Dilemma between London and Manchester

Hello, Ever since I stayed in Liverpool for more than a year. I really get bored with it cos of less diversity and it ain't an interesting city for me. So when I looked at Manchester I was intrigued and obviously I visited Manchester twice cos of the football tour that is Manchester United. London for me always be home and I always love London for how it was and still is the most gorgeous city I have been to for my life, but the expensive prices and the fact that I feel bad every time I'm going back home and the same area that I have left back in September. Tbh, I don't know if it's any better since I'm a non white guy, but grew up in London and don't know anyone that lives in Manchester. So I need to know if Manchester is any better than London or similar.

What specifically is it you are looking for in terms of diversity and interest? Obviously, neither Manchester or Liverpool can match London as both your home town and also an international capital city. But my impression is that London can be an unwinnable game for quite a lot of people - La vie - on le perde en le gangant - if you speak French!

However, from my perspective, both Manchester and Liverpool are of a manageable size and yet also culturally rich, I would say. How did you tend to meet people back in London?

Oh just people that are friendly for my course, and the Uni that is better than Liverpool but not London obviously since London is always the best city in the country.

I feel fairly happy in a small town in NW England. So I am fascinated about what is so good about London and Manchester for you. Also, I am white British and so interested to understand if you culture is different. From your name, you might be Middle Eastern. Is your community close-knit, do you go to the mosque regularly? Or maybe you have a more multi-cultural group of friends?

Actually I’m Somali and grew up in a Bengali community Basically a Muslim community regardless. When I was at school I used to have multi cultural but mostly Bengali friends since my school used to have more Bengali’s than anyone but since I left in 2015 it’s just more international kids moving to the school I think but when I was at school it was multicultural so the Bengali’s weren’t really much a problem. The problem is that I’m not socially accepted at my course and probably the whole city since it’s a white dominated city and I’m light skinned African.

That sounds like you are socially able and willing to integrate if people are open to you. It is interesting listening to how things worked for you in different environments.

So are you saying you are one year into your course in Liverpool, and maybe you have another 2 years to go? Are you thinking about transferring to Manchester or more where you want to live after the course finishes? What are you studying?

What does that mean in practice, not socially accepted at your course?

It is all puzzling to me as a white guy, but I know that I have experienced some road rage when going through Afro-Caribbean Manchester - Hulme. Is there something about more established black British not always getting on with Somalians etc?

One thing I would say is that there are loads of students posting on here about finding it difficult to make friends on their course. Even myself, as a white British guy, as our community can be quite fragmented with people not knowing their neighbours. Whereas Muslim or multicultural communities can be more close-knit. So there are pluses and minuses to everyone's situation.

Anyway, I love Ethiopian/Eritirean food. I only ate Somalian once, there is cafe called Somal in Moss Side, Manchester. Near where City's old ground used to be.

Keep talking if it helps - I am enjoying your story!

Well, I am two years actually well one year on and off since it was Covid last year but this year is my first full year into Uni and so far it's really hard to like this course and I mean like in terms of hanging around with only white people there that just don't want to be open to me.

It has a name you know, Birmingham.