This summer, I spent a month in London. Although places like Paris or Barcelona may come to mind when thinking of some of the most beautiful cities, London has a lot to offer. Despite getting a bad rap for its dismal weather, here are the 10 reasons why you should love London.
1. The architecture
While many cities have a few beautiful and historic buildings here and there, London is filled to the brim with gorgeous old architecture. Instead of brand-new looking skyscrapers, each and every one of London's structures has a rich history and interesting backstory.
2. The shopping
London has an amazing variety of stores for shopping. Places like Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus have a huge selection of larger and more well-known stores. You can spend hours wandering around Harrods admiring designer pieces. However, if you're looking for something a little more unique, London has tons of markets with vendors that sell beautiful and one-of-a-kind pieces.
3. The food
While London is known for having bad food, I never found this to be the case! When walking down the street, almost every other building is either a bar or a restaurant. There is an amazing selection of places to eat, with everything from Indian to Thai food. Even spending just one day there, you would find that London has plenty of restaurants with cute atmospheres and actually has quite delicious food!
4.The sightseeing
There is so much to see and do in London, you could live there for years and never get bored. Although many of London's sights and monuments attract a number of tourists, they are definitely worth it. Each attraction is so interesting and unique, it's hard to skip out on anything! There seems to be an endless amount of parks to walk through, museums to check out, and buildings to admire. Everything from the London Eye to the Parliament building will leave you in awe.
4. The day trips
There are plenty of interesting places not far out of London that make for a great opportunity to take a break from city life. The gorgeous English countryside alone is reason enough to hop on the train! Activities such as taking a tour of the "Harry Potter" studio, visiting Oxford, or punting in Cambridge are just a few of the many fun things you can do.
5. The transportation
After wasting countless hours of my life attempting to navigate the New York subway, I found the tube to be a piece of cake. With a color coordinated map and plenty of signage, even the least street smart person would be able to find their way. Not to mention, the underground stations are worlds cleaner than those of New York.
6. The people
British people are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. They are always extremely polite, fun, and outgoing!
7. The street art
There is street art around every corner. Everywhere you look there is an eye-catching painting that it's hard to resist not taking a photo of. These beautiful murals really give the city life, especially on rainy days.
8. The weather
Ok, so London isn't exactly known for its blue skies, but its weather is actually quite nice! Who needs to be sitting in the blazing heat when you're stuck in the middle of the city and nowhere near a beach or pool. Besides, wouldn't you rather be enjoying a pleasant breeze than sitting in a pool of your own sweat?
9. The royal family
Let's face it, everyone kind of obsesses over anything to do with the Royal Family. And why shouldn't they? Strolling by Kensington or Buckingham Palace hoping to catch a glimpse of a Royal provides hours of entertainment. Also, It can be fun to have a fascination with Kate Middleton's wardrobe or Prince Henry's latest scandal in the tabloids!
10. Fashion
London street style is truly outstanding. It would be very rare to find somebody walking down the street in crocs and a sweatshirt, as you might in America. The British enjoy being dressed to the nines, even while making a quick trip to the supermarket! People watching becomes ten times more fun when every single person walking by is wearing a trendy outfit.
