Moving To London? 10 Things New To London People Only Understand
We all dream of moving to the big city and pursuing our goals; if that is chasing our dream careers, hobbies, activists, protesting, meeting the man of our dreams or studying. However, no matter where you are from in the UK, moving to London can be quite a bit of a culture shock! Although London is what we all imagine and thought it to be, there are a few things maybe we should know before moving here for good. Here are 10 things new to London people will understand…
1) Everyone is always in a rush… and it begins to rub off on you…
I don’t know if it’s something in the air, or one day someone was in a crazy rush and it sort of rubbed off on everyone around them, and for everyone to be in constant ‘London rush mode’. It’s like people are on fast forward and enter the invisible fast-lane. I’m not quite sure why, maybe everyone is genuinely running late to something important, the horrific transport isn’t reliable enough or they are just trying to get away from punters and tourists on the streets, who knows!?
2) Nobody talks to each other unless they are slightly tipsy.
When moving to London there is a common misconception that “you’ll meet so many new people” or “everyone will talk to you and make you feel welcome”… don’t be fooled, this is not the case! Nobody seems to really have the time of day for each other, and seem sort of scared to even say ‘thank you’ or even a ‘hi’. It is hard to meet new people when everyone is in their ‘rush’ and not really open to any sort of communication at all!
3) Transport can be your best friend and worst nightmare.
Of course, London is a fairly big place, and trying to get to one side of the city is very very difficult without the use of transport. Yes, London has plenty of transport – Uber, the tube, busses, taxi’s etc. but there are also A LOT of people in London also trying to grab the same transport. Tubes can often occur delays, strikes, and rammed-packed carriages. Taxi’s are a nightmare to grab and uber costs an arm and leg while being stuck in London traffic. So although it is essential to use transport, it can be quite a hassle!
4) Nobody will judge you for falling asleep, well, anywhere!
Hundreds of people grab the tube every second of the day, and being the capital means it resides very busy, workaholic people who commute from place to place. It isn’t unusual for people to fall asleep on any sort of transport, and its sort of just a thing that people do! Of course, being new to London you’re a little confused at seeing 5 people on one carriage fast-asleep, but I guess it’s just the norm of London life. After all, when you are tired you’ve just got to catch zzz’s when you can!
5) To avoid all tourist places on the weekend.
Beautiful London has the most incredible sights, events, attractions and tourist hotspots, yes! But once the novelty wears off and you have visited these places plenty of times, it sort of becomes a ‘place to avoid at all cost’ during the weekends. Tourists travel from all across the globe to visit certain places within London, and there is nothing worse than being swarmed by a bunch of slow walking, picture snapping tourists during your weekend freedom!
6) There is no judgment because everyone is so different.
London is a very diverse and cultural place and really prides itself on the range of people, ethnicities and cultures the city holds. It’s incredible and so open and accepting of everyone, which means you see all sorts of people! Nobody will ever judge the way you are, your style, personality or belief’s, and trust me, nothing will shock any Londoner!
7) Londoner’s think you’ve come from Mars. “There’s a place outside of London?!”
The shock on people’s faces when you tell them you come from outside London is very amusing, it is as if they believe there is no outside world… They will mock your accent and try to mimic it whenever they speak to you. They are fascinated with how other places in the world are and they will find any question to ask about where you are from. Makes you sort of feel like a celebrity!
8) You become a pro at avoiding getting run over in the chaotic London traffic.
London is known for its crazy traffic and busy streets, yes, so for us pedestrians it takes a lot of time and practice to cross any road! You will learn when it is somewhat safe to cross a road to when it is totally untrustworthy to cross! You can sort of know who has been in London for 6 months and those who have lived in London their entires lives by their knowledge and confidence when crossing the road.
9) Everything, EVERYTHING is so much more expensive.
We all get warned by the extortionate prices in London, and a pint of milk alone can cost £3.00, yes that’s true. You will never really understand how you are supposed to live with prices on everything higher than anywhere else, and it is very daunting. Moving to London helps you budget money and learn how to manage the little money you do have! After living in London for more than 6 months, you will just forget how crazy the prices are… “oh, £12 for a Milkway bar? Cool, keep the change!!”
10) You’re in Big Brother if you stand on the left, ANYWHERE.
There is this hidden rule in London you don’t really know about until you get those angry people yelling “move over to the right!” Wherever you are standing it is safe to stand on the right, and apparently, the left lane is the ‘fast-lane’ for those people who don’t have time to wait around. If you’re moving to London, you should really know these things.
