Slough, United Kingdom

Capital City

With a population of 119,070, Slough is a blunt commuter town, far removed from the quaint charm of rural England. Ethnically diverse and heavily industrialized, the town has reinvented itself as a major trading center, attracting global companies like Blackberry and Burger King. However, the rapid redevelopment has come at a cost - conservation groups lament the "tragically high quantity of good buildings" demolished, while bureaucracy remains a persistent headache. And with under 600mm of annual rainfall and some of the warmest summer temperatures in the UK, Slough's climate is not for the faint of heart. This is a town for pragmatic professionals seeking easy access to London and Heathrow, not those in search of pastoral tranquility.