A second visit to London

Old Nov 12th, 2005, 08:53 AM
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A second visit to London

This isn't a question, so much as it is a rambling. Please do chip in with suggestions anyway

I'm going to London for work in a couple of weeks, for 10 days. I'll most probably stay in 'The Great Eastern', which is above the Liverpool tube stop. The weekdays will mostly be work, but I do have 2 weekends.

I may be moving to London next year and will have to check out the neighbourhoods. Some of my friends live in Islington so I guess that is an option. I read the lovely long thread about London neighbourhoods with wonderful advice from Kate.

When I was last there 2 years ago, there was so much I wanted to spend more time on, but couldn't. Now, for the life of me I don't know what. Don't get me wrong, its not that there's nothing I want to see, it's that I want to see everything again - I can't seem to remember which were my favourites - they all are.

I know I have to go to Tate Modern and walk across the Millenium bridge at night again.

I know that I have to go the NotreDame again.

I know that I didn't do the National Gallery justice the last time, besides, I do have to see the new statue in Trafalgar sqaure.

I didn't even go to the V&A museum last time, and have to do that.

I want to stand in the middle of the reading room in the British museum again. Yes, the reading room ranks higher than the egypt exhibit on my list

I have to see a play - and I have an enormously long list that I do need to prioritize.

I haven't been to the regular Tate, maybe I should do that.

Pretty much, the only site I have no desire to return to is the Tower of London. It was fun, but no seconds for me, thank you. But the bridge is cool.

But, will I have time for any of it since I have to be neighborhood scouting? Can I actually afford a 1 bed-room or will I have to settle for a studio? Hmm, I can do the 1 bed-room and live frugally, or pick the studio in a nicer neighborhood and have more spending money. LOL. Guess, what I'll pick everytime -the studio.

Can I actually visit London and not play tourist? On the other hand I may be living there by this time next year.

What a dilema to have !
Is there a point to this post? Not really ... Just hoping for some thoughts on what you all would visit a second time and maybe some more from Kate on neighborhoods to live in. I work for a bank in the City area.

Thank you for reading through this post
ssachida is offline  
Old Nov 12th, 2005, 08:58 AM
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"I know that I have to go the NotreDame again."
are you sure it is not in another town, Paris for ex? ;-)
If you're right I'd like to know where it is located.
corinne

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Old Nov 12th, 2005, 08:59 AM
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>>>>>
I'll most probably stay in 'The Great Eastern', which is above the Liverpool tube stop
>>>>>

two words: lucky you.
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Old Nov 12th, 2005, 09:10 AM
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Damn, I meant to say Westminster Abbey, not Notre Dame. Apologies cocofromdijon.

Yes, the great eastern is nice place to stay. I'm on a corporate budget, and the great eastern is 1/2 a block from work, thats why I can stay there
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Old Nov 12th, 2005, 09:39 AM
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no apologies requested ssachida, I underlined that because I'm so jealous about you going to London!
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Old Nov 12th, 2005, 09:46 AM
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Heh. But, you are from dijon! I haven't been to france, ever. Not yet atleast.

Its so funny I've wanted to move to London for a while and now I'm scrambling to see all the places I want to see in the US. Even the possibility of absence has made my heart grow fonder
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Old Nov 12th, 2005, 09:54 AM
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Just my opinion, but since you'll be moving there next year, I'd concentrate on finding a neighborhood to stay in. After you move you will have time to visit old favorites.

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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 12:00 AM
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There's a splendid Freudian slip in ssachida's post which really gives her the answer to the "what to do?" question.

I was delighted when she mentioned Notre Dame, thinking she'd managed to get past the tourist cliches. Notre Dame de France, just off Leicester Square (next door to the cinema where they do those "dress as a nun" Sound of Musics) is sometimes described as the French Church.

Unlike many of the other "national" churches in London, it's not just a cast-off, run of the mill, English church we've let an ethnic group colonise (though St Dunstan's in Fleet Street is far from run of the mill, and the number of ethnic groups that colonise it makes the church one of the most extraordinary things in the world's most extraordinary city): Cocteau's mural has, predictably, attracted a ton of pre-Dan Brown occult claptrap (and even more since his inanities got famous), but nonetheless NDF would be very high on my list of London's secondary sights.

Forget about Westminster Abbey or the British Museum. Just choose virtually anywhere within 3 miles of Traf Square, and walk around with a decent guide book. The appropriate volume of Pevsner is portable: get a copy of the Encyclopedia of London to keep back at base to check on the non-architectural background.
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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 12:26 AM
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I would leave the investigation of neighbourhoods to your employer and obviously take the advice of your friends who live in Islington and your work colleagues in London. You will probably find that alot of your work colleagues come into London at Liverpool Street (as I do) and Fenchurch Street.

Our paths will probably cross when you come over as I walk past The Great Eastern Hotel entrance every morning and every evening and I work a couple of streets away too!

Oh, by the way please don't refer to Liverpool Street as a tube stop! It is a mainline station that also has several tube lines running through.
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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 03:51 AM
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I agree with carrybean that you should spend your free time checking out neighborhoods. It's fine to get advice from others (here and in London) but YOU have to live there. You can see sights that are in the neighborhoods you visit.

Before we were married, my husband lived in Maida Vale which is a nice area with lots of green and is on one of the tube routes to Liverpool st.
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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 07:40 AM
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Part of me does want to neighborhood scout becasue its the responsible thing to do. However, I feel like I maybe very inefficient at doing this this time around. I will have a real estate broker assigned to me and will have a month of corporate housing should I move. That could be when I can efficiently look things over. And yes, my friends and co-workers suggestions will play a huge role in determining where I live - I don't want to be off in a corner where no one else I know lives. Then again, it is I who have to live there as mclaurie points out. For example, I do not want to share, as my friends in Islington do, and that may price that area out of my range. This trip will probably have elements of both, scouting around and sight-seeing.

Flanner, I will check out the Notre Dame - a fortunate slip it seems.

Charley, I will stop refering to Liverpool St as a tube stop Curious though, what is the convention? If multple lines stop at a station, then it isn't a tube stop?

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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 07:48 AM
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ssachida -

I have recently relocated to London with work (was the OP of the thread where Kate supplied the great neighborhood descriptions) and would highly suggest you take the time to visit a few neighborhoods to get a feel for what you like as well as for the commute time in to work.

I initially thought I would rely on my corporate relo assistance, but when the time came to arrange appointments, they were asking ME where I wanted to live. London is so big perhaps it wasn't feasible for them to do a complete housing search based on my requirements (commute time, safety, monthly expense, size, etc.).

Islington was highly recommended to me and I hated it. (OK, hate is a strong word). Although it offers a great deal of shops, restaurants and bars, it seemed to have little in terms of a neighborhood feel, which was important to me.

Consider it part of your site seeing - while visitng St. John's Wood take in Lords Cricket Ground, while visiting Greenwich take a look at the Maritime Musuem. This will allow you to make the most of the time you do have with the relocation expert.
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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 07:57 AM
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asalamy, thanks for the first hand account. Could I ask you which area you finally decided on?

I'm looking to spend not more than 750 pounds including council tax per month. Will be working in the City area and don't want a commute longer than 40 minutes door to desk - i.e. a 30 minute tube/bus ride. Safety is a concern as well.

I'm not looking for a relo service, honest

Just a suggestion if some area obvoisly pops up for you.
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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 08:11 AM
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I haven't selected yet - my search day is Tuesday. I'm looking for an unfurnished studio (which limits things a bit) and my budget is higher than yours.

Your budget of 750GBP pcm is low, especially if you want to live by yourself and have utilities and council tax included. In the UK a month is considered 4.3 weeks, so a 750 budget is less than 175 pcw. That budget might push you further than 40 minutes from the city.

You really just have to get on the tube and test things out though. And don't exclude the DLR as a transport option - I've really gotten to enjoy it during my first month here.
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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 08:16 AM
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thanks asalamy, i will keep the DLR in mind. I'm loathe to increase my housing budget, but maybe i'll have to. oh, well.
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Old Nov 13th, 2005, 08:20 AM
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Ssachida: Yes, it is a tube station when several lines converge! But...the Great Eastern is above the mainline station and the tube station is generally referred to as the small entrance to the tube across the road on the corner of Old Broad Street. Liverpool Street station is huge! It has shops, pubs and even an ice rink in Broadgate!! I just doesn't seem right to call it a tube stop!!

Personally, I would say that if you will be working in the City, it would make sense to live east or northeast. I live about 10 miles out of the City and door to door is 40 mins. I think you would be outpriced to be any nearer. Think stops on the mainline at Liverpool St. or stops on the Central Line. Wanstead, Woodford and South Woodford are nice areas, as are Loughton and Buckhurst Hill, though you're getting further out with the last two.
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