Hitting the Streets of London

It appears I have been lax in getting my blog posts up. I guess this is what happens when you spend all your time working and then just want to get out and explore. The entry below is from April as I was getting out exploring London.

The tasks never end with a move. The next challenge I have ahead of me: finding the neighborhood I want to live in. And since Buckingham Palace doesn't seem to want any more Americans making their way in, I suppose I'll have to find another option. The advantage of this task is that the best way to accomplish it is to just explore the city, and lucky for me, we have had some lovely weather to do it.

As with any property I am trying to find the balance between location (what type of atmosphere do I want outside my front door?), price (how much of an increase can I stomach after living in Chicago), and space (I was spoiled with a 2 bed/2 bath, how far down will I need to come in London?). And with that, let the exploring begin!

Green Park / Buckingham / SoHo / Holborn

Ok, so it's very unlikely I would actually live in this area - I can't afford it. But my first day out of isolation was also the day of Prince Philip's funeral so between Covid and the funeral the city is just too quiet not to take advantage of the situation and see the sites. I feel like I'm in a secret world of my own as I wander the streets listening to an audio book and just going wherever my feet take me. Without the influx of tourists (and with them pandemonium) I'm getting such a special feel for the city.

Hampstead Heath / West Hampstead

I'm lucky enough to have made friends with my Airbnb hostess. Her house is connected to my little "snug" so she checks in on me from time-to-time. On a lovely Sunday afternoon she offered to drive me to Hampstead Heath for a walk around the park. I had seen Hampstead Heath on the map, I knew it would be a large park, but I don't think I was prepared for it. It felt like I had completely left the city and entered into the country side. It was lovely. There is a large mansion in the middle that has been donated to the city and is no longer inhabited. We stopped at the Spaniard's Inn for a bite to eat before heading back. The Inn has been there since the 1585 and was a hot spot for people watching as carriages were drawn into the city through the toll gate right next to the inn. 

Hampstead Heath has become quite the hot spot for celebrities to live... definitely not in my price range, but it's still fun to explore the area and the high street. (The high street is the main drag where there are shops and pubs - makes it very convenient for that neighborhood to have it all in one place, but also can get very busy on a nice day). 

Canary Wharf / Rotherhithe / Canada Water

Now down to south of the river and on the east side of London. Not as common of a place to live, but with my office in Canary Wharf it would make for a very convenient spot. Canary Wharf is very corporate with large office towers looming over the area and well planned out green space that I could see getting really crowded during lunch when the offices are full. I don't think I want to live in a high-rise quite yet so this is probably not the space for me but it was nice to walk around and see something different. It reminded me a lot of the Loop in Chicago.

I took the water taxi (all part of the public transit in London) across the river to Rotherhithe. Tucked away from the train stations along the river there are some lovely little neighborhoods and apartment buildings that a coworker had recommended. It's on the edge of a park and the commute into the office by boat would be 15 minutes (mostly walking). I really liked it. It was quiet, peaceful and didn't feel like I was in the city at all. But ultimately, I decided it's not for me. I want to make sure I'm out meeting people and I have a feeling I would happily retreat into my own little world snuggled into those neighborhoods. Walking a bit farther west and south from the river took me to Canada Water and as soon as I left the banks of the Thames, it just didn't have the same appeal to me. So the search continues...