What UK cities are most like London?

[Grace]

For a student looking for the vibrance and diversity of London...but at a cheaper cost of living. What cities in the UK are most comparable to London? xx
and WHY, thanks xx

[Sarah]

I like Bristol, but its also expensive! There are good uni's in Manchester and Sheffield though and plenty to do too

[Jon]

Liverpool
Edinburgh
stratford on Avon
Dover

[crazy_bald_man]

Birminham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, or even Reading. Avoid Brighton. It's very expensive.

[mike b]

Plymouth Devon has a large student population, also by the sea and very good beaches near by . Not so expensive as London . Cosmopolitan , Nice moorland and countryside .

[bouncer bobtail]

Is one cess pit not enough?

It depends what you are looking for.

Manchester and Birmingham are your main options.

Birmingham is small by London standards but it has a lot of diversity and is central, with good access to everywhere else. Anything modern in London, you are likely to find in Birmingham. What Birmingham does not have is historic buildings as it is relatively new settlement. Birmingham people are friendly and relaxed. Perhaps a little too relaxed, too much of the time, for my liking. Birmingham University has the largest single campus in the country. I studied and still live in Birmingham. The City also has some other universities as well, it is the University of Birmingham that should be your first choice.

Greater Manchester is large is part of a much bigger Northern conurbation including Liverpool. In some ways it is not as diverse as Birmingham, and London attitudes are even less welcome there. My brother lives in Manchester. He teaches in Manchester and Liverpool.

Liverpool is an alternative to Manchester, if you fancy a riverside in the North West. Plenty to do in Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside, but Manchester is better in most respects. I grew up on Merseyside. Bring a fire extinguisher, and never buy The Sun.

Leeds might be worth consideration. Leeds isn't too vibrant, but it is prosperous and diverse. It isn't too far from Manchester and Bradford ( for what it's worth) is on its doorstep. Leeds was my second choice university.

Culturally, Cardiff might be a better fit for you. A more modest size, but at least you wouldn't be shunned too much if you are from the South East.

Bristol I don't know, but its university seems to attract a lot of snobs that aren't good enough to get a place in Cambridge. I believe it has a lively music scene.

Newcastle may look exciting, but it is difficult for outsiders.

Sheffield is populous, but it is little more than a run down Steel City. The people are pleasant and the beer is good, but the local idea of a night out is usually a pub quiz. My brother went to Sheffield, and he fitted in. But then, all he was interested was beer and rugby.

[SID SNOTT.]

I would say Glasgow.

Glasgow has 5 universities within its conurbation as well as countless colleges do it caters well for its vibrant and young student population with some of the best nightlife and shopping in the Uk bar none.

Glasgow is a vibrant multicultural city with all the resources that London has to hand on a smaller scale, but it's no way a small place.

Glasgow has the largest Transport network in the UK outside of london (overground buses, underground trains, extensive suburban and urban rail networks, ferrys) and probably has the most efficient mass transit network in the UK.

Glasgow is the only other UK city with a full underground system outside of London, the underground system is obviously smaller than London's underground network, though it is on of the oldest and original underground rail systems in the World, it was refurbished in 1980 with new trains etc and is set to be refurbished once again, there is also talk of extending the system and opening new stations as Glasgow is growing in population and economic significance after more than 50 years of terminal decline..

Glasgow was the first millionaire city outside of London in the UK (city proper with 1 million inhabitants), it kept its second city status until the mid 1950s when Birmingham took over the mantle as Glasgow city proper's population fell, Glasgow used to be one of the biggest cities in the world in the 19th century, and was mentioned in the same breath as London, Paris & Berlin until after ww2 when it went into economic and social decline.

Glasgow is growing once again, and there is around 2.3 million in her greater urban conurbation

Contrary to popular beleif and hearsay, Glasgow is not a monocultural city, it is a truly vibrant multicultural city with inhabitants from every country and culture on Earth, and has had such communities since the 19th century, having said this, Glasgow still reatians its Scottishness and British roots unlike many large English cities where the original culture and language and way of life has been all but lost in many areas.

Glasgow has an unfair reputation for drugs and urban violence , though they fail to tell people it is much safer and civilised than all comparable big English cities.

Glasgow has a world class live music scene and has spawned many bands.

Glasgow has a feel of a North American city and its centre is built on a grid system like many US cities, the New York Brownstone tenements are similar to the Glasgow sandstone tenements, these are mainly beautiful and are all over Glasgow and surrounding suburbs, and something almost unique to this city.


Glasgow has better architecture + more vibrancy than most other big Uk cities. This is why it is the Uk's 3rd most visited city by tourists after London & Edinburgh.

Glasgow is the London of Scotland in relation to its influence on Scotland comparable to Londons influence on England as well as percentage of population and cultural and economic significance, Glasgow also has UK and Global significance and appeal.

Glasgow is recognised Globally as the most succesfull post industrial city and conurbation on the planet, it has turned itself from total economic and industrial collapse that brought massive social and economic problems, to being cleaned up and marketed as a city of architechture, music, culture and voted the freindliest city on Earth, urban planners across the world look to Glasgow as a model for urban and social regenaration.


Alternatively there is Edinburgh with a cosmopolitan feel and vibrant atmosphere or Manchester,Newcastle or Cardiff.

[RICHiii]

Don't think there is anywhere in UK quite like London and this is because London has a vibrant and cosmopolitan multicultural appeal about it.

If you try other cities, no doubt you'll find what you want, but there will be this nagging of something missing in the back of your brain. It's called London Calling - she will call you in the day and visit you at night, you will think yourself accursed for ever deserting her. She is your everlasting lover. She who must be obeyed and worshipped.

24 hours in londonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTiC5rB1Wck&feature=related

boroughs of london guide – with house prices, crime figures and morehttp://www.allinlondon.co.uk/boroughs/

budget restaurantshttp://golondon.about.com/od/eatingdrinking/tp/londoncheapeats.htm

camden markethttp://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&site=&source=hp&q=camden+market&oq=CAMDEN&gs_l=hp.1.0.0l10.2843.6766.0.9813.13.8.3.2.3.0.100.675.6j2.8.0.les%3B..0.0..​.1c.1.S5P7SikEFO4

guide – official london guide – find tube stations and siteshttp://www.visitlondon.com/areas/tube/

panoramic earth – the london maphttp://www.panoramicearth.com/1/London/The_London_Map

street sensation – londonhttp://www.streetsensation.co.uk/

things to do in london – what's on all over londonhttp://www.weekendnotes.com/london/

toilets in londonhttp://www.lastrounds.co.uk/public_toilets.html

tube and rail stationshttp://www.allinlondon.co.uk/the-tube.php


"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."
Dr Samuel Johnson of Fleet Street London

London UK 311212.0857

[Doethineb]

Try another capital city with a lower cost of living. This video is worth viewing. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/about/

[roddysul]

there isnt anywhere in the UK that can compete with london in terms of its astronomical cost of living and massive crime rate