the UK is anything but dying. Today, admittedly a nice sunny day (most of it) I've never seen Central London as packed and throbbing. Money being spent by the million. Huge queues. I've bought my coffee in the Algerian coffee shop in Old Compton Street for half a century; there was a long line into it (which I jumped, like Philip Scofield). Every cafe packed. Thoroughly pleasant atmosphere. Admittedly loads of homeless people. I seriously hope Government is on top of that.

JK2006 wrote:
the UK is anything but dying. Today, admittedly a nice sunny day (most of it) I've never seen Central London as packed and throbbing. Money being spent by the million. Huge queues. I've bought my coffee in the Algerian coffee shop in Old Compton Street for half a century; there was a long line into it (which I jumped, like Philip Scofield). Every cafe packed. Thoroughly pleasant atmosphere. Admittedly loads of homeless people. I seriously hope Government is on top of that.

Soho isn't really typical of most of the country. On a Saturday it will be full of tourists going to the theatre, getting drinks before or after their show. It will be people on a day out, when they are likely to spend more than normal. The Wetherspoons on Charing Cross road, The Montagu Pyke (formerly the Marquee Club) is always rammed at the weekend. When the fuel prices go up in October, a lot of hospitality places are going to struggle with fuel bills going up 5 fold, maybe people are just going before they all close down.

Recessions come and go but some central London areas aren't affected. Property prices in Mayfair, Belgravia, Park Lane etc. hardly moved during the slump. And Soho's hospitality businesses also seem virtually immune to market downturns. Uniqueness may be the answer.

Gester wrote:
Recessions come and go but some central London areas aren't affected. Property prices in Mayfair, Belgravia, Park Lane etc. hardly moved during the slump. And Soho's hospitality businesses also seem virtually immune to market downturns. Uniqueness may be the answer.

London seems to be immune from any money crisis.

Even a pokey bedsit in London is not cheap anymore. Wages in London are also a lot higher than most of England if the UK.

I hate London with passion but it's a massive tourist destination for gigs. Even the C2C annual show at the o2 Arena gets the yanks flying over.

Even if fuel does go up again a lot of Londoners don't have their own transport because it's so easy to get to A to B by public transportation like it in NYC. If you're not mugged, sliced or beaten up.