Big Ben, London
As Kelli and I settle in to our London house sits I want to share my first impressions.
The UK has long been on my travel list. We just needed the right house sits to pull us here.
Fulfillment required.
My first impressions…..
1: Groceries Are Inexpensive
I figured based on the common travel blogger scuttlebutt that London required a one leg amputation as the fee to enter the city.
Far from the chop job, some aspects of London are inexpensive to us.
3 of my favorite foods in the country that does ’em best.
Grocery shopping seems borderline cheap here for us New Jerseyites.
After spending $60 USD for about 5 days of shopping we’d have spent about $100 USD for the same goods in our native NJ back home in the States.
Actually, London has been less expensive than Prague as far as groceries. I was mildly surprised at this discovery since food is our main expense.
Public transport is also inexpensive.
We paid roughly $15 USD per person for a 90 minute bus ride from Luton into the center of London.
What Is Expensive?
Real estate and gas are crazy expensive from what I’ve seen so far (and have known for a bit).
Petrol prices, London, UK
Being a house sitter who walks and uses public transport to get around has its benefits.
2: Fabulous Walking City
After a few days here I can already see: London is a world class walking city.
Many cities come up woefully short in this area. London, like Prague, is made for pedestrians.
From wide sidewalks, to hiking paths through parks to clearly-defined crosswalks at traffic intersections, this city does a fabulous job making it easy for pedestrians to get around.
Even though it is brilliant for walking do keep a few things in mind:
- motorists and cyclists expect you to follow traffic signals closely; never assume that pedestrians have the right of way (for my fellow US citizens accustomed to this basic traffic law in the States)
- train your mind to look in the opposite direction for traffic (unless your home country traffic patterns mirror those of the UK)
The moment I looked down beside Hyde Park to see “Look Left” and “Look Right” reminders painted onto the actual road I realized how many pedestrians had either been struck by vehicles (or cyclists) or had caused near-accidents.
People drive on the opposite side of the road in the UK compared to much of the world. Looking to your left for the “all clear” when you should be looking to the right (and vice-versa) takes some practice; erring when a heavy-footed driver approaches could make for a dangerous situation.
Before you step into the street take a deep breath and remember to look in the proper direction.
When do you walk, perhaps it’d be a keen idea to step as deliberately as the guards at Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace, London
3: People Are Both Friendly And Helpful
From the driver at the airport, to the manager working at the easyHotel, to the person who sold us our SIM card, each person helped us by sharing important tidbits about public transport, local culture and various customs without being asked.
Kelli and I were touched to receive so much helpful, free information from these kindly folks.
Londonites are really friendly, engaging and quite pleasant.
One dude riding a bike down the street stopped me and asked:
“Who are you pulling for? Arsenal or Man City?”
We proceeded to discuss the Premier League for 10 minutes before crossing over to:
- the NBA
- Michael Jordan
- Lebron James
for the following 10 minutes.
20 minutes later, this seeming stranger checked his phone to head back to work.
I suspect we’d have chatted for a half hour if his employer had not called.
4: World Class Horticulture
London is a city of dazzling gardens.
From public parks to private residences, exquisitely manicured floral arrangements delight your senses.
Buckingham Palace
This city is as pretty as I’ve seen when it comes to proper gardens.
The attention to detail is quite astounding.
5: High Roller Central
We are in Notting Hill.
The Forbes House sits a few blocks to the north. This mansion – owned by the Qatari Al Thani family – is valued at roughly $450 million USD.
A few blocks to our west lies Kensington Gardens, home to Roman Abramovich, Lakshmi Mittal and the Sultan of Brunei.
Yep; this region of London is high roller central.
I have already seen a small collection of cars only on our city block costing anywhere from $250,000 USD to $650,000 USD.
Lamborghini Urus on our block, London.
The groceries may be inexpensive but the real estate and car scene sure as hell ain’t.
6: The Tube Is a Subway Experience
Some subways get the job done but evolve into glorified sewer transport at more gritty stops.
The Tube is a “Subway Experience”.
I was stunned at the intricate design of this underworld existing beneath the city of London. Never mind the plush, comfortable seats similar to a couch in place of the typical hard, cold, graffiti-stained deals on most subways.
Paddington Station, London
Payment is easy; use your contactless credit card or oyster card to swipe for entrance. Swipe again on the exit to pay your fee.
Important note; to keep track of the daily spending cap one can only use a single card per individual. Either purchase an oyster card for each traveler or use multiple contactless credit cards to pay for public transit in London.
Conclusion
These are just a few of my first thoughts about this brilliant city.
Stay tuned for more pictures and stories.
