It was a one bedroom rental in a newly developed skyscraper called the landmark, I think I paid about £1400/month. Cost was a thing, sure, but coming from Stockholm I was used to things being expensive and anyway the move to London effectively tripled my salary at the time. I was doing fine. After the year lease was up the estate agency wanted to jack the rent by 60%, which I then learned was par for the course in London so I moved around a bit, as you do. I eventually found myself living in Islington which I didn't mind so much.

It wasn't the one thing that made me loathe living in London though, it was more like death by a thousand cuts. It ground me down you could say.

I visited again this past Christmas for a few days, the first time I was in town just as a tourist. I can definitely see the appeal when you're staying just a few nights, it's a good tourist town, but living there just wasn't for me.