Maxine Morse 
· Sep 17, 2023 · 13 mins
Moving to London – An Insider Perspective
Moving to London or thinking of living here? Maybe you have concerns about high prices or fitting in? Here I lay all of your worries to rest and give you the many reasons why London is the World’s Capital and one of the best places to live regardless of your personal circumstances.
Here are some unarguable reasons to move to London.
London has a Fascinating Geography and Skyline
Consider moving to London for our fabulous architecture.
Most cities that have been burnt to ashes in fires, or blitzed to smithereens in wars are reconstructed on a communist style grid system but not ours.
We have tiny alley ways with ancient pubs nestled next to giant plate glass tower blocks.
Turn a corner and go down a path to seemingly nowhere and you’ll find a hidden court yard which may be the inspiration for Scrooge’s Counting House in Dickens’s Christmas Carol.
Cross our numerous bridges, or take the lift to a viewing platform at the Shard or the Tate Modern and you’ll see our skyline of majestic buildings – St Pauls, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London peppered with newer buildings like the Gherkin, County Hall and the Walkie Talkie.
And look at the red cranes and the scale of new development. The geography of London is constantly changing.
London has Fantastic World Beating Culture
Our arts scene is second to no other country on the planet and there’s no better reason to consider moving to London. You could never be bored here. There is a constant and never ending stream of entertainment and intellectual stimulation.
London has 230 theatres with 100,000 seats available each and every night. They range from the largest theatres which show musicals and blockbusters, to the oldest theatres like the Theatre Royal (May 1663) to the smallest theatres like the Duchess Theatre with just 494 seats.
With their frequently changing programmes, you could go to two shows a day for a year and never see the same thing twice.
Then there are our free world-class museums like the V&A, Science Museum and the Natural History in South Kensington. Art lovers will appreciate the free Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, the Wallace Collection and the Tate Modern. History lovers will enjoy a day at the London Museum and wannabe Egyptologists and archaeologists and all lovers of antiquities, can join the crowds at the British Museum.
And when you’ve exhausted their permanent galleries you can go their special exhibitions where treasures are gleaned from around the world. Use a National Art Pass for discounted entry.
We have some other excellent suggestions for free and cheap things to do in London that you may enjoy.
Our Love of the British Royal Family is Another Reason for Moving to London
Most of us Londoners don’t want to be a republic.
We like the fact that our Royals can sit bolt upright, behave with class, wear stockings instead of bare legs in a heatwave, do public good works and save us from the ills of the government of the day. Her Mag has got to be a restraining influence on Boris, surely? After all she holds him to task at a weekly audience and without her, we don’t like to think what might happen!
And when our Royals get it wrong, they get it spectacularly wrong. We then enjoy the gaffes and the blunders. Many of us remember that rogue, Michael Fagan who scaled the walls of Buck House and evaded palace security, to sit at the end of the Queen’s bed. There’s many a pub debate on whether Diana was a latter day saint or mad, bad and dangerous to know. Has Prince Harry lost the plot and been duped by a conniving Meghan Markle or are they “innocent victims of the palace machine”? And don’t get us started on Prince Andrew and his alleged friendship with a friend of an alleged paedophile (and THAT television interview)!
We like the pageantry, the castles, the palaces the pomp and the circumstance…and the time when we met the Queen, or almost met the Queen. And moving to London means that you can share in all the pomp and circumstance that comes with the our royal connections.
Nowhere Does Understated Luxury Like London
As a nation we aren’t ones to bare all, teeter around in 6 inch heels or wear colossal rocks on our fingers. We prefer understated quality like wool tweed coats, cashmere jumpers and silk shirts. Many of our luxury branded goods are made by Royal Warrant Holders who supply Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip or Prince Charles.
There is nothing like a stroll round Harrods, Liberty’s, Fortnum and Mason, Jermyn Street and the Burlington Arcade make sense of the London Look.
Our prestigious hotels are far more than places where the rich stay when visiting London, we arrange to meet our friends for afternoon tea, we use their foyers to host business meetings over a coffee or try to evade capture by the hotel doormen as we sneak passed solely to use the loo.
London’s Bargains and Deals Defy Belief
London has an unjust reputation as being one of the most expensive and pocket draining capitals in the world. And it’s true, if you are going to dive into the nearest cafe or restaurant and zig zag between destinations in a black cab you’ll feel chewed up and used.
Accommodation
The main expense for anyone living here is accommodation, that’s true whether you are on holiday, renting a flat or buying a home. Costs can be reduced by house sitting, staying in hostels, sharing with friends or living in the suburbs. Once your accommodation has been sorted, London can be surprisingly economical.
Travel
The Oyster card (which is the card that you need to travel on London Transport) has a capped daily spend. So you will spend a fixed amount no matter how many journeys you make.
If you are permanent resident and over 60 you currently get free travel (and long may that continue).
Save Money by Moving to London
If you are moving to London on a budget you can focus on the free and cheap stuff. Think:
- Museums
- Art galleries
- Libraries
- Window shopping
- Lunchtime recitals
- Parks
- Street performers
- Street markets
- Street food
Green Spaces with Free Entry
Lesser known is that there are number of roof gardens all over the City and many are free to enter (although some may require online booking).
This is the Crossrail Place Roof Garden in Canary Wharf which is full of exotic plants with many benches and hidden pathways and an extensive programme of free performances and music.
Food Deals
Food deals abound. London markets and supermarkets sell their produce off at a fraction of the price at the end of the day. Ask at one of the bigger supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Waitrose when they make their evening reductions.
Many chain restaurants do introductory offers which can result in you scoring a free meal. Download apps for the chain restaurants and research deals online. Follow your favourite restaurants on Twitter to be the first to hear of their latest promotion
Cheap Shopping
Every January and July we have sales in our flagship shops and department stores in Knightsbridge and Oxford Circus. In the last few days of the sale, it is not unusual for prices to be reduced by up to 80%
London Weather is Interesting
Our weather changes by the hour, although on most days you can be guaranteed rain. Tourists and newcomers may see this as a bad thing but we tend to like it.
The truth is London weather is as interesting as it is varied. It rarely gets unbearably hot, and neither does it get extremely cold.
Just think, our moderate climate is very good for the complexion and delays ageing.
And you will never stumped for conversation. Our weather is the perfect subject when talking to someone that you’ve just met, or for polite conversation with neighbours when you don’t want to get too intimate.
If you are visiting London in the Winter you must be especially prepared for cold and rainy weather. We advise you on what to pack.
London Transport is World Beating
Sometimes, I meet friends who go back home to America and Australia and they return with horror stories of how they had to wait 40 minutes or an hour for a bus.
Well that doesn’t happen when you live in London!
Our trains and buses run every few minutes. You may be crushed like sweltering, sardines in the rush hour and need to carry a bottle of water with you at all times but these are minor inconveniences for a relatively safe and speedy journey.
London Markets Cater for all Tastes and Budgets
London has speciality markets catering for bargain hunters, flea market sifters, artisan foodies and arty craft lovers.
Each market has its own unique personality.
Columbia Road is a flower market with a diverse East End vibe. Covent Garden is known for its upmarket crafts and unusual souvenirs and is popular with tourists. Borough Market, visited by locals, tourists and office workers alike, is famed for its fruit, vegetables and artisan street food. There’s a second hand book market in front of the BFI. Portobello Road is a famous flea market with a lot of bric-a-brac, antiques and second-hand stalls. Greenwich Market has a thriving craft and hippy market as does Camden Town.
And if you see an advertisement for a Car Boot Sale, run don’t walk, you will find local people selling their cast off stuff for a pound or so. A top tip is to get there early and be vigilant as the cars are being unloaded.
Tasty Bland English Food and Boozy Pubs are yet Another Reason for Moving to London
British food like bangers and mash, fish and chips and steak pie with lashings of gravy are the nectar of the gods.
We don’t need to eat garlicky olives and salamis, or a vindaloo, when we have the right mix of crispy, creamy, gravyness in our national cuisine.
Moving to London Means you can Experience a Unique, Diverse and Multi Cultural Population
London is multicultural and diverse and everyone feels that they belong. And if they don’t feel that they belong, it just means that they need to make a modicum of change e.g. join a new MeetUp, move a mile down the road, speak to a new neighbour.
Meeting a white British Londoner is a bit of a rare thing here…even the people who purport to be British or Londoners aren’t! And when you leave the City for a few days, you miss the melting pot of interesting people and everything that goes with it – the ethnic food, the liberal attitudes and the range of beliefs and life styles.
A major plus point of our ethnic diversity is the myriad of cuisines available – you name it, we have it, from the Curry Houses in Brick Lane and Southall, to Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, Jewish bakeries in Stamford Hill and the Middle Eastern kebab shops on the Edgware Road. Whatever you want, and whatever time of day you want it, you can have it.
And with this comes the speciality grocery shops that supply them, so whether you are looking for wonton wraps, pomegranate molasses or dried anchovy, it’s here somewhere near you.
Emigrate to London to Witness Firsthand Tetchy Impatient Londoners
Londoners, dressed uniformly in black and grey, will leave their suburban homes and descend from the main line stations of St Pancras, Kings Cross, Victoria, Euston and Charing Cross each morning. They will then, unrelentingly and at speed, oblivious to stunning sights, march to their City offices.
Do not stop them, or get in their way or ask for directions. Dithering, pointing, or map reading tourists are likely to enrage them and woe betides anyone who causes them to trip over a wheeled suitcase.
As far as they are concerned, you are a “Johnny Come Lately” and London belongs to them. By living in London you can join us in our bad tempered and impatient ways.
Consider Moving to London to Enjoy the Anonymity
In London, you are the proverbial drop in the ocean of humanity.
Discharged from prison? Change your name and address and make a fresh start. If you’ve had an argument with a friend, don’t worry about it, you’ll never see them again. Getting over a bad relationship? You’ll find hundreds of better partners living within a few metres of you, online. Fleeing a bad family situation? They’ll never find you here.
London is the perfect place to get lost, start over or disappear. You will never regret moving to London.
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