Moving to the UK

Hi - I am relocating to the London from Philadelphia and was hoping to get some general information/idea such as location to live (i'm told Chelsea is a good location for Americans). Things I should consider during my negotiations with my company. Really anything that can be of help to make the transfer as easy as possible.

Hi there,

Congrats on the big move. As for advice, particularly on where to live, it really boils down to what you're looking for and your budget. I'm assuming since Chelsea has been recommended, that money is no issue for you 

Chelsea is lovely but I'm not sure what makes it particularly good for Americans. Some very nice, accessible areas are Marylebone and Kensington, (Marylebone, is, for all intents and purposes, central London and Kensington is well-appointed with plenty of tube and bus links). But what are you looking for: green and leafy? In that case, perhaps Hampstead, Primrose Hill, Belsize Park as they're all bordering the Heath. Bustling? In that case, maybe Camden or Angel. Edgy? I'm too old to know what's edgy anymore, but once upon a time it was Brixton or Hackney. I'm sure others could fill you in.

Maybe the best advice would be to see if you can get your company to put you up in a hotel for a little while to give you an opportunity to explore a bit and see what works for you. London is huge with lots of different neighbourhoods.

Also, I would try to get your company to arrange to open a bank account on your behalf. I found opening a bank account here a slight hassle before receiving my first paycheck but my company helped everything along so that I could get my flat sorted out. Basically, if you don't have a bank account you can't get a flat but if you don't have an address in the UK, you can't open a bank account. You see the predicament?

Some annoyances I experienced: getting my first credit card that I was to use for work-related expenses to be reimbursed and finding they would only give me a £250 line of credit. Not being able to get a phone contract because I had no UK credit history. Work eventually sorted these things out for me but you may want to bring these things up.

Hello and welcome.  I'm sorry I can't help with any of your questions, but wanted to welcome you to our community! 

Hello and welcome  I know nothing about living in London or contract negotiations, but on the mobile phone issue, if you have a phone that works in the UK (or are willing to buy outright one that does) the pay-as-you-go options are impressive over here. If I put a £10 credit on my phone this month, I get unlimited UK sms and "unlimited" data the next month. Plus I have that £10 to pay for any outgoing phone calls, international sms, and going over my daily "unlimited" data allowance.  This particular bonus is no-longer being offered (I'm grandfathered in and they keep trying to tempt me to switch to a different bonus for topping up) but depending on how you use your phone, there are lots of different options.  Much better than what you can get in the US, anyway.

A major consideration for which neighbourhood to live in is going to be commute - where are your offices, how many bus or tube transfers...

Another vote for Marylebone!  You can get practically anywhere in Central London very easily.  I'd take a look at where your new office will be and think about what you want for a commute.  Chelsea IS nice, but there are lots of nice areas -- it just depends on what you're looking for.  

Really, I'd agree with all of shannuni's suggestions.  The bank account bit is super helpful.  

Welcome!

Hi Steve, The recent update on this post may be helpful for you.  Hopefully you can negotiate your company to pay for some short term housing in this sort of place while you check out the various London neighborhoods.

Also just wanted to say hello to a Philadelphian I grew up right across the river from Philly, and definitely miss taking the train over for an afternoon of shopping and cheesesteaks!   (When I tell people that's where I'm from, they say "Oh, like Philadelphia Cheese", but I'm really impressed when they start singing "Iiiin West Philadelphia born and raised...")

Good luck with the move, I'm sure you'll find tons of answers to your questions from this site, so Welcome!

No advice from me, but welcome to UKY!