Ok, so close to the centre of town, good public transport, close(ish) to travel hubs and a bonus if near parks.
West or South West London would be my recommendation. Easy access to Heathrow airport, better side of London for the better golf courses and good public transport for getting in and out of the West End and City. The new Elizabeth Line makes getting across London a game changer if you are near a station.
I’d agree with a lot of @Thinbullet recommendations. If you want to be in the heart of it (and budget is healthy) then Marylebone, Notting Hill, Little Venice are all great places to live. If you want to be a bit further out but still buzzy then Chiswick, Battersea and Wimbledon are all great.
Best golf courses are situated to the South West of London in Surrey and Berkshire on the sandy heathland belt. All are easily accessible by public transport from Waterloo station.
Coffee in London, outside the big chains, like Costa, is pretty good. So you won’t have a problem there. The Black Sheep coffee chain is good. Good wine shops are a little hard to find. If you move to Ravenscourt Park / Askew Road area, there’s a great wine store called “Askew Wines”.
Most if not all of the places we’ve listed above will meet your criteria. They are not full on inner city (aside from maybe Marylebone, but even that is low rise) but not really suburbia either. They all have great restaurants, pubs, bars, parks, schools etc. and transport links. The Elizabeth line is a bit of a game changer for places like Acton.
Other things:
you probably won’t need a car. Zipcar is a car club app which is pretty easy to use if you need to go on longer journeys. Black cabs, buses, Uber, the tube, over ground, the plentiful electric and non-electric bikes make getting around London and the UK easy.
you will likely need a National Insurance number for payroll reasons. It’s also often required as a form of ID for opening a bank account etc. Every member of your family should get an NHS number and a local NHS doctor - though if you can afford it, private Doctors are sometimes more convenient.
You’ll need a TV licence to own a TV (I know, I know). The licence fee funds the BBC.
if you’re here for less than a year you’ll be able to use your US Drivers’ Licence. After a year you’ll need to swap it for a UK drivers’ licence.
furnished rentals are pretty common but other than in the wealthier areas the furniture is usually never great. For a stay of 6 months or so, corporate accommodation places / serviced apartments may well be the better bet. Like this.
a lot of Londoners have their groceries delivered from Tesco (pronounced Tescos), Ocado (M&S) and Waitrose. In my experience the fruit and veg from the independent supermarkets on local high streets is better quality. In terms of supermarkets, I’d say they are ranked least to most expensive: Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-operative, Waitrose and M&S.
washing machines are often located in the kitchens of apartments. This was a bit of a shock for me when I first arrived. I was used to them being tucked away in a cupboard.
your post code will be the single most important number in your life.
on escalators stand to the right, walk on the left.
you don’t need an Oyster card for public transport. Tap in and out using your phone/watch.
don’t wear a backpack on your back on the tube during rush hour, take it off.
This is no joke. Postcode snobbery in London is a thing. I had an office for years in Hampstead and became a total douche about NW3. People would say they ‘lived in Hampstead’ and I’d look at the postcode and sneer “that’s not Hampstead, that’s West Hampstead. It’s not NW3.”
Same with Notting Hill. If it’s W2 or W10 or anything other than W11 it isn’t Notting Hill, darling. (I was though referring to every form in this country requiring a post code.)
washing machines are often located in the kitchens of apartments. This was a bit of a shock for me when I first arrived. I was used to them being tucked away in a cupboard.
The fantastic Mrs I is still baffled by this after nearly 5 years of marriage, and the fact its not a top loader
Flying in to Shannon on 11/4, staying 3 nights in Lahinch, 3 in Dingle, 2 in Limerick and back to Shannon. Main purpose is to see Peter Hook in Limerick, but may try and rent a set and get a round in. No go on Lahinch or Ballybunion, so may just go play Ceann Siebal.
Long time and fairly avid listener to the podcast, but first time posting here.
Been shipped out from Dublin to Galway recently enough and keen enough get some rounds or pints in. Not sure if there is many lads outside Dublin on this? But would be good to set up on the WhatsApp though.
I have 36 holes at Castle Stuart for a single player, plus a 65 pound voucher for food and beverage or the pro shop, that I am trying to sell. It is valid to be used through the end of the 2025 golf season. I am asking for 240 pounds.
The 2023 value of this offer is 470 pounds according to Castle Stuart’s website. Next year’s greens fee for a single round is 270 pounds, so anyone intending to make the trip to the Highlands anytime in the next three years for even a single round should consider taking advantage of this offer.
Please reply to me directly if interested. Thank you.
Hi folks - random question here. I’m going on an epic trip to Ireland in August. The only club we had on our list that we can’t book is County Louth (Baltray). We can only play on a Saturday which is not open for visitors. My two questions are:
On days where no visitors are allowed, does that also mean no guests? If not …
Does anyone randomly happen to belong to Baltray and fancy hosting five Americans who would be incredibly gracious and appreciative? Shot in the dark, I know, but we are a bit gutted to miss out.
Not 100% sure on Baltray specifically but my assumption is that it’s a member competition day so no guests. That would be pretty common across Ireland.
I do wonder though if the day doesn’t completely fill up if you would be able to get in there. Might be a good question to ask if you haven’t already.
I just joined the community. Has it been worthwhile for you so far?
I am from the US and moved recently to Chippenham. And took up golf. I am a member at The Manor House Golf Club in Castle Combe.
I am hoping to explore some of the golf courses in this part of the world and haven’t met anyone thru my club that is interested. Hoping that will be possible thru this community.
