MOVING and LIVING in LONDON, UK
London is one of the biggest cities in Europe with nearly 9 million inhabitants. Every year, more than 600,000 people choose to move to the UK, with London being the most popular place to live, work and get inspired. It is not only one of the biggest financial centers in the world, but also one of the most prominent players in a variety of disciplines, from art to the industry.
What is worth mentioning is that the UK culture is very meritocratic, making London a perfect place for young professionals who want to move up the career ladder.
London has 6 airports with Heathrow being among the busiest airports in the world. Consequently, one can get anywhere in the world without much hassle and provided with numerous options, including traveling on a budget with low-cost carriers.
NEIGHBOURHOODS
There are numerous prestigious neighbourhoods in London, from Chelsea and Notting Hill to Kensington and many others. One of our favourites is Mayfair due to its central location next to Hyde Park and West End, numerous upscale bars and restaurants, art galleries, highest concentration of 5-star hotels and eclectic crowd living there, including top hedge fund managers and the like.
In East London, Canary Wharf is a major business area, which has experienced a tremendous transformation over the years. It used to be rather grey and focused only on work and financial services. It has since improved to include numerous bars, restaurants and commerce. Consequently, it creates a viable alternative to West London, especially for those working in Canary Wharf. Living in the Docklands can provide a wonderful view and thus, inspiration as well (see below). Finally, Greenwich is not far from Canary Wharf and provides more affordable housing options, along wonderful greenery and more relaxed pace of life.
RESTAURANTS
Having 69 Michelin starred restaurants, London ranks 6th in the world, just behind 3 Japanese cities (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka), Paris and New York. There are heavy weight 3-star restaurants of Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay. Other classics include The Ledbury, Pollen Street Social and Hakassan. Wolseley (try Eggs Benedict) and Cecconi are legendary spots for breakfast. Sarastro is yet another interesting restaurant, which perfectly mixes impressive décor, Mediterranean cuisine and live entertainment.
There are also numerous high quality restaurant chains, such as Burger & Lobster and Busaba (Thai). For those who want to enjoy the beautiful London skyline, Sushisamba and Vertigo 42 are recommended. The former provides quality Japanese cuisine while the latter is a posh champagne bar / lounge, perfect for romantic occasions as well.
THINGS TO – DO
With London being so large and diversified, it is certain that everyone will find something for himself or herself. Dr. Samuel Johnson, the author of the first dictionary, said it best: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” One should certainly not miss such popular spots as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Harrods, Soho and Covent Garden, Madame Tussauds and many others.
One must appreciate how London has been developing as well. The Shard opened in 2013 and with over 300 meters in height, it is the tallest building in the UK. Tate Modern has also been going strong with over 5 million visitors a year. Tate Modern is actually the most visited tourist attraction in London and the most visited modern art museum in the world (also offering magnificent views as depicted below):
LATEST NEWS
Brexit has certainly been the biggest news for London and the UK for a while now. As a result of upcoming Brexit (March 2020), it has become much riskier and arguably less attractive to live in the UK. One must know that London was the only region in England that voted to remain in the EU referendum. As a consequence of Brexit, more and more people leave the UK due to uncertainty and discontentment. Financial services sector is certainly affected, with Oliver Wyman’s forecasting as many as 75,000 job cuts and £10bn of tax revenue lost. Having said that, London remains one of the most attractive places to live and invest as well, with 62 billionaires living in the city, ranking 5th in the world.
With the Christmas festivities dominating the calendar, London is among the most interesting cities to visit in the world, especially with its Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and New Year’s Eve fireworks. Shall you decide to move there in 2020, please contact us at https://movon.com/england/london-movers/ and we will take care of everything for you so that you have a complete peace of mind!
Happy New Year!
