I'm planning on working abroad in 2009 for a year or so, and since my French isn't quite fluent and my knowledge of German doesn't extend much further than Nazi slogans, I've decided to work somewhere in the UK. I'll most likely be doing something restaurant / bartending related.

London was my first choice, as I've been there a few times, I know my way around the city, and I really just love it there... but that town is so fucking expensive; finding decent accomodation for a fair price would be absolute hell there. I know it's pretty expensive all across the UK these days...

I haven't really seen many cities in the UK (just London, Bath, Glasgow, Belfast, and some small towns in Northern Ireland and Cornwall in which I have relatives), so if I don't go to London I'm really taking a shot in the dark here. I've Leeds and Manchester are pretty cool, though.

So, for a 19-year-old traveller hoping to earn a decent bit of cash to meander through Eurasia while hoping to NOT pay out his ass for shelter and food... where do you reccomend? I'd prefer a bigger city; preferably one with an international airport. Another thing to factor in would be the local music scene.

Manchester is great! no too pricey either but there serveal music venues loads of bars and serval uni's so they will probs be quite a few student bars and female students ;).

Don't know that much abot leeds i have family near there but thats all i really know :( but they both have airports so theres a plus oh and theres supposed to be an ok night life in leeds according to one of my ex's.

What about Scotland? I figure it may at least be a bit cheaper. My visit there was cut real short because a family member died back in the New World. Glasgow seemed kind of... well, mundane and boring, but I was only there for 2 days and didn't get into the night life or music scene at all.

Here we go, there's going to be a whole bunch of people saying "come to leeds", or bradford, or birmingham, or cardiff, etc. etc. etc.

As an American coming to live in Britain for a year, but outside of London, I would recommend the following cities to you:

Brighton

Bristol

Oxford

Edinburgh.

Allow me to elaborate. The North is cheaper, but it's much colder and rainier, and in the winter the days are shorter. The Northerners on here will tell you all about how the people are friendlier, but that's a tired old stereotype borne from ignorance. It is true however that the chips are better.

So, why these four cities?

With the exception of Edinburgh, they are all southern, meaning London is a short distance away. They are all university towns with great night life, meaning you'll meet people and be able to find a job easily. Just as importantly (because most cities can boast a university) they are beautiful and historic cities which are pleasurable to live in. They are places British people move to live in, as opposed to being born there and lacking the imagination or resources to live elsewhere. High standards of living, low crime rates, and young populations.

The only other cities I might recommend are Manchester, Bath and Belfast (which is good but off the mainland).

Oh and they all have great music scenes:

Bristol -- origin of jungle/drum n bass and LOTS of great clubs, live music everywhere you look

Brighton -- famous clubbing scene, fat boy slim etc.

Oxford -- lots of indie bands, lots of unsigned talent, plus the usual student nights

Edinburgh - amazing festival every year (comedy, music, theatre etc.), good clubs (so my friends at uni there say)

I know that lots of people from Manchester visit Canada, so it might be a welcoming environment.

Thanks madeyes; though for the record I'm Canadian, not American... yeah, I know, big difference, right? ;)

Euda... I've never met anyone from Manchester. Most UK citizens I meet here are from Scotland, for some reason... ahh, the benefits of the Commonwealth, I tell you. Though my buddy did recently get in quite a brawl with an Aussie over... Steve Irwin. Yeah. Pointless paragraph, I know.

Edinburgh sounds kind of interesting; mainly because it's cheaper; and the Scottish are interesting people. Probably for all the wrong reasons, but they're interesting nonetheless. Close proximity to London is kinda important though.

Edinburgh is a very interesting place, a great sense of history without being stuffy or stuck in the past. It really is worth undertanding just how cold and dark it gets in the winter, but as you're a Canadian perhaps you can put up with that (I don't know if Canada's like that, I just understand it has a lot of ice..)