Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and the fourth largest city in the United Kingdom, located on the banks of the River Clyde. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe. It has a good size. With its 600,000 inhabitants, it is small enough not to have the chaos of a metropolis, but big enough to find everything you need.
Glasgow is generally thought of as a gray and industrial city. But many parts of Glasgow are really interesting. It is one of the most characteristic British cities with a special architectural style, many parks, well-preserved Victorian quarters and many magnificent buildings.
Glasgow has a good subway and bus system. Glasgow is one of the easiest cities in the United Kingdom to get to if you do not own a car. After London, it has the densest transport system in the country.
If you love nature, you will love Glasgow, because the city is very green. Within the city there are countless parks. It is also close to some stunning landscapes and tourist attractions.
One of the main advantages of living in Glasgow is that the cost of living is lower than in other major British cities such as Edinburgh, London or Aberdeen. This applies to everything from accommodation to food and transportation. Also, since Glasgow is a city with many students (there are five universities), it is easy to find small apartments or houses even in the city center. The price of a one-bedroom apartment is between 700 and 900 $. There are also cheaper apartments, but it depends on the location. Eating out is also quite cheap compared to other British cities..
The best thing about living in Glasgow is its people. In fact, the city’s slogan ‘People Make Glasgow’ is absolutely true. The people are nice, and it costs you nothing to make new friends.It is a very friendly city where you will never feel alone. Edinburgh is certainly prettier, but Glasgow is much more welcoming. The people here are some of the most helpful and friendly you will ever meet. Whenever someone needs help, Glaswegians do not back down.
It is a very relaxed city. People have no sense of urgency and never show haste or impatience when waiting in line. Glaswegians love to talk. When they have time, they stop to talk to everyone. The problem is understanding them. The Glaswegian accent is very difficult for foreigners to understand. Regardless of whether you speak English at the level of a native speaker, you will have difficulty understanding them. There is no other way around this problem than to live there and get used to it.
The city is still considered dangerous by many, based on stereotypes about Glasgow from 20-30 or even 80 years ago. In fact, Glasgow is generally safe, with a few exceptions, like any other European city.
The disadvantage of living in Glasgow is its climate. Summers are short and winters, due to its location, are long and dark. In summer the average temperature does not exceed 15 °C. In winter the average temperature is about 4-6 °C. Also, Glasgow is the third wettest city in the United Kingdom, so you should live with a raincoat and umbrella.
Speaking of work, if you want to work in Glasgow, the job market is very competitive and the unemployment rate is lower than the rest of the country. The unemployment rate is around 3%.
The financial sector is particularly developed in Scotland with a number of financial services companies in Edinburgh and Glasgow. For those interested in this area, I recommend contacting recruitment agencies looking for entry-level employees.
If, on the other hand, you are simply looking for an unskilled job, any job, then it is quite simple: just search the various fast food outlets, pubs, restaurants and other places that offer minimum wage contracts and you will very quickly find what you are looking for.
It’s a bit harder to find a skilled job as underemployment is an issue, but in Glasgow or Edinburgh it should even be relatively easy to find a mid-skilled job as there are actually labor shortages in certain sectors such as electricians, plumbers, construction, transportation, teaching, etc. So if you have qualifications in these areas, you can find a good job.
Living and working in Glasgow, conclusion
Glasgow was known as a difficult city. For many years social housing was inadequate and poor, but people have moved on and now the city has taken on an international look.
As every city has its positive and negative sides, much has changed in recent years. The crime problems for which Glasgow used to be famous have disappeared. Now Glasgow is a modern, multicultural city with hundreds of pubs, clubs, art galleries and museums.
Glasgow isn’t perfect, but it’s a good place to live. And if you like 3-day summers and lots of rain, this is the ideal city for you.
For all the information on how to work in the UK, I recommend you to read the article: How to work in the UK after Brexit
On the other hand, if you want more information on how to move to the UK, I recommend you to read the article: Moving to the UK after brexit
