TL;DR:
31M in London earning £54k, owns shared ownership flat, £60k savings. Frustrated with UK (weather, housing, lifestyle), seriously considering moving to the US. Main concerns are visa, healthcare, and car dependency. Looking for a place that’s walkable (ideally near grocery stores), affordable, and has more to do socially.
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## My current situation
- 31, Male, Single, No dependents
- Living alone in a 1.5 bed (48 sqm) shared ownership flat (30% owned)
- Bought for £265k in 2019
- Based in East Croydon
- Salary: £54k/year (pre-tax)
- Job: Video games programmer (Unity + Unreal)
- Savings: ~£60k cash after liquidating stocks
- No credit debt, only student loan repayments
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## What I like about the UK / London
- Public transport is excellent (I don’t own a car or even a licence — it would be slower anyway)
- Strong online shopping ecosystem (Amazon / eBay etc.)
- English-speaking environment
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## Why I want to leave the UK
- Weather is consistently bad (even when it’s sunny, wind ruins it)
- General feeling that infrastructure/services are declining (water, post, etc.)
- Cost of living keeps increasing
- Housing is very hard to access solo — can’t find a decent flat under ~£230k within 1 hour of central London
- Feels like there’s not much to do as a single person (I’m into arcades, gaming, pinball, etc.)
- Food options feel limited (especially specific things like BBQ / ribs)
- General quality-of-life annoyances (paper straws, bottle caps, etc.)
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## What attracts me to the US
- Property seems much more affordable (houses vs UK flats)
- More food variety
- More entertainment options (live events, arcades, sports, etc.)
- Access to TCGPlayer (I run a Pokémon singles reselling side business)
- Social interactions feel more open (based on personal experience visiting Miami)
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## What concerns me about the US
- Healthcare costs (unless covered by employer)
- Car dependency — I’d strongly prefer to avoid owning one
- Safety concerns (gun culture, etc.)
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## My ideal setup (if I moved)
- Walkable area (ideally within ~10–15 min of a large grocery store)
- No car required (or minimal reliance)
- I’d use grocery delivery / bulk buy monthly if needed
- Access to things to do socially (not isolated suburban life)
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## Biggest blocker: visa
- H1B seems like the most straightforward path, but requires employer sponsorship
- My current company has a US branch but wasn’t keen on sponsoring
- Diversity Visa is an option (I’m Bulgarian-born), but obviously not guaranteed
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## Other places I’ve considered
- Dubai — low taxes but requires sponsorship + too hot
- Canada — easier visa but worse weather
- Bulgaria — not viable (low wages, economic concerns)
- Singapore / digital nomad hubs — unsure about visas + cultural fit
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## What I’m trying to figure out
- Is moving to the US actually realistic in my situation?
- Are there cities that fit my criteria (walkable, no car, affordable)?
- Am I underestimating anything major?
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Appreciate any input, especially from people who’ve made a similar move or live in the US.