Top 5 Things I Love About London
There are many reasons why I moved to London in 2011, and since living here for over 10 years, there are countless things I love about this city. In this blog, I wanted to share just 5 of the top reasons to love and live in London.
Culture, culture, culture!
I absolutely love living in London for the culture. There is so much to see and do here. Personally, I fell into the African art scene and I’m so proud to see galleries dedicated to African art such as Tafeta Art Gallery, Tiwani Art Gallery, Signature Art Gallery, and Jack Bell Art Gallery, to name but a few.
Beyond visiting galleries on a regular basis, there are the incredible museums of London. My favourite is the Victoria & Albert Museum, also known as the V&A museum located in South Kensington. It’s located on Exhibition Road along with the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, so a trifecta of art and culture a few steps from each other. And it’s practically around the corner from the Royal Albert Hall, a premier concert and performance hall.
For another cluster of culture, you could spend days hanging around Trafalgar Square where you’ve got The National Gallery of Art, The National Portrait Gallery and countless performance theatres nearby including The Vaudeville Theatre London, Noël Coward Theatre, and Garrick Theatre. You’re also next to Leicester Square where you’ve got numerous movie theatres where many blockbuster Hollywood premieres are held.
Incredible Streets in London
Strolling along and discovering London’s streets is one of my favourite pastimes. Honestly, I’m never disappointed. You can have the super cool James Street just off of Oxford Street with its fabulous selection of bars and restaurants. Or walk along Jermyn Street, with its many men’s tailoring shops in St. James’s and enjoy the classic storefronts that still exist today.
You can take a long walk along Exhibition Road in South Kensington where you’ve got some of the world’s best museums and Hyde Park at one end and then at the other end this open-air plaza full of great restaurants.
Have a wander around Notting Hill to get to Portobello Road market but also stroll by pastel-coloured homes of Lancaster Road or Westbourne Park Road.
Great Food in London
The food scene in London is absolutely fantastic and anyone that asks me how the food is in London hasn’t been here for at least 20 years. Even the pubs are serving some pretty good food. Truly, you have some of the world’s best cuisine. From Mediterranean to sushi to Italian to continental. Some of London’s best streets for food include Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia, Bermondsey Street in Bermondsey, I’ve already mentioned James Street in Marylebone and of course legendary Brick Lane in east London to get the best curries & Asian food on offer. If you want to know more about the best neighbourhoods with fantastic restaurants, then check out this video.
Beautiful Architecture
Can you describe London without describing its architecture? I think it would be really tough. From the most famous palace, there is – Buckingham Palace to the Gherkin, London’s architecture and most iconic buildings are known the world over.
I often say that London’s architecture is quite schizophrenic, as it has its beautiful homes with white stucco frontage as in Regent’s Crescent near Regent’s Park, to its brutalist architecture brought about after the war. You can see modern creations next to traditional Victorian period homes, all on the same streets! I love heading around London and taking in the wonderful homes that have such a diverse mix of architecture.
Great Parks in London
London I think does such an amazing job of having green space and parkland that you can engage with throughout the city. Sometimes, people think that London would be like New York and a concrete jungle, but it isn’t comparable! I have heard that most people are within a 15 minute walk of park space and I have had that experience.
I personally live in Queens Park near the large park of the same name, which is fabulous for walking and taking in nature, while also offering tennis courts, football pitches, a playground, an arboretum, and a putting course!
There are so many little pockets of green spaces that you may not have even discovered yet, alongside the well-known parks such as Hyde Park, Green Park, Regent’s Park, Greenwich Park & Battersea Park. These are all huge parks with hundreds of acres with lakes, tennis courts and playgrounds, but you also have some fabulous local neighbourhood parks to enjoy.
St James’ Park is one of my top picks, which actually offers incredible views of London – you can see the London Eye, as well as Buckingham Palace on the other end of the park. St James’ Park segways from Hyde Park and Green Park. It has a duck pond and even has pelicans which were First introduced to the park in 1664 as a gift from the Russian Ambassador, over 40 pelicans have since made the park home.
Fulham Palace is another beautiful park that you must visit. It has 13 acres with a walled garden, beehives, flowers & fruit trees, as well as an apple orchard. It truly is a beautiful escape from the bustling city streets.
I’d love to hear your favourite things about your city, and if I missed any of your top reasons for loving London if you live here.
