British Expatriate Network

Hi, new to this site as I'm thinking of making the jump to the other side of the pond, and whilst i've found a lot of good info here, i thought i'd find out if anyone fancied giving me any advice - my experience of these forums is that there are always people more than ready to throw in their opinions... ;) ....SO...here's my situation:

IN my late 20s, and until last year had spent all my working life in UK, as a musician/DJ, and finally music teacher. Last year i decidedd to jack it all in and travel, ended up in Czech Republic, where I now work at local radio station, still DJ in clubs, and also teach english to swell my meagre income. All's OK, but im ready to move on now, and the states is one of three places i'm considering. So what d'you reckon the opportunities are for:

1) Work. I'm wondering specifically about teaching music technology - there are plenty of vacancies in UK and OZ for this kind of work, anyone know about the scene over there? ALSO, as a DJ I'd want to continue playing in clubs, raves, etc in US - some people have said that being a UK DJ is a good selling point (it certainly works over here) - true?

2) Culture So its different over there right? I've worked that out from some of the other threads...but how are we Brits received in normal, everyday life?

3) Cash I'm not looking to make my fortune over there, but with a normal job/lifestyle, is it easy to save?

4)Living In UK and CZ i'm used to living in a small space, driving a small car on small roads (and i have to say, in UK i was on pretty good money), etc...on a normal wage in the states, what sort of place could i expect to be living in?

5) I'm single Why mention this? I just want to make the point that i've got no baggage, its just me here. On the plus side, that means i can make my own decisions based on what i think is best for me - on the minus side, i've got no support during those dark moments when everythingg goes wrong. And one other thing, not a deal breaker but i might as well find out everything if i can; since ive been travelling through E.Europe, ive met plenty of American girls, and i have to say, i think they're great - and for their part, they seem to love meeting "Briddish guys"...is it the same over there? Or are the ones i meet just those who are cool enough to leave america in the first place, leaving all the ugly stoopid ones at home :D ?

SO yeah, big post to start off with, if u care to leave your comments on any or all of the above i'd be MOST grateful...cheers!

Look into getting a Visa to come over. Thats the difficult part. Unless you work in an extremely sought out profession, extremely good at your profession, have a lot of cash, or are married to an American, then I wouldn't even consider it.

Er......you not too far from the truth here.... :lol:

It depends on what kind of tunes you spin. LA, Vegas, Atlanta and Miami are the hottest places, hip-hop and mash-up are the two biggest things on this side of the pond right now.

Depends how you behave. If you're a pompous stick-up-the-butt type you won't have much fun here. If you live in someplace like Idaho or Nebraska you'll wish you were dead. I'm received just fine on a daily basis... but be prepared to have complete strangers ask you to say stuff "becorz yewer acsend iz soo kewl".

Providing you don't spend it all on beer, tacos and neon-lit spinners you should be okay.

Depends where you live. You want to be on Manhattan you'll be living in a shoe-box. Move someplace cheap like South Carolina you can afford a 15-room mansion with a pool.

Yes.

New York City, where I live, is about as an exciting place as any young single man could wish to be.

As adeshell says - getting a visa sorted will be your biggest hurdle - maybe some kind of training course in music will give you a legitimate reason to be here - though you might not be able to work. There are a few Brits working illegally over here - I've met a couple and they get by - but that's not an easy life.

Renting a flat in NY is cheaper outside of Manhattan. Brooklyn and Queens 1-bed aprtments may go for something like $1500 a month maybe less. If you share this gets cheaper. Day to day living is cheaper than London I think. A meal in a average restaurant will cost you about $30. Supermarket and take-out places re plentiful. Beer is about $6 a pint plus a $1 tip.

NY is a world city - so you'll get to meet girls from every corner of the US and the world. I'm sure they'll be some Anglophiles amongst them.

Cheers people...thanks for the advice about Visas, I've got various ideas about that hurdle though, so hoping it wont be a problem...and RudeBoy, what exactly is a neon lit spinner (we're a bit behind the times here in eastern europe oops )?!?

SO...despite what ive read on other posts, looks like the place might be worth a try?

Find out if you CAN come over, before you wonder if you should come over.

If you don't know what spinners are you haven't seen MTV any time over the past couple of years... those wheels that spin around, like Escalades and other pimped rides


/just had to share this image
//keepin' it real yo :mrgreen:

I've had enough of the UK.
What's Florida really like, I have heard a place called the big bend ? is good.
I lke the warmth, but not boiling all the time, or is there a part of USA with a perfect all year temperature. ?

Never heard of it personally but I would never live in Florida either. Way too humid in the summer for my taste.

You may do better in California, it seems to have the most even temps year round but still that depends on what part your in.

The first thing to do is to get your head around just how big this country is.
One state can have many different temperate areas hundreds of miles apart or only a few miles away.
Sunny beaches, snowy mountains, foggy and damp, rainy.

As moving here from the UK is not so easy, legality wise, I would suggest you find out if you are eligible for a visa before picking a place to live, as it may depend more on where you can get a job than where you want to be, unless you are retired with lots of money.

Floriduh is hot, humid, full of crocodiles, old Cubans and banjo-playing freaks who drive special hillbilly boats, run by the President's brother, and the only reason any normal Brit goes there is to visit Unca Walt.

The Southwest - Nevada, Nueva Mexico and Arizona get my vote.

I like Arizona - it's hot in the summer but very pleasant in the winter.

You know, after living here a while, you tend to think that the UK has a perfect all year temperature!!! I lived in Georgia for 5 years and after a while I found myself craving colder weather.

You're a bit insane aren't you? Also, you sound like you know next to nothing about the States. Your very limited in your knowledge. I feel bad that you rely on MTV as your link to the American culture. You know who you seem to emlulate? The overprivileged bored out of their mind wiggers from upperclass American suburbs. The suburbs you hate apparently. :wink:

Anyway, as to the weather. Southern California probably has what you're looking for. Or Northern California for that matter. It's pretty moderate year round. Florida gets VERY humid in the summer. It is very beautiful though and I don't think I've ever seen one banjo playing hillbilly there. Maybe rudeboy is thinking of Alabama. :P Arizona is extremely hot in the summer. Like hell. It's also extremely boring. Like hell. I've lived there and I couldn't wait to get out. Nevada and New Mexico are the same. Yuck. Everything looks the same and there is NO green. I live in Southern California now and I think it's very cool. When it gets too hot inland, you just head out to the beach or the mountains. There's lots to do and it has a huge club scene which you would need with your job. I've also lived in NY and THAT is THE place to be. But you'd have to like the cold. Hope this was helpful.

You know Maclen, I started to read your post, and I thought "Whoopee, we've got a real live troll on the board". Usually we welcome new members, but then, new members usually don't open up with personal attacks on existing members.

I'll wait to see if I want to welcome you.