Hey i know there are some guys here from london...is the southeast section a nice area? is it fixie friendly? If i go for a few months...is it worth bringing the bike?

thx

if it were me, and bringing the bike wouldn't be a huge hassle, i'd say bring it. you see a different side of a place when you explore it via bicycle.

of course, you already knew that, and mine is not the opinion you seek.

just the same, i say if you can, you should.

If you are there for a few month, then bring your bike. much more fun to explore the city on the bike than anything else. London is all relatively flat.
As for southeast, it all really depends on where you end up, but at least you will live closer to herne hill than north of the river.

isw it a nice area? im looking to do a semester abroad at goldsmith's...but ive heard that southeast london is kinda shabby

If you go to Fodors Travel website and post the same question on their Europe Forum you will get into a long slanging match. SE London seems to have pockets of poverty and and pockets of wealth, also pockets of various Ethnic origins totally unrelated and overlapping. In other words, it is the most diverse city you will ever visit. Someone like trespasser would need much more specifics than 'SE' to make a comment. More like my dorm is on x street, my classes are on y street and my comfort level is z. I would think that if you are from Philly, you would love the experience.

SE London's OK for cycling, if you try to keep off the A2 and assorted other huge roads populated mostly by men in white vans.

Im moving to London the 14th, what neighborhoods are similiar to Mission Bernal Heights in SF, Im very excited btw. Is fixed gear noticeable there, someone said it is tiny, can you bring your ride on the tube?

Marc

This is absolutely right - also SE london covers a pretty big place with a lot of different areas. It's all pretty fix friendly cos there aren't that many big hills.

Goldsmiths college is in new cross, which is a pretty shabby area, and is near peckham, which is another pretty shabby one. But they are both really diverse and interesting and you would discover a huge range of cultures there. Also the college is close to greenwich and blackheath which are pretty nice areas.

London's like that - areas change from one street to the next depending on which bits got bombed and replaced by high rise flats in the 60s.

I don't know what mission is like - ask fixedpip cos he just moved over here from SF. You basically can't bring your bike on the tube and the buses don't like them either so make sure you carry a flat kit.

Actually you can bring your bike on the tube. But only certain ones. See:
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cycles/routes/...ransport.shtml

London is a lot more mixed up than SF so its hard to think of an area thats similar to the mission or bernal. Plus I've only been here three months so my local knowledge is wonky. Obviously no huge latino population in london sadly (NO BURITTOS!!!!!) so the closest I've found to the Mission is the East End which is a little rough around the edges, with a large non-white population, lots of artists, a painfully trendy bit - shoreditch/hoxton and some cheap eats. But there are plenty of other bits of London which are similar ie Brixton, Tooting etc.

There are lots of lovely bits of London like Bernal as well. But they're pricey ie Primrose Hill/Hampstead Heath way. Note, London rents are expensive and if you're not a student you'll get stung by Council tax which will make your eyes water further.

Another thing to note is that if you live in North London you'll hardly ever go to South London and vice versa. You may make the odd excursion for entertainment or visiting friends but by and large it always seems to work out that way.

I like North and East London a lot: Hackney, Bethnal Green, Mile End, Islington and Kentish Town. Just like SF, streets change character pretty quickly, can go from dodgy to posh in a block.

Find somewhere near a park, near some nightlife (even if its just a decent pub) and with good transit links and you'll be laughing. The buses are great btw, 1/2 the price of the tube and go much further; though can be a little iffy at certain times of day.

Oh and if you want to ride some track this year theres only one Velodrome in London and its down south.
https://www.hernehillvelodrome.co.uk/

Its noticeable but small, not like SF. On a good day you may see a bunch of track/fixies depending where you are. Seen about 15 different riders around Hackney and theres a lot of messengers riding fixed in the centre.

Lots of riders down at Herne Hill as well

Pip and Momentum basically stomped that answer down. As for neighborhoods similar to the mission (which I've heard is sorta like the village or b-burg there really are non that compare however there are spots that are comparable hidden all over the city. London's got a much different character than SF or NYC when it comes to what's cool in terms of hoods and people. You're gonna find that there's far fewer "hipsters" in London.

Anyways, dunno much about your school exactly however 1% has been known to frequent the 0 degrees brewery in Blackheath which isn't too far from you and has fricking amazing black lager.

So to answer your question, definitely bring your bike, my first 2 weeks were hell without it and I feel like I know the city better than some friends who have lived there their whole lives just from riding everywhere.

Plus, the tube is now 3 quid (!!!) for a single. Which I discovered today, after mashing my fork into the back end of a car the other day...

For f*cks sake man. What happened to red ken? Good thing I don't use the tube.

red ken has done what all commie bastards do- power mad. oystercard saves you a quid on a single.

born and bred in south london and i love it- mostly daily excursions north of the water, its an alright place but pretty dirty and full of yupies (islington, tthe angel etc)

anyway, nthing like a few generalisations to sum up a city of 9 million.

bring the bike, and i hope you find it a good experience

thanks....we'll seeeee