease of travelling -dog friendlyness -ease of getting a masters -ease of job hunting if necessary -diversity in food, including groceries

Things I’m concerned about -safety -rent -weather -making friends -cleanliness -work culture

I’m well aware of what is said about the two cities but I want to know how bad is it “actually”.

  • krkrbnsn@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I’m American but live in London. For the majority of the things you listed that you prioritise, London nearly always comes out on top. Here’s my take having lived here for nearly 7 years.

    London pros:

    • Work life balance / vacation days - most people get 25-30 days annual leave + 10 bank holidays.
    • Parks / green space - London is significantly more green and there are a number of large parks spread across the city. The countryside is also more accessible via public transportation. You can take some tube lines to the end and there’s trailheads from the station.
    • Ease of traveling - London is better situated geographically and has 6 easily accessible airports. Quick and cheap flights are common to Europe and Eurostar is also a great option. If you’re wanting to go back home to Japan, those long haul flights will also be a bit quicker and cheaper than from NYC.
    • Ease of getting a master’s - UK definitely. I got my master’s here and it was significantly cheaper and quicker than doing it in the US (they’re typically only 1 year).
    • Safety - London is more safe both from a statistical standpoint and also from a perception standpoint. Less random crazies on the street or public transportation, mental health is taken more seriously, and there’s not nearly as big of an opioid crisis. And of course essentially no gun violence (police don’t even carry guns).
    • Cleanliness - From the streets to the public transport, London is MUCH cleaner hands down. I’ve lived here nearly 7 years and have never seen a cockroach, never seen a rat (though mice are common), and the city just feels significantly less grimy than NYC.

    NYC pros:

    • Salary - you will definitely make more in the NYC than in London, particularly for tech. Salary will be higher and taxes lower. However COL is higher in NYC (particularly for rent, groceries and travel) so it could even out.
    • IT - while it’s still not the Bay Area, the NYC tech scene feels more accessible and vibrant. My and my partner work in tech here in London and the market feels like it’s continued to stagnate. Redundancies are still very common, companies downsizing, and the overall feel in the market is pessimistic.
    • Diversity of food - NYC wins on eating out. In NYC you can get literally any world cuisine and it will likely be decent to amazing. London falls short on this, particularly for South American and East Asian cuisine (it’s just not that good here and selection is nowhere near as big as NYC). However London groceries are significantly cheaper and higher quality.

    Toss ups:

    • Weather - this is very personal so it really spends on what you appreciate. London is fairly moderate year round with mild seasons. In the winter it rarely goes below freezing and rarely snows. In the summer it’s moderate though we’ve been having some heatwaves the past few years. It’s often grey and overcast which is the real downside. It actually rains more in NYC in terms of precipitation amount, however London has more overall days of rain. Also NYC summers are notoriously hot and humid which requires AC for months on end.
    • Making friends. Both are huge cities with lots of transient people. I would say Americans are slightly more easy to befriend on the surface. But London is so international that the expat community groups are strong and robust.
    • Dog culture - no idea as I don’t have a dog but I’d imagine pretty similar between the two cities.