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Posts Tagged ‘moving to london from america’

Weekend Warrior Sunday: London Leaders

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Because I think it’s valuable for you to learn about England for your London move, I’m continuing on with my Weekend Warrior Sunday series. Last weekend, we briefly met the Anglo-Saxons who settled in Lundenwic, just outside of the Roman Londinium.

By the early 8th century, London had fallen under the control of Mercia, another Anglo-Saxon kingdom that was centered in the English midlands. By now the destroyed St. Paul’s Cathedral had long since been rebuilt, only to fall again at the hands of…Vikings! More than a century before leveling poor Paul in 962, the Vikings had begun raiding England. London itself was sacked in 842 and yet again in 851.

[For a great weekend-excursion after you've settled into your new London flat, head up north to York and learn more about the Viking settlements in England at the Jorvik Viking Centre.]

Tags: British history, canadians moving to london, interesting facts about UK history, interesting london facts, learning more about england for a london move, learning more about london for a london move, London Relocation Services, moving to london from america, moving to london from usa, viking raids of england, viking raids of london
Posted in Sunday History Lessons, Weekend Warriors, history | No Comments »

Weekend Warrior Saturday: What You Can do Today to Prep for Your London Move

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

Whether you’re moving to London alone, with a family, as a student, as a professional, with a job, without a job *inhale* *exhale* no matter how you slice-n-dice your particular relocation situation, we all have to at some point pack up and schlep our stuff across the pond.

Today’s packing tip for moving to London is annoying, but simpler if you start thinking ahead. Basically, start to sort through and divide what will be staying behind and what should be given away. This way, even if you’re not ready to pack up your necessities because you still need them on a daily basis at home, you can start to clear out the rest.

Every time you’re looking in your closet, try to identify things that you can donate to charity or give away to the lucky friends and family who wear your same size I remember planting a giant box in front of my closet, so, in waves, I’d toss more and more into the box as long as I was standing right there and thinking about it anyway. If it goes in the box, while that takes up some space, it’s not making a mess. Do the same for accessories and knick-knacks, and keep revisiting your closets/cabinets with a fresh eye every day or two to see if you can’t part with a little more.

At this stage, it’s wise to also identify what you don’t regularly use, but that you don’t necessarily want to toss. If you can do without these things for a while, start to pack them up as well and store them in your own storage for the time being or where they’ll reside after you move to London. In my case, we didn’t want to pay to rent a storage unit, but we were blessed to have family willing to take it on for a few years. The possessions we left behind are divided between my sister’s and father-in-law’s basements, and some is actually being put to use in our parents’ homes—my mom and dad are enjoying my bookshelves filled with my precious leather-bound book collection, and my father-in-law is actually using our living room set (the leather would fare better in use than sitting in storage left to dry and crack). This infringement on our loved ones’ space shouldn’t be taken lightly, however, so do offer some sort of compensation or a generous gift.

The more these non-essentials are thinned out, the more clarity with which you’ll be able to look around and assess how to pack up the need-to-haves later. Giving stuff away is really a good exercise to perform anyway (even if you weren’t moving) for saving space with the added benefit of helping others. And leaving stuff behind might at first seem painful, but ask yourself honestly when the last time was that you used a certain item and just trust in the truth of “Out of Sight, Out of Mind.” I’m as sentimental as they come, so if I’ve come to terms with it, so can you!

So in the spirit of your london relocation, put your Sorting Hat on and sort it out!

Tags: london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london as a student, moving to london from america, moving to london tips, moving to london with a job, moving to london without a job, packing tips and tricks, packing tips clothes, packing tips for moving to england, packing tips move
Posted in London Tips & Culture, Saturday Moving Tips, Weekend Warriors, visas, banking, & other logisitical issues | No Comments »

Living in London on a Budget

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

If you’re moving to London on a budget, my fellow Londonistas and I have been starting to compile some cost-saving ideas over at London Living to help you pinch your pence once living here—this is particularly useful if you’re moving to London with children or as a student or otherwise without a job (which certainly happens in the case of dual-citizens or Tier 1 visa-holders).

I’ve mentioned before how Living Social is an easy way to catch daily updates on good deals throughout London, and lately some friends of mine who are also American expats in London have been giving the heads-up on other resources. Groupon, like Living Social, offers exclusive savings on any number of dining or recreational activities, and morelondon will keep you in the know on free events. For a growling stomach, don’t feel you need to live on Marmite and toast alone—treat yourself to a dinner out! Toptable and OpenTable are your go-to resources in that case.

None of us who aren’t originally from London are kidding ourselves—it’s an expensive city. You’ll be paying through the nose enough on housing in London (but remember the time and money you’ll save on hotel costs if you use our relocation services to find a London flat!), so don’t do the same for what can still be a pleasurable and indulgent lifestyle

Tags: canadian moving to london england, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london blog, moving to london budget, moving to london from america, moving to london tips, moving to london with children, moving to london with no job, moving to london without a job
Posted in London Tips & Culture, food & beverage, recreation | No Comments »

More Pinching Your Pence in London: Free Walking Tours

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

I’ve previously written about pinching your pence in London, so thought I’d supplement with some more freebies (we’re adding more daily to our London Living social network, too!). It so happens that, yesterday, I’d inadvertently taken a wrong turn and ended too close to a famous London landmark for comfort on a sunny summer day of high-tourism. Passing tour bus and tour group, I felt claustrophobic for those stuck in the middle of the masses straining to hear what the tour guide was saying and trying to keep up with the herd, reinforcing my general preference to go solo for things like this.

Any good guidebook like 24 Hours: London, Rick Steve’s London, or DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: London can help you plot your own customized daily walking itinerary, of course, but the following cut right to the chase if you’re interested in the free self-guided routes they offer:

Walk London

London For Free

Richard Jones’s London Walking Tours

The London Toolkit

AboutLondon.com also offers an extensive list of downloadable walking tours.

Touring London may be one thing while relocating to London may be another, but they’re not entirely separate existences. I, for one, have enjoyed being a tourist here since moving to London from America two years ago, and I declare that the day I walk by Big Ben or St. Paul’s Cathedral and not snap my head back to gawk at their brilliance will be a sad, jaded day indeed. Don’t be embarrassed to explore your city with a map and guidebook in hand if it helps you understand better what you are seeing—sure, immersing yourself into the locals’ activity and wandering off the beaten walking-tour path is the best way to really incorporate yourself into the city culture, but knowing its fundamentals is a part of appreciating the lot of it, so grab that camera (and, yes, you can wear those cute shoes as long as they’re comfortable as well) and hit the streets, you independent Londonista you!

Tags: London flats, London Relocation Services, London relocation specialist, London walking tours, move to London, Moving to London, moving to london from america, Moving to London from US, relocating to London, self-guided walking tours London
Posted in London Tips & Culture, day touring, recreation | No Comments »

London Locals: Art Imitating Life – a London Expat’s Relocation Experience

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Photo credit (rights reserved): Charlene Lam

Just a quick heads-up that if you happen to be moving to London this week or are already here, artist Charlene Lam is exhibiting her “Someday…Longing in London” artwork as of yesterday through August 15th.

From the press release:

“SOMEDAY … Longing in London is the first UK solo exhibition of New York-London designer and artist Charlene Lam. Inspired by her transition from East Coast to East London, the show is an exploration and celebration of cities and longing.

Emphasizing the use of materials sourced locally from the streets of London, the show features installations, collections of found objects, and limited-edition prints, as well as a collaborative piece collecting the ‘someday’s of Londoners.”

From the artist herself:

“During the show, I’ll be working on a collaborative artwork, collecting the longings of Londoners from Twitter, web postings, and visitors to the show. Please stop by, say hi, contribute your ‘someday’ and share your favorite London tips!“

Charlene is also a Londonista at our London Living social networking site, where she has this to add:

“Hello, Londonistas! A quick hello from Clerkenwell and East London. I’m looking forward to meeting some of you this week at my show, SOMEDAY … Longing in London (details on events page). I’ve been in the UK 11 months, and the works in the exhibition are very much about my transition from NYC to London. The curiosities of expat living were very much on my mind as I was setting up yesterday — how paint colors take on sudden importance when you’re an accidental housewife, the joy of puzzling out what they call oatmeal, etc. Hope to meet you in person this week or over coffee sometime!”

What a sweet gal . Can’t wait to meet her myself at the exhibit!

The details:
Weekdays noon-6pm
Open late Thursday 12 Aug, with refreshments and treats 5-8pm
Saturday and Sunday, noon-4pm
There is also a Snack & Stitch weekdays from 3-5pm (see website)

The beautiful thing about art is that this showcase encompasses the spirit of not just one American expat in London’s experience with relocating to the UK, but something for all of us London expats to share, so be a part of it!

Tags: american expats in london, Americans moving to London, Canadians and Americans in the UK, Charlene Lam, London Expat, London Living, London Relocation, Longing in London, moving to london from america, moving to London from New York, Moving to London from US, relocating to UK
Posted in London Tips & Culture, recreation | No Comments »

Turning a New Leaf

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Today’s post is written with a heavy heart indeed…I dreaded going home today to behold the dismal fruits of the tree surgeon’s labors: tree pruning, or lopping, as I’ve come to learn.

I’m no tree-hugger, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I literally wept this morning at the sound of the tree surgeon revving his saw. I looked out my 2nd floor flat at the branches that were always eye-level—indeed filling our entire view out the giant sash windows with vibrant green leaves. As those leaves rustled in the cool morning breeze, it looked as though they were waving goodbye.

24 plane trees, reduced “to point of last reduction,” per the borough council website.

Last night as my husband and I roamed to the opposite side of our square to lament the sheer ugliness of the stumpy trees (they look just like a horrid winter scene painting I made in 5th grade when I couldn’t quite grasp that branches should taper) a neighbor in the square informed us that this occurs every 7 years on this particular site. Over those 7 years, a lovely growth of young branches had emerged, which we’ve enjoyed over the last 2 years; what leaves (pun intended) me sad right now is simply the thought of not getting to see them turn this autumn . The leaves also soaked up a lot of street noise, as we noticed during the winters when their bareness created no buffer.

Thanks for listening to me whimper. I’m an aesthetics-oriented gal and have enjoyed those trees and the songbirds that serenaded from their fine branches by mere virtue of dwelling in our flat. My pensive moments writing at the computer that send me looking out the window for the right words to come might meet with a little less inspiration now…I just don’t know.

In any case, this phenomenon is something that I’ve first really come to notice to this drastic extent here in London and elsewhere in Europe. In many-a neighborhood, you’ll encounter this shorn vegetation, which must be approved by borough councils pursuant to Tree Protection Orders (TPO); trees located in historic conservation areas are likewise protected.

I suppose these English gardeners know what they’re doing for the better of the trees, and sometimes it’s necessary to protect the buildings in close proximity—in our case, a Victorian church (which is luckily so pretty in itself), not that I’m sure that’s the reason. I’m devastated that it’s happening in the middle of summer when they’re so lush, but I guess with all the trees in this beautifully green city, the workload has to be spread around all year, and the season of pruning is supposedly irrelevant to what’s best for the tree itself. All we can do is cross our fingers that the trees persevere through the trauma, healing over to shield themselves from disease so that residents can enjoy them for generations to come.

I reckon when life gives us a good lopping, we grow stronger for it, too .

Tags: english garden, London conservation areas, london plane trees, London Relocation, London Relocation Services, london tree protection orders, Moving to London, moving to london from america, relocation companies london, Relocation London
Posted in London Tips & Culture | 1 Comment »

High Maintenance and Moving to London?

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Never fear—we here at London Relocation Ltd. will help even the most demanding of clients

We understand that our clients are quality people with quality expectations (but of course, that’s why they choose to work with our quality company!), so we set the bar high for the properties we will show. In our collaborations with area lettings agents, we emphasize that flats must be located in safe neighborhoods, close to public transportation and necessities (grocery stores, etc.), and be of a high standard from both practical and aesthetic standpoints.

Granted, a part of our job is also managing those high expectations. As I’ve touched on often in this blog (including my brief series on “What to Expect in a London Flat“), London is not going to be the exact replica of where one is relocating from, nor should it be. Money does not go as far, and spaces do not stretch as vast; lifestyles must be adapted on varying levels, no question. That being said, with our own experience as expats of what lifestyle and housing can be like elsewhere, we do our best to match client preferences to the closest London has to offer for a given area and budget, and we’ll persist until the client is satisfied.

Newly refurbished kitchen and bath? All wooden floors? Done—that’s what we like too! And sure, as in the photo, demands such as accommodation of pets can throw a curve ball into the mix, simply because not all buildings or landlords allow them. Yet in a case like this, though moving without a pet will certainly open more doors (literally) to you, it is not to say that pet owners will not still find a living space ideal for both man and beast. This is where having a relocation specialist on your side makes all the difference—increasing your odds by increasing your options.

Relocating to London means embracing a new life abroad with a diversity of cultural experiences, yet it doesn’t have to mean entirely checking who you already are at the door.

You might want to reconsider that hat, though