City life is not for everybody but London has something that will charm everyone. Here are a few reasons to make London your home, even if only temporarily.
Multicultural
City
London is a city
of many people from many places. It is a multi-cultural society with most
nationalities represented. This means London is a fairly tolerant place where
anything goes. Suited businessmen can walk alongside pierced and
brightly-coloured punks as well as people from other countries.Whatever you miss from home will usually be available somewhere too.
 |
| Caribbean mask at the Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK |
Food
With the huge
variety of cultures represented comes a wide variety of eating options. Just
about every cuisine is represented from Japanese sushi trains to French
Bistros, German Beerhouses, Turkish mezze restaurants (complete with belly
dancers), American diners and Ethiopian cafes. Certain areas have gained a
notoriety for specific cuisines. For example Chinatown by Leicester Square
hosts a variety of Chinese restaurants. Brick Lane is the place to go for a
curry and North London boasts many Middle Eastern restaurants.
 |
| Spanish Paella, London, UK |
Alternative Neighbourhoods
London is a large
city made up of several villages. The various boroughs each have their own
character and many retain their original focus. Historically certain trades
operated in specific boroughs. Some of these traditions are maintained but
nowadays more modern factors have influenced this, mostly dependent on the
nationality of immigrants dominating an area. Brixton has a lively Caribbean
atmosphere and Kensington has a large French population. To get a taste of the different neighbourhoods think
about renting a holiday apartment
and experience living like a local for a while. Click here for more information.
 |
| Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK |
Shopping and Markets
Some London
markets reflect the people living in the local area, with pigs’ trotters and
exotic Caribbean fruit available in Brixton, while Tooting market stalls
feature a lot of the ingredients of Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Borough
market is a famous food market and Portobello Road is popular with second-hand
furniture enthusiasts. Markets aside London is a fantastic shopping
destination, with just about everything under the sun available somewhere.
Bargains are as readily available as the high-end designer label stores too, so
it doesn’t need to be expensive.
 |
| Brixton Market, London, UK |
Outdoor space
London is a very
green city so if you are a country dweller at heart you should still manage to
get your fix of the great outdoors. Parks and gardens are strewn across the
city from Hampstead Heath in the north to Richmond Park in the south. Regents
Park contains London Zoo and in summer hosts an outdoor theatre. St James Park has the Serpentine
running through it if you fancy a swim, and Clapham Common holds a music
festival in summer. London also has a network of waterways and it is possible
to take a canal boat ride in Camden and many other areas north of the river. When
winter hits London ice rinks pop up around the city making ice-skating a
popular pastime.
 |
| Hampstead Heath, London, UK |
History
London has a long
and fascinating history that can be discovered in the various museums in the
city. There are also lots of monuments, castles, palaces and other features
telling the city’s story. London Underground stations were used as bomb
shelters during the war, which is hard to imagine as you pass through them now.
London also has several wonderful galleries hosting regular large exhibits as
well as touring exhibitions. Most of the museums and galleries in London are
free to enter too.
 |
| Ice skating at the Natural History Museum, London, UK |
Night life
If you are a
night owl you will enjoy the open all hours nature of London. It is not quite a
24-hour city but restaurants and bars stay open late into the night and with so
many theatre productions, shows and cinema screenings to take advantage of, it
is easy to stay up late.
 |
| Night out in London, UK |
Transport
One thing London
can seriously boast about is the public transport network. London Underground
trains run from 6am to after midnight each day. Some bus routes run 24 hours and
taxis can be called at any hour. It is usually fairly easy to get home wherever
the party leaves you.
Great Travel
Links
While you are
based in London it is easy to take advantage of the extensive travel links to
other places and the low fares available. London is a hub for many air carriers,
which means you can fly almost anywhere if not directly, then within few
changes. With cheap return fares around Europe available you can spend weekends
in Paris, Rome and Istanbul.
If you live, or have lived,
in London what are your favourite things about the city? If not, do you want
to?
