Reply to: Where to live in London as an IT Contractor

[yasockie]

If you plan to live single, you can find surprisingly small, standalone flats, that are very central, that are comparable money wise - back when I was single (which wasn't that long ago) I'd found a tiny one room place, with folding bed, and all the invention to save space - no doors - you walk straight out of the elevator (key coded of course) etc altogether a massive 23 sq meters including bathroom etc.
The upside: 200meters from trafalgar square and just 320 per week - so very affordable for a contractor on a decent, London rate

[Scrag Meister]

Oh for the days when I was a perm and could get out of bed, shower, dress, have a slice of toast, on my motorbike and in the office, all in about 40mins.

Now in London it takes 1h 25m, inc 45 mins travelling.

[Troll]

Every damn day - 8.45, Kings Cross to Bank - I have shrunk 2 inches since doing that journey for a year and a half! - seen so many fights / arguements etc - people at there worst!

Seriously - I gave up getting the Tube at KC in the mornings - use the bus instead-205 or 214 (try it and report back with timings)


buses from Kings Cross


HTH

[SneakySimon]

Northern Line

Me too, but 1.25 hours earlier, well Moorgate actually. Must be a nicer class of person at that time of the morning, or may be just less people.

Sadly I am still in Grantham at that time!!

[Scrag Meister]

Every damn day - 8.45, Kings Cross to Bank - I have shrunk 2 inches since doing that journey for a year and a half! - seen so many fights / arguements etc - people at there worst!

Me too, but 1.25 hours earlier, well Moorgate actually. Must be a nicer class of person at that time of the morning, or may be just less people.

[SneakySimon]

Northern Line

Never tackle the Northern Line from King's Cross St Pancras between 8.45 and 9.30 if you suffer from claustophobia.

Every damn day - 8.45, Kings Cross to Bank - I have shrunk 2 inches since doing that journey for a year and a half! - seen so many fights / arguements etc - people at there worst!

[redgiant]

Another vote here for the boat.

I used to have an easy journey from Westferry to Bank on the DLR, 3 stops and it took 10 minutes.

But for my last nine months in London, Tower Gateway was closed for a while for refurbishment which reduced the train frequency and the escalators at Bank/Monument were being repaired. This made the journey very unpleasant so I switched to taking the boat from Canary Wharf to Tower pier or London Bridge.

It took longer and cost more but was by a long way more civilized. They opened a bar on the evening journeys too.

I'd be hard pressed to get to the bar and have a drink before it gets to my stop though ... only 3mins

As far as locations I recommend Rotherhithe/Canada Water - it's a short tube ride on the new Overground line to Shoreditch High Street (the top end of Bishopsgate) and Canary Wharf is even closer.

The place has come on a long way in the last few years and is one of the greenest areas of London. It's served me well since moving down to the smog.

[GreenLabel]

Meanwhile, back in reality...

I couldn't even put it on expenses - Thistle London Heathrow, West Drayton Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

[Scrag Meister]

I live in Tottenham. Piccadilly line at Turnpike Lane, Kings Cross and Heathrow, then there's the Victoria Line, over ground to Stansted, Liverpool street and Stratford at Tottenham Hale. Buses to Camden, City, Waterloo if you have the time.

Been here 2 years today actually, enjoying it, even during the riots I didn't have any probs in my immediate vicinity and I don't live far from Broadwater Farm, but then again there were riots in a number of places.

[Gonzo]

That's the reason why I now go by boat to client site!

If you can do it I would recommend it and if you get a season ticket it's quite reasonable too (£64 p/m for a cross river ticket - Greenwich, Greenland Dock, Canary Wharf only 15mins).

Another vote here for the boat.

I used to have an easy journey from Westferry to Bank on the DLR, 3 stops and it took 10 minutes.

But for my last nine months in London, Tower Gateway was closed for a while for refurbishment which reduced the train frequency and the escalators at Bank/Monument were being repaired. This made the journey very unpleasant so I switched to taking the boat from Canary Wharf to Tower pier or London Bridge.

It took longer and cost more but was by a long way more civilized. They opened a bar on the evening journeys too.

[mudskipper]

Meanwhile, back in reality...

I couldn't even put it on expenses - Thistle London Heathrow, West Drayton Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

Oops!

[Old Greg]

I don't get it, if a job requires that I work in the city I ramp the rate the rate up so I'm living around hyde park and the like.

The client questions my rate I tell them why or to find someone else.

Meanwhile, back in reality...

I couldn't even put it on expenses - Thistle London Heathrow, West Drayton Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

Scooterscot
Munich, Germany
1 review
“I couldn't even put it on expenses”
Reviewed 16 September 2011
Got a phone call at the beginning of the week, a client needed help with some mathematical models. Turns out there's no one left in the UK skilled enough so they called me in Munich.

Flew in to Heathrow and boy, I was fleeced left right and centre the moment my foot touched the ground. Talk about expensive?!! How do people do it?

I thought T5 looking smart I like it. Got a taxi to the Thistle hotel 2 miles away, £18.20!!!!!!! WT hell?!! I gave him a £20 and he gave me a look when I asked for change? Seriously? What a bunch of thieves. OK yes I'm from Scotland I'm bound to be a tight git, but £20 for 2 miles is taking the liberty.

The Thistle hotel, do not stay here! What a hole. I got chased out of the room by a wee mouse!! Seriously. Got a new room, it smelled. £115 for this hole and no breakfast.

The drive up to Oxford was pleasant enough but felt slow not being able to go over 70. Government needs to get that sorted. Nice countryside up that way.

Point of this rant is I'm well shocked how expensive the UK seems, February since I was back. The price I can accept but what you get for it no way matches the cost.

£115 without breakfast at Heathrow. The worst thing is that when I quoted the client, I forgot about expenses so had to pay for it myself.




Stayed September 2011, travelled on business

[redgiant]

Never tackle the Northern Line from King's Cross St Pancras between 8.45 and 9.30 if you suffer from claustophobia.

That's the reason why I now go by boat to client site!

If you can do it I would recommend it and if you get a season ticket it's quite reasonable too (£64 p/m for a cross river ticket - Greenwich, Greenland Dock, Canary Wharf only 15mins).

[doodab]

So who's looking forwards to the olympics then?

[Freamon]

If you start work relatively early or late, some lines are fine (central line is hellish though from when I stayed there, too many people live out east in the leafy bits and at liverpool street people literally push each other to get on). After 8am in the morning rush hour or before 6.15 to 6.30pm in the evening rush hour a lot of tube lines aren't great. Find out where you are going to work and suss it out/ask people who live in London or start work early or late (if you can). I've never been an early riser to take advantage of emptier tubes.

It used to be the case that the tube/train was significantly quieter after 6:30pm, but that doesn't really seem to apply anymore. Trains at 7pm, 7:30 and 8pm are pretty much just as rammed as the ones at 6pm. My own theory is this is down to people having to work longer hours as employers become more demanding, which they can be as now there's a recession on, everyone's scared of losing their job.