super_si

ive just got back from the Hilton on London, and personally i think the citys a dump.

I didnt enjoy the trip one bit, What do other people think? I personally couldnt live or work there.

I mean £10 for a Vodka and coke

Think it'll be newcastle Quayside next year again

Si

Brun

Did your Girl enjoy it though. Wasn't it all for her 18th?
I agree, the place is a dump. You wouldn't get me there.

Happy New Year.

super_si

yes and no. We spent most the time getting from Trafalgar -> Covent Gardens -> West Minster.

Wasnt that cold, but lack on Entertainment etc.

The sub ways aswell terrible, loads litle gangs youths walking about. Had a little trouble near cash points with them hanging about watching us.

Si
Happy New Year to you to

[Edited by super_si - 1/1/2003 3:31:06 PM]

paulr

I do agree to some extent.Personally i prefer Sheffield,Manchester,Leeds or even Nottingham to London.It seems to me that the authorities in London make no effort to make you welcome or ease you stay.I enjoy visiting most cities,London i only go when i have to.

Having said that,the fact that its the most driver unfriendly place in the UK does influence my opinion.........and i'm going there tomorrow..

barge

never mind

Blame mayor Ken for the crap transport & lack of festivities

super_si

Next year we've already decided were stopping up north, its alot friendlier(sp) and feels more like home.

Even at mid-night , people didnt realised till it was 12:05

Roll on 2004

Si

RaZe-=Buzz=-

No no no you've got it all wrong..

its NOT a dump

its a **** hole.

Get it right PLEASE!

Toonman1

I can't stand the place either; dirty, smelly and expensive. There's little there that you can't get within the North East. Newcastle and Leeds are both excellent shopping centres, with friendly people, who try to help you, not rip you off!

Happy New Year!

Mike

super_si

Are fellow geordie Roll on the Quayside last year was brilliant, i was sooooooooooooo wrecked in casa

planky

Londons the BEST place to be IMO but i would say that as im a londoner...Its seems funny that ALL the replys come from up north,it wouldnt be jealousy

Btw ive been up north many times and the ONLY city i like is York and the biggest dump was Manchester IMO.

super_si

Im from York actually

Jen

Well, I'm from Kent originally and now Southampton - used to frequently go up there to watch Football/Basketball - don't like it at all! Well, it's ok for a short period of time, but I'm always happy to return home...and have a shower - 'cos you always have that London smell

Like Sheffield/Leeds alot better

super_si

i dont like leeds tbh, didnt like 1000's students and model wannabe ***** all in the town centre.


Closest ive being to Sheffield is Meadow hall, not bad but compare it to the Metro Centre too much.


Also the amount arrogant and rude people really pissed me off to a certain degree

Si

zoog

London for the occasional visitor who isn't in the know or is financially challenged is not much fun I expect. You will be condemned to all the worst restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, shops and entertainments.

London is rich and expensive, poor and dangerous, exclusive, unfriendly; it leads the nation in economics, fashion, media, art,law, medicine, social sophistication, and is a fantastic place for precisely those reasons.

Scooby Dooby Blue

LMFAO!

If by social sophistication you mean getting "YOU WOT" barked at you by practically every Londoner you have the misfortune of speaking to, then you're absolutely correct.

If by social sophistication you mean Londoners doing everything within their power to avoid eye contact with another individual incase someone should decide to strike up a conversation, then you're absolutely correct.

If by social sophistication you actually mean social sophistication then I'd have to disagree!

Paul

unclebuck

*ALL* the big cities in england suck, north or south, period.

dnb

London is more car unfriendly than Oxford? I find that hard to believe. (lived in London for 5 years and visited friends in Oxford) Having said that, I wouldn't want to live in London (or ant other big city again now after spending 18 months in the country! London can be a s*** hole in places... I was just lucky that I lived in Kensington

johnfelstead

Manchester is a great city, it's very modern and open. It's had its bad times but has certainly come on strong in the last few years. The people in manchester are top.

London is a place you HAVE to work for certain industries, my brother lives there as he is an art director in a big advertising agency. He is only there for the job and will move back up north at some stage.

It's quite fun to compare costs of living, we earn roughly the same money, his 2 bed flat costs him £1000 a month, i pay £420 for the same size place. He is in the middle of a ****hole city that is imposible to use a car in, he doesnt even have one now. I live 5 minutes drive from the Pennines and all the great country roads.

I would have to earn tripple to have the same standard of living in london as i have in manchester. You can keep it, it's a ****hole.

Dave P

The only problem with London is if you are a tourist and don't know where you are going. There are loads and loads of decent clubs and bars around, but many of them are tucked away in side streets and not on the main thouroughfairs. You will of course get ripped off.

I used to work in offices over Tower Records in Picadilly and I have to say there were some grim, grim places to eat around there. Why do tourists flock to places like Aberdeen Angus steak houses???

If you were staying in the Hilton then you had some cash to burn... guess it was a treat so you could have eaten anywhere decent, Quaglino's, Palais du Jardin, Criterion...

And clubs/bars we used to frequent, Tiger Tiger, Cheers, Strawberry Moon, On an on, Waxy O'conners, Zoo Bar, Dover Street Wine Bar... and so on...

and then if you went over to Chelsea 5 minutes West more and more bars and clubs...and restaurants..

Sorry but yes us southerners do find it hard to understand broad northern accents sometimes...

Oh and where on earth did you pay £10 for a vodka and coke... someone saw you coming. The most I have ever paid for a drink was for a G&T in Cafe Du Paris and that was £7.50. Unles it was in the Hilton bar in which case that doesn't suprise me... did you go up to the windows of the world bar??

Sorry you didn't enjoy it, I'd try again but get some tips on places to go first..(apologies if you did I may have missed the thread)

Dave

Jerome

As someone who lives and works in Central London, I couldn't resist contributing to this thread.

I agree London can be lots of negative things, but it is also many great things (well said zoog!). I have the same standard of living by actually living in Central London as I did when I commuted from Farnborough in Hants. I agree that London is expensive, but I just spent 3 days in Oslo - now that is an expensive city!

Living outside of the South East is without doubt pleasant, but I couldn't get the kind of money I get now anywhere outside the Smoke. Much as I've liked all the numerous places I've visited in Britain outside of the SE, I couldn't afford to live there and maintain my current lifestyle.

I should also point out that I'm only talking about Central London. You can keep the suburbs. Friends on mine live in Hackney in a £500k 5 bed house - I wouln't live there for love nor money. Apparently the doctors in the local hospital have become experts in treating gunshot and knife wounds!

All I can say is you either love London or you hate it. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. London has a buzz that I've only felt elsewhere in New York and Toronto.

I hate the tube, tourists, black cabs, the traffic, the crime, the expense, but I still love the place as a whole.

Unfortunately, Red Ken is doing his best to ruin London. This is part of the reason my gf and I are moving to Toronto in the autumn. In fact, this entire country is becoming a less pleasant place to live. Roll on Canada!!!

Edited to say, well said Dave P.

[Edited by Jerome - 1/1/2003 10:28:43 PM]

planky

super si..did that vodka and coke come with a hostess,youve got be careful with them bars in Soho

Btw if you look at my signature youll see i come from the best part of London...Sarf London.

south-star

Agreed.A lot of the nortern cities have improved loads in recent years,yet London doesnt seem to have improved at all.And Oxford street.What a load of crap.

barge

YOU WOT ????

Oi Planky what part of Sarf London you comefrom then ?

dazc2

I have been into London working quite a bit and i find that there is some nice areas but as a whole it is a dump and a big one at that!.....saying that so is Leeds and Liverpool.

I dont mind London but its just not a nice enough place.

dba

If you visit off the cuff you are bolloxed,chances are you will hate it.You need a local *guide* to the best places,pubs,sites etc.I live and work here and hate it and love it at the same time.But the col is just ridiculous.I reckon i could half my salary and still maintain my standard of living back in Lancs.

planky

Barge im from leafy sw london and bloody houses cost alot,more than a northerner earns in a whole life time

barge

Planky

Wimbledon or putney then ?

SiPie

Planky

I presume you are being sarcastic with that comment? do you really think that anyone would be jealous of someone staying in London

The water doesn't even make you clean, and generally it has to be the most unfriendly and dirty city I have ever worked in. Always avoid going back at all costs Even the people in Paris were friendlier

London's case is certainly not helped by the BBC's efforts (IMHO)... Does the rest of the country actually exist??? For Example, Weather forecast In South London it will be drizzle, North London will have sunshine and showers with East London a bit sunny and West London showers with Sunny intervals and anything North of the Watford Gap.. well, does it exist and do we really care ... Not really, it's probably snowing anyway

barge

North of the Watford Gap

you kidding

Anything north of Highbury more like

ChristianR

iTrader: (1)

I like London - but I couldn't live in the place.
Lots of nice places if you know where to look, same as any city really, speaking he who comes from Jersey, where only local people are allowd