As I’m approaching the end of my PhD, not only do I have to decide what jobs I’m going to apply for, but also if I want to stay in London or move to another city. I thought I’d share my list of pros and cons in case some of you never lived in London and are trying to decide if you’d enjoy studying here.
+Theatres! No place in the world apart from London and NYC has such a big offer of theatre plays. At any given day you can choose between dozens of musicals, dramas, comedies etc., often rather affordable, if you know where to look.
+Parks. For such a big city London feels very green. And Imperial is right next to Kensington Gardens, so you can always sneak out for a quick walk.
+Diversity. No matter where you come from, what language you speak or what you believe in, in London you won’t feel like an alien. I don’t think many other cities offer such a diversity.
+Climate. Yes, it’s right, I put it as a plus. Despite the stereotype, it doesn’t rain often here; and when it does, the rain usually doesn’t last long. What I like even more is the lack of winters. You’ll never need a winter jacket, how nice is that!
–Prices. They’re just ridiculous, especially the rent. One can find ways to make London more affordable, but still, it’s really, really expensive here.
–Brexit. I’m seriously considering leaving the UK just because EU citizenship gives me security, which I suddenly lost in England.
–Distances. Despite great public transport system, it takes ages to get from one place to another.
–Pollution. I bet living in London is worse than smoking.
I still don’t know what I’m going to decide. Do you?
