What it’s like to live in Amsterdam as an expat?
In this Expat Interview, Bruna will share her expat life in Amsterdam, from the cost of living in Amsterdam, overcoming difficulties and culture shock, to how to prepare for moving to this beautiful city.

1. About Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Amsterdam is the famous city in the Netherlands and one of the most open-minded in the world, if not the most. The city has the highest number of national heritage buildings, thriving cultural attractions and gorgeous canals that enchant both tourists and locals.

The famous narrow and crooked houses of Amsterdam.

Furthermore, Amsterdam is famous for good museums and interesting areas, such as the Red-Light District. Also, Amsterdam is also close to many stunning cities in the Netherlands, offering many day-trips possibilities.
Needless to say that it is an expat-friendly city, right? The local language is Dutch, but 99% of the people speak English very well.

2. How did you move to the Netherlands?

I moved from Brazil to the Netherlands in 2014 to be an au pair in Amsterdam. That was a great and cheap way to travel around Europe and I’ll forever be grateful that I took that decision! I would go somewhere new every single weekend (in the country or in Europe) and one of those trips was to Maastricht, a city in the south of the country.
On that occasion, I had a Tinder match with my (today) fiancé. Crazy, right? Yes, I know! But we’re not the only couple I know who met via Tinder. Anyway, one year after, we moved in together. Then I started to learn Dutch and eventually found a job in my study area.

3. Why did you choose to live in Amsterdam?

Well, before I decided to which country I’d go to, I’d look for posts on other travel bloggers’ websites and I found this post about the best things to do in Amsterdam. I was instantly in love with this place!
The houses have such a sweet Dutch Renaissance style and the canals were amazing in the photos, but when I saw them with my own eyes…I say that I didn’t choose Amsterdam, but I was chosen. Amsterdam is an open-minded city full of foreigners. It has a great atmosphere!

Amsterdam’s canals are the best attraction in summer months.

4. How to prepare for moving to Amsterdam?

The process was actually pretty simple. I had to gather all my documents and translate them to Dutch to apply for the visa. Then I bought some winter clothes because the ones I had were supposed to handle an 18 Celsius/ 64 Fahrenheit winter… In addition, I started studying Dutch on my own to make my life a little bit easier there.

5. Did you experience any difficulties when moving to Amsterdam?

Yes, mainly because of the weather. In Brazil, most of the days have a clear sky and are warm, but in the Netherlands…it was so cold and gray! It still is cold and gray but I’m more used to the cold now. Only the gray and dull days bother me. It feels like I need the sun to keep my energy up, that’s my fuel. To deal with that we travel to southern Europe to find the sun and get a little break of the winter here.

6. What is the cost of living in Amsterdam?

a) Accommodation in Amsterdam

Like I said above, the Netherlands is pricey in general, so this isn’t different with accommodation in the most popular cities. The rent average is around 1.350 euro for a 70m2 apartment.

b) Groceries

We spend around 200/250 euro/month on groceries. I don’t think this is a lot for two people, but we shop different items in different supermarkets, just because it’s cheaper.

c) Transportation

The public transport system in the Netherlands is very good, but it’s pricey too. A return train ticket to Rotterdam would cost me 30 euro. Ouch! Luckily, many stores offer day-tickets for the train for 15-20 euro every month.
Buses and trams are charged per kilometer, so it can be advantageous, but it’s still expensive if you use it on daily basis. That is one of the reasons why plenty of people ride a bike instead of taking a bus because it’s much cheaper.

7. Did you experience any discrimination in Amsterdam?

A little bit. It’s luckily not a common thing, but it takes only one person to ruin your day, right? In the beginning, I had someone asking me if I was in a relationship with my fiancé to be “able” to live in Europe. I mean, seriously? That sounds so repulsive that I chose to ignore that person from that day on. It’s so sad that many people judge you based on the country’s name on your passport. Many of those have never even been to Brazil…but that’s okay. My fiancé says “if they think like that, it’s not worth to explain it”, and I totally agree with him.
But today, I no longer experience any discriminations, maybe because I’ve been in the country for quite a while and speak their language pretty well.

8. How did you overcome culture shock in Amsterdam?

I only realized it after a month or so that we have very different cultures. For example, most Dutch people plan appointments (to drink a coffee, etc) a week in advance at least, Brazilians plan something for tonight or tomorrow night. Also, if you knock on their door at dinner time, they will ask you to come back later, when they’re done eating. If you would do the same in Brazil, you’d probably be invited to have dinner with them.
These are just a few examples of a long list! Those things seemed weird to me when I moved here, but not anymore. I come from a much warmer culture where people like to be together and make new friends. But now I see it as simple differences in both countries’ history and culture. It’s a process that takes time to get used to.
That’s what I love about traveling. It opens your mind to see the differences as they are. Rather than creating discriminatory opinions.

9. What do you like about Amsterdam?

I adore the old architecture and charming canals the city has. Amsterdam is so enchanting all yearlong and, thankfully, has a lot to offer in all seasons. Also, the cafes are just fantastic! Hipster crowd and cool atmosphere make the cafes in the city very cozy.

View from one of the many bridges of Amsterdam.

For travel-lovers like me, it’s a perfect location because you can easily reach other cities in the country or take a train to Paris, Brussels, Berlin, and London.

10. Are there any bad things about Amsterdam?

Hmm, I don’t like…that it is expensive and full of tourists. The Netherlands is a pretty expensive country, but Amsterdam is the cherry’s cake. Rent costs way too much in my opinion. And yeah, thousands of tourists come here every day, so when you want to reach somewhere on foot or bike, it can take a while because the streets are full. Besides that, Amsterdam is a stunning place. I don’t have anything to complain about.

11. What are your favorite things to do in Amsterdam?

I love wandering around the city center, visiting museums, having a beer in some cozy bars or taking pictures of the streets. The city center is very photogenic, especially the Seven Bridges – a place from where you can see 7 bridges one after the other along a canal. It’s so beautiful!

Amsterdam is full of flowers during spring.

Also, the city park, Vondelpark, is usually my favorite place to enjoy summer days drinking a beer while laying on the grass.

12. How can you make new friends in Amsterdam?

I met many foreigners in my Dutch courses. People from all continents and ages! I didn’t have the same luck with locals though. Nevertheless, Dutch people are always very friendly, so it’s pretty easy to engage with them.

13. Do you hang out with locals or foreigners mostly?

After the last question, this is an easy one. I hang out mostly with foreigners. The only locals I hang out with are my fiancé’s group of friends. I also interact with expat communities in Amsterdam, mostly with students and travelers.

14. Where is your favorite place in Amsterdam to meet friends?

We don’t have a standard place to hang out, but it’s usually a bar or a café (coffee shop in the Netherlands is the place where people use soft drugs). There are plenty of good options for bars/ cafes in the Jordaan neighborhood. Oh, we also go often to a very cozy and hipster bar/ restaurant next to NDSM in North Amsterdam.

15. A memorable experience in Amsterdam

When I had just arrived in Amsterdam, a friend invited me to go ice skating in front of the Rijksmuseum and I said yes right away. However, I had no idea of what I could expect from the winter…
And since Dutch people ride a bike to go everywhere, we wanted to go there by bike as well. Just so we could feel a little more like locals, you know. But I was totally unprepared for the striking cold wind and the only bike I had was a kids-size one. So I was riding a tiny bike on an icy evening for around 10km. When we arrived there, I couldn’t feel my face and hands for a long, long time! On the next day, I had back pain and my cheeks were burned! It wasn’t nice back then, but today I laugh when I think about it.

16. Did you change your perspective about Amsterdam after living here?

Yes, it’s almost impossible not to do it. When you move to a city, you have no idea how that place really is. I had a totally different perspective of the whole country actually, but it’s a slow process to learn how life goes in another culture and wonderful to fully experience it.

17. What are your advice and tips for moving/ living in Amsterdam?

First of all, learn the local language! Most parts of the locals speak English very well, but that’s not their native language. It’s not the government language, or television, etc. No, it’s all in Dutch. So, in order to make you feel a part of society and also to make more local friends, I highly recommend studying it. There are many excellent websites that I used to learn it. So, it’s possible to do it online and for free.
Secondly, forget a car, buy a bike! The city center is full of bikes, people, everything. I don’t find it car-friendly, what I think that it is amazing, actually. Plenty of people go to the bar, to the school, to work, and supermarket by bike. So, get used to doing it too.

18. Would you recommend others to live in Amsterdam?

Certainly! The city has everything to offer to its population. Really everything that you think! It has a gorgeous city center full of nice stores and cozy bars/ cafes. A central station easily reached by bike, bus or tram. Pleasant parks and good markets to stroll around. Amsterdam also has a jovial and open-minded atmosphere. I’m totally in love with it, you noticed it, right? Lol.

19. What have you learned from living abroad?

I’m much more independent. I have to do way more things on my own because my family isn’t here to help me like they used to do, so I’ve grown up a lot.
I have also learned that I love museums and other cultures! I’ve been to more museums in Amsterdam than I’ve been in my whole life until I moved there.
I just want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this interview! I hope it will inspire many people to come visit the charming Amsterdam and, who knows, to move here as well.

20. More about Bruna

Bruna is the voice behind the travel blog Maps ‘N Bags. Her blog focus on providing travel tips to help other travelers to travel the world as well. She has been to many countries and city across the globe and has plenty travel hacks to share! Apart from her blog, she is also passionate about beer, coffee, laughing, animals, photography…the list is long! If you want to know more about her, check out Maps ‘N Bags.

Don’t forget to follow her adventures on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Are you thinking of living in London, or just wonder what it’s like to live in London as an expat? In this Expat Interview, Claire will answer all the questions regarding expat life in London. You can understand the city better from an expat’s viewpoint, and get to know important information such as the cost of living in London, how to prepare for moving to London, overcoming difficulties, best things to do in London, etc.

About London

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. With more than 8 million people, it is the biggest city in Europe and its surface area is twice as big as New York. From the romantic neighborhood of Notting Hill to the super trendy Shoreditch, London offers something for every taste and everyone. It is also home to some of the most famous museums (and most are free to visit!), theatre shows, and touristic sights. Each corner of the city transports you to a very different world where different cultures and languages mix to create one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Is London a great place to live as an expat? Read this interview and Claire will let you know!

1. A bit about Claire – Our Interviewee today

My name is Claire, I was born and raised in the North East of France. I moved to the UK in 2011 after spending 18 months in the US, so this wasn’t the first time I moved abroad. I am a Communications Manager for a healthcare technology company.

After studying and working in the US for 18 months, I knew I wanted to live closer to my family. I had enjoyed my time in the US and developed a strong taste for the expat life, so I decided to look for a job in London. I knew I loved the city as I had visited several times before, and it was much closer to France. It took me a while to find a job. I was temporarily based in France while looking for a job in the UK. After a few months, I finally got a graduate position in London and moved!

2. Why did you choose to live in London?

I had always loved London and I was already speaking fluently English so it was an obvious destination for me. London is huge, very cosmopolitan and there are so many things to do, you can never get bored of it. What is there not to like? The weather, I guess you definitely don’t move to London for the weather!

Rainy day in West London

3. How to prepare for moving to London?

Being European it was pretty straightforward as I didn’t need a visa. I just packed and moved. The only thing I would recommend planning for if you don’t need a visa, is a deposit for a rental accommodation. London is expensive so deposits can be fairly high. Also, don’t bother with summer clothes, winter last 10 months here.

4. Cost of living in London

Living in London is VERY expensive!

• Rental accommodation can go anywhere from £700 for a small double bedroom in a shared flat, to £1800 for a spacious 2-bedroom apartment in Zone 2.
• Groceries are average and similar to places like Paris. London also offers a great variety of eateries so you can eat out on pretty much any budget.
• Transport is VERY expensive with a monthly Oyster Card Zone 1-2 costing a whopping £131.
• Your salary is taxed directly at the source so there is not much to worry after that other than the council tax and your electricity, gas and water bills.

If you decide to move to London just expect to have no money by the end of the month is the short of it. You can and probably will spend it all.

• Read related article: Cost of living in Paris, France

5. How to overcome difficulties while living in London?

I have some difficulties with people’s accents! Everybody speaks differently in the UK which at first was overwhelming even if I was already speaking fluently. I eventually got used to it, but it still takes a fair amount of ‘Pardon?’ every now and then.
Making new friends can be a challenge too, mostly with British people as most already have their network of friends. It took me a long time, and even now I don’t have a million friends but the ones I have are very dear to me! Quality over quantity!

6. Did you experience any discrimination in London?

No, being French, when I meet someone new, I usually just get compliments about French food or some mention of a vacation they took in France. Sometimes I get a funny look when I first talk because people do not expect me to have an accent, but that is pretty much it. French bashing is a thing though and the constant jokes about French people can be tiring.

7. Did you have culture shock in London?

Not really, being European and having lived abroad before, I knew how to deal with cultural shock, plus I had visited London before and I was aware of the main differences with France. Most differences made for funny stories and I talked a lot about it on my blog. I am also very lucky to have never been homesick!

8. What do you like about London?

It is so big that there is always something new to discover! Museum, eateries, bars, neighborhoods, I think it would take a lifetime to visit every corner of London. There are also so many parks, which is amazing to have access to in such a big city. I have never lived more than 5 minutes’ walk away from a green space in my seven years in London.

Londoners picnicking in Blackheath

9. Is there anything that you don’t like about London?

The trains! They are always delayed, slow and so dated.

10. What are your favorite things to do in London?

On weekends, I love to take a walk in a new neighborhood with my husband. I can easily get claustrophobic in small cities so I embrace the fact that there is always a new street to discover in London. I am also on a constant quest for the best food and I love to try a new restaurant or cafe.

Having a cup of coffee at Café of Good Hope in South East London

11. Where would you recommend to visit in London?

It is a tough question! If it is your first time in London and you have limited time, visit all the touristic sights because they are actually worth it! The South Bank, Buckingham Palace, St Paul, etc., many places to go!
If it is your second or third time, start to walk further away and visit Notting Hill, Shoreditch, Columbia Road, Greenwich. Visit a couple of museums too, my favorites are the Natural History Museum (because of dinosaurs!)  and the Victoria & Albert Museum (just beautiful). During any visit after that, take the time to watch a show in the West End, have lunch or dinner in one of the many food markets (Mercato Metropolitano is fantastic) and go explore neighborhoods further away like Hampstead, Brixton, and Richmond.

St James Park with Buckingham Palace in the background

12. Is it easy to make friends in London?

As I mentioned above, it can be challenging to make friends in London. Foreigners are usually easier to reach out to as, like any expatriate, they are away from home. British people can be a bit coyer and more reserved so it can be difficult to connect with them at the beginning. In both cases, it takes time.

13. Do you hang out with locals or foreigners mostly?

I mainly hang out with locals, but this is mainly because my husband is British and his friends became mine (at least that’s what I think ☺). I also made a lot of friends through work which helped a lot!

14. Where is your favorite place in London to hang out with friends?

This is a difficult question to answer as I have so many: Chiswick, East Dulwich, and Marylebone, to name a few. What is important to know is that ‘real’ Londoners do not live in the central neighborhoods, so if you want to meet some you will have to go at least in Zone 2 or 3. If you decide to move to London and live in the very central and/or popular area chances are all your neighbors will be foreigners.

15. A memorable experience in London

People camping in the street for Kate Middleton and Prince William wedding

I have been in London for seven years so it is hard to choose one! I got my first grown-up job here, I met my husband here, I got a cat, I bought a house, Will and Kate got married, I went to the London Olympic Games, I went to numerous shows and concerts, I ate all the food the world has to offer… So far, I would say that the London life is my favorite memory! But ask me again in five years!

16. Did you change your perspective about London after living here?

Street art in the streets of London

Yes, London is not a giant Notting Hill! It has rough bits, ugly bits, and non-terraced houses bits.

17. What are your advice and tips for moving/ living in London?

Just do it! I have moved abroad twice now and the main lesson I have is that moving abroad just requires planning and organization, but it is really not rocket science. You can make it as complicated or simple as you want it to be. In regards to London, only move there if you like to live in big cities if you are a countryside person you may find it too overwhelming.

18. Would you recommend to live in London?

If you can afford it? Absolutely! If it is too expensive for you, but you still want to move to the UK, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bath, and Brighton can be fantastic alternatives. There is so much more to the UK than London!

19. What have you learned from living abroad?

Cherry Blossom in Notting Hill

To be more attentive and respectful of different cultures. Things can very easily get lost in translation so don’t jump to conclusions straight away. Be patient, listen and be observant, body language can mean everything!
I find that living abroad is so much more interesting than living at home. If you are curious about it, just do it! Trust me, you will have ZERO regrets!

20. More about Claire

Claire is a French living in London. Communications professional by day and blogger at Claire Imaginarium by night, she loves food, traveling, London, her husband – Andrew and her cat Buffer. She can spend a ridiculous amount of time in a furniture shop and love to get lost in the aisles of drugstores looking for the best face cream. Don’t forget to follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

Do you know what it’s like to live in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, as an expat? In this interview, Katie will share expat life in Glasgow. She will discuss the cost of living in Glasgow, things to do in Glasgow, how to overcome culture shock and more.

About Glasgow, Scotland

Despite not being the capital of Scotland, Glasgow is the country’s largest city. Situated on the River Clyde, Glasgow is an old port city, with shipbuilding being the main industry historically. Glasgow went through a significant period of industrial decline post-war before this began gradually improving in the 1980’s. In recent years, Glasgow’s modern and progressive arts and music scene juxtaposed against its old world architecture and heritage have seen the city grow into a vibrant and alluring place.

The River Clyde

About Katie

My name is Katie and I’m a physiotherapist from Perth, Australia. Coming from the most isolated capital city in the world I’ve always had a sense of wanting to travel and see different parts of the world, whether it be my own country or somewhere much further away. My first taste of overseas was not until I was 20 years old when a high-school friend and I set off to explore Europe on a working holiday. During this six month visit, I spent a tiny three days in Scotland and decided I loved this place and would one day come back to live here. Fast forward 10 years and I found myself living in the suburbs of Perth with a 9-5 job and a dog wondering what had happened to those lustful travel dreams….

I moved to Glasgow in March 2016. I had been living in Inverness the year prior when I’d made the big move from Australia to Scotland. Inverness was lovely but too small and I craved life in a bigger city.

1. Why did you choose to live in Glasgow?

During my year in Inverness, I’d had a couple of weekend city breaks in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Edinburgh remained pretty and charming but Glasgow to me just felt extremely comfortable and liveable. Visits to Glasgow had included seeing bands, eating at interesting restaurants, visits to quirky bars and lots of fun. I knew with all of this on offer that I’d never get bored in Glasgow.

2. Procedure for moving to Glasgow

Moving to Glasgow for me was actually super easy, mainly because I had already made the big overseas move and was now just making a smaller inter-city move. I applied for jobs and searched for flats online so when it came time to make the move, I had the luxury of having a job and a place to live already lined up.

3. Overcoming difficulties and culture shock in Scotland

Whilst there are certainly cultural differences between Scotland and Australia, both are western, English speaking countries, which makes amalgamation into a new city that little bit easier than moving to a country whose language is not your first.

A lot of the cultural differences are minor things like food (the Scottish love their haggis, black pudding and anything deep fried). There are also some words and sayings that are unique to Scotland and it can take a bit of time to understand what people are saying, particularly with the thick Glaswegian accent. A friend from work bought me a mug with Scottish words and the English translations for my first Christmas here, I think partly as a joke but it has come in very handy!

4. Is there any discrimination while living in Scotland?

I personally have not experienced any discrimination as a foreigner in my whole time here in Glasgow. I am however a Caucasian female and without speaking to me and hearing my Australian accent, you wouldn’t necessarily know that I was a foreigner. In general, though I have found Scottish people very friendly and accepting of people from all different places and I would expect anyone who came here would be made to feel welcome.  Overall attitudes to immigration in Scotland are less negative than in the rest of Britain, backed up by the fact Scotland overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU during the Brexit vote.

5. Cost of living in Glasgow Scotland

The cost of living in Glasgow is certainly cheaper than some of the other large cities in the UK like Edinburgh and London. This applies to all the main essentials such as accommodation, food, transport, and spending.

a) Accommodation in Glasgow

Accommodation prices vary depending on what you are looking for. The most desirable areas to live would be either the West End or the Southside. West end is the pricier of the two. You could get a decent sized room to rent in a shared flat in either location for around £350-£500 including bills. The price for a one bedroom flat in the area ranges from around £400-£700 and you would then need to pay council tax (around £100pcm) and bills on top of that. There are cheaper places but you tend to get what you pay for in terms of location and quality of the flat. It is common for flats here to be rented out fully furnished which is great and means you don’t need to worry about buying a ton of stuff.

b) Public transportation in Glasgow

Glasgow also has excellent public transport links, meaning it is by no means essential to have a car in this city. Wherever you choose to live I would recommend within a 5-10 minute walk of a train station or the subway would make getting around easy. Both go into the city center at regular intervals. The subway ticket is £3.10 for a return and the train price varies depending on location but is usually around £2.80/£2.00 return peak vs off-peak if you are within about 3 miles of the city center. Both travel options offer slight discounts if you travel regularly and buy a season pass.

c) Car club in Glasgow

We are also a member of a car club here in Glasgow which means if we do fancy a drive out in the country, we can walk down the street and jump in a car, hiring it for as little as 30 minutes at a time. The car club we are a member of, Co-Wheels, operates as a social enterprise and works to develop more sustainable car use across the UK.

d) Groceries

Groceries are fairly reasonable to buy, particularly if you shop at the lower-cost supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi instead of the bigger stores like Tesco. You could get away with spending around £25 a week on groceries if you shopped wisely.

e) Eating out in Glasgow

Eating out in Glasgow is also fairly affordable compared to other cities in the UK like Edinburgh and London. There are quite a few restaurants where you can eat out with a main for around £8-12. A pint of beer is anything from around £3-5 and a glass of wine around £4-7. There are websites such as 5pm.co.uk that offer daily deals for lots of restaurants around Glasgow and can be helpful if you want to enjoy a dinner out without breaking the bank. You can often get dinner for two with wine for around £25-30 using these websites.

6. What do you like about Glasgow?

There is so much to like about Glasgow! There’s a saying that you’ll see in colorful graffiti paint in a few locations around the city that says People Make Glasgow. And I have to agree. I think much of what I like about Glasgow is best described by that saying. Glaswegians are friendly people. I know that gets said about a lot of cities but to be honest I’ve not experienced the kind of genuine friendliness that you get in Glasgow anywhere else in the world that I’ve been. Hospitality staffs are friendly, not because they want to get your post-brunch tip, but because they are just generally good people who enjoy their work much more by having a little banter with their customers. Having a city where the general population is like this certainly helped to put me at ease and make me feel comfortable and at home straight away.
Apart from my favorite thing about Glasgow, the people, there is much else to love about this city. Glasgow is full of art and culture accessible to everyone. I also love that within not much more than an hour’s drive of the city you can be on one of the beautiful west coast beaches, the misty, enchanting Glencoe Mountains or the bonnie shores of Loch Lomond.

7. Is there anything that you don’t like about Glasgow?

The rain! Glasgow is ranked the third wettest city in the UK behind Cardiff and St Davids based on the volume of rainfall, but it actually has the highest number of days with rain with an average of 170 days per year. I had to look that statistic up and am actually mildly surprised. If I’d had to guess how many days of rain Glasgow receives I think I would have put the figure much higher at around 250-300! It does mean however when we get a day of lovely sunshine here we embrace it like nowhere else. You’ll find people going ‘taps aff’ in all sorts of weird and wonderful places when it happens.

8. What are your favorite things to do in Glasgow?

One of my favorite things to do in Glasgow is visiting one of the many lovely parks. Glasgow is known as the Dear Green Place due to it having the highest percentage area of green spaces in a city in the UK. Whilst I love living in the city and being around things that are happening, I also have a real need to experience the outdoors and nature. Two of my favorite parks within a short walk of where I live in the Southside of Glasgow: Pollok Country Park and Queens Park. Queens Park is smaller and perfect for getting my outdoor fix, whether through a gentle stroll or a game of tennis (there are courts free to hire Glasgow residents). You can also wander through the Glass House at the top of the hill, admiring weird and wonderful animals in the reptile park if you need to escape the weather for a while.  My favorite thing to do in Queens Park though is to be spent on one of those rare sunny Glasgow days: a picnic on the grassy hills looking out at the views over Glasgow city and onto the Campsie hills in the distance. Perfection!

View from the top of the hill in Queens Park

9. Where do you recommend to visit in Glasgow?

Glasgow has lots of lovely cafes, some of the best are in the Southside near me and they’re so good I rarely find myself venturing away from here for brunch or coffee. Café Strangebrew and The Glad Café are my main go-to’s. Café Strange brew serves up inventive sweet and savory brunch delights alongside coffee from local roasters Dear Green Coffee. The Glad café is open for brunch or coffee and cake throughout the day and stays open as a bar in the evening, playing host to a variety of events in the side room including bands, comedy, and films. Favorite café’s in the West End include Papercup, a tiny but bustling place where students serve up Papercup’s own coffee beans and a selection of tasty and affordable brunch delights. For Fika Sake, also in the West End, is a lovely spot to pop in for coffee and cake. This artisan café serves coffee downstairs an opens their upstairs space for various workshops and social events in the evenings. There are also some great vegan café in Glasgow. Stereo and Mono in the city center are both interesting places to try some tasty vegan food, grab a drink and catch some live music.

10. Nightlife in Glasgow, Scotland

Drinking culture is big in Scotland and there’s a plethora of interesting and cozy bar’s in this city to visit. For a night out with friends, I’ll usually head to Finnieston, just west of the city center where both sides of the street are lined with desirable venues. One bar in this area worth special mention is The Ben Nevis, a tiny whiskey bar where dogs are welcome and on Sunday and Monday evenings a group of musicians takes up residence at one end of the bar, performing traditional Scottish music that serves a the perfect drinking accompaniment.

Local Musicians Creating Lovely Music at The Ben Nevis

11. Is it easy to make new friends in Glasgow?

Making friends anywhere new can be challenging, particularly as you get older. When you’re at school or university you’re forced to spend time with people day after day and naturally will tend to form friendships with like-minded people. When you no longer attend these institutions, making friends requires a little more effort.
You don’t make friends sitting at home watching Netflix, so to make new friends in Glasgow you need to get out there and do things. Luckily, Glasgow has a host of extra-curricular activities no matter what your tastes and the friendliness of people make it easy to try new things.
A lot of the friends I have made in Glasgow have been through work, but I have also met people by getting involved in other activities, such as attending All The Young Nudes, a drop in life drawing class run at a couple of locations in the city. The class is very informal and you don’t need to be an artist to go but I found drawing in this type of environment a lovely way to unwind and meet new and interesting people.
I also joined a basketball team not long after moving to Glasgow. That instantly gave me a new group of girlfriends. I no longer play due to other commitments but for anyone new to the city looking for friends I’d definitely recommend getting involved in a team sport as a way to get an instant group of pals.

12. Do you hang out with locals or foreigners mostly?

I mainly hang out with locals, which is something I really like about living in Glasgow. Whilst I appreciate that when moving to a new city it can be easier to make friends with other expats as they face the same difficulties as you, part of me feels that to really absorb the grits of the city you need to hang out with the locals, at least some of the time. When I first moved here I did sign up for a meetup group for expats but I never ended going to any events and within a short while I didn’t feel I needed to. Whilst it wasn’t for me, I do think its good that these groups do exist in the city as I think it can be really intimidating moving somewhere new and having a pal in a similar situation may be just what you need.

13. Where is your favorite place in Glasgow to meet friends?

I mentioned some of my favorite cafes and bars above, but other great places to hang out with friends in Glasgow would be at one of the many live concert venues dotted around the city. Glasgow is a top touring destination for many local and international bands and has a thriving music scene. You could see a band any night of the week at one of the more intimate venues such as The Art School, The Hug, and Pint or King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. Bigger bands play at the iconic The Barrowlands, an old ballroom in the east end of the city center, whilst the SEC Hydro attracts large international acts with a capacity of up to 13000 people.
Another fun thing to do on one of those dreich Glasgow days is to visit some of the cities galleries. I like The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in the city center and Kelvingrove Gallery in the West End for a taste of art, The Riverside Museum in the West End which houses Glasgow’s Transport Museum and Tramway in the Southside for contemporary art including music, film, and theatre.

The beautiful old Kelvingrove Gallery

14. Memorable experience in Glasgow Scotland

One of my favorite memories of Glasgow is attending the Strathbungo Window Wanderland in February 2017. Strathbungo is a tiny area in the Southside of Glasgow and last year for the first time, this event was created to transform the area into an outdoor gallery. Residents were invited to participate by creating their own window display, which ranged from decorative artwork to live music and all sorts of weird and wonderful things in-between. We were living in the area at the time and on a cold wintery night in Glasgow, residents from around the area took to the streets to wander around and enjoy the display. I felt the night just really captured all of the things I love about this city, the artistic culture and the friendliness and community spirit of the people.

15. Did you change your perspective about Glasgow after living here?

I don’t think my perception of Glasgow changed hugely in the two years that I have been here. I think with Glasgow you get what you see. What I liked about the city before I moved here – the friendliness of the people, the artistic vibe and the general feel of the city – have remained the same and the reason I continue to enjoy this place. I wasn’t expecting anything other than what I have got from this place.

16. What are your advice and tips for moving/ living in Glasgow?

I’d advise anyone moving to Glasgow to embrace the city for what it is and get involved in activities that you enjoy as a way to meet new people. From a practical point of you in terms of sorting yourself out when you first get here, I would suggest using Airbnb or cheap hostels for accommodation when you first arrive and then use sights like spareroom.co.uk or gumtree.co.uk to find yourself a furnished room in an existing flat quite easily. If you are traveling on your own, moving into a share house would be a good way to make some new pals when you are fresh in the city.
As for finding a job, it depends a lot on the industry that you work in. One thing that I found with my own industry of healthcare and I think extends to a lot of professional industries is that the time between applying for work and starting can be somewhat lengthy – up to three months. This would apply to my experience of both public and private work. For this reason, I would suggest that if you are looking for a professional job that you do quite a bit of homework before moving and maybe even start applying for jobs before you move to minimize the time you are sat waiting around to start work.

17. Would you recommend others to live in Glasgow?

Yes! I’m sure Glasgow is not for everyone but it is a vibrant and fun place and if you can get past the grey skies and rain you will learn to love the city.

18. What have you learned from living abroad?

Living abroad has taught me how important it is to take chances and step out of your comfort zone. There are many challenges that come with leaving the place you know as home and trying to set up a new life in a foreign place. Overcoming these challenges is what helps you to grow as a person. Things won’t always work out exactly the way you had imagined but as long as you learn from each experience it’s all still valuable. There is a saying here in Scotland that goes ‘what is for you won’t go by you’. I find comfort in this saying when I think things aren’t going the way I had planned.

More about Katie

Since moving to Glasgow, Katie met her partner – Ian, who also has a love of travel, having completed a world trip in 2010. They are now in the process of planning their our own adventure together where they hope to travel to places neither of them has yet encountered, including much of Eastern Europe, Russia, and parts of Asia. Follow their adventures on their blog Resfebertravelblog, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Read more interviews in this Expat Interview series:

• Living in Beppu, Japan.
• Expat Interview: Living on the Marshall Islands
• Expat life in San Diego, CA
• Live in Prague, Czech Republic
• Expat life in Germany
• The Ultimate Guide to expat life in Madrid 
• Living in Paris as an expat
• Expat life in Macau