United Kingdom Expat Forum

Best London boroughs for expats?

7/14/2010 21:58 EST

I'm relocating to London and researching various neighborhoods. I wondered if there are areas that have more of a concentration of expats than others? I'm coming from the US so am inquiring about Americans in particular but I'm open to meeting expats from other nations as well.

ctkathy

7/15/2010 06:54 EST

I am active in the American Women's Club of London www.awclondon.org. Members really live all over the place and often transportation links to the workplace dominate the decision on where to live. However, there seems to be a large concentration of American expats around Sloane Square, South Kensington and Gloucester Road tube area. For families with school age children, there is a huge concentration around the American school in St. John's Wood. Please have a look at the AWC website and consider joining in September as there is not much going on right now. Maybe someone else can add information about expats from other countries.

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gah26

7/16/2010 11:27 EST

I agree that St. John's Wood is an American ghetto and South Ken seems to be one as well. I think the best advice is to find an area that fits your budget and commute. If you want to be around Americans why leave America in the 1st place?

ctkathy

7/16/2010 14:03 EST

Well, that certainly is a poor attitude expressed by gah26. The only area I know has a very large concentration of Americans is St. John's Wood due to the American School there. However, as I stated there are Americans living all over London from Wimbledon, Barnes, Canary Wharf, Greenwich area, Maida Vale, Southwark and literally in every borough of London. Americans have ample opportunity to meet other expats and locals wherever they live. There is also a large concentration of French in the S. Kensington area due to the French School in that area; I certainly hope this area isn't referred to as the French ghetto.

Many American expats do not leave American by choice, rather they leave due to a job assignment and Americans often feel more comfortable at first meeting Americans and then branching out. I also know women who are married to Brits who want to stay connected to Americans and all things American and enjoy doing so by joining the American Women's Club.

jbjayhawk, I'm sorry you got that rather abrupt answer on this otherwise useful forum.

gah26

7/16/2010 15:43 EST

Dial it down a notch kathy. I don't understand why you think I have a bad attitude. Large concentrations of expats in one area are very commonly referred to as "ghettos" meaning there is a large concentration of said expat. There are many posts in here which refer to the American ghetto. You shouldn't be so quick to judge if you don't understand the reference.

I also recall being pretty helpful to you on a couple of occassions. So, your welcome despite your being so judgemental.

This is a forum where everyone is allowed to voice their ideas.

cynthiarose

7/16/2010 15:51 EST

In the US, the term ghetto refers to a poverty stricken, low class, crime ridden area that no one would want to live. So..I get the post gah26. hahaha..just a bit of a language difference there :)

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shughesd

7/16/2010 16:00 EST

Do you have a family? We spent a long time trying to find the balance of transportation, schools, price and green space issues (4 kids) and didn't even think about finding other Yanks. However, we landed in Ealing, which I love, and have at least 8 American families within a 5 minute walking distance! The houses out here are definitely bigger for the same money, with much bigger gardens and more parks.

Good luck with your search! I have started a community of American families online at http://yankeelanding.com. Perhaps you will find some additional info there.

ctkathy

7/16/2010 17:55 EST

It would seem to be best to let the poster make up their mind about areas to live without using words like ghetto that obviously have a poor connotation. Also the statement "why leave America if you want to live around Americans" strikes a sour note. I cannot see any reason to make a comment like that on a message board like this.

Nobody is upset or needs to dial anything down. The message board is here to be helpful.

jbjayhawk

7/17/2010 13:00 EST

Hi all,

Perhaps I should have included a bit of context with my question. I tend to communicate rather directly, which can leave others wondering where I'm coming from. So here it goes:

The move would entail my husband and me and our two dogs (we consider them to be our furry 4-legged kids). We're in our mid-30s and it is my company that is considering relocating me to London (we have an established office there). My husband and I are very much open to meeting and befriending Brits and people from any nationality for that matter! The reality is that we have never lived abroad before and would appreciate meeting other American ex-pats who have shared the experience. Does this mean we have to live in area with a high concentration of Americans? Nope.

But to my original question, I'm just beginning to research possibilities and wanted to know about areas popular with Americans. Just information gathering at this stage.

I appreciate the responses and certainly didn't intend to hit on a point of contention! I'm open to all points of view and appreciate anyone who takes the time to reply.

More answers are welcome so keep them coming, please. Thanks!

gah26

7/18/2010 14:08 EST

Some stats, just to put things in perspective.

The population of the UK is about 61 million. There are about 126,000 Americans living in all of the UK. That's .002%. Argueably, a large portion of that 126,000 are in London for the same reason that you may be and that is for a job. London is about 659 square miles spread across 32 boroughs plus the City of London. The population of London is around 8 million.

St. John's Wood attracts American families who want their kids to continue an American education. It is also a convenient commute to Canary Wharf, one of the financial districts. Again, argueably, a good portion of Americans who are transferred to London are transferred for positions in financial services.

For some reason, South Ken and Chelsea both seem to attract Americans as well. Perhaps because they are a bit leafier than other parts of London. In my opinion, neither of these neighborhoods offers a particularly easy commute to either the Canary Wharf or the City which is the other financial district.

Off the top of my head I can think of 4 American couples/families that we know in London and we live in 5 very different neighborhoods.

I would suggest you 1st decide what is most important to you, like an easy commute, near parks for the dogs, things like that. Obviously, your budget is going to be a huge factor, as well. Get yourself a tube map and a map of London to see what you're dealing with. At 659 square miles, London is huge. For us, we wanted to be in central London, wanted a 1 tube commute (no changes) and wanted to have ammenities (grocery store, drug store, etc.) within an easy walk.

This website can give you some helpful info on neighborhoods:

www.upmystreet.com

But, in the end you have to feel comfortable in the neighborhood so nothing is going to beat walking around and getting a feel for different areas. For that reason, I would suggest that if you decide to make the move that you push for temporary housing for a month or more so you can spend time properly finding an area that's right for you.

If you are concerned about having an American connection, then I would consider American support groups like American Women in London or perhaps your college or university has an alumni group here. I would look into things like this rather than limiting myself to the few neighborhoods which have a concentration of Americans.

Now the really bad news. You WILL have a hard time finding a flat which allows pets. It's just a fact of life. You will definitely have to pay an extra deposit. If you were hoping for a yard (called a garden here) for your dogs, those are hard to come by, small and also come at a premium.

hekruger

7/19/2010 12:26 EST

Hi gah26,

I've been thinking about the exchange between you and another member last week, and for what it's worth, I think you make a valuable contribution to this forum. You are always quick to respond to questions and you provide helpful and insightful information. Sometimes it can be hard to communicate via e-mail, where the benefit of nuances from a face-to-face, interactive conversation can be lost.

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gah26

7/19/2010 19:31 EST

Hekruger, you've made my day. You're absolutely right. It's hard to convey tone in forums, email, etc. Thank you for getting it.

ComradeM

7/27/2010 07:36 EST

'ghetto' is a fairly accurate term if you take it to mean, in a broad sense, a neighbourhood made up mostly of people of the same socioeconomic class. St. John's Wood and Chelsea/South Ken fit the description because they are what Brits would call 'posh' - very well-off neighbourhoods.
I live a more or less local life in a less salubrious place not too far away (Shepherds Bush). We have perfectly reasonable professional salaries but would never be able to afford to live in Chelsea without massive sacrifices!
The good news is there are more than a few Americans anywhere you go in London. In fact even in this less posh 'hood we have high-flying banker types who commute to the city every day, and love both home and work.
I think the main lesson is that you can and will meet both Americans and locals anywhere in London, and it probably depends a lot more on your mindset than on your location. Best of luck.

owensloan

4/2/2013 03:45 EST

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