Posts Tagged ‘relocating to london england from canada’
Wednesday June 1st, 2011
Author: Colleen
The Rising Star and the rest of his London Relocation constellation. (From left to right: Ryan, Colleen, Mat, and Anthony)
Have just returned to the UK and my cozy London apartment rental today and am not only delighted at how tidy my husband has kept it while I’ve been away 
, but at viewing updates from Re:locate Magazine for the recent Re:locate Awards! We’re still giddy and pinching ourselves over Anthony Gallo winning the Rising Star in Relocation award in May, and I’d like to share with you a little of what the judges said, as quoted from Re:locate‘s website:
Rising Star in Relocation is designed to encourage and recognise the emerging talent and exceptional abilities of an individual within any sector of the relocation industry. The winner is likely to be making a positive impact in their relocation role already and becoming an influential player as their career continues to progress.
The judges were pleased to see a number of international entries in this category.
Winner Anthony Gallo owns and runs London Relocation Ltd. The judges described this entry as “outstanding”, and considered the entry statement, in particular, “excellent”. They commended Anthony for the high degree of innovation he had shown in building his business.
“It’s people like Anthony and the previous winners of this award who inspire the rest of us,” said Karen Counterman, of sponsor Roomservice by CORT. “Nothing stays the same in this industry; there are always new challenges on the horizon. There are many talented and innovative individuals who inject passion and hard work into our industry. We believe the rising stars of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.”
On behalf of Anthony and the London Relocation team, thank you, judges! Receiving your recognition has been an honor for us all, and we aspire to ride this momentum and continue providing quality service to those moving to London and in need of a London flat to rent. More than that, through our particular empathy for the London expat’s plight, we aim to provide peace of mind and the right start to maintaining a high standard of happy living in London.
Tags: american expats in london, americans living in london, americans moving to london uk, Business Services, corporate relocation, flats to rent in london, Floella Benjamin, Institute of Directors, Localized Service Providers, london apartment rental, London expats, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london uk from us, moving to london with a family, moving to london with a job, relocate awards, relocating a family to london, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, rising star in relocation award shortlist, rising star in relocation award winner
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Americans Moving to London, Living in London, London Relocation & What People Say About Us, Rent in London: London Apartment Tips
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Friday May 13th, 2011
Author: Colleen
It’s true! London Relocation won last night at the Re:locate Awards!!! Or I should say its founding owner, Anthony Gallo, did as the 2010/11 Rising Star in Relocation. Ever since being shortlisted and now following his win, however, Anthony will be the first to insist that he accepted that pretty award last night on behalf of the entire London Relocation team. During his acceptance speech (after first apologizing to the predominantly UK/EU crowd last night that he’s a Yank), Anthony pointed to our table with his props to the staff that has helped bring his vision into fruition and will continue doing so as the business evolves.
As I said in my post yesterday, even getting shortlisted was a huge honor for the company, and attending the Gala Awards Dinner last night was like London Relocation getting to step out at its debutante ball for a proper introduction into relocation society. We have officially come of age.
The Gala Awards Dinner was held at the Institute of Directors in London’s Pall Mall, which provided an opulent setting for mixing and mingling among peers. In addition to the excitement of receiving the Rising Star in Relocation award (sponsored this year by Roomservice by CORT), it was a pleasure speaking with other industry professionals, including Alison Van Dalen, one of this year’s judges who chairs ARP, the Association of Relocation Professionals, an organization of which London Relocation has been a proud member. Fine folks indeed across the relocation spectrum, from home-search agents to 
HR representatives to freight companies. A lot of logistical pieces fit into the international relocation puzzle, so it was valuable to establish new relationships and discuss possibilities for vertical referrals. And celebrity guest speaker Floella Benjamin (pictured) set a positive tone for collaboration with her compelling relocation experiences, charitable endeavors, and utterly charming singing voice as she encouraged us all to “Smile.”
On top of all this, it was simply quite fun to see my boys looking all dashing in their tuxedos and toasting champagne to our teamwork. There was a nice energy all around last night as fruits of labors were recognized and a sense of community established, and we had so much fun with it that we’re left with aching heads today as souvenirs to accompany that trophy. But we’re still smiling.
Tags: american expats in london, americans living in london, americans moving to london uk, corporate relocation, flats to rent in london, Floella Benjamin, Institute of Directors, london apartment rental, London expats, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london uk from us, moving to london with a family, moving to london with a job, relocate awards, relocating a family to london, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, rising star in relocation award shortlist, rising star in relocation award winner
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London Relocation & What People Say About Us, Rent in London: London Apartment Tips
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Thursday May 12th, 2011
Author: Colleen
Tonight is an exciting night, folks, for a London relocation agency that is aptly named, “London Relocation.”
Why? Because tonight is the Re:locate Awards 2010/11 Gala Awards Dinner. Go ahead, check out that link and take a peak under the “Rising Star in Relocation” category…that’s right, London Relocation’s own Anthony Gallo has been shortlisted!!! I’ll be stepping out with my colleagues tonight in our formal wear for a fine evening among relocation/global mobility professionals. Let the nail-biting commence…
To have made the shortlist is in itself an honor. It shows London Relocation is respected among its peers in this industry and has proven itself an effective solution for those relocating to London who need to rent London apartments. It shows that London Relocation is more than just a flat-search service, though; there’s an intangible quality of friendly and outgoing customer service and a genuine understanding of the London expat’s plight, which motivates London Relocation’s staff to go above and beyond the call of duty to advise and assist prospects and clients alike with their logistical needs, as well as lend an ear to the more emotional ones—hey, no one said relocating internationally is easy, and it can take its toll on the transferee as well as trailing spouses, partners, and other family. And Anthony Gallo is the man that has made this happen.
I’ll share with you an excerpt from Anthony’s nomination:
“An American expat who relocated to London himself, Anthony (“AJ”) Gallo empathises first-hand with the stressors of moving into unfamiliar territory. He learned the hard way, and applies his knowledge of London’s culture, property, and logistics (and how such operate differently from clients’ home markets) to in turn alleviate others’ stress. Most key in achieving this end is London Relocation’s one-day property-placement approach. For international transferees who need to hit the ground running in their overseas assignments, Anthony’s service strategy spares both time and money in the client’s interest and promotes a streamlined business model of efficiency and personable service through simplicity.”
Regardless of this evening’s outcome, we’ll raise our glasses in toast to all present who work each day to assist individuals and families moving to London or elsewhere on the globe. It’s all in the spirit of being a supportive community that helps others succeed in their endeavors, whether they’re moving internationally for a job or the mind-opening experience of it all. This is the role Anthony Gallo has carved out for London Relocation, so hopefully this rising star can one day help you soar toward your London goals as well.
Tags: american expats in london, americans living in london, americans moving to london uk, corporate relocation, flats to rent in london, london apartment rental, London expats, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london uk from us, moving to london with a family, moving to london with a job, relocate awards, relocating a family to london, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, rising star in relocation award shortlist
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London Relocation & What People Say About Us, Rent in London: London Apartment Tips
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Wednesday May 11th, 2011
Global disparities in purchasing power - determining your cost of living adjustment. Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
A family moving to London from the US just inquired on our London Living social network about UK salary comparisons. The husband has received a London job offer, and he and his wife want to know if the salary figure will accommodate London’s cost of living for a family of three children.
This is an excellent question!
And I had no idea how to answer it!
So I turned to my hubby to see if he had two pence he could share on the topic, and this is what he had to share… It seems finding a source for directly comparing salaries within a given field at a given level may not be as straightforward as a Google search, but perhaps you could try. Otherwise, reports published on such could cost a few thousand dollars. (Ouch, really??). But says hubby:
“A big question will be their housing (whether their firm will cover or not), as that will probably dictate most of their cost of living. A fair gauge is to consider the COLA (cost of living adjustment – some websites have information on comparing this) between where they are currently in the US and London. Roughly, this probably means converting a US salary into GBP (so multiply that USD number by roughly 0.625), and then add an additional 40% COLA (could be less of a difference if they are currently in NY or SF). So, for example, a person currently making $250k would probably want to ensure their total comp is roughly £220k to safely match their lifestyle.”
Such an estimate based on current income doesn’t account for extraordinary circumstances, of course, that could come into play, like having to continue paying mortgage on a house back home or going from a dual-income household to a single-income one (at least temporarily) as a result of the relocation, and the like. Much depends on your individual situation that no cut-and-dry answer here could help with.
And as it is, there’s no cut-and-dry answer to be found here anyway. What I can suggest to you, though, as quickie online references if you’re trying to determine how much money you’d need to make to support yourself and/or a family in London are the following links as a start:
Cost of Living Comparison Between Two Countries at Numbeo.com – Offers a free comparison of COL between any countries you select from its down-drop menus. What it will spit back is a comprehensive chart comparing line items of standard living costs right down to what it costs for a liter of milk.
Cost of Living Calculator at Numbeo.com – Allows you to input your specific origination and destination countries, as well as monthly disposable income to determine your degree of purchasing power in another city/country. As an advanced option, you can opt to manually input cost estimates (such as meals and beverages) in your home city to obtain a more precise comparison.
International Cost of Living Calculator at SalaryExpert.com – Offers a similar function to the above, allegedly for free, but requires from the getgo that you manually input estimates for home city variables like rent, food, etc.
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) Calculator at Xpatulator.com – For a price ($99), you can obtain a report on how much of an allowance you’ll require above and beyond your current salary to cover a higher cost of living. Other services available are the Salary Purchasing Power Parity (SPPP) Calculator and Cost of Living Index (COLI) Calculator.
You can also look into results of Mercer’s Cost of Living survey for last year as a rough idea of how an upcoming international relocation could bode: www.finfacts.ie/costofliving.
Speaking from an anecdotal perspective, if you’ll be earning a salary in GBP, the expense of day-to-day products and services in GBP is essentially relative—housing is going to be the real kicker if you’re unable to negotiate an expat package that obligates your employer to pay for such. In general, bear in mind that as London is one of the more expensive cities of the world to live in, it’s not enough to have procured a UK visa and London job. Be sure you’ll be able to compensate for a different cost of living (most certainly higher if you’re moving to London from the US—though, as stated above, not so different if you’re moving from New York or California) to make your London move feasible.
Tags: american expats in london, americans living in london, americans moving to london uk, Cost of Living Allowance, flats to rent in london, london apartment rental, London expats, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london uk from us, moving to london with a family, moving to london with a job, relocating a family to london, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments
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Living in London, Moving to London: Tips & Culture, Relocating to UK: Visas, Banking, & Other Logisitical Issues
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Friday May 6th, 2011
Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
A London move or visit can whisk you away to any number of London neighborhoods, and this week with my friend in town, we decided to navigate the posher side of London.
An errand took us to Fulham Road first, so from there we cut over on Old Church Street (where I read that Kate Middleton lived with her sister Pippa) to get to the King’s Road in Chelsea. My Los Angeles friend was surprised by how much more American she considered that area to be—larger stores and wider sidewalk space perhaps giving that effect, as well as stores popular in the States like Anthropologie and Banana Republic. Walking eastward, we popped into the Chelsea Farmers Market for a cold sorbet—pear with bits of chocolate, their special flavor commemorating the Royal Wedding—because it was a hot as heckfire day in London!
Continuing on past the Partridges store loved by so many American expats living in London because of its American food imports like Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, we soon arrived in Sloane Square where the Peter Jones department store (selling the John Lewis brand) stands prominently aside Tiffany’s and the usual assortment of high street shops. I reminisced about how integral Peter Jones had been when my husband and I first relocated to London and needed to supplement our half-furnished London apartment with this-and-that. Anyway, cutting up Sloane Street, we walked several blocks of what reminded my friend of Rodeo Drive in LA. Passing by Dior, Valentino, Gucci, and the like, we knew that with the increasing opulence of the retailers, buildings, and people the infamous Harrods had to be near. And there it was, glistening in the sun on Knighstbridge with its city-block scale and signature awnings striking an impressive pose.
We spent a long time in there.
Now, to tackle Harrods, you probably should have some sort of game plan if you want to make it out alive. One of my peeves with this store is that they don’t have a full-store directory at the Egyptian escalators, so unless you already know the lay of the land beforehand, you’ll be stuck riding all the way up to see what’s where. It is also difficult to see every department in this gargantuan place, so it helps to refine your interests—we opted for hats and pets. The millinery section is gorgeous in all its colorful, feathered whimsy, especially fun after seeing all the hats on display at the Royal Wedding. (Less fun are Harrod’s prices, so unless you really are willing to spend £2,000 on a hat, you might consider a less expensive “fascinator” at Accessorize) And yes, you did hear me say “pets”—Harrods has its own pet shop, along with an entire department of accessories for your diva doggies and couture kitties. And as a timely FYI, an extensive Harrods gift shop has now opened where you can buy assorted souvenirs bearing the store’s logo, and the ground-level perfumery is currently promoting the latest Hermes fragrance, Un Jardin sur le Toit, which is exclusive to Harrods for a few weeks.
And then there was the food. Harrods surely has the most upscale food court you could find—don’t hesitate to plop yourself on a stool at one of its food bars as we certainly did. Our choice was the jamon iberico station, where they had a delightful special of thin ham slices on bread with a glass of Spanish sherry for only £8. My friend ordered that, while I had the carmelized onions and Manchego cheese on flatbread—exquisite! The staff there was incredibly hospitable as well, and it was from the master carver that we learned how this year, for the first time in several, jamon iberico will be imported to the United States from Spain again. Originally facing an embargo due its curing process not being compatible with US standards, there are now US-certified suppliers who are allowed to send this meat over—the pork shoulder has already made its way back across the pond since it only takes one year or so to be cured, but the jamon (the hind leg) requires three years, so this year is the soonest the certified meat can make it over. American chefs must be thrilled, and my foodie friend was psyched to get to taste it here in London first!
As our reward for such hard work strolling around and window-shopping (how do we get through it…), we rounded the bend of Hyde Park Corner from Knightsbridge to treat ourselves to some classic and phenomenally mixed martinis at London’s renowned luxury hotel, The Dorchester, which is celebrating its 80th year. The martinis start at £16, but they’re worth sacrificing dinner for. 
Aside from that price-tag, this all amounted to an inexpensive day in London’s ritziest district, so even if you can’t afford to live there after your London move, you can still experience it in style.
Tags: american expats in london, americans living in london, americans moving to london uk, flats to rent in london, Harrods, Hyde Park Corner, Kate Middleton, King's Road, Knightsbridge, london apartment rental, London expats, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london uk from us, Old Church Street, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, shopping in london, the dorchester london
Posted in:
London Food & Beverage, London Neighborhoods, Shopping in London Places
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Thursday May 5th, 2011
Moving to London and understanding its royal symbolism - Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
As an American living in London, I understand the fascination with the monarchy, as it’s simply something we don’t have in the States. I guess our revolution kinda made a point that that would be the case, which is why I found the recent royal wedding obsession so ironic.
At any rate, on previous visits and even soon after relocating to London from the US, I’d always assumed that as long as a flag was waving from a royal palace, it meant the sovereign was present. Well, I was wrong. And I don’t think I’m alone, so I think it’s worth explaining this aspect of the British monarchy. You see, the other day this week when my friend and I had visited Buckingham Palace, I noticed that instead of the usual Union Jack flag that I’ve seen there and at Windsor Castle, the colorful Royal Standard was flapping in the breezes. That is the cue that the Queen is in residence; the Union Jack is raised when she is not.
The Royal Standard is pictured above. Its four quadrants (or “quarterings”) represent the United Kingdom as such:
- England is symbolized by the three lions passant (horizontal) against the red background.
- Scotland is symbolized by the lion rampant (on its hind legs) against the yellow background.
- Ireland is symbolized by the harp against the blue background.
In Scotland, the standard portrays two Scottish quarterings and only one English quartering. Wales is not represented in the standard given that it was already recognized as a principality via the Prince of Wales title.
Britain’s Royal Standard flies not only from royal palaces, but on Victoria Tower (when the Queen is present at Parliament), the Queen’s car, airplane, and yacht, as well as any other building the Queen is visiting if its owner so decides. And unlike the Union Jack, the Royal Standard is never flown at half mast.
The Queen also has her own personal flag, pictured to the left. Whereas the Royal Standard represents the United Kingdom in addition to its sovereign, a personal flag represents the presence of only its particular sovereign and cannot be flown by anyone other than him or her.
There’s a lot of symbolism that you’ll encounter after your London move, much of which is a part of English heraldry that expats in London are likely unfamiliar with. Your experience as a London expat in the UK will develop an important personal symbolism of its own, though, as you establish your new residential identity and freedoms—so set some high “standards” for yourself and let your unique colors fly!
Tags: american expats in london, americans living in london, americans moving to london uk, Buckingham Palace, flats to rent in london, london apartment rental, London expats, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, Monarchy of the United Kingdom, moving to london uk from us, relocating to london england from canada, rent london apartments, royal standard, union jack
Posted in:
London, England History, Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Tuesday May 3rd, 2011
Move to London and walk its history - Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
When you relocate to London, you’ll find there’s no end to discovering things to do, whether for yourself or visitors that you host. A major perq of moving to London is having much more opportunity to explore all its nooks and crannies, so you’ll receive guests who are excited to have their own personal, knowledgable tour guide.
As I mentioned Monday, this week I’m hosting a close friend of mine, so my posts will be based on our activities so you can get some ideas for city excursions and how you might conquer a lot in a little time if you tackle your London tours in clusters (in the spirit of my “London Bundles” series) and make the most of London’s public transport.
So yesterday, my friend was keen to check out the London Eye, which didn’t exist when we last toured London together in 1998. Catching the District Line to Westminster station gave opportunity to see Big Ben and Parliament up close (with Westminster Abbey looming not too far away) before we crossed the River Thames and boarded the Eye. New to me this time round (who hadn’t been on the Eye in two years) was a “4D Experience” you can have for just a few minutes prior to getting inside your Eye-Pod (hardy-har…my cleverness is infinite, isn’t it ).
A clear, sunny day, it was perfect for staying outside a while, so re-crossed Westminster Bridge and walked along the Embankment, where, just before the tube station, we cut up onto Craven Street to see the former homes of Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick) and Benjamin Franklin—Benjamin Franklin House, in fact, was effectively the first American Embassy in London, where Franklin lived for almost sixteen years just prior to returning to the US in time for its war of independence.
From there, Trafalgar Square was right around the corner and Buckingham Palace a stroll down the Mall. Pleasant to see the palace this time without the Royal Wedding masses crushing me, there were still apparently enough buffoons present to attempt climbing the palace fence—never in my entire experience living in London so far had I seen a royal guard pointing his firearm at civilians…well, yesterday changed that. “GET OFF THE FENCE!” was shouted by two guards, in fact, as they lowered their guns to their waists and aimed them directly at the tourists. Yowzah! Never fear, a bobby came to the rescue. And just so ya know, probably some of the nicest gift shops you could visit in London are located along Buckingham Palace Road—two of them located along the palace boundary and another just across the street from the Queen’s Gallery entrance.
In the interest of time (and our tootsies), rather than backtrack on foot, we just walked to the nearby Victoria station and caught the District Line to Temple station, which is just around the corner from The Strand, which, had we hung a left, could have led us into the theatre district, but we took it to the right, which led us toward Fleet Street. Just before the road changed its identity for the first of two times during that walk, we popped into the Twinings tea shop across from the Royal Courts of Justice. This narrow lil’ tea store was founded in the early 1700s and still has its Royal Wedding commemorative blend in stock, a special tea commissioned by the Queen. And then, just before Fleet Street turned into Ludgate Hill, we ducked into the little alley of Ye Olde Cheschire Cheese, favorite haunt of Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson. There, we tucked ourselves into a cozy nook in the cellar bar, then tucked into a steak and ale meat pie and sticky toffee pudding, all washed down with a pint of Samuel Smith’s Organic Wheat.
My husband works near St. Paul’s Cathedral, so we lingered in the area until we could meet him for dinner. Enjoying the last of the sunshine sitting on Paul’s steps, I discovered that my friend is also a fan of the film Closer, rendering it imperative that I dash her off to Postman’s Park nearby to “meet” Alice Ayres at the setting of the movie’s critical scene. And while we were already so close by, I figured why not take her over to Smithfield Market, where I could show her the historic meat market along with St. Bartholemew’s Church (which has featured in many films and was the site of a printing press where Ben Franklin worked) and the site of William Wallace‘s execution.
Thoroughly pooped from all our on-foot London travels, we gladly sat to a high-carb dinner with the hubby at Zuccato City Italian restaurant on the darling Bow Lane, a cute area of narrow shop and pub-lined streets located just behind St. Paul’s.
Oh my goodness, I’m exhausted just writing about it all again, and we definitely felt wiped by the time we reached home, but it was an amazingly achievable feat that we did manage at our leisure, so it didn’t feel like we were on a mission. And we hadn’t even gotten going until noon! It’s just a testament to London and all it contains within walkable distances, getting you geared up to see and learn more as you round each corner. Relocating to London is like having your lifestyle chug a Red Bull in that way—totally optimizing your everyday with renewed zest just when you think you’ve seen it all.
Tags: Americans moving to London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, london move, london relocation agency, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, Moving to London from US, relocating to london england from canada, rent london aparatments, River Thames, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Bridge
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London Neighborhoods, Moving to London: London Sightseeing, Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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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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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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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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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!
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:
Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Friday January 28th, 2011
Author: Colleen
Well, it’s not as dramatic as your move to London, surely, as ours is just within the city. And just down the road at that.
New office space is something we’ve been working on for a while, but which will finally reach fruition this coming Monday, 31 January.
For as quaint as our existing location is, it’s become a bit more cramped with our successfully growing business—and even we have to admit, it’s a tough one to find; I remember getting lost trying to find it for my interview! And I’ll elaborate on the aspect that has made this place a navigational challenge simply to provide you with a bit of London historical know-how (you know from my Weekend Warrior Sundays how much I love to preach British history to you ). You see, our current office is located in what Londoners know as a “mews.” Mews buildings are situated along alleyways off of main roads and behind larger Victorian terraced houses as they use to serve as stables and servants’ quarters for the affluent homeowners occupying the larger adjacent homes (in America, we know these as “coach houses”). These buildings have since been converted into homes and, in the case of ours, commercial space. Ironically, a mews home is more expensive than the smaller London apartments the larger terraced houses have been divided into, so these days it’s typically the more affluent who occupy where the animals once slept! I’ve always wondered what our upstairs space was utilized for…whether servants slept here or if it was used for storage. It’s really cool, too, to see how the neighboring mews houses still retain their original doors for pulling in the carriage—I suppose some might still be used as a garage, but many will convert this space into an additional room for more space. The doors have to stay, though, per city mandates that they be preserved for historical posterity.
Whoa there, horsey. Enough of that sidetrack! Back to business matters. Again, as of Monday, 31 January, London Relocation Ltd. will moving its office from…
16 Lambton Place
London W11 2SH
…to just down the road on Westbourne Grove:
Westbourne House
14-16 Westbourne Grove
London W2 5RH
Right off the main road, still close to oodles of good shops and restaurants to pop into if you get the chance, and allows for plenty of expansion as our business grows to provide even more of you stellar services to facilitate your London relocation!
Tags: Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london uk, colleen, flats to let in london, london apartment, london apartments, London flats, london relocation agency, London Relocation Services, Moving to London, moving to london england from usa, relocating to London, relocating to london england from canada, relocation specialist, rent london
Posted in:
London Relocation & What People Say About Us, Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Friday January 7th, 2011
Author: Colleen
Those of you researching your move to London are in for even higher quality service from London Relocation. We’ve always been proud of the services we provide (see our promise and guarantee), but we’re lifelong learners and always looking for ways to improve, which includes streamlining our communications with you from the very get-go.
Perhaps by now you’ve noticed that in the upper right-hand corner of our website, our contact information now includes Skype! Our Skype ID is london_relocation, so if you’re already signed up to Skype, you can call for free right from your computer the very second you’re looking at our glorious site. Our toll-free number (1.877.778.3487) is also free for those calling from the United States or Canada, so there’s no reason to hesitate contacting us by phone here in our London office!
And if you’re hesitant to call because of the time difference (we’re on GMT, so if you’re calling from the States, that’s 8 hours ahead of Pacific Time, 6 hours Central and 5 East Coast), please know that even after our normal office hours a staff member will be on hand up to midnight GMT (our time) to follow up on your call within a half-hour of receipt. And this is an actual member of staff; we don’t outsource to a calling center.
This is all in addition to our online web form, of course, which can be found on just about every page of our website (including this one! Look over to the right!). Simply dash off a brief note of your London apartment specifications as well as a convenient time for us to contact you, and you’re all set.
It’s a fresh new year to look forward to in 2011, so to ring it in right (efficiently and stress-free), ring London Relocation so we can show you all the best London apartments on the market!
Tags: Americans moving to London, client service, colleen, flats to rent in london, london apartment, london apartments, London Relocation, london relocation agency, relocating to london england from canada, rent london, Skype
Posted in:
London Relocation & What People Say About Us, Moving to London: Tips & Culture, Rent in London: London Apartment Tips
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Thursday September 16th, 2010
This August-in-review blog post is brought to us all by Sue Hillman of It’s Your London touring company. Providing custom tours of London tailored to your personal interests, It’s Your London will help you make the most of your time in this phenonemonal city. (For more information, see our previous blog post on It’s Your London as well visit www.itsyourlondon.co.uk)
August in London has one big landmark event in many of 
our diaries – the Notting Hill Carnival! It’s 2 days of madness with the loudest of loud sound stages with over 40 of them blasting out, the wildest of wild costumes and the yummiest of yummy Caribbean food. It’s like being on holiday with the smells and tastes of another land from goat curry, jerk chicken to saltfish and ackee with coconut juice sipped out of coconuts and, of course Red Stripe, the drink of carnival. This marvellous event has been held every year since 1966 and now over a million people crowd into the streets of Notting Hill to have a great party. The parade snakes it way through miles of crowded streets of Notting Hill with steel bands on trucks and hundreds of people following the parade. I love showing people round and had 3 different sets of friends visiting including 2 of my mother’s friends in their late 60s which was a challenge but they were game for everything except the ear splitting sound stage on All Saints Road! I could show you hundred of photos but am limiting myself to just a few here!
Music is a big theme in August with outdoor concerts in many of London’s great parks. We went for our annual excursion to Kenwood where the picnic concerts have been going for about 30 years – well that how long I’ve been going! Kenwood House and its park are a wonderful setting for a blanket, good food and wine and 
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the weather lived up to the music with a massive rainstorm just as we were starting out picnic! You can see the stage by night in this photo alongside 2 shots of the Royal Albert Hall, one inside and one outside, the home of the BBC Proms. Each year this hall hosts 76 concerts over a couple of months and has done for the last 116 years – and no, I’ve not been going that long! The BBC funds this amazing feast of music along with ticket sales and to ensure accessibility there are over a thousand ‘Promming’ tickets for sale each performance for just £5 if you can stand for the performance.
It is a year for anniversaries and this year saw the 70th celebration of the Battle of Britain. Each year is more precious as the heroes get older and fewer can come to the events. I was lucky enough to go to the Cabinet War Rooms where there was a Spitfire on the ground and with a Hurricane on a flypast (too fast for a photo but then speed was so important back then!) and a reading of Churchill’s moving speech in which he said ‘never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few’. Brings tears to the eyes just writing this and it was very emotional on 20th August this year. A group of veterans where there and one, Geoffrey Wellum, who came and talked to the crowd, shook hands, mine included, and was still life and soul of the party. You may have seen the BBC TV programme about him called First Light, the title of his book. Dame Vera Lynn was there too, an extraordinary and gracious 93 year old!
Tags: Americans moving to London, battle of britain, BBC Proms, British history, churchill cabinet war rooms, it's your london tours sue hillman, London Relocation Services, Moving to London, moving to london tips, notting hill carnival, relocating to london england from canada, Royal Albert Hall, things to do in london, west london relocation
Posted in:
London Food & Beverage, London Recreation, London Relocation Guest Bloggers, London, England History, Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Monday September 6th, 2010
Author: Colleen
I was just responding to an interview that will ultimately be available online at Lotus Events (authored by a lovely Canadian couple researching their relocation to London—who also maintain awesome blogs at Got Craft? and Granville Online). As I kinda London-infoed myself out on that for one day, I thought I’d share a sneak preview.
In response to their question, “What are the signs of a reputable relocation agent or estate agent?” I have the following to say:
Well, it certainly helps if they have their own car They would also never require you to make a deposit and pay your first month’s rent upfront in cash—I’ve heard of this happening, and no reputable agency/respectable landlord would ask such a thing; bank transfers, checks, or credit cards should be accepted. Similarly, being asked to transfer funds to secure a flat without your (or someone delegated on your behalf) having seen the property first in person is the sort of thing Craigslist scams are made of, so beware. Okay, so, yes, there are reputable agencies out there that will allow this per the tenant’s request (upon which the tenant must sign an agreement confirming that they did not see the space and based their decision solely on the photos provided on the agency website), but you won’t want to try this with an agency that has a sketchy website that may be suspect (see below).
If many of the listings you enquire about through an agency are no longer on the market, yet still being advertised, this could be a red flag as well—they may be boasting more properties than they actually have or at least aren’t on-the-ball enough to respect the accuracy and timeliness of their own listings (cut them some slack, though, if a flat has only just gone off the market in the last day or so, as property does move very quickly here, especially in summer!). It can be discouraging if an agent insists you’ll find nothing in your budget, but you may need to also take this with a grain of salt, as more often than not, flats are more expensive than people anticipate, so the agent may earnestly be trying to help you develop more realistic expectations. That being said, do your research in advance to get a good idea of average rent prices to make sure you aren’t ripped off.
Agencies with various branches (an agency with at least 3 different offices is likely a safe one to try) are obviously quite successful and may observe stricter codes of professionalism to maintain their reputations—e.g., Foxtons, Marsh & Parsons, etc. This is not to say that the smaller boutique agencies offer any less in service—indeed, because larger agencies may take for granted that they’ll have a steady stream of business, this runs the risk of breeding apathy toward individual clients. So give the little guys a chance, too, if their office looks presentable and organized, their listings comprehensive, and their staff personable and professional. My husband and I found our flat, for example, through FiveSevenTen (a single-office boutique agency that only services postal codes SW5, SW7, and SW10), and their approach was kind-hearted and truly looking out for our best interests. I appreciate when agents can be honest about the flats they represent, especially if it’s pointing out their shortcomings—then I don’t feel like I’m being schmoozed and promised perfection when they can only under-deliver.
Agency websites can be a good indication as well. You know a good website from a bad one when you first look at it. Does it look like a respectful amount of thought has gone into its design? Is it user-friendly? Are there any client testimonials? A blog or something that provides value-added information and shows some personality? Is their contact info clear and thorough (address and phone number should be there at the very least—raises a lot of questions if they’re not! A web form is nice, too)?
So, for what that’s worth, I hope it’s of use for your own move to London. I’ll give the heads-up when my entire interview is available online. In the meantime, much of the content I shared there can be found within this London Relocation blog as well, so if you’re searching for a specific topic and cannot find it through our categories or ‘search’ field, please drop me a comment and I’ll happily direct you if not elaborate further. Cheers!
Tags: can i trust london relocation agencies, canadians moving to london, colleen, finding a flat in london through a relocation agency, finding a flat through a lettings agent, how to know which london agencies are reputable, London lettings agency, London Relocation Services, London relocation specialist, relocating to london england from canada, researching a london move, why use a london relocation agent
Posted in:
Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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