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London
- Thread starter Freya
- Start date
novella
Active Member
Ooooh, I don’t know where to start . . .let’s see . . .
Coming from the point of view of a NYer who lived in “real” London (Hounslow—how real is that, Wabbit?) and worked in Bayswater, Chiswick, and the City, I really missed NY the whole time. The thing was I couldn’t afford to enjoy London, though all the fun stuff was there. I couldn't afford the restaurants, the cabs, the clubs, anything, on an English salary.
Now I’m living back in US and visit London every year (in-laws there) and also spend way more time up in Lincolnshire and also “out in the counties” than in London, so I'm hip to the London v. rest-of-England comparisons.
Here’s my take. London gets better and better every time I visit (over 15 years). The whole place is way more open in every way, very cosmopolitan now with so many EU citizens working in London proper, lots of cafes, got rid of the old closing hours. Seems like they even improved the weather.
It’s wonderful when you can afford to enjoy it, e.g., stay in a nice hotel in Chelsea or Kensington or near Piccadilly Circus and eat in all the great (!) restaurants that are there now. The Thai places are outstanding, the Indian places are really good, even compared with Jackson Heights (NY). As someone who lived in an Indian neighborhood (Hounslow) for years, I can see how much things have changed there.
Housing prices are ridiculous though. How can anyone in England afford it?
I guess my point is London is great when you have money and access, which most English people don’t. I’m looking beyond tourist attractions, to the beautiful neighborhoods (Chelsea, Hampstead, Notting Hill, Wimbledon) and first-rate architecture, fabulous food, the pubs, luxurious bathtubs!!, unsurpassed public parks (St. James and Kew Gardens are without par in NY, Paris, Athens, etc.), the pubs (did I say that?), the cheese, the Thames (Strand on the Green especially).
Just as you can't judge NY by visiting the Empire State Building, eating crap fast food, and trying to walk around midtown at lunchtime on a summer day, you can't judge London by visiting in high tourist season and tramping around in the midst of a million other tourists. My advice: take a book to St. James park, sit down in one of those comfy lawn chairs (you DO have to pay for that) and enjoy the scenery. Go eat some Greek food at a cafe. Drink French wine for decent prices. Go out to Strand on the Green and have a pint of Young's ordinary while you watch the skullers row past. It's magic.
Of course, I have a few minor complaints, who doesn’t? Lack of public bathrooms, surly shopgirls, traffic . . .
But compared with rural Lincolnshire, Manhattan, Southhampton (NY), or the Hudson Valley, London is worthy of anyone’s time—if you can afford it.
Novella
Oh yeah, just want to add to Rex and others, re the John Wayne comments, that I’m a sixth-gen American and everyone I know thinks he’s a big dufus. But if you want to talk about Clint . . .
Coming from the point of view of a NYer who lived in “real” London (Hounslow—how real is that, Wabbit?) and worked in Bayswater, Chiswick, and the City, I really missed NY the whole time. The thing was I couldn’t afford to enjoy London, though all the fun stuff was there. I couldn't afford the restaurants, the cabs, the clubs, anything, on an English salary.
Now I’m living back in US and visit London every year (in-laws there) and also spend way more time up in Lincolnshire and also “out in the counties” than in London, so I'm hip to the London v. rest-of-England comparisons.
Here’s my take. London gets better and better every time I visit (over 15 years). The whole place is way more open in every way, very cosmopolitan now with so many EU citizens working in London proper, lots of cafes, got rid of the old closing hours. Seems like they even improved the weather.
It’s wonderful when you can afford to enjoy it, e.g., stay in a nice hotel in Chelsea or Kensington or near Piccadilly Circus and eat in all the great (!) restaurants that are there now. The Thai places are outstanding, the Indian places are really good, even compared with Jackson Heights (NY). As someone who lived in an Indian neighborhood (Hounslow) for years, I can see how much things have changed there.
Housing prices are ridiculous though. How can anyone in England afford it?
I guess my point is London is great when you have money and access, which most English people don’t. I’m looking beyond tourist attractions, to the beautiful neighborhoods (Chelsea, Hampstead, Notting Hill, Wimbledon) and first-rate architecture, fabulous food, the pubs, luxurious bathtubs!!, unsurpassed public parks (St. James and Kew Gardens are without par in NY, Paris, Athens, etc.), the pubs (did I say that?), the cheese, the Thames (Strand on the Green especially).
Just as you can't judge NY by visiting the Empire State Building, eating crap fast food, and trying to walk around midtown at lunchtime on a summer day, you can't judge London by visiting in high tourist season and tramping around in the midst of a million other tourists. My advice: take a book to St. James park, sit down in one of those comfy lawn chairs (you DO have to pay for that) and enjoy the scenery. Go eat some Greek food at a cafe. Drink French wine for decent prices. Go out to Strand on the Green and have a pint of Young's ordinary while you watch the skullers row past. It's magic.
Of course, I have a few minor complaints, who doesn’t? Lack of public bathrooms, surly shopgirls, traffic . . .
But compared with rural Lincolnshire, Manhattan, Southhampton (NY), or the Hudson Valley, London is worthy of anyone’s time—if you can afford it.
Novella
Oh yeah, just want to add to Rex and others, re the John Wayne comments, that I’m a sixth-gen American and everyone I know thinks he’s a big dufus. But if you want to talk about Clint . . .
Themistocles
New Member
Ice said:It sounds very similar to Forbidden Planet (Tottenham Court Road)- I spend far too much money every time i'm thereIts one of my favourite shops
The Forbidden Planet in Sheffield sucks. It's manga collections are patchy at best, other graphics novels are ridiculously overpriced and too much of it is devoted to action figures and stupid Buffy posters and the like. Must try harder.
Ice said:It sounds very similar to Forbidden Planet (Tottenham Court Road)- I spend far too much money every time i'm there
HORAY! It's fab!
Did you know they have moved it now? Not far, a few streets away, but it confused the hell out of me the last time I went for a visit
Umm, I was up there ( thinks ) maybe a month ago??? My memory is shot to hell lol Anyway, it was not long ago
They have a sign on the door showing where they have moved to. The new shop is actually very fab and a vast improvment on the old store! It's much larger and has so much great stuff in there!
Ice, why not take Phill and his credit card down there *evil grin and maniacal chuckling*
They have a sign on the door showing where they have moved to. The new shop is actually very fab and a vast improvment on the old store! It's much larger and has so much great stuff in there!
Ice, why not take Phill and his credit card down there
*evil grin and maniacal chuckling*
