1/ I visited #London for the first time in many years earlier this month. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the city. Here are a few random thoughts:
2/ The weather was amazing, there’s really nothing better than summer in Europe. I’m sure I wouldn’t have such a positive impression if it wasn’t for all the sunshine.
/3 Loved the architecture in the centre: The City & Borough both have an incredible mix of classical, old British, and modern architecture.
/4 People walk really fast. I’m usually a slow walker but within just a few days I was hurrying along as if I was late to a meeting, even though I had more than enough time on my hands.
/5 * The city is expensive but there are exceptions. Healthy lunch options for example can be found everywhere and the prices are totally reasonable. If you want a chicken kale salad in an Asian city you’ll end up paying just as much as in London.
/6 On the topic of pubs. I knew people in England love pubs. But they LOVE pubs. There’s a pub on every street corner.
/6 Smart people with diverse backgrounds. London is one of those cities that attract global talent, so you will find talented individuals from all walks of life, whether corporate, start-up, artistic, etc.
/7 Exceptional food. Just like in NYC, another city with a diverse immigrant population, you’ll be able to find any type of cuisine in London and the food will be incredible.
/8 It’s a great city for walking. The most enjoyable way for me to get to the office was to walk 40 minutes.
/9 Despite that, London wouldn't work for me long-term. Here's why:
/10 Weather. This particular week was amazing but it was an outlier. I feel better in places with lots of sunshine.
/11 Cost of living: the things I liked most about the city are pretty expensive. Living in the areas I liked costs a lot and so does eating at the great restaurants.
/12 Somewhat related: unsurprisingly, the most beautiful areas in London are also really crowded. Most of the time I actually found them to be too busy to really enjoy.
/13 I was also surprised by the amount of homeless people in London.
14/ Security. London is not as safe as many other European or Asian cities.
TLDR: Had an amazing time in London, the city wouldn't work for me in the long-term.
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