London, England

[mox]

I am interested in pursing a Ph.D at LSE in IR. I would appreciate if anyone had any info on the school layout, surrunding area and jsut any general info on housing etc. The more the better, thanks!

[Guest digger]

i dont know much about where you're coming to london from, but when i went to LSE from the US, i found everything chaotic. utterly chaotic. lse is situated at the heart of central london and im telling you friend housing is expensive. there are a number of lse "halls" spread throughout the city and getting into them is extremely difficult. i would encourage you to start early if you'd like to opt form one of these. do research each one of them as the costs, as well as distance to the school etc quite remarkably. worst thing about lse neighborhood - and please i dont mean to scare you off but i had an absolute shock - is that it doesn't have a "campus" feel to it. but whatever people have different tastes and it is a university in the middle of one of the greatest cities so a small cost i guess. other than that it's amazing. walking distance from covent garden, two tube stops and a number of other convenient bus routes. i know people who commute as much as an hour and half each way to come to school so your options for housing are fairly varied and quite naturally the costs go down as far away you go....

this was a bit of a ramble, but if you ahve specific questions, post them im sure people will follow up..

all the best..

[mox]

i dont know much about where you're coming to london from, but when i went to LSE from the US, i found everything chaotic. utterly chaotic. lse is situated at the heart of central london and im telling you friend housing is expensive. there are a number of lse "halls" spread throughout the city and getting into them is extremely difficult. i would encourage you to start early if you'd like to opt form one of these. do research each one of them as the costs, as well as distance to the school etc quite remarkably. worst thing about lse neighborhood - and please i dont mean to scare you off but i had an absolute shock - is that it doesn't have a "campus" feel to it. but whatever people have different tastes and it is a university in the middle of one of the greatest cities so a small cost i guess. other than that it's amazing. walking distance from covent garden, two tube stops and a number of other convenient bus routes. i know people who commute as much as an hour and half each way to come to school so your options for housing are fairly varied and quite naturally the costs go down as far away you go....

this was a bit of a ramble, but if you ahve specific questions, post them im sure people will follow up..

all the best..

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I am actually in La Jolla California so i figure its going to be a change if I get in. I had a few more specific questions such as is the area safe? what is housing for you average shared apartment in US Dollars such as a one bedroom, a studio or shared one bedroom etc. Do you know how early I apply for on "campus" housing as thats my first choice. Thanks

[Guest routemaster]

I'm considering accepting an offer to attend LSE. My major hesitation is the expense of living in London for a year (added to the outrageous course fees). Can anyone give some insight as to what life is like there on a budget, how's the LSE campus, what's the possibility of getting housing in an LSE residence, etc.? Much as I love London, and think highly of the LSE's reputation, I'm not sure if it's worth going into debt to go there. :?

[Guest guest]

London is very very expensive. My favorite city ever--but expensive!

[Guest guest]

i did my grad work at the lse. fact is, visiting london is a lot better than living there. i was there a year, but it seemed a lot longer. it's a hole. on the other hand, the school's fantastic. an amazing experience that i'll be repaying for the rest of my life.

[threedaystar]

I am accepted at LSE too.... I have lived in big cities before, but nothing compared to the size of London.

Can someone tell me how easy it is to find housing, if you do NOT go through the school?

What about expenses - how much does an average apartment cost for rent each month?

What are good areas and bad areas in London - close to LSE ?

I have lived in Europe before, so I know how much food is [ugh] but the apartment and rent thing is starting to freak me out. As I am in the US, it's not like I can go apartment hunting.

[swr22]

For private housing, look on gumtree.com. I would look to try and share with 2 or 3 other people. Areas like Kennington/Oval are probably the nearest reasonably priced areas. Any more info, pm me. I live about 2 minutes from the LSE.

[gtown09]

I just got my acceptance this week... and am super excited!

But, I have no clue how to find housing other than through the university. I applied to LSE's campus housing, which everyone says its the best deal and location... about 130 pounds per week.

Does anyone know what are the best campus halls?? I'd prefer to be close to the school.

And, any other recommendations about neighborhoods to live in??

Thx!

[threedaystar]

gtown: I went ahead and paid the fee for the on-campus housing. For where I get to live (in the heart of the city) I am guessing it will definently be the cheapest option.

I got posted to Nothumberland House - which is right on Trafalgar Square. Should be about a 20 minute walk to school (which is nothing...). Don't know what the rooms are like - but all graduate students get singles (yay us !).

You only have 14 days on which to decide if they give you housing. My advice is to suck it up and pay the 300$ for a deposit. It also should be somewhat refundable if you decide not to go. Um, the reason I say this...is because I actually got a better offer to another school and am seriously considering not going to LSE. If I do, I should be able to get some of the deposit back (at least I think).

[Ziz]

I graduated from LSE a couple of years ago so if anyone has any questions about residence/housing/areas of London this application cycle, ask away!

[a fragrant plant]

I graduated from LSE a couple of years ago so if anyone has any questions about residence/housing/areas of London this application cycle, ask away!

If I don't get into any of the American schools this year I'm going to apply to the LSE and SOAS next year. I don't think I can afford to live in central London so I will most likely be a commuter. Do you know of any decent areas in the outskirts of London that's 30 minutes to an hour away from Central London? Is it possible to rent a one bedroom with a £800 budget?

[LordNorth]

If I don't get into any of the American schools this year I'm going to apply to the LSE and SOAS next year. I don't think I can afford to live in central London so I will most likely be a commuter. Do you know of any decent areas in the outskirts of London that's 30 minutes to an hour away from Central London? Is it possible to rent a one bedroom with a £800 budget?

£800 total or £800 just for your rent? I think you should be looking to pay about £500 a month for one bedroom in a shared flat/house, and more than that if you want a one-bedroom place. Word of advice - I have a friend who spent a long time looking for a one-bedroom place, and all he found was disgusting stuff within his affordability range. I'd definitely say that shared house/flat is the way to go...

Living centrally is not *that* expensive compared to living in zones 2, 3 or 4. You have to shell out £100 a month or more for a travel card if you're going to be using the Tube regularly as a commuter.

Research areas carefully because there some quite undesirable places to live. However, there are also some amazing ones. I've lived in Hackney and Angel and love both areas.

[Ziz]

I second Angel. That's where I lived and I absolutely loved it. I think you could get away with 125/week for a room in a shared house. Much much more for a studio though. If your budget really is 800/month just for rent, you could probably get on the edge of zones 1/2.

[a fragrant plant]

I second Angel. That's where I lived and I absolutely loved it. I think you could get away with 125/week for a room in a shared house. Much much more for a studio though. If your budget really is 800/month just for rent, you could probably get on the edge of zones 1/2.

Thanks Ziz. Also, what do you think of LSE? I've heard that they've undergone major renovation. Do you know anything about it? What's your impression of LSE academically and culturally?

[econphdus]

Thanks Ziz. Also, what do you think of LSE? I've heard that they've undergone major renovation. Do you know anything about it? What's your impression of LSE academically and culturally?

I studied the MSc in Economics a few years ago. In the case of the MSc in Economics I think the price is not worth. Lectures were in big theatres with around 200 students (they mix students from different programs) and you don't get to interact with professors. But that was the case of the MSc in Economics, however, most of the other programs are smaller and with a higher academic quality. I must add that, besides I didn't get the chance to learn much, LSE really worked in my CV when looking for a job.

Culturally I loved LSE, it was a really multicultural experience and I got to know people from everywhere. Also, the experience of leaving your class and being in the center of London was absolutely amazing. I loved walking around the river or Covent Garden after my classes.

About accommodation, I lived at Bankside hall and I liked it. All LSE halls are ugly, old and smelly, but they are a good solution when you are risk averse and don't want to spend time in London looking for accommodation. Rooms at Bankside were quite big and you could get walking to LSE in around 20 minutes. The area was amazing, I love Borough market area and the riverside walk and they opened a Marks & Spencer under the hall, but, if you consider that area, I wouldn't recommend living under Southwark street, it is unsafe. I don't recommend Sidney Webb hall, the hall is nicer than Bankside, but the way to LSE is long and the area scary (at least for me).

[AmyWW]

£800 total or £800 just for your rent? I think you should be looking to pay about £500 a month for one bedroom in a shared flat/house, and more than that if you want a one-bedroom place. Word of advice - I have a friend who spent a long time looking for a one-bedroom place, and all he found was disgusting stuff within his affordability range. I'd definitely say that shared house/flat is the way to go...

Living centrally is not *that* expensive compared to living in zones 2, 3 or 4. You have to shell out £100 a month or more for a travel card if you're going to be using the Tube regularly as a commuter.

Research areas carefully because there some quite undesirable places to live. However, there are also some amazing ones. I've lived in Hackney and Angel and love both areas.

I agree about the leafy suburbs not being cheaper. The halls are really the best bargain. I live about 45 minutes away in North Greenwich and it costs me about 25 pounds a week in travelcards. Food is actually cheaper than the US, food from the grocery stores. Drinks are cheap at the pubs around the school and there are a lot of activities you can do with all the UCL campuses. Lots of free museums and things.

Truthfully, you'll be so busy with your classes, you won't have to worry about it. It's been a great experience and I'll second the part about the people. I've met some great people - students and faculty. It's been really cold and grey. That's the only think I could live without.

[Ziz]

Thanks Ziz. Also, what do you think of LSE? I've heard that they've undergone major renovation. Do you know anything about it? What's your impression of LSE academically and culturally?

Personally I loved the LSE but part of that could be the people I met. In my program class sizes were about 15 and they were all seminars and discussion-based. No lectures. My boyfriend at the time had a lecture class (he took a class outside our program) and there were about 30 people in it, so hardly huge. The LSE really is smack dab right in the middle but I would argue that it does still have a campus feel. All the buildings are clustered together so you run into people you know a lot and it's still fairly insular so non-university people aren't usually hanging around.

I lived in Rosebery Hall which I loved. I was originally accepted into Sidney Webb hall but visited it earlier in the year before I got there and hated it so I turned it down and got on the waitlist for something else. In the meantime I tried looking for private accommodation but wasn't particularly successful. I kept calling and they'd say the flat was already taken. I never even actually got to visit anywhere. Anyway I got off the waitlist 2 days before school started so I wouldn't say the halls are 'difficult to get into'. You just need to apply early and be patient. Almost all of my friends in my program were in halls so it can't be that hard.

LSE is also great because it has more grad students than undergrads so the culture really is mixed and there are lots of activities/societies for undergrads. Anymore questions, just ask!

[trlux]

I am also a former LSE student and loved my time there. I stayed in Grosvenor House which I can only recommend. The location - Covent Garden about five minutes by foot away from campus - is amazing. It's for postgrads only and has a great communal feel.

[a fragrant plant]

Hi there, thanks for the answer. I am considering of applying to the LSE. Thanks for recommending The Grosvenor House. It looks really good. I guess it's also pretty pricy. On LSE website a studio costs £750-£1000 pcm. Did you actually pay that much?

[a fragrant plant]

Hello Londoners, what areas should I look at if I want an easy commute to SOAS? I prefer quiet residental areas that are within easy access to SOAS and the British Library as I want to make good use of them. Proximity to supermarkets (preferably Waitrose or M&S, I try to avoid Tesco) is important because I do not want to eat out on a regular basis. I want to stay somewhere I feel comfortable walking home alone at night. I've had a look at the student accomodations such as the International Hall but I found them very over-priced. I'm considering private accommodation and I'm willing to pay up to £550PCM for a room in a nice flat. Thanks in advance for your advice!

[wreckofthehope]

Hello Londoners, what areas should I look at if I want an easy commute to SOAS? I prefer quiet residental areas that are within easy access to SOAS and the British Library as I want to make good use of them. Proximity to supermarkets (preferably Waitrose or M&S, I try to avoid Tesco) is important because I do not want to eat out on a regular basis. I want to stay somewhere I feel comfortable walking home alone at night. I've had a look at the student accomodations such as the International Hall but I found them very over-priced. I'm considering private accommodation and I'm willing to pay up to £550PCM for a room in a nice flat. Thanks in advance for your advice!

Somewhere along the Northern line would be a good bet - Archway maybe. Finsbury Park would also be an easy commute and kind of affordable... the other option would be East London, near either the Northern line at Old Street, or the Hammersmith and City line at Whitechapel - that would give you an easy tube ride to SOAS - those are all at the (slightly!) more affordable end of London rents, but somewhat...gritty places to live (in particular the East London locations). If you can afford to live in Angel/ Islington then that would be ideal - supermarkets, shopping restaurants etc it's all there and all very pleasant... but it's generally very expensive. A good rental website is Nestoria it has a helpful and easy-to-search interface/ database.

[rgarnham]

While I was living in Mile End/Stepney Green (East End) I regularly took the central line (20 mins) to Holborn to visit either Senate House Library (10 mins from the tube), which is next to SOAS, or the LSE library (5 mins from tube). Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and New Cross are some of the cheapest places to live within easy reach of central London. It is possibly to find a room in a house share for less than £330/month if you don't mind living in ex-council housing that isn't close to the tube. These are not the most pleasant areas to live in London, but they are very popular with students because of the price and the fact that the East End is 'happening'.

While renting a room in central London is not that much more expensive, day to day costs, especially food, tend to be a lot higher.

[2inschool]

Unexpectedly, I'm going to need to move from my flat in London in April or May and will only need accommodations until I graduate end of June. Does anyone from the area know if it's even possible to find a place for 2 or 3 months or

where I could start my search?

[db2290]

Unexpectedly, I'm going to need to move from my flat in London in April or May and will only need accommodations until I graduate end of June. Does anyone from the area know if it's even possible to find a place for 2 or 3 months or

where I could start my search?

I'd try gumtree.com as a first port of call, they might very well have short term rental information there.