Working outside the city (London)...?

[ChimpMaster]

I loved working in the City when I was there for a few years, and was gutted to eventually leave. Now I work in the middle of nowhere north of the M25 border and there is no life here outside of work.

With the City you can step out of the office and into any number of bars, shops, restaurants, local parks, brothels, gyms, or jump on a tube to connect to numerous places within a few minutes. The social life is great, even with work colleagues, and the women are generally stunning... summer is great in London.

I personally would love to return to the City. It's a bit of a trek for me, but commutable, so living costs aren't an issue. However, I don't see rates getting much better and outsourcing/offshoring is still rising in most banks, so mostly the only decent roles are for niche skillsets.

As to whether you would enjoy being elsewhere - it depends on your personality, or how you adapt. I adapted by socialising more with local friends rather than City folk, and making sure that I got more time at home with the family. Nice, in different ways, but I still miss the buzz of the City. Perhaps all cities are the same, but I much prefer working in a busy city than in a sleepy, boring industrial estate or business park.

[Anubis]

I loved working in the City when I was there for a few years, and was gutted to eventually leave. Now I work in the middle of nowhere north of the M25 border and there is no life here outside of work.

With the City you can step out of the office and into any number of bars, shops, restaurants, local parks, brothels, gyms, or jump on a tube to connect to numerous places within a few minutes. The social life is great, even with work colleagues, and the women are generally stunning... summer is great in London.

I personally would love to return to the City. It's a bit of a trek for me, but commutable, so living costs aren't an issue. However, I don't see rates getting much better and outsourcing/offshoring is still rising in most banks, so mostly the only decent roles are for niche skillsets.

As to whether you would enjoy being elsewhere - it depends on your personality, or how you adapt. I adapted by socialising more with local friends rather than City folk, and making sure that I got more time at home with the family. Nice, in different ways, but I still miss the buzz of the City. Perhaps all cities are the same, but I much prefer working in a busy city than in a sleepy, boring industrial estate or business park.

Fantastic response. That's more what I was after. Some on here are a little strange...

"London! Get your head out ya a***! Get paid, get laid, init"

Again, thank you for a humble and honest reply.

[ChimpMaster]

Fantastic response. That's more what I was after. Some on here are a little strange...

"London! Get your head out ya a***! Get paid, get laid, init"

Again, thank you for a humble and honest reply.

If you choose to leave the City, can you sub-contract me in?

[Alias]

I think thats just it...You can earn loads in London but you spend it too

Outside of London, you earn less but you spend less leaving you a lot of disposable income/savings that allow you to spend on the bigger things

depends what you want out of life I suppose?

Personally, I look for a more longer term view and quality of life whilst living close enough to London to enjoy it now and again if I so wish...

[RasputinDude]

High places where I have worked:

Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds City Centres. All of which were commutable by good public transport, had lots of good bars, food places, gyms etc to enjoy working there.

Low places where I have worked:
Knowsley Industrial Estate - Oh my God, that place is horrendous.
Derby (at the former British Rail works)

^^^
Both of those are so unpleasant that they would tarnish Mother Theresa's soul if she had had the misfortune to visit them.

Plenty of 'not so bad' places in between.

[stek]

Working outside the city (London)...?

Once did a week at Balfour Kilpatrick in Kirkby, Liverpool. Shat myself every day..

[JoJoGabor]

I enjoy working in London for the buzz, but I mainly work here as it seems 90% of the contracts paying good rates are in London. I sometimes get gigs closer to home in the SE, and love the short commute, the less hectic commute and being home at a decent time. London gives a balance of grating annoyance and buzz at the same time.

For me nowadays its more about continual work and a decent rate. I will go wherever that may be, as long as it means I dont have to live away

[psychocandy]

Not a wind up - genuine post. I don't see many skyscrapers and cool offices in Wales.

I'm not having a dig; on the contrast if anything - where are the decent places to work outside the M25? ok...Manchester city center will have a fair few, as will Birmingham - but what about all the towns inbetween. Surely contractors gravitate towards London down here in the south? If not, where do they go? Where do they work? What is it like? Why did they choose to work outside of London?

That's the point of my original post because I do not know.

Skyscrapers and cool offices. hmmm.....

Got a nice stadium in Cardiff!!!! and of course its wales not england.

[formant]

Would never want to work in London, although it's no further than some of the other places I've commuted to. I'm based in Northants, currently WFH for a client based in Leicestershire. Have done Peterborough and Marlow recently prior to that. TBH, nothing beats a home-based job for me.

[SimonMac]

I've never worked in the City, although its something that appeals to me its not the be all and end all when it comes to choosing a contract.