“There’s nowhere else like London. Nothing at all, anywhere.” Vivienne Westwood

Honestly. Living in London certainly spoils you and there are so many things you realise you have learned from living there! Now clearly this is not going to be the most educational and there are plenty of other things we learned when living there, but these are no doubt the ones anyone who has lived there would have to agree with!

Let us know if you think we missed any!

Our top 44 things we learned after living in London..

1. There is no correlation between the way words are spelled and how they are pronounced! I fondly remember trying to ask for directions to Southwark when in fact I should have been asking for directions to Sutherk…!
2. People should be required to take lessons and have a licence for walking around London – there are no keep left or keep right and it’s very much every man for himself!!
3. Standing on escalators, different story, this is strictly monitored and must stand on the right or face an angry mob!
4. In fact, this will be one of the few times in London a stranger talks to you – and not in a nice way…
   
5. Commuting around 3km takes around 30 minutes, at least… actually come to think of it everywhere in London takes at least 30 minutes!
6. Actually, people who live in Brighton often have a quicker commute to London that you do from Clapham or Wimbledon.
   
7. London parks are marvellous! Enjoy them
8. Squirrels are everywhere! We love them, but any other animal that even resembles a Squirrel, not so much!
   
9. You can take your dogs pretty much anywhere… shops, cafes, restaurants!
10. Not only dogs, but you can also take alcohol pretty much anywhere!
11. Everyone is in a hurry, always
12. People don’t smile or say hello
13. People don’t even look at each when on the tube. It’s like everyone is invisible.
    
14. Londoners LOVE pubs, we very quickly learned to LOVE pubs!
15. Pubs in London are nice.
16. Gastro Pubs are even nicer!
    
17. Summertime in London is amazing. The sun is up by 4 am and goes down at around 10.30pm!
18. Summertime in London on the tube is awful, well for those non-air-conditioned tubes anyway! You do not want to be armpit height in peak hour… gross
19. You walk a lot. Don’t underestimate the value of comfortable shoes!
    
20. You will never have money. Ever.
21. There is always something new opening up whether it be restaurants, bars etc – it never gets boring
22. The world really is your oyster – you’ll never need to be on a flight for more than 4 hours again
23. You spend more weekends out of the UK than you do IN the UK
24. CityMapper app is the best app in the world. If you don’t have it, get it!
25. To find a spacious flat close to London you will pay through the roof for! It is just the way it is
26. Christmas time is amazing… the Christmas markets, stalls and not to mention the Nutella crepes!
    
27. Marketing is a ploy. There is a reason those flights are only £10… yes, that’s right, you will be buying the most expensive train ticket and catch a train that takes longer than the flight you’re about to catch to get to the airport. Then, you’ll no doubt end up paying for baggage because your suitcase wheels don’t fit into those tiny little carry-on size checkers…
28. You won’t go to the theatre as much as you thought you would. Cheap tickets aren’t that easy to come by…
    
29. Standing at the front of the tube carriage in the summertime with the window down… you will appreciate it if you know what I’m talking about!
30. There are thousands of people everywhere at any one time. The city is massive!
31. Meeting someone at a specific store on Oxford street is never a good idea, Oxford street is never ending and many stores can be found more than once!
32. Rooftop bars are amazing.. but you need to get there early if you want a spot!
33. Going for a run at lunchtime along the Thames is impossible. Tourists walk too slow!
34. Tube strikes are a thing, and they are disruptive!
35. When the tube is running, you’ll never have to wait more than 3 minutes for the next train!
    
36. Humans are sardines. Fact.
37. Most black taxi’s don’t take credit card! Yep, be prepared to carry a wad of cash where ever you go!
38. Oxford Street on the weekend or at Christmas time is a disaster (especially Hamleys!… only go in case of emergency!
    
39. You learn where to stand on the tube platform so the doors open right in front of you
40. You don’t need to wait for the barrier at the station to close before swiping your card
41. It is often quicker to walk between stations than it is taking the tube (check the CityMapper app!)
42. It is perceived to be a serious crime if you walk slower than 20kph or hesitate when you’re not sure which direction you’re headed
43. You will only ever take the stairs at Covent Garden once… ONCE
44. London bridge is not the bridge you had in mind!