So I’m thinking of a European Vacation, and I’ve always wanted to go to London, seems like an interesting city. Perhaps I may even stay a while, I’m not certian, if I were to try and hang about, how difficult would it be for a Chicago boy to get a job/flat/transportation? I’m ok with all the legal stuff (i.e. visas etc.) I’d just like to know what the scoop on London is. The nightlife, the employment situation, how expensive is housing and transportation? The general stuff.
London (and the SE in general) is the most expensive area in the country for housing.
It’s not so very expensive if you’re renting a room in someone’s flat. As for getting a job - depends on what you want to do. I would guess given the EU has just expanded there’s competition for a lot of the casual jobs such as barstaff/waiters etc.
As for the place, some love it, some hate it. I like it, but I’ve never had to live there. The LonDopers are a friendly lot. Visit NADS to meet a few, including some expats. Jervoise is one who made the move recently (from Australia).
London’s a great place, and it’s also a horrific place. If you’re a fan of big city life, then you should love it.
Yes, there’s no denying it, it’s the seventh most expensive city in the world. But you’ll survive. Just. 
As long as you’re able to work legally, it shouldn’t be a problem finding some job - half of the pubs and bars would be out of business without bar staff from overseas. And yes, there is now some increased competition for work from the new EU countries, but I doubt you’ll notice much difference - the population of London equals that of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia put together.
There’s a huge range of rental properties, to suit even a small budget, as long as you don’t mind getting mugged by mutant rats in your doorway, or something. Again, similar to any large city.
You don’t need a car living in London. Which is good new, because owning a car in the UK is an expensive business.
But hey, why stick to London? There’s a whole three countries out there on the one visa…
I love London. You couldn’t get me out of this City with a crowbar.
Thought I’d get that out of the way at the beginning, because at least that way you know where my bias lies.
As a city, its not for everybody – that’s true enough. I’ve always felt, though, that London, as a city, has a strange way of giving you back exactly what you put in to it. On the surface its an incredibly impersonal place. The people can be very distant and downright rude, the tube can be awful and the prices extortionate. Dig beneath that surface, however, and it can be a vibrant, friendly place populated by a massive variety of people with drastically different backgrounds, jobs interests and cultures. Beneath the surface and you’ll find a place full of the best (and worst) of civilization and a place where you can find pretty much anything at almost anytime of the day or night.
With regards to jobs, there is always work in London. Now granted you ain’t going to be able to walk into the best of employment opportunities, but I doubt you really expected that anyway. There is always plenty of work available through temping agencies if you have the requisite skills, and there is normally the standard bar work etc. around as well. If you’ve got particular skills or experience then obviously that broadens your work options. London is an expensive city, but most employers recognise this and so the salaries in London are normally a bit higher than elsewhere in the country.
Housing in London is, however, very expensive. If you are thinking that you will be able to get a place of your own then you’re almost certainly out of luck. Chances are you will have to share – almost certainly with at least 2 or 3 people. There are plenty of rooms to rent out there though, and whilst you cannot always guarantee the quality of your housemates, you can normally find a decent place with a bit of shopping around. Don’t expect to be able to live slap bang in the centre of London though. Chances are you’ll be a wee bit out somewhere in zone 3 or so, which is about 20.30mins travel from the centre.
When it comes to transportation, you won’t need a car. That may sound stupid I know, and my parents (I grew up in the countryside and they still live there) are still constantly amazed that I have never learned to drive nor show any inclination towards wanting to. Truth is that public transport in London is – for all the shite people throw at it – pretty damn good. Whilst the tube can be awful, if you know how to use it properly, its not too bad and there are other transport options available – in my experience too many people automatically disregard the bus as a method of transport. London Buses will get you anywhere in the city and a ticket only costs £1. Similarly people seem to forget that often in Central London, walking is actually the quickest form of transport. Whilst it may not look like it on the tube map, most of the famous stuff in the Centre (Covent Garden, Liecester Square, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus etc.) is actually within a very small radius and all are within about 15-20mins walk of each other. I even walk to work every morning since the walk from Old Street to Holborn (where I work) is only 50mins or so.
Whatever job you get and wherever you decide to live, however, do make sure that you factor in the potential cost of travel to wherever you are working.
With regards to nightlife, London has everything. Now some people will, quite rightly, argue that other places have individual clubs that are better, or are better at a particular type of entertainment, but when it comes to sheer variety London wins hands down. Whatever you are interested in you will find in abundance. Just don’t be completely dazzled by the big clubs and trendy bars. Don’t forget to enjoy what is one of London’s best features – the humble pub.