To ask if I'm too old to move to London?

[teaandcakeat8]

I'm 28.

I currently live in a fairly large northern city - not from here but went to university here - moved back last year but actually I'm not so enamoured with it.

I've always loved London and visit friends there as much as possible; I'm a real city person. New city just doesn't seem as 'buzz-y'. It's something I've always wanted to do and as I'm getting closer to 30 now/the new year feels like the time.

I'm reasonably established in my career and would be looking at jobs around 35-40k - not loads and would have to share - but I share anyway. Not too worried about home ownership as I do own and let out a house currently. I'm seeing someone but it's such early days I wouldn't be sticking around because of him.

Do you think I'm too old to be effectively starting again? From a social point of view more than anything I guess.

JustKeepDancing "The downside of London is that it can a very long time to get to the social opportunities"

oh yes, that's true. It does take forever to get from A to B which drives me nuts.

Don’t spend your time worrying you are too old to do xyz. All it does is stagnate you and you end up doing nothing.
Get a flat share (I moved into one at 27 and met 2 of my best friends), join hobby groups (I used to do scuba diving, sailing and running). It’s a great place to live what ever your age.

Do it! You are absolutely not too old. Age in London seems totally different to in other parts of the county. Many people retain party lifestyles (out all the time, not married, house share etc) till well into their thirties as standard here. I work in London and had my first baby at 31 and a lot of my colleagues couldn't believe how 'young' I was to be having him . Whereas back in my home town (south coast) lots of friends were married with kids by 25.

Not at all. I moved to London at 25 and LOVED it. I often thought how everyone there is a decade behind their times - i.e. 20-somethings behave like teens, 30-somethings behave like they are in their 20s etc. Don't mean that in a bad way, more just that everyone just delayed their lives to keep doing the stuff they enjoyed. At 28 you are a great age to enjoy London, have fun and get out again when you're done with it.

Course not!

London gets a bad name on MN but it's a incredible city to live in.

As a warning, £35-40k isn’t much in London. Please do real research about housing - you’re probably looking at a teeny studio or a house share if you want to be Zone1-4

Of course you should do it. 35-40 is fine in London. Most of the people I work with earn lots less than that in London and they're older than you. House shares are normal.

I moved there aged 28. It was fabulous! I shared a flat, did the best work of my career and generally had a ball. Yes, rental and transport are expensive but having a great social life isn't necessarily ( I joined a young WI, got involved in local
Events and discovered every fred museum, talk and gallery. But, having moved from a provincial town, I no longer spent money on a car, expensive gym membership ( walked most places) or whiling away the days in crappy shopping centres and cinemas ( got a BFI pass and discovered world film). Go for it, life's about the adventures!

Be careful about assuming that a social life through work is a given. I think it depends on your sector. When I was in my 20s and working in central London, most other people on my team were a bit older, women with families they had to get Home for as were main carer, and who also lived miles away for affordability reasons so their commute was huge. There was definitely no culture of after-work drinks. I didn’t really make many friends through living In London I have to say, it can be quite lonely as people are scattered all over the place.

DH’s work colleagues were different. He worked with quite a few young singles, and then older divorced people who were always up for a drink after work.

Back in my home Northern City now and very happy. everything is just easier socially.

Changes are you may earn up to 60k in that career, dependant on your experience. Do it! Let me know if u can hook you up with friends in that career

We have post-PhD students starting in entry level roles at your age, not too old

If you are experienced really look for roles that are more senior / better paid or have a good trajectory - be bullish about it - we recently hired someone in a role more junior than they were capable of as they were "fine" with the salary ... we are promoting them pretty sharpish yet you can stuck so don't play yourself down

Do it. I did at 22 but my sister came last year at 31. I encouraged her to move as it’s a great place to be young and single. I had kids in my late twenties found it quite isolating as most parents are much older - accidental pregnancy. But I’ve gone back to work in a second career in my mid 30s and back to enjoying it more. It’s great for the kids. So many things to do and career opportunities. In some fields it’s hard to find work elsewhere. There are downsides, mainly the housing and how busy it is. But you can always move again if it doesn’t work out. I know people who commute from further afield to get a better balance and working at home is increasingly popular. Your target salary will be fine for a houseshare rental.

Do it! I did it at your age, it was great.

Do it, I did at the same age and am still enjoying it decades later.

Like others say, work harder at a social life here so join everything and do flatshares as that will give other options. Time Out is your friend to see what free things are going on.

Go on, do it.

Unless you're scared of course.

Are you scared?

most colleagues my age are married for example!

You'll find that less the case in London.

Or at the very least you'll be able to meet MORE people, so even if may are married, many also will not be.

Working in digital marketing you will be FINE.

I'm not scared, just wondering if my expectations are too high!

Barely anyone in London is settled with kids and married at 28.

Move into a flatshare. Maybe something temporary at first but then look around to find one with people you look likely to become friends with. A massive proportion of my social circle were flatmates, friends of flatmates or flatmates of friends.

Hackney, Bethnal Green, Finsbury park, Camden, New Cross, Peckham, Kennington, Battersea, Clapham will have lots of professionals in house shares. Spare room.com is one of the better place to advertise but there is also gumtree.

Be aware that it will be the current flatmates who are in the position of power - a nice flat gets lots of interests so you need to be the sort of person they want to live with. Don't take it personally if not selected.

There are women's institutes in lots of parts of youthful London that are very hip.

Sounds like you need to get to London asap!
Aged 28 and looking for a job in digital marketing you'll be totally perfectly suited to the city. Most of my friends in London didn't settle down/marry/have kids until mid 30s. They were starting to meet serious boyfriends around 28...

I share now and have done for many years so this doesn't bother me. My main motivations are to move on with my career and meet people more on my wavelength. I can't even comprehend settling down yet.

It's the social aspect worrying me. I've actually found it hard to make friends in current city as people seem very settled for mid-late twenties - most colleagues my age are married for example!

Worry no more! People can't afford to mature in London, so large numbers of them carry on sharing and living the same lifestyle well into their 30s. It's becoming a city of slightly jaded Peter Pans. You'll certainly get away with a couple of years of it at your age.

Good grief no.
Do it.

My main motivations are to move on with my career and meet people more on my wavelength. I can't even comprehend settling down yet.

Which makes you and London a perfect match. Do it!

I moved to London when I was 29 - just in time for my 30th. It was one of the best things I've ever done, made tons of friends and had a ball. Lived there for 6.5yrs and have now moved out to the countryside. Socially, I made loads of friends at work.

Not at all - we moved to London from the north when I was 25 and DH 27. It did not even occur to me that we were too old! We had a blast! We did not plan to have kids until our early 30’s so we had a good few years of enjoying London life before we settled down to family life. Even then we stayed in London until DC 2 came along. Moved out to the ‘burbs then for schools.