Moving to London – what’s your relationship status?

With social networking sites such as Facebook making it more important than ever to define your relationship status, we thought we’d explore how your existing love life can affect your circumstances if you’re moving to London. People move to London whether they’re single, moving to London as a couple, or attempting the long distance thing.

Moving to London if you’re single
If you’re single when you move to London, you might be either looking for love or happy to stay single and enjoy having fun in your new city. If you fall into either of these categories then you’ve come to the right place. Those looking for love will find thousands of the opposite sex (or same sex) also looking to hook up. With the popularity of singles nights and dating sites, now is a great time to meet your new other half. For more tips please view our Dating in London section. If you’re very happy to be single for now, then that’s great too. You’ll be completely free to do whatever you like without needing to check in on anyone or consider their interests and schedules. Of course being single can sometimes be lonely too. But not if you keep busy. Use your time as a singleton to see the city, create a great social life and most of all have fun!

Moving to London with your other half
If you’re coming to London with your partner, then this will be a great adventure for the both of you and you get to experience everything that is new about London together. If you can afford it, then you can just move straight into a 1 bed flat (or larger if your budget allows), without having to worry about finding flatmates. If you need to move into a shared house as a couple, you can sometimes run into difficulties as sharers are concerned that they’ll find you having make-out sessions on the couch or flinging pots and pans at each other in a domestic rage. Sometimes it can be easier to share with other couples.
When it comes to creating a social life for yourselves, although it’s great that you have each other, try and create something separate from the relationship for yourself and encourage your partner to do the same. It’s healthy to have different sets of friends and interests as well as common ground too.

Following your partner in moving to London
If your partner is either from London or has already moved and is established in London, then you have someone to show you the ropes. If you’re moving in with your boyfriend or girlfriend, then you won’t have the headache of looking for accommodation or figuring out where to live in London. If you’re not moving in with them, then they can assist you with this and tell you which areas of London to avoid like the plague and which would suit you (although we like to think that if you read through our site, then we can be of assistance in this area too!). Be careful though to try and carve out a life for yourself in London too. It’s very easy to just slip into your partner’s existing life, but this can cause problems, so try and make your own friends too through work, classes, sports teams etc.

Moving to London in a long-distance relationship
Everyone knows that long distance relationships can be tricky but that doesn’t mean that they’re impossible. Thank goodness for technological creations such as Skype, email, phones with cheap call plans etc. Stay in touch as much as possible, but try not to leave half of yourself behind when you move to London. You should try and enjoy yourself (we don’t mean like that) as much as possible – get stuck into your dream job and create a great social life for yourself. You’ll be able to visit your partner from time to time and hopefully when he/she comes to visit, you’ll be having so much fun that he/she will decide to join you.

So even though your relationship status can affect certain aspects of your move to London, the advice for everyone is pretty much the same. Get stuck in, make the most of it and have a great time.

Where to live in London on the Piccadilly Line

Do you need to take the Piccadilly line to work and would therefore like to base where you live around using this particular tube line. Well, this article is perfect for you then, as we’re profiling 5 residential areas of London with stations on the Piccadilly line, as part of our ‘where to live in London’ series of articles.
The Piccadilly line serves 53 stations on 4 different branch lines – the Cockfosters branch, the Heathrow branch, the Uxbridge branch and the Hounslow/Uxbridge extension.

Southgate
Southgate can be found in North London – as it’s so far out of Central London, it almost feels like a separate town. When you exit Southgate station, a glance down the high street shows you that there are a decent amount of facilities, high street chains and quite a few restaurants available. Southgate is located near to Trent Country Park (nearest stations Oakwood or Cockfosters which are the next 2 stations along the line) which is in the grounds of a former mansion and has a golf course, woodland, farmland and an equestrian centre. If you don’t mind being a little out of the action, then consider living in Southgate.

Wood Green
Located a little further into London is Wood Green. wood Green is a little rougher than Soughgate but is not without it’s positives. First of all shopping is easy in Wood Green. The high street has a great range of your favourite chains including some Topman, HMV, H&M, Boots, Primark, TK Maxx etc. It also has a good cinema, so you don’t need to trek into town to watch a movie. You won’t be wanting to drink here though – the selection of pubs is not good. But instead you can travel a short distance to either Crouch End (walk or a bus ride) or Muswell Hill (definitely a bus ride) where the selection of pubs, restaurants, coffee shops and late-night entertainment is excellent and feels a lot safer than Wood Green. Having said that, if you’re into your curries, then please consider checking out Jashan restaurant on Turnpike Lane, which is truly excellent. For more information about living in Wood Green, please read our full area guide.

Hammersmith
Heading out to West London now, Hammersmith is a busy town situated on the river. It contains both the Hammersmith Apollo (google free tickets for Live at the Apollo if you want to see some excellent free comedy)and ‘The Broadway’ shopping centre which doesn’t actually have the greatest selection of shops available – make the short journey to Westfield London for a much grander shopping experience. In terms of pubs, there are some good options along the river. Hammersmith is popular with both antipodeans and the Polish communities. To find out more about living in Hammersmith, please view our Hammersmith area guide.

Ealing
Ealing is a pretty, leafy suburban town on the outskirts of West London. It’s station on the Piccadilly line is called Ealing Common (which is also on the District line). Ealing has all the local amenities that you need, is a quick journey into town from 1 of it’s 4 tube stations and has a nice, safe feel to the whole area. Ealing has lovely parks, a good cross-section of high street shops and local independents such as the bakers, butchers and green grocers found on Pitshanger Lane. There are also some good pubs in the area. Ealing really has a lot going for it, so if you fancy living in Ealing, then please view our full area guide.

Acton
Acton is also located in West London – is it fair to say that Acton is for people who can’t afford to live in Ealing or Chiswick? Probably not, but it’s true! New Zealanders in London are also represented strongly in the area of Acton. Acton is a huge area and encompasses people from all classes of society and a sliding scale of housing to cater for all their needs. One major plus point to living in Acton, is the huge Gunnersbury Park which includes loads of sporting facilities such as football and rugby pitches, a cricket square, tennis courts, golf courses, bowling greens and an athletics track. To find out more about living in Acton, please read our full Acton area guide.

Best Places to live in London on the River

As part of our Best Places to Live in London series, today we’re looking at 5 of the best places to live next to the River Thames that cuts London in two to form North of the River and South of the River.
The areas mentioned below are not the only places to live in London on the river, but in our opinion they are well worth considering. Interestingly, given their proximity to the waterfront, they’re not all as expensive as you’d imagine either.

Limehouse
In the East End, Limehouse can be found in the postcode area of E14. It’s a lovely area on the River Thames that is sandwiched between Canary Wharf/the Isle of Dogs and Stepney Green. Due to it’s close proximity to both the financial worlds of Canary Wharf and the City, Limehouse is filled with young professionals from the banking world. But don’t hold that against it. There are beautiful riverside pubs available on Narrow Street including Gordon Ramsay’s ‘The Narrow’, ‘The Grapes’ and ‘Booty’s Riverside Bar’. Property-wise, you’re looking at conversion style flats, the odd warehouse conversion or new-build apartment blocks. You can stroll down to West India Quay and Canary Wharf within minutes for further entertainment options including restaurants, the cinema and more bars. You can be in Central London in less than 15 minutes thanks to the DLR and Jubilee lines.

Greenwich
An attractive part of town, Greenwich doesn’t have much in the way of nightlife, but that is it’s only downside. Greenwich is filled with independent shops, a fantastic market, the leisurely Greenwich Park, cultural options such as the Cutty Sark, National Maritime Museum and the Observatory and you can also enjoy a pint or two on the river at places like the Trafalgar Tavern. The thing about Greenwich though, is that if you don’t live in Central Greenwich, you can easily find yourself living in a less desirable area next to it (Deptford, New Cross, Charlton), which really isn’t the same experience at all, but is much cheaper. If you want to live close to the park in a Georgian or Victorian conversion, you’ll pay a premium compared to East Greenwich. Although this article is about best places on the river, we can’t help but think that one of the nicest streets in Greenwich is actually Royal Hill, so if you find yourself in the area, make sure you visit!

Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe was once the maritime capital of London and was home to the Mayflower Ship, which the oldest pub on the Thames is named after. Rotherhithe also featured in the Dicken’s book of ‘Oliver Twist’ which depicted it with the serious lack of glamour that it possessed at the time.
Rotherhithe is located in the postcode district of SE16 which actually also includes South Bermondsey (nearer London Bridge) and Surrey Quays – home to a shopping centre and cinema. Rotherhithe is quiet compared to it’s neighbours and has some lovely open spaces in the form of Southwark Park, the Russia Dock Woodlands and the Stave Hill Ecology Park. The most popular part of the area is Rotherhithe Village which is quite picturesque – think old Wharf buildings, cobbled streets and great views of Tower Bridge and the City. Property in the area is less expensive than it’s neighbours and usually comes in the form of warehouse conversion flats or new-builds.

Battersea
Battersea has come on leaps and bounds in the last 25 years – it was formerly quite a mess of a place, both industrial and working class. And yet, by looking at a map of London it seems as though it was always inevitable that the area situated directly across the river from Chelsea would become the gentrified location that it is now. Although the hubbub of Battersea can be found down at Clapham Junction and the Northcote Road, the area next to the river is certainly of interest to many too. The beautiful Battersea Park with it’s boating lakes, bandstand, children’s zoo and gardens can be found here as can many riverside apartments with their penthouse views over the Thames. These of course come with a tremendous price tag, much like the the flats in mansion blocks on the luxurious Prince of Wales Drive. Other flats come in the form of ex-council housing on one of the 4 huge council estates in Battersea – these are unglamorous but functional. In summary, Battersea is a large and varied area, but it is a fantastic place to live and it’s closeness to the river makes it well worth a look at.

Putney
First of all let’s talk pubs – what is better than sitting out looking over the river holding a cold glass of wine, or pint in your hand? You can do this at both the Boathouse Putney and the Duke’s Head (a Grade II listed building which is over 150 years old). Putney is a pretty and popular part of town particularly with the Australian and sporting communities (rowing, rugby and cricket). Housing near the river, as you would imagine, is pricey, but if you live nearer the vast Putney Heath which is attached to Wimbledon Common, you’ll find it much more affordable. Putney Pier is home to the start of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race and has the best of Putney’s bars and restaurants. It also has private moorings available if booked in advance.

Where to live in London on the Central Line

We’ve been doing a series of articles on ‘where to live in London’ on each of the tube lines. In this article, we feature 5 residential areas of London which happen to have stations on the Central line. The Central Line runs from West London through Central London and through to East London and even out to parts of Essex. It serves 49 stations. You might choose to live in these areas if you take the Central line to your workplace in somewhere like Liverpool Street, Bank, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, Bond Street or Marble Arch.

Ealing

Ealing is located in West London and is often thought of as a town in it’s own right. It is a large area made up of 3 suburbs – South/Little Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Ealing Common. Ealing is full of pubs, restaurants, shops and all other day-to-day facilities you could possibly need. Perhaps because it is situated far enough outside of Central London, it has a really ‘leafy’ feel to it, yet you can be in Zone 1 in superquick time thanks to the excellent transport facilities of many varieties that Ealing has to offer. For a comprehensive guide to Ealing, please check out our Ealing Area Guide.

Bethnal Green

Absolutely perfect for those who work in the City of London, as you can pretty much walk to work – you could even consider going home during your lunch break if you were so inclined! Bethnal Green is the heart of the East End of London and was home to the likes of the Kray brothers. It’s also located extremely near to Brick Lane for amazing curries and Shoreditch for jaw-droppingly trendy bars. Bethnal Green isn’t 100% glamorous, but it’s location on the edge of the City makes it well worth investigating. For more details on what Bethnal Green has to offer, please visit our Bethnal Green guide page.

Shepherd’s Bush

Shepherd’s Bush is a perfect place to live if you’re into your shopping. You have the choice of the Shepherd’s Bush Market, which is a real locals market selling fresh produce, fabrics and household goods. But if you’re more shopping mall than market stall, you’ll be thrilled to learn that Westfield Shopping Centre is on your doorstep here. Shepherd’s Bush boasts good transport links and is popular with the Aussie and Kiwi communities which gives it a lively vibe.
Check out our Shepherd’s Bush area guide.

Stratford

Stratford has changed beyond recognition in the past 10 years. No longer an unattractive East London suburb, it is now a major hub which at the moment is synonymous with the London 2012 Olympics. Stratford is well positioned for quick trips into the City, into the Docklands and Canary Wharf and for City Airport. Since September 2011, it has also been home to Westfield Stratford shopping centre. For more information on Stratford, please view our Stratford Area Guide.

South Woodford

South Woodford is one of the most far-reaching East London postcodes before you hit Essex. The area feels both safe and suburban and is popular with footballers and their WAGs. It is both near the countryside of Epping Forest whilst still being reasonably convenient for getting into London (a tube journey takes around 30 minutes). The high street contains the usual suspects as well as independent boutiques and gastropubs. The local cinema is also a big draw. For more information on South Woodford, please read our South Woodford Area guide.

London’s Victorian Water System Needs Replacing

Historically, Londoners obtained their water from the River Thames which runs through the centre of our city. Today, we still receive most of our water from either the Thames or the River Lea which flows from the Chilterns down into north-east and East London. The rest of our water supply comes from underground sources.

Records show that Londoners began to build a water system in as early as 1247 when they began work on the Great Conduit, which was an underground lead pipe that ran from the Tyburn stream (from South Hampstead to the Thames around the Vauxhall Bridge area) to Cheapside in the City. But it was during the Victorian era that the need for improved facilities really grew and several new water companies were formed to allow for this.

London as we know it still uses many of the original cast iron water mains pipes that were added to the water system in the 19th Century. Around 44% of the water mains in London consists of these pipes which are over 100 years old. These are older than water mains pipes in much of the UK. If the Victorians of London knew this, they would be proud of themselves for creating such a hardy system. However, unfortunately, times and demand are changing and as our population grows alongside the effects of climate change, these mains are being put under great strain. Due to their age, these cast iron pipes are more likely to burst or crack, so Thames Water are slowly replacing these pipes with stronger plastic ones. You can imagine what a task this is and it can be very frustrating for Londoners when they have their water supply cut off for 4 hours or more at a time whilst the road outside their house or workplace is dug up for this purpose. But the truth is that it needs to be done and so far they’ve replaced 1300 miles of pipe. Thames Water say that on average they’re saving 1 million litres of water per day from each area that they work on in the capital.

This is very important as we’re heading into a drought. For 19 out of the last 24 months we’ve had record low volumes of rain fall in the capital. Since records began in 1884, only 1892/3 and 1920/1 have seen less rainfall. In addition to this, we as Londoners are taking more water out of the environment than it can sustain.

Here are 10 ways that we can all reduce the amount of water we use:

• Use your washing machine and dishwasher only when they’re full
• Turn off the taps when you’re brushing your teeth and soaping your hands, using only water at the beginning and end of each of these activities.
• Take a shower rather than a bath and try and shorten your showertime by 1-2 minutes
• Use a pan filled with water to wash fruit and veg, then use the water from this pan to water your houseplants
• Use a water-efficient showerhead, they’re inexpensive and easy to fit
• Water your plants only when it’s necessary. It’s a little known fact that more plants die from over-watering than from under-watering them.
• Bathe your young children together
• Wash your face in the shower, rather than separately at the sink
• When staying in a hotel, try and reuse your towels – you’ll often find a notice in your bathroom giving you information on how to do this
• Turn off the water when shaving

Make new friends in London

When many of us move to London for the first time, we don’t know many, or even any people that live here. London is a vast city and it’s possible to feel a bit lonely at first without that ‘local pub’ atmosphere or neighbourly welcome from two doors down. But there is no need to feel this way for long. There are many social activities that you can take part in, after work drinks you can go to and thanks to the 21st century, online social communities that you can join. With the latter, we’re talking about sites such as Badoo, which have been springing up over the last 5 years or so.

Badoo is a site which currently boasts over 141 million members in 180 countries. It is completely FREE and very quick to join. You simply need to enter your first name, email address, birthday, city, your gender and whether you’re looking for men, women or both (remember this is not just a dating site, it’s also for making friends). You can even check out who else uses Badoo before you register if you wish to do so.

Once signed up, you can start building your profile by adding photos, interests, information about your appearance, education, work, what languages you speak and most importantly who you are looking for whilst using Badoo. You might be looking for love, but you may also just be looking for new friends, or someone to accompany you to a social activity such as salsa dancing.

To give you a scale of the amount of people currently using Badoo for social purposes in London, if you select ‘I want to make new friends with a guy or a girl in London between the ages of 18 and 35′… there are currently over 275,500 people who match this criteria. You can change the criteria to be as broad or specific as you wish to be.

It’s free to sign-up, but this isn’t one of those sites where it’s free to sign-up and then you have to pay a fortune to actually interact with anyone. Free registration with Badoo entitles you to upload photos and videos, chat with other members and see and contact other members in your area. Not bad at all hey?

As it’s absolutely free and very quick to sign up, it really is worth giving it a go, so sign-up now at Badoo.

TasterLab

Moove2London is really excited to tell you about Taster Lab which is a brand new way of trying out classes or new experiences in London……for FREE!!! If you’re skint but bored after Christmas, then this is just what you’re looking for.

Have you ever thought about learning Spanish? Fancy yourself as the next Amir Khan in the boxing ring? Or just want some gentle soothing yoga lessons?

Taster Lab lets you do all these things in London, without the commitment of initially parting with heaps of cash and signing up for a term of lessons. Instead, TasterLab offers either completely FREE or massively discounted classes, so that you can ‘try’ before you ‘buy’ an entire bundle of classes.

Another benefit of signing up with TasterLab instead of one of the other famous sites offering great deals, is that Tasterlab won’t give out too many taster sessions at once, resulting in flooding a business with too many new customers and which they’re unable to deal with. Instead, tasters are given out in small batches and when that batch runs out you’ll have to wait for the next batch of ‘tasters’ to be released. This is of course a great reason not to mess about, if a taster catches your eye, sign yourself up for it before it gets booked up.

Taster Lab has different offers on all the time, but at the time that this article was written the following Taster sessions are available to sample for FREE….

• A 30 minute life-coaching session for FREE in North London
• One FREE group badminton session for you and your friends in South London
• 30 minute FREE private bass guitar, saxonphone, trumpet, piano, flute, drums, double bass, cello or clarinet lessons in South London
• FREE 30 minute golf lesson on indoor simulator in South London
• FREE Muay Thai Kickboxing class in North London
• FREE Mixed Martial Arts class with MM instructor in East London
• Outdoor fitness training session for FREE in East London
• FREE Polish lesson in a location of your choice
• 1 free group Squash class for you and 5 friends in South London
• 1 free group Salsa lesson in Central and East London
• FREE 90 minute Tai Chi class in South London
• FREE group Tango class led by expert teachers in Central or East London
• FREE group Wrestling class in East London
• FREE Hatha Yoga class in South London

This is only a very small selection of free classes in London that you can take part in with TasterLab. Take a look at their site today and have a packed New Year schedule for no cost at all.

Youth unemployment in London

Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics suggest that youth unemployment in the UK has now hit 1 million. It also seems that foreign workers are getting more jobs than homegrown British talent. As an example, the popular fast food franchise Pret A Manger has at least 2 shops in London that don’t employ any British staff at all.
The number of British-born workers has decreased by 850 people a day at a time when foreign workers has increased by around 495 a day.
Unofficially, the common mentalities behind choosing to employ workers from overseas rather than Brits, appear to include reasons such as a)foreign workers are happier to work for less money than Brits, b) they are harder-working than British people and c) they’re more likely to turn up on time.

Of course this may come as welcome news if you are moving to London from abroad. But what should you do if you’re an out of work Londoner, or are thinking of moving down to London in the near future?

First of all, you need to decide what kind of job you’re willing to do. If you’re a graduate and are happy to wait a while, going through extensive recruitment processes before being employed in the job of your dreams, then this is fine so long as you can afford to do so. But you might be better off making do with what we call survival jobs, which will help keep the bills paid, your CV nicely padded out and hopefully keep you sane whilst you interview for a more appropriate job for you.

Obviously the evidence above makes it sound like if you’re a Brit then you won’t manage to get any type of work. This is a particularly negative slant on a bad situation. There are still jobs out there so long as you don’t mind working for a little while in shops, pubs or restaurants. But if you do manage to secure one of these roles, then don’t blow it by proving to bosses why they should stick to employing foreign workers over Brits. It may not be the job of your dreams, but turning up on time and putting some effort in during working hours are the basics of holding down a job. At least until something better comes along.

Facewatch in London

For those of you who are concerned about crime in London, you’ll be pleased to hear about the Facewatch scheme that has recently been piloted in the Victoria area of the capital.

Facewatch relies on businesses such as shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels to join their scheme and share information by means of the Facewatch database, which targets low level crime, such as shoplifting and bag theft.

Facewatch makes it as easy as possible for victims to report such crime. When an incident occurs, the business uploads details of the crime online, which takes approximately 5 minutes. The victim will receive a crime number straightaway without having to report it to the police separately. Information about the crime can then be shared across the Facewatch database, which maximises the chance of apprehending the criminals, particularly those who operate in a specific local area. Facewatch is also in partnership with CPP (Card Protection Plan), meaning that after a crime has occurred, it’s possible to cancel ALL of your credit cards and get free replacements sent out to you, just by making one phone call.

The scheme has so far been piloted in 31 businesses in the Victoria where one it’s success stories resulted in a serial bag thief being caught within 24 hours of being uploaded to the Facewatch database.

For businesses who are interested in joining the Facewatch scheme, prices start at £15 a month (for businesses with a turnover of up to £500k p.a). As well as the ability to report crimes happening on your premises, you’ll also receive stickers and posters to advertise the fact that your business is a member of Facewatch. This acts as a massive deterrent to criminals and is also extremely attractive to your customers who will love the fact that you are doing something proactive to safeguard them and their property.

For more information, visit facewatch.co.uk

Where to have Christmas Day lunch in London

Christmas 2010 is only 35 days away and for those of you who will be staying in London this Christmas, you may be starting to wonder what you’ll be doing for Christmas Day itself.

If you have family to go to then great, but for others, we have some great ideas for where you can eat your Christmas lunch.

Eat it at home

Seriously, if there are a bunch of you (perhaps from overseas), sticking around in London this year, then eating Christmas lunch at home doesn’t have to be an earache. It can be heaps of fun and you can save a lot of money compared to eating out. Consider getting a massive shop in from a supermarket such as Sainsburys. If you spend enough (often more than £100), then you’ll get free delivery. If ever there is a time of year to get a supermarket shop delivered to you, it’s at Christmas, as the supermarket aisles are rammed and deeply unpleasant.

Youngs Pubs

The pub company Youngs, have a multitude of pubs dotted throughout London – some in Central London, some in the residential areas. Not all of them choose to be open on Christmas Day, but there are some lovely menus on offer at pubs such as the Dulwich WoodHouse in Sydenham, The Grove in Balham, The Alexandra in Wimbledon, The Flask in Hampstead and The Grange in Ealing. The price of a Christmas lunch at each establishment differs per pub, but in general you should expect to pay between £50 and £60 per adult for a welcome cocktail, 3 course meal, coffee and mincepie. Check out christmas.youngs.co.uk/christmasday for further details.

Christmas Day Lunch Cruise

Splash (!) out a bit on your Christmas Day Lunch and buy a ticket aboard a City Cruise boat trip on the Thames.
Departing from Westminster Pier at 12.30pm, you’ll receive a welcome drink, a 105 minute river boat cruise, 4 course meal, coffee and mints and a christmas cracker. The cost of your ticket will be £105 including VAT. You should be aware that aside from your welcome drink, alcohol does not come as part of the ticket price, although a cash bar will be in operation. To book, visit citycruises.com

Gordon Ramsay at Claridges

Go all out on the Christmas Day dining experience and indulge in a 7 course feast at the Central London restaurant – Claridges (W1K 4HR). It will set you back approximately £185 before you add alcohol or a discretionary 12.5% service charge, but it’ll certainly be a Christmas to tell the grandkids about! Visit gordonramsay.com/claridges for further details.

Browns Brasseries

The Browns restaurants located in Islington and West India Quay (not the ones in Mayfair, Covent Garden or Old Jewry) will be open on Christmas Day. They’re serving a delicious and truly varied 4 course Christmas menu for £60 a head (or £30 for children under the age of 12).
Visit browns-restaurants.co.uk for further details.

If you are considering eating out for lunch on Christmas Day 2010, then we would urge you to book as soon as possible. Once you’ve found somewhere that you’d like to eat, then please speak to the staff there about your booking, as it’s most likely that you’ll have to put down a deposit and often choose the food which you would like to be served in advance of Christmas Day.

Happy Christmas !