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Posts Tagged ‘moving to london from usa’

Relocating to London From A to Z: It Ain’t Called “Victorian” for Nothin’…

Wednesday April 20th, 2011

Author: Colleen

Relocating to London requires a lot of preparation, notably the search and rental of a London apartment. As new London expats acclimate to the city, there’s usually a lot of “oohing” and “ahhing” over its Victorian architecture, and in thinking about the actual structures of the city in terms of where you might live and sight-see, I’m paying homage today to one particular lil’ lady whose reign largely gave us the London we see today. So, for today’s contribution to the April A to Z Blogging Challenge, I bring you:

“Q” is for QUEEN VICTORIA!

As an American living in London for a couple years, the letter “Q” automatically carries my thoughts to “Queen.” Well, it’s either that or “Quidditch”…and I hate to break it to you, but that game isn’t real…Harry Potter doesn’t really exist here in the UK…(but try telling that to these guys: “Quidditch for Muggles“…and okay, while on the topic, I have to toss you this too: “Like it’s Quidditch“). Enough! I can’t believe I’m actually derailing this away from Britain’s longest-reigning monarch!

Okay, so Queen Victoria. Rather than delve into her personal history, I thought I’d point out how much a part of your everyday her era will be once you move to London. To start, if ever you find yourself strolling through the lovely Kensington Gardens, take a gander at that stately building on its west end: Kensington Palace, where Victoria grew up as a princess and was proclaimed the successor to England’s throne at the young age of eighteen. You’ll note a large statue of her as Queen overlooking the grounds’ Round Pond, and if you head west on Kensington High Street, after doing some shopping to doll yourself up like a princess, hang a left onto Earls Court Road and take a rest at the Princess Victoria pub. If you walk eastward instead, though, you’ll see two notable structures standing in Victoria’s husband’s memory: Royal Albert Hall and the Prince Albert Memorial just across the way in the park. And if you dip down from there into South Kensington, you’ll of course chance upon the well-known Victoria & Albert Museum.

Moving to London & Living in Victorian England

As Queen, Victoria moved out of Kensington Palace to stretch her legs more at Buckingham Palace. She was the first sovereign to live there as of 1837, and her statue can be seen as part of the Victoria Memorial just in front (where tourists love to sit these days to watch the Changing of the Guard). She also occupied Windsor Castle and other residences outside London.

Speaking of residences, the strips of terraced housing that we see lining many-a street in London emerged during the Victorian era. Built with shared walls, their design was energy-saving for heating and also enabled more people to occupy less space. According to Inside the Victorian Home, whereas at the turn of the century only 20% of Britain’s population lived in its cities, 80% did by Queen Victoria’s death: “One-third of the houses in Britain today were built before the First World War, and most of these are Victorian.” And the black railings that we see adorning these houses and park fences were a direct influence of Queen Victoria’s—not only did she wear black the rest of her life upon her dear Prince Albert’s death, but she had all of London’s railings painted black to symbolize her grief as well.

And, of course, the London Victoria rail station will likely figure into your commute at some point, whether via the Underground (one of the tube lines also being named for Victoria) or the overground train (I often take the Gatwick Express train to Gatwick Airport from there). The Victoria coach station is also located here if you travel by bus.

So maybe I could have easily used this topic for the letter “V” instead, but I have other plans for that… At any rate, you can get a quickie glimpse into Queen Victoria’s life by watching The Young Victoria and, better yet, study up on the woman from right here in your new London apartment or assorted authentic London locations.

Tags: americans relocating to london england, canadians moving to london uk, flats to let in london, Kensington High Street, Kensington Palace, london a to z, london apartment to rent, London blog, london relocation agency, london relocation agent versus estate agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london from usa, Queen Victoria, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, things to do in london, Victoria & Albert Museum, victorian architecture
Posted in: London Recreation, London, England History
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Relocating to London From A to Z: Enjoying London with “Flare”

Tuesday April 19th, 2011

Author: Colleen

If you’re relocating to London and have visited before, there are prime central London neighborhoods you’ve surely heard about given their high level of tourism. When you move to London, though, you see that you approach these same areas from a different angle; perhaps you’ll seek to avoid them altogether, but me, I like to still play tourist and keep sucking up all that I can. Today’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, then, is:

“P” is for PICCADILLY CIRCUS!

Now, Belinda already recently wrote about Piccadilly Circus and how it’s such a hub of tourism. Essentially the Times Square of London, the bright lights and foot/street traffic can be over-stimulating, and I confess that it’s not an area I like to frequent for this very reason. As a London resident, you’ll likely not gravitate toward such novelty shops and sites, but what Piccadilly certainly does have going for it is a nightlife of theatre, restaurants, and bars.

In February, I wrote about how I’d attended the play The Children’s Hour, starring Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss, located at the Comedy Theatre in London’s West End. Well, just last night, my husband and I watched yet another famous film actress grace the stage: Sienna Miller in Flare Path. Set in an English village inn during World War II, the play follows three young couples, the husbands of which serve in the Royal Air Force. Bonds of love and loyalty are put to the test and

Taking in the theatre after a London move.

delivered powerfully and endearingly by strong performances. I thought everything about this show exuded class, from the quaint hotel interior to the period clothing to the well-crafted dialogue of the well-cast characters, and I highly recommend it. The Royal Haymarket Theatre is just a five-minute (if even) walk from Piccadilly Circus tube station and has plenty of dinner options nearby. We ourselves dined at the Mint Leaf, which offered a reasonably-priced “pre-theatre” menu of its flavorful and rather cosmopolitan Indian cuisine. We didn’t have much time to waste, so the staff was very friendly and efficient about serving us the food and bill in enough time to catch the play right next door!

If you enjoy live stage performances or simply being where the action’s at, Piccadilly Circus is a-buzz with plenty of options if you don’t mind all the people. It’s good to step out of your London apartment now and then to interact with the masses, after all, so live up London in any way you can!

Tags: americans relocating to london england, canadians moving to london uk, Flare Path, flats to let in london, london a to z, london apartment to rent, London blog, London lettings agency, london relocation agency, London Relocation Services, moving to london from usa, Piccadilly Circus, places to live in london, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, Royal Air Force, sienna miller, things to do in london, World War II
Posted in: London Recreation
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Relocating to London from A to Z: The “A to Zed” Atlas

Friday April 1st, 2011

Author: Colleen

All right, those of you moving to London! It’s April 1, so time to kick off our A to Z Blogging Challenge. Thinking up this one was a no-brainer for me; the idea practically smacked me upside the head and said, “Derr!” (But don’t worry, the topic itself is not as antagonistic ). To kick-start our alphabet:

“A” is for A-Z LONDON MAP!

I told you. “Derr…” right? And yet what could be more appropriate for starting our alphabet game or incredibly useful for your London move? London is a tricky city to get around in. Sure, the tube and bus routes are easy enough to figure out and should deliver you to wherever you need to go, but you’ll still have to be able to navigate the streets on your own. This is an old city, so there’s no tidy grid system to work with, and only the black taxi drivers have gone through enough rigors of testing to have this hairy network of streets memorized.

What you need in your purse or pocket is your handy-dandy A-Z street atlas (pronounced, “A to Zed,” if you want to sound like a local). These maps come in assorted sizes depending on the scale of book you want on hand, but all of them will show you London down to the minutest lane and in a very user-friendly fashion. So if you’re exploring what London neighborhoods to live in, searching for London flats to rent, trying to find the location of your job interview, or already finding your way to social engagements as a new London resident, pop into a Ryman shop or bookstore at assorted London locations and pick up your copy. You can also find them online at:

www.a-zmaps.co.uk.

If you’re going to stock anything on the bookshelf in your new London apartment, it’s the A-Z.

Tags: americans relocating to london england, canadians moving to london uk, flats to let in london, london a to z, london apartment to rent, London blog, London lettings agency, london relocation agency, london relocation agent versus estate agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london from usa, places to live in london, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, things to do in london, Travel and Tourism, Travel Guides
Posted in: London Neighborhoods, Moving to London: Tips & Culture, Relocating to UK: Visas, Banking, & Other Logisitical Issues
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Relocating to London? Learn About London From A to Z

Wednesday March 30th, 2011

Author: Colleen

Those of you who are moving to London, planning a vacation here, or just plain enamored with the city and looking to discover as much as you can about it, I just wanted to give the heads up that London Relocation is participating in the “A to Z Blogging Challenge” starting this Friday, April 1st. That may be April Fool’s Day, but I’m not foolin’ ya—I already post to our blog every day any way, but this time it will be within alphabetical parameters; i.e., every post (except on Sundays, when we’ll have our regularly scheduled Weekend Warrior Sunday history lesson) will be inspired by the letters of the alphabet, in order. You can expect, then, a fairly random assortment of topics, though probably not any more random than what I already post on all-things-London…

So, as usual, I’ll introduce sights to see in London, places to eat and drink in London, neighborhoods to live in in London, and assorted other property and moving tips for getting sorted with that London apartment of yours.

Now I’ll be a true lady of letters.

So please do drop on by if you’re keen to see what the next letter will stir up in this London alphabet soup of sorts!

As the song goes:

“Then you’ll know your London ABCs.

Next time won’t you call London Relocation, please.”

That way we can supplement your new-found knowledge and help with your London move by searching plenty of London apartments to rent—which will in turn allow you more time to graduate beyond the ABCs and do some experiential learning of London!

Living in London: The Marmite Mire

Tuesday February 8th, 2011

Marmite and Vegemite have a distinctive dark c...

Image via Wikipedia

Author: Colleen

For those of you who haven’t yet relocated to London and may not be familiar with Marmite, it’s a condiment that consumers either love or hate. And, indeed, some expats moving to the UK and renting London apartments share a similar love/hate relationship with the experience, though, instead of feeling either/or, it’s a little of both.

I believe London is an ideal start for North Americans wanting to try out an international experience because there is reduced culture shock—it’s more Western than continental Europe, so the day-to-day experience isn’t much of a jolt. And I’ve already lauded the at-the-very-least 10 reasons to move to London. That being said, an example of what one may have to acquire a taste for is living on a smaller scale, both physically and figuratively.

In the first sense, buildings and streets are smaller and narrower, as are the stores. Shop for groceries more frequently and in smaller quantity, and, as storage place is limited in most London flats, don’t bring everything from home. Get used to doing laundry in your kitchen, buying smaller jugs of milk, and stowing clothes away in containers if not giving them away entirely, to name a few other minor adjustments.

One also has to scale back here in terms of energy and overall budget. I find gas and electricity, for instance, to be much more expensive than what I paid at home, so am constantly turning lights or the heater on and off as necessary as well as drying clothing on racks. Air conditioning is a rare feature, and prepare to be taxed on any common excesses—owning a TV, a car, etc. A large proportion of your income will go to paying rent on your London apartment (unless your employer is covering the cost), so you’ll want to live modestly in other respects of less priority. One thing you will need in abundance, however, is patience for enduring slow responsiveness in service.

*grumbling with something akin to (though much milder than) HATE*

Overall, however, you really do learn what you can live without and start to make more conscious choices, which I think is a good lesson.

*nodding and humming with something akin to respect, if not LOVE*

The fact is that in the course of an international move things will be annoying. Things will go wrong. The unexpected will always occur. But if you can take these things in stride and understand that there are trade-offs, you’ll soon recognize that what you’re gaining in exchange for what you lose is an invaluable experience that you’ll carry with you for a lifetime. For a lot of us expats, it’s only a temporary situation anyway, so you have to enjoy it for what it is during that time.

The best advice I can give you for making the London move, then, is to be open-minded. Don’t expect the UK to be exactly like home. If you want it to be just like home, then an international move might not be for you. Spread marmalade on your toast instead of Marmite.

It’s important to respect the ways of the nation you move to and know that you can learn from them, just as the people there can learn from you, too. To maintain this positive sort of engagement with your new surroundings, you have to be positive yourself. At least give that salty, super-concentrated vegetable stock a go with a tearful squint and a grin.

My personal verdict? I do hate Marmite. But I loooove London!

Tags: adjusting to london, american expats in london, americans moving to london uk, canadian expats in London, canadians moving to london england, cultural differences between uk and us, london move, london relocation agency, London Relocation Services, Marmite, moving to london from usa, relocating to london uk from us, relocation specialist, rent london apartmnets
Posted in: Living in London, London Apartments: What to Expect in a London Flat, Moving to London: Tips & Culture, Relocating to UK: Visas, Banking, & Other Logisitical Issues
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London Living: The Expat Extract

Wednesday January 12th, 2011

Image by TheRogue via Flickr

Author: Colleen

I just love the camaraderie among London expats . Everyone who moves to London from outside the country (which I suppose would apply to any international relocation) shares an automatic empathy, and people (like me) who wouldn’t normally network with strangers online suddenly shed their introversion and/or biases of such a thing and hop into the expat forums! Our London Living social network for London expats (which is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month, woo-hoo!) is continuing to prove a useful resource for people researching their move to London—from understanding visas, finding a job, figuring out where to live, how to ship everything over, etc., it’s invaluable to have this community to get your questions answered by people who know what you’re going through. Likewise, the network has served to bring like-minded people together who have already relocated to London and still need some questions answered or at least some support as they adjust. Sometimes you need to take baby steps right out the gate.

It’s interesting, though, that I should happen to be reflecting on this topic to write about only to first notice now that my blog partner, Belinda, has addressed the same thing today, but from an alternative perspective. If you haven’t yet read her “Living in London – Differences Between the Cultures” post, please do, as she makes an excellent point that the best thing for an expat to do is not simply fall back on recreating one’s own culture within a new environment. Rather, put your crutches down and immerse yourself in the local population and its culture outside your London apartment. Especially if your London relocation is only a temporary move before you return home, you’ll want to maximize your education and growth from it.

With this in mind, then, consider expanding your social networking efforts beyond just those forums of the “American Expats in London” variety to extract yourself from the comfort zone, from depending on everything you already know, as Belinda says. And even beyond getting to know the local British citizenry, you can still draw from the expat empathy by interacting with expats from other countries as well. This is a highly diverse city, and a significant portion of its population comes from abroad, with the spectrum of continents represented. It’s amazing to learn from other cultures and observe how they likewise adapt to the UK, and your shared expat status gives you that much more common ground. Who knows, after your London move is a smashing success, the people you meet from countries outside England might become great friends or business contacts that inspire your next move abroad!

Tags: american expats in london, colleen, cultural diversity in uk, expat meetup groups, expat social networks, london apartments, London Living, London Relocation Services, moving to london from usa, relocating to London, rent london
Posted in: Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Hey, American Expats in London–Smile & Say Double Gloucester!

Thursday September 9th, 2010

Author: Colleen

Or Red Leicester, or Wensleydale, perhaps…(when you move to London you’ll learn that these are all cheeses among the infinite variety produced here).

The point being that a market-research opportunity has come my way seeking Americans living in London to trial (for FREE) a premium brand electric toothbrush that otherwise retails at £120. In particular, they seek:

A male & female (mid 30’s) – possibly a couple.

Professional male (aged 40 plus)

Professional female (early to mid 30’s)

Mother & Child (the child needs to be 9 years old or above)

It’s my understanding that as of now, they are in most need of males in their 30s, as they already have many women and people in their 40′s who are interested.

After sampling the toothbrush for a couple weeks, you might also be asked to be filmed for marketing purposes. If you’re keen, please contact Ben Reid of Wild Iris Films at +44 (0)774 312 9595.

If you’re still in the process of relocating to London, my apologies if I’ve made you feel left out , but surely there will be plenty more opportunities like this coming your way after you’ve moved that will put a pretty, sparkling smile on your face—London is just like that.

Tags: american expats in london, americans living in london, Americans moving to London, colleen, free things to do in London, london marketing research, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london from usa, opportunities for london expats, relocating to London from America, wild iris films
Posted in: Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Weekend Warrior Sunday: London Leaders

Sunday September 5th, 2010

Author: Colleen

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 has fallen under the control of Mercia, another Anglo-Saxon kingdom that is centered in the English midlands. By now the destroyed St. Paul’s Cathedral has 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 have begun raiding England. London itself is 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, colleen, 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: London Weekend Warriors, London, England History, Sunday History Lessons
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