What is life like in London?

Show all answers

Entwined

Walnut was pretty much spot in there.

I'm a Londoner, and it is a good place to live (I doubt I'd live anywhere else in this dank, windswept island), a great place to visit (I'd imagine), but it can be very intimidating, frustrating or even frightening, depending on what you're used to. My girlfriend, for example, is from the country, and even though she's lived in London for nearly four years she still finds the crowds, traffic and lack of personal space to be beyond her comfort zone.

Personally, I think Londoners are incredibly friendly. The way a lot of Londoners speak can sound confrontational or slightly barbed, but it's not to be taken that way. Although very different, I suppose it would be possible to liken it to NYC in that respect, but don't expect everyone to call you "buddy". If you're male, the usual term of address is "mate" (as in Australia, NZ and SA) or sometimes "bruv" or "boss", but if you're female it could be anything, "Miss", "love", "darling", or just "lady" or "woman". It really depends on where you are and who is speaking. One example of Londoners idiosyncratic speech is in the use of the phrase "isn't it" (pronounced in London's brogue "innit", usually with a glottal silent "t" at the end) as an end or middle to any statement. "It's over there on the shelf, isn't it". This is not a question. Do not attempt to answer. The same goes for "I went down to the shop, didn't I". Visitors have told me that it can be quite disconcerting, as it it seems to imply that they have, inadvertantly, denied the veracity of the statement before they have even heard it.

That's my piece of helpful advice. It's a good city, and the centre (where all the tourist stuff is) is reasonably compact, but be warned: beyond that the city sprawls for miles and miles and miles, so don't fall asleep on the bus or you'll find yourself in some ugly, rundown area that even most Londoners have never heard of.

Basically, whatever type of thing you're into, you'll fid it in London, no matter how left-field it is.

One thing to remember about London is that British people in general, especially those under 40 without family commitments, seldom engage in any evening activity without consuming vast quantities of alcohol. This can shock some American drinkers. My friends wife, who moved over from Minnesota about 4 years ago (actually, she used to share a house with me) started out trying to fit in by drinking as much as we did. After about three months of vomiting and feeling hungover all the time, she stopped drinking altogether. althoug I did see her have a glass of wine at her birthday last week. There is a serious point here. Public drunkeness is very common and not really something which is looked down upon. I know this bothers certain people who aren't used to it. Don't be scared..... we're just having fun!

Hope this provides a bit of useful information.

erm

london is a city of extremes

extremely multicultural
extremely big
extremely expensive
extremely exciting
some extremely nice areas
some extremely horrible areas
sometimes extremely stressful
sometimes extremely brilliant

it is the most exciting city in the world though and time spent in london is never time wasted

except when using public transport lol

@ voda - youre talking nonsense. lancastrians are far more friendly than dour yorkshire people. for one they dont go round thinking their county is gods country. why? cos theyre not conceited pillocks lol

CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE YOULL LOVE IT LOT OF JEALOUS POSTS HERE COS THEY CANT AFFORD IT
I GOT LOADSA MONEY

Lima Delta

The US city that is most like London will be New York. The people can be pretty aggressive, but that is not in a mean way, it is just a very fast paced city and you either keep up or get left behind. Maybe I'm just thinking of my drive home from work though! It is much much bigger than any other UK city, so they can't really compare themselves to us. The population of London is about 7 and a half million, but there are probably about another million tourists and unregistered illegal immigrants at any one time, so basically it is jam packed! This is good and bad. Good because every single language in the world can be heard on the tube, bad because you sure won't be able to get a seat while listening! I don't think anywhere else can in Europe can match London for diversity in every area, its people, its nightlife, its landscapes, its highs and its lows. I hope you love it too when you get here!

Pedestal42

Walnut and Entwined have it right...

I was at university in London and loved it.
It has everything. You want it, you can find it.

If you've only got a semester, you'll barely have time to get to know it.
I very happily worked in central London through my mid twenties, but one day, arriving in Paddington station after back-packing in Cornwall it hit me:
just how crowded, noisy and dirty it was...
Did it get worse of did I get old?
I suspect the latter. I loved my time there, but wouldn't want to live there now (written from deepest Cornwall!)

red

expensive.

lll123

There is a website that gives lots of info for people who are moving to London and Britian in general.

http://www.newtobritain.info

CLIVE H

The links below will help you learn something of London - how we live, what we like doing; shopping and other activities.

Oxford Street - London's main shopping street.
http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/oxford/os_intro.htm

This next link gets you an alpha-list of all of London's Tube stations. Click on any one of them to find out what's there. Also click on the other links at this site to find out more about London.
http://www.metazone.co.uk/london-underground-stations.asp

There are many free events put on here in London each year and you don't want to miss out. This next site tells you everything you need to know about London's Free events.
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?show=FREE

There is one London event which you will NOT want to miss and that is the Queen's Birthday Parade which is held each year in June.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zofhv9KWoec

Tube driver's view of the London Underground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlKflLrxDeA&feature=related

Finally - An intro to London's history. . . .Ed Morrow reporting live from Trafalgar Square to the folks back home in the USA during the London Blitz [Battle of Britain] 1940.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpOKriiNIzE

cheekybear

Its the best city on the planet I wouldn't live anywhere else!

.For an in depth look at what's going on have a look at the link below for Time Out London. Its the website for the weekly listings magazine that lists absolutely everything. You will get a good feel of the city...and as the Olympics are here in 2012 it only going to get better.

Its expensive though so bring lots of money!

londoner :)

i love living here, and woudn't choose to be anywhere else
but it's very very very very expensive, start saving
take an umbrella as well

Geoff

You will love it.
Any idea where in London you are likely to be staying?
It is a big place.

Woooolfff

So expensive. I bought a flat last year now I'm so poor I'm wearing socks with wholes in them. Can't afford new ones. All my salary on paying bills that I have to wait until the M & S sales, hopefully then I can treat myself. I've been living off microwave foods that cost 99p from Tesco, benjy's economy sandwiches and Yorkshire lard! Could you please bring some American food when you come and perhaps a Canadian passport, so I can get the hell out of here.

Gordon C

London is ok with lots of history & sights to see-yes you will enjoy it but do yourself a favor & go to Scotland - 110% better . You will love it. I know as i am a scot based now in AZ.

Voda

It's the same as any big city,

There are nice places and not so nice places
Lots of shopping areas
Lots of offices
Museums, art galleries and displays
Lots of pubs but also lots of clubs

Edit: Yorkshire people are the most friendly in the Uk actually

And my entire family moved from Newcastle to the South when they realised the errors of their ways.

Mr Bigs

Cat-people walk around on their hind legs and speak fluent spanish. Make sure that you pack a fluffy vest, because there's a lot of wars over there, and they fight with nerf guns. And while at first it may seem harmless, it can lead to alot of bruising if you don't stay protected.

Redbeard

London is one of the world's great cities. However, it's also grey, cloudy and rainy. I suppose that you could look at it as the place that gave birth to your country or, alternatively, the reason people wanted to leave England.

Goofy Goofer Goof Goof Goof !

London is dirty, crowded and the people are rude and arrogant.

tomcostigan

Don't know about London, but England in general- overrated, overpriced, bad weather, taken over by scumbags

cubedsteaks

When you go over there, you need to hunt down Simon Pegg and rape him. He'll enjoy it.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: