London is a wonderful base of operations. It’s the perfect departure point for weekend excursions. Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, and all the popular European destinations are all just a subway ride and less than two air hours away.
Life in the city, however, can become odious, especially for New Yorkers. The accent begins to sound ridiculous, everything closes at 11 on weeknights, including bars and supermarkets, and there are times where the rain seems unceasing.
Other times the city feels very much like New York. There is just as much diversity, all street signs are legible, and the same chains (Subway, Burger King, Mc Donald’s) have prevalence on London’s streets. The old adages: New York is not America and London is not England translate into: London is New York (only twice as expensive). Both are wealthy cosmopolitan and multicultural leaders of their respective continents. And both have had a particular resurgence in the 90’s that is bearing fruit in the financial services industry; already mature in New York and just sprouting in London.
Some distinctions between the two cities are more subtle. London’s 2000 years from the Romans’ Londonium crush New York’s 350 years from Dutch New Amsterdam. Looking above the storefronts, this history in the form of 19th and 18th century structures is clearly visible. Such a predisposition towards preservation provides a lack of skyscrapers and therefore no London skyline. Additionally, the struggle to preserve its low structures creates a societal jumble in some London neighborhoods. For example, Merrill Lynch’s large warehouse-type complex in London’s Clerkenwell neighborhood is located in the night club/strip club/meat market area.
What London does possess, and in copious amounts, is an air of high culture. The city’s museums are free and numerous; the British Museum, National Gallery, Museum of Natural History, and Tate Modern, have combined collections that rival and probably surpass the Met, American Museum of Natural History, and MOMA. There are monuments everywhere and every turn of the corner seems to yield some commemoration of a military involvement. Furthermore, London, like England, is incredibly green and is therefore best for the active pedestrian. There seems to be a square or small park on every other block. These range from the immense such as Hyde Park and Regents Park, to the more dignified squares and plots of trees potted around the city.
Perhaps the best way to describe London is to call it dignified. Londoners, like New Yorkers, walk quickly to work but don’t seem to be in a rush. Above all, Londoners are incredibly pleasant and settled, a classic example of a population embodying their city.
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