Does Anyone Know London?

[MRM]

Number One Son is going to attend St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London. St Mary's University, Twickenham We're planning to spend some extended time there as well. Mrs. MRM and I have both traveled there for business, but the city of London remains a mystery to us. As George Bernard Shaw said, England and America are divided by a common language.

Can anyone offer some insider information or places to read up on life in the city in general and the boroughs and neighborhoods specifically? Most of what I know about London comes from Len Deighton novels, which are delightful, but aren't probably best to use as a travelogue.

Any tips or suggestions on where to live and how to settle in like a native?

[Nostril Cheese]

How much money do you want to spend?

London is damn expensive.

It also helps if you tell people you're Canadian. Learned that one REAL quick.

[porsche4life]

He's from Minnesota... That's damn near Canada!

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

It also helps if you tell people you're Canadian. Learned that one REAL quick.

Why? I've traveled all over the world and never had an issue. I had some Belgian guys give me some BS on a train one time when I was traveling in Spain. I gave it right back. Then I suggested we open up one of the bottles of wine I had brought along and discuss the matter. Much wine later we were best friends. If you lead with "George W Bush was a moron", you'll do just fine.

[Rtrorkt]

London is one of the great cities of the world. Perfectly walkable. Agree that it is expensive, though the dollar is gaining in value. There are the usual places, Regent St, Soho, Shaftsbury Ave, Oxford St. For the guys there is Jermyn St and Saville Row. I found a great little hotel at 7 Dials which is a Radisson. Visit Ye Ol Chesire Cheese in the City and sit in Dicken's seat. Best Roast Beef. The Porsche Dealer is near Berkeley Square. Oh, and the Enterprise Pub for great pub food. My favorite place to stay has been torn down Roger Ebert: Farewell to my London home | Travel | The Guardian What a shame

[Willem Fick]

I lived there for a while as a foreigner and found it very easy to assimilate into London society. Forget that you are a tourist. Read the local papers, find a local pub. The Brits in general are very accommodating and helpful and, as they have a very good sence of humour I found that yo be one of the easiet ways to get closer to them.

[Rtrorkt]

Originally Posted by Willem Fick

I lived there for a while as a foreigner and found it very easy to assimilate into London society. Forget that you are a tourist. Read the local papers, find a local pub. The Brits in general are very accommodating and helpful and, as they have a very good sence of humour I found that yo be one of the easiet ways to get closer to them.

This

[Willem Fick]

Oh, and don't stay in hotels! Very nice furnished aparments can be had for very little money. Try a compay called Ivy Lettings - managed through yhem to rent a fantastic apartment in Notting Hill for less than half what a hotel would have cost!

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

London is damn expensive.

Brutal.

Twickenham may or not be London proper, but it's residential vs "The City".

I would balance distance between school and the grocery store/pubs and share a flat. Assuming the closer to the school the greater rent is. May be worth a little more to get in the thick of college life vs getting a cheap flat "away" and being land locked.

No way would I want to live outside of Twickenham if a student there.

20 minute walk to train from St Mary's. 20 minutes to Waterloo Station then another 20+ minutes to walk to destination in London center. That's for the weekend.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Willem Fick

The Brits in general are very accommodating and helpful

I worked for a big oil company that spilled stuff in the Gulf of Mexico a few years back.

In a work environment, Brits can be stodgy as hell. It's safer, right? Not a crime. On the train from Sunbury (way out by Heathrow) to London, providing I brought up conversation, had some wonderful times talking to folks. Great people.

I love this joke. Brits won't ask "How are you?" on the off chance your children burned to death that morning in a house fire. You broach conversation, the dams open.

Best learning experience on a train. English woman says to a French woman, "Get your (young) kid's feet off the back of the chair (in front of her)". French woman says, "Why would you care? English people are filthy slobs." There is stuff going on in Europe us Americans do not fully understand.

This will be great for your kid to experience. All the best.

[creaturecat]

sounds like a great opportunity. i would be planning on venturing outside England, as well, if i had the time to do so .

[MRM]

We're thinking we might make an extended stay as well, so this is a question for both of us. He's going to be staying in Twickenham but we would be staying somewhere else. I just don't know enough about the area to know whether the East End Boys or the West End Girls are are the rich ones and the difference between Mayfair and Wapping.

[Bill Douglas]

Have fun and enjoy.

there is nothing wrong with being a Dern Yankee in London. It's a friendly place and they will be dying to know more about America.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Why? I've traveled all over the world and never had an issue.

Same here. Beats me as to why. I'd say "hello" and get the eye, usually with some rude comment. A Canadian flag pin on my backpack made it a much easier time.

Newcastle - Treated well
Glasgow - Treated well (especially from the ladies)
Edinburgh - They love Americans
Birmingham - Treated well
Dover - Great times, good people
Paris - Treated well if you try to speak French
Amsterdam - Ik spreekt een beetje.

London - We sure did something to piss them off.

Other than that, had a wonderful time hitch-hiking through the UK and Europe.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

As for Mr and Mrs MRM, I'm a fan of the northern part of town - St Johns Wood, Regents Park/Primrose Hill - that kind of area. Not too far out, but with a population density that actually allows you to take a breath.

St Johns Wood was nice. Harrow too. pretty pricey though. Students were real cool on letting travellers crash. One of them was a Brian May freak. Had a Red Special copy and an AC30. Learned a lot of Queen songs.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I had some Belgian guys give me some BS on a train one time when I was traveling in Spain.

I just remembered something a Belgian guy told me on a train going to France. He said he could always tell when someone was American. When we spoke, he said it looked like we were chewing raw potatoes.

[ckissick]

I went to Imperial College in South Kensington way back in '86 and '87.

If you stay for an extended period, don't even think of getting a car. Use the Tube with an Oyster card. I see St. Mary's is not on a Tube line. But it's closest to the District line. I'm partial to Kensington. A place near Hyde Park would be very nice. It's a great walking city, and walks through Hyde Park are the best. I did it every day. Walking distance to St. James Park and Parliament assures many other nice places to visit, like Mayfair and Soho. Knightsbridge has beautiful mews and has Harrod's. West of Kensington, it gets a little more hectic and less picturesque.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

St Johns Wood was nice. Harrow too. pretty pricey though.

Ha, I used to live in Harrow. 43 Lucas Avenue.

We used to get a lot of Chinese people in Harrow. The used to hop in a taxi at the airport and say "Harrow."

[billybek]

Spent some time in the UK a couple of years ago and I found it interesting when people asked if I was American and their demeanor changed greatly when I told them I was Canadian.
Ooooh, a colonist. How nice...
I did love being there. Tons of family and the local pub was usually a quick walk away.

[flatbutt]

FWIW...I traveled to the UK and London many many times working for GSK. IF anyone had an issue with America they rarely took it out on me and never gave me grief. Of course I'm not one to get up into anyones grill when abroad. Plus my jersey italian manner of speech kept them entertained. I had been told that conversation with me was like a Sopranos episode.

In general I'd bet your biggest issue will be getting accustomed to the prepared food. I know I know that's an old tired joke but there is truth in it. Otherwise England is a great place to live and get worldly experience for a college student.