I’m considering a move from New York to London. I’ve lived in New York for almost 6 years and do love many aspects of the city. I have a great friend group and am a 2 hour flight from most family.
I’ve always wanted to live abroad and would like to take the chance while I’m still young (I’m 28). My company is dual headquarter in NYC and London and I currently have a US salary of $200,000.
Some reasons I’m thinking about leaving:
Dating culture - NYC dating culture is terrible and few seem open to committed relationships as there as so many options and many people seem interested in non-monogamy. I’m not sure how different this is in London. Im a lesbian so I’d be curious about the dating scene from your perspective, gay or straight.
Cost - New York is obviously incredibly expensive for housing costs even though I have a high salary. To have an apartment with decent amenities you have to pay a lot, which I do. Healthcare costs are still quite high despite having insurance. Im not sure if I would be taking a pay cut if I moved, but I know my salary would go very far in London.
Pace of Life - New York is very loud and busy. It is hard to find a moment of quiet once you leave your home.
Travel - I want to travel the world and it is very expensive and cumbersome to do so from New York.
Some reasons I’d be hesitant to leave:
Friends and Family - I have some friends in London who are well connected socially and I know I wouldn’t be totally alone, but is it easy to make friends in London? I’m very social and like the social atmosphere in New York.
Pace of Life - I wonder if London would be too slow for me. Keep in mind, after living in New York I find even San Francisco, LA, and Chicago incredibly slow and boring.
Dating culture - is it just as shitty as NYC?
Any advice or insights appreciated. Thank you all!
London is a “transit” city. People come and go, it is hard to make friendships and to find proper relationships.
It’s easy to make “aquintanceships”.
I’m American, gay and have lived in London for 6 years.
I can’t speak first hand to the dating scene as I’ve always been in a relationship here but from what I’ve heard from my lesbian friends it’s incredibly difficult. London is a transient city (40% of the population is foreign born) so people come and go all the time. And in NYC where I feel the mentality is to stay in the city as long as possible, in London the goal for most Brits is to eventually own a house in a leafy suburb or commuter village.
Regarding cost you will almost certainly take a pay cut. Most of my American friends that have been transferred have had this happen. That said, NYC is significantly more expensive for rent, food (groceries and eating out), travel and healthcare. You’ll save less in real money, but your take home will be less consumed by the COL.
Pace of life is slower. London is twice the size of NYC geographically which the same population. It’s less dense and outside of a few neighbourhoods in central, it feels slower and calmer. There’s way more parks and most people live in actual houses that split into flats. That said, London is still a global city and affords all that has to offer. Food, culture, history, nightlife are comparable to NYC if not better. It just won’t be exactly on your doorstep or 24/7.
Travel. London wins hands down. With 6 airports + Eurostar it’s incredibly easy to travel abroad and London is in a much better location geographically. I typically travel internationally 5-6 times a year and that doesn’t seem too uncommon here (at least amongst immigrants/expats).
Overall I love it here and don’t see myself moving back to the US. I think NYC is a better city in your 20s but 30s+ London is hands down.
Agree with everything you said except I’m not sure I agree with the nightlife being on par with New York. Definitely some great clubs and venues that go late and bring in great acts. but the majority of bars and pubs close by midnight or 2 am if you’re lucky.
OP, If hanging out at bars with your friends past midnight is part of the “fast pace” you desire, London might leave something to be desired.
I’m terms of nightlife I’m pretty over staying out past 2 anyways…definitely not a deciding factor for me. By fast pace I mean just the general speed and expediency of things.
Horses for courses I guess. It really comes down to a person’s expectations and tailoring their night out in London. Whereas in NYC where essentially every nighttime establishment closes as 4am. In London it really comes down to type of place and location.
Pubs can be anywhere from 11pm to 2am. Bars anywhere from 12am to 3am. Clubs almost always go from 4am to 6am (and sometimes longer). In London you just have to do a bit more homework but I find the club scene better while the late night cocktail lounge bar scene to be lacking.
Yeah, totally. I love to club but it started to grate on me that the only late night option is to go to the club. Or one of the stray pubs with a late liquor license.
Would you say London is more transient than NYC? I think a lot of people come to New York in their 20s for work then leave to smaller cities in the US.
I would say people come and go a quicker rate. Lots of Europeans/Aussies/Kiwis come for a few years to get their master’s or work a bit and then leave. It feels like the turnover is really high and it took me about 3 years before I felt I had a solid friend group.
Even going on 7 years here, most of my friends are other expats/immigrants. Most Brits have their friends from growing up or uni and aren’t interested in expanding it.
Go for it my friend. It’s a new experience and not everyone has such opportunity. You are young. You don’t want to be asking yourself in 20 years, what if…
I don’t live there now, but did for well over a decade. No regrets. Some of the best years of my life.
Hey thank you - this is kind of my attitude at the moment but don’t want to completely uproot my life without some consideration but you’re right - I’m young and have a cool opportunity and want to see the world. Why not?
DM me if you’d like some insights on a good area to live in.
Are you keeping the wages or are they going to pay you like the Brits? The wages are gonna be the most important one. If you can keep the US wages I say move. I personally love London more than NYC. But if I have to get paid like the Brits I wouldn’t be in London. Cost wise I feel like it’s the same. Especially if you maintain your US standards. Rent it’s about the same for me. 2 bedrooms apartment in Canary wharf cost me £3700 per month. If I get 2 bedrooms in Manhattan it probably will cost me about the same for the same standard of apartment. Traveling is cheaper here especially if you go by flights to mainland Europe but if you take the train it will cost you the same as taking a flight in the US. Dating part I can’t tell you lol since I have a partner already since the US.
Not 100% sure but I believe my salary would be remaining flat. Based on apartments I’ve seen I’d be paying about $1000 less a month in rent for a similar place to the one I have now if I lived in Shoreditch.
I also moved from NYC to London. I would not move at all unless you get to keep your NYC salary. On the higher end of the salary scale, the UK is a poor rich country. Salaries are really low here. $200k is fairly common in NYC but it’s rare in London. 1% salary is 800k in the US, but £150k in London. Things are slightly cheaper but not that much cheaper, especially for a single person. Taxes are higher. The average person is struggling here. There is no point is taking a 50% pay cut when things are only 20% cheaper and you pay 10% more in taxes. The math doesn’t add up.
Also, if you do want to move despite the pay cut because you want to experience living in a different country, all good but make sure you have an exit plan. A European salary isn’t nearly enough for you to retire in the US.
Right on. Pay is definitely a major consideration and I haven’t started those conversations internally but based on rumors I believe my salary would be held flat in USD.
That’s all good but know that you will never be able to change jobs in the UK. That’s basically what happened to me. I got to keep my NY salary, but then I also happened to have met someone in London. So I’ve been living here for a long time now but I’m essentially chained to my job because any local alternative means a 50%+ pay cut. I tried looking for a very long time. Nothing to complain about my current job but I think it’s only normal that people want a change of scenery every so often. My only options are to go back to the US, or stay in this one job.
How is your US income taxed?
Good luck trying to live a comfortable or similar life in London. Salaries are extremely low and apartments (modern, safe, comfortable ones) are rare and expensive. Healthcare is free, sure, however the system is currently broken so seeing a specialist or even your GP could take months or weeks if you’re lucky, even if your case is urgent. Dating is a mess due to the fact that many people are just here for the temporary.