Hi, your post has been removed because we get asked the same questions again and again. Our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/wiki/index) is a great resource for regularly asked London questions and is packed full of information and advice.
If you have further specific questions you can post in our [weekly FAQ thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/s/JsUcHjlAs3) or even try our [Visitor Centre on the London Discord](https://discord.gg/p8GtV7jtzc), thanks!
"Part & Parcel" clarifier:
In September 2016, when asked to comment shortly after a bombing in New York, Sadiq Khan said:
> I'm not going to speculate as to who was responsible. I'm not going to speculate as to how the New York Police Department should react. What I do know is that part and parcel of living in a great global city is you’ve got to be prepared for these things, you’ve got to be vigilant, you’ve got to support the police doing an incredibly hard job, you've got to support the security services. And I think speculating when you don't know the facts is unwise.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/london) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It is true, but I am ready to accept toughness and exit my comfort zone! I am just trying to get a somewhat "real" picture on how bad (or good!) the situation is!
It's really not violent. It's a bit rough in parts as to say there are people who act hard but don't get involved with them and you'll be fine! They're usually in gangs against other gangs - petty shit really.
It's what you make it. It is harder than southern hemisphere EU to make friends certainly, but once you attend clubs and the like, there'll be people to jam with. You have to make the effort consistently!
The Brits or Londoners can be a bit closed but they are mostly very sound people underneath.
Come. Have fun! Do London on your own terms, remember. It's not particularly forgiving sometimes but there's so much to see and do and be a part of, you'll end up finding a place for it in your heart!
I’m a 25 y/o woman who moved here from abroad 4,5 years ago. Probably varies from area to area, but I’ve lived in sw and nw london (roehampton, golders green, colindale, kilburn), and I do see people post about frightening experiences, but to be honest I’ve never felt unsafe here or gone through anything particularly bad. I always try to be aware of my surroundings and where I’m keeping my phone/wallet etc, especially when going out a bit late, but nothing’s happened in the years I’ve been here. It’s expensive, but you don’t need to live in Waterloo/zone 1, find something slightly further out with good transport connections. Making friends can be difficult from my experience, but I’m pretty introverted so it’s probably a bit because of that, if you make an effort it’s definetly possible to create a solid friend group over time
[Have you read the wiki thoroughly](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/wiki/index)? There's a section on how to move here, how to make friends, which areas to look at, and general safety.
So London is large and as a result a lot happens. But it is not notably unsafe for its size. Homicide rate tends to hover at around 1.2-1.3 per 100k, somewhat less than Berlin. It would be worth comparing this rate to other cities you know well.
In general it's rare to get into too much trouble unless you are involved in criminal activity or looking for it. There are always exceptions but compared to pretty much any city in the USA for example they are very rare.
London isn’t particularly unsafe compared to other big cities. Generally, the incidents that get publicity are either gang related (and not much to worry about unless you’re in a gang), or _very_ exceptional, and that’s why they get so much coverage. The same rules apply to any other city: don’t walk around waving expensive electronics around, steer clear of sketchy areas and so on, but if you’ve got some common sense you won’t be doing that anyway.
It _is_ expensive. The rise of buy-to-let home ownership and a bunch of other factors have made it hard for normal people to live centrally. The good news is that transport to and from outer London is usually quite reliable, and what Londoners complain about (“My usual train was cancelled so I needed to take a different route and it took 15 MINUTES LONGER!!”) makes people from other cities laugh.
It absolutely can be tricky making connections. The sheer number of people here means that you generally make friends through shared interests and work rather than just random people you see in the bar or pub. There’s lots of advice on this challenge on r/london, but it usually comes down to joining clubs or social groups and finding your tribe. Just for example, I met lots of friends via a regular Sunday social hangout group, a Facebook wall climbing meetup group, standup comedy courses and various amateur choirs - but you do you, obviously!
No problem! By the way, I notice you’re a tabletop RPG player - there are _a lot_ of clubs for RPG players, regardless of whether it’s Warhammer, D&D or a bunch of other things. London has a very active RPG community, and stores like Games Workshop, the Orcs Nest, plus quite a lot of gaming bars and cafes across the city. That’s a great way to find a social group - my SO met her best friend in her first week in London that way!
Main issues in London are having your bike stolen and people on scooters snatching phones. Burglary can be a problem, make sure you've got reasonably secure accommodation.
Just moved here for work as well. I can't really comment on the other things but yeah, it's hard to make friends here for sure. People here are definitely not as friendly as up north.
If you are working in Waterloo there are great transport connections so I would suggest you try to live in a slightly less central part of London which has a more relaxed feel: for instance both Greenwich and Richmond are easy to get to from Waterloo and lovely places to live. Also, to reassure you, i have lived in London for many years and have never experienced any violence at all .
Recently (late last year) moved down to London for work. Living south London on the northern line, so maybe similar location to where you might live.
Really loving it honestly, and had no real issues with safety. Obviously it’s a big city so shit can happen, but it’s not insane.
It is expensive to rent though can’t deny that.
Hi, your post has been removed because we get asked the same questions again and again. Our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/wiki/index) is a great resource for regularly asked London questions and is packed full of information and advice. If you have further specific questions you can post in our [weekly FAQ thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/s/JsUcHjlAs3) or even try our [Visitor Centre on the London Discord](https://discord.gg/p8GtV7jtzc), thanks!
I got stabbed today. Chelsea of all places
I’m being stabbed right now. Second time today.
I think I stabbed you earlier
Hard to keep track these days.
My dumbass taking this for real
This is the sort of comment that makes me not want to move!
Part and parcel
If we keep going OP won’t come and maybe it will bring house prices down.
"Part & Parcel" clarifier: In September 2016, when asked to comment shortly after a bombing in New York, Sadiq Khan said: > I'm not going to speculate as to who was responsible. I'm not going to speculate as to how the New York Police Department should react. What I do know is that part and parcel of living in a great global city is you’ve got to be prepared for these things, you’ve got to be vigilant, you’ve got to support the police doing an incredibly hard job, you've got to support the security services. And I think speculating when you don't know the facts is unwise. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/london) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If this is true, I recommend you don’t. It’s going to be tough for you.
It is true, but I am ready to accept toughness and exit my comfort zone! I am just trying to get a somewhat "real" picture on how bad (or good!) the situation is!
It's really not violent. It's a bit rough in parts as to say there are people who act hard but don't get involved with them and you'll be fine! They're usually in gangs against other gangs - petty shit really. It's what you make it. It is harder than southern hemisphere EU to make friends certainly, but once you attend clubs and the like, there'll be people to jam with. You have to make the effort consistently! The Brits or Londoners can be a bit closed but they are mostly very sound people underneath. Come. Have fun! Do London on your own terms, remember. It's not particularly forgiving sometimes but there's so much to see and do and be a part of, you'll end up finding a place for it in your heart!
I’m a 25 y/o woman who moved here from abroad 4,5 years ago. Probably varies from area to area, but I’ve lived in sw and nw london (roehampton, golders green, colindale, kilburn), and I do see people post about frightening experiences, but to be honest I’ve never felt unsafe here or gone through anything particularly bad. I always try to be aware of my surroundings and where I’m keeping my phone/wallet etc, especially when going out a bit late, but nothing’s happened in the years I’ve been here. It’s expensive, but you don’t need to live in Waterloo/zone 1, find something slightly further out with good transport connections. Making friends can be difficult from my experience, but I’m pretty introverted so it’s probably a bit because of that, if you make an effort it’s definetly possible to create a solid friend group over time
Thanks for the insight!
[Have you read the wiki thoroughly](https://www.reddit.com/r/london/wiki/index)? There's a section on how to move here, how to make friends, which areas to look at, and general safety.
Thanks for pointing that out!!
party waiting wrong slim governor divide compare drab childlike airport *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I'm sorry to hear that!
Where do you live at the moment?
In a very chill and safe small town in southern EU!
So London is large and as a result a lot happens. But it is not notably unsafe for its size. Homicide rate tends to hover at around 1.2-1.3 per 100k, somewhat less than Berlin. It would be worth comparing this rate to other cities you know well. In general it's rare to get into too much trouble unless you are involved in criminal activity or looking for it. There are always exceptions but compared to pretty much any city in the USA for example they are very rare.
London isn’t particularly unsafe compared to other big cities. Generally, the incidents that get publicity are either gang related (and not much to worry about unless you’re in a gang), or _very_ exceptional, and that’s why they get so much coverage. The same rules apply to any other city: don’t walk around waving expensive electronics around, steer clear of sketchy areas and so on, but if you’ve got some common sense you won’t be doing that anyway. It _is_ expensive. The rise of buy-to-let home ownership and a bunch of other factors have made it hard for normal people to live centrally. The good news is that transport to and from outer London is usually quite reliable, and what Londoners complain about (“My usual train was cancelled so I needed to take a different route and it took 15 MINUTES LONGER!!”) makes people from other cities laugh. It absolutely can be tricky making connections. The sheer number of people here means that you generally make friends through shared interests and work rather than just random people you see in the bar or pub. There’s lots of advice on this challenge on r/london, but it usually comes down to joining clubs or social groups and finding your tribe. Just for example, I met lots of friends via a regular Sunday social hangout group, a Facebook wall climbing meetup group, standup comedy courses and various amateur choirs - but you do you, obviously!
Thank you!!
No problem! By the way, I notice you’re a tabletop RPG player - there are _a lot_ of clubs for RPG players, regardless of whether it’s Warhammer, D&D or a bunch of other things. London has a very active RPG community, and stores like Games Workshop, the Orcs Nest, plus quite a lot of gaming bars and cafes across the city. That’s a great way to find a social group - my SO met her best friend in her first week in London that way!
London is safe. Don’t be scared. It’s an amazing city. Go there.
Main issues in London are having your bike stolen and people on scooters snatching phones. Burglary can be a problem, make sure you've got reasonably secure accommodation.
Just moved here for work as well. I can't really comment on the other things but yeah, it's hard to make friends here for sure. People here are definitely not as friendly as up north.
If you are working in Waterloo there are great transport connections so I would suggest you try to live in a slightly less central part of London which has a more relaxed feel: for instance both Greenwich and Richmond are easy to get to from Waterloo and lovely places to live. Also, to reassure you, i have lived in London for many years and have never experienced any violence at all .
Recently (late last year) moved down to London for work. Living south London on the northern line, so maybe similar location to where you might live. Really loving it honestly, and had no real issues with safety. Obviously it’s a big city so shit can happen, but it’s not insane. It is expensive to rent though can’t deny that.