London, London, London... so easy to dislike but it grows on you like...like age.
When I first came to London, I was only thinking of staying for around 2 years (and hated it when I first arrived). I ended up living there for over a decade. Go figure.
London is a place of many faces.
Many tourists come here for the pomp and circumstance - seeing the Queen, etc. It IS good for that - see the Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace (the Palace itself is rather dull looking but the guard change is fun...as much for the mounted Police on crowd control, as for the Guards themselves), the Tower of London (great for the Beefeaters - who are "kick-ass"), Kensington Palace, or head further afield to Hampton Court or Windsor (a true fairy tale castle).
London is also rich in Art and Culture - many famous galleries and museums are free and all are world class. You could spend days visiting them. My favourites are the British Museum and the National Gallery but, at the very least, there is also the two Tate's (Modern - great view, very modern art; and Britain - more traditional with a great selection of Turners), the Wallace Collection (easily overlooked), the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Imperial War Museum. There's many more. After many years of being told to see it, I even went to see Sir John Soane's Museum - the man himself's old home. I finally went to see it the week I left London - and yes, it was worth it.
London's home to the West End - probably in competition with Broadway as the pre-eminent for stage performances in the world. It was something I didn't take as much advantage of as I should have done but you get the chance to see some phenomenal actors (and actresses if you don't also call them actors) acting. There's tiny theatres around too like my old local, the Finborough Theatre in Earl's Court. You get the same fun or drama, but often at a cheaper rate and a so much more intimate setting.
For the young(er) there's a healthy nightlife and (un)healthy drinking (and, in some cases, drug) culture. If you have the stamina (and strong liver), every night can be a party night (getting home is another matter as the Tube closes just after 12 in many cases). It is a good place to grow up though, to take personal responsibility, and to make friends and learn tolerance.
I like London the most for its diversity - racial, religious (even though I'm not), sexual, lingual. London is a place to meet people from anywhere in the world because everyone is drawn to London. A trip out the door of your apartment will expose you to such diversity - it can be a pleasure to live there.
That said, don't come for the weather - it is often overcast (although, surprisingly little rain) - and it's hardly the most advanced infrastructure in the world (you get the feeling they've only just mastered plumbing).
When I first came to London, I was only thinking of staying for around 2 years (and hated it when I first arrived). I ended up living there for over a decade. Go figure.
London is a place of many faces.
Many tourists come here for the pomp and circumstance - seeing the Queen, etc. It IS good for that - see the Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace (the Palace itself is rather dull looking but the guard change is fun...as much for the mounted Police on crowd control, as for the Guards themselves), the Tower of London (great for the Beefeaters - who are "kick-ass"), Kensington Palace, or head further afield to Hampton Court or Windsor (a true fairy tale castle).
London is also rich in Art and Culture - many famous galleries and museums are free and all are world class. You could spend days visiting them. My favourites are the British Museum and the National Gallery but, at the very least, there is also the two Tate's (Modern - great view, very modern art; and Britain - more traditional with a great selection of Turners), the Wallace Collection (easily overlooked), the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Imperial War Museum. There's many more. After many years of being told to see it, I even went to see Sir John Soane's Museum - the man himself's old home. I finally went to see it the week I left London - and yes, it was worth it.
London's home to the West End - probably in competition with Broadway as the pre-eminent for stage performances in the world. It was something I didn't take as much advantage of as I should have done but you get the chance to see some phenomenal actors (and actresses if you don't also call them actors) acting. There's tiny theatres around too like my old local, the Finborough Theatre in Earl's Court. You get the same fun or drama, but often at a cheaper rate and a so much more intimate setting.
For the young(er) there's a healthy nightlife and (un)healthy drinking (and, in some cases, drug) culture. If you have the stamina (and strong liver), every night can be a party night (getting home is another matter as the Tube closes just after 12 in many cases). It is a good place to grow up though, to take personal responsibility, and to make friends and learn tolerance.
I like London the most for its diversity - racial, religious (even though I'm not), sexual, lingual. London is a place to meet people from anywhere in the world because everyone is drawn to London. A trip out the door of your apartment will expose you to such diversity - it can be a pleasure to live there.
That said, don't come for the weather - it is often overcast (although, surprisingly little rain) - and it's hardly the most advanced infrastructure in the world (you get the feeling they've only just mastered plumbing).
The average British shower moves dirt further down your body rather than rinses it off. - me, 2011.
