h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Seems like I'll be moving to London soonish to complete my PhD. Now, is there anything I should know?
There probably is and maybe I should be a little more specific Errr... flats, shared flats. What kind of price will I have to pay for what kind of room at/around Mile End?
Telecommunication: Are there Flat Rates for internet access? What do they cost?
Places not to go to?
Cheapest way of having a bank account?
When is the next h2g2-meet-up in London?

Thanks in advance!

Tube

Hi Tube,
A few more questions...
Where are you moving from?
I guess you'll be at uni - they're good places to talk to if you're moving to London/UK for the first time.
One good place to look for flats is in the ads paper Loot.
There are several flat rate internet access options - there is a thread somewhere not too far back called Internet Service Providers or similar where it's talked about. Expect flat rate access to be around £15 per month. If you want broadband it will be higher.
Places to go and not to go are all down to personal taste
Cheapest way of having a bank acount, tell them you're a student (well you are if you're doing a PhD).

Also check out the How To Go British thread as there is lots of advice about moving to London in there:

There will be no doubt a load more people along to tell you more

Uh, moving in from Germany. yes, maybe I should have said that right away.

Thanks!
Tube

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F19585?thread=140388&skip=0&show=20 - Internet Service Provider thread http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F19585?thread=139785&skip=0&show=20 - how to go British? Hope to help :-)

Ta! Already found the British one

Tube

Get used to being even more skint than usual

Living in London is seriously expensive (but Fun )

"The George" behind Liverpool Street station is a decent a and (reasonably) innexpensive restaurant for a bit of proper nosh.

If checking out Loot for flats to rent, be prepared for bitter disappointment when the nice-sounding flats turn out to be dumps and the dump-sounding ones turn out to be rotting death-holes.

Also anything good and reasonably priced has usually gone before the paper hits the news stands. I don't know how.

I am trying not to sound too bitter about my experience but it is difficult to maintain optimsim in the face of experince!

Where will you be moving to? Your department might be able to help you out with flat shares with people that are already there. In the short term this would be far preferable than the Loot route and will give you time to find your feet and decide where you would like/hate to live.

Mile End? Are you heading for QMW?

It's not a cheap area to rent a flat, but you'll be near a supermarket, cinema, and dozens of 'chicken and chips' restaurants that line either side of Mile End Road. Venture a bit further in the direction of Whitechapel, and you'll be homing in on London's curry capital: Brick Lane.

May I recommend an excellent article on London's East End: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A513596.