Have you ever ridden the London tube (AKA the underground) during rush hour? People are just a bit AGGRO... The reason I ask is that most Londoners have nothing to say about Glasgow except how rough it is. Sure, I will admit: It does rain a lot there, and the temperature is colder than down south; but the Glaswegian's hospitality makes up for it.
I spent a month in Glasgow (April 2000) and truly enjoyed it... I found the people to be extremeley friendly, and I wonder why Glasgow gets such a bad rap. I lived in the Springburn district (notorious for being a dangerous place), and found it to be much safer than all the American cities I have lived in - even Durham, NC - which is a fraction of the size of Glasgow... The architecture is absolutely amazing; and no wonder, for Glasgow is the home of architechtural genius Charles Rennie Mackintosh - Check out the Glasgow school of art sometime to see what I mean; not to mention the University, and all the amazing churches... Also, the cost to rent a flat is around half what it costs in London. From Glasgow its a 40 minute train rode to Edinburgh, an hour train ride to Fife, and roughly a 2 and 1/2 hour ride to Inverness... In other words, its a great central location if you're based in Scotland.
In fact, the weirdest thing I came across was adjusting to the accent there. See the film 'Trainspotting' or read any novels by Irvine Walsh and you'll have an idea of what I am talking about...
Just so you'll know, the pubs are open later there than in London; and I recommend "The Living Room" on Byres Road, on the west end; the bar staff are as friendly as it gets, and they serve the best bourbon in the universe - Makers Mark.
For now, all the pictures I have online were taken on the west end, but that will change after my next visit there (I expected to be there 6 months, but it wound up being just one month). I have put them onto 2 pages so far, see the links below.
