Come to London!

Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath

Here’s what I would tell someone who is considering studying abroad in London. London is a energetic city. It definitely has a strong cultural pulse, and is the perfect location if you are interested in theatre, art, film, music, history, etc. It has SO much to offer, and at the same time I found that everything is very accessible, rather than overwhelming. Be grateful for the familiar (i.e. those certain comforts to make your adjustment easier, like speaking English,), and embrace cultural differences. Something to keep in mind about the British as well: they do not have grand dreams of moving to the States, or being like us, despite the wide held assumption that Americans are the greatest. However, they do love Obama. Also, the sun does shine here, even if it’s only her a few hours a day during the winter, London really can be a beautiful city.

One of the questions I frequently receive is about the cost of living here. Yes, London can expensive, and being on the pound is not the greatest thing for a student budget. That being said, I found that it is not hard to live “cheaply,” especially in the area where we are placed. Sure, a recession and falling value of the pound has helped, but either way, there are plenty of ways to get by. There are many affordable restaurants, a lot of people cook in their kitchens at Nido, and student discounts really do exist everywhere (movies, the theatre, I even got a discount at a vintage clothing store). Another tip, get used to riding busses, They are a great money-saving alternative to cabs for late night trips back home, plus they are very popular here, unlike in New York.

Now, the NYU program itself. The one great thing I found about NYU’s program is that many of the classes do a great job at getting you out to really see the city. In fact, all the classes I took never met in a classroom, and instead met every week in a new museum, neighborhood, or historical site. These site visits really allowed me to see a lot of the city, and opened up weekend time to avoid touristy places and get to know more areas in depth. On the other hand, I found it really frustrating that we were not actually a part of a British University. We are allowed to use the student union, but I had minimal contact with other British students, which was somewhat disappointing. The housing, a massive modern construction called Nido, has received mixed reviews. It’s new, clean, and has study rooms, a gym, café, outdoor space, and screening room (kind of a glorified third north or palladium), but the double rooms are very small. I had a single, so my arrangement was great, but many students were quite uncomfortable in their rooms. Our area is considered “up and coming,” which also bothered some, but I found that being right next to St. Pancras/King’s cross, as well as close to Islington Angel made getting around to be quite convenient, and therefore did not have any complaints.

In terms of going around and traveling, I would follow the advice that the NYU staff gives you. It would be a shame to spend every weekend away from London and reach May only to realize that you do not know the city in which you are living! Especially since London is a very large, and always has something going on or new to see, I'd recommend going on a few weekend trips, and then taking advantage of the two and a half weeks in April for holiday to get a bulk of traveling done. I've had a number of people tell me that although they're happy they saw a bunch of other places, they feel like they did miss out on some great London experiences. Also, take advantage of the NYU day trips to areas outside the city. It's a nice excuse to see a place that you might otherwise not feel like taking the time to go visit, and it really doesn't ruin your weekend either. When you are in London, I'd say try to wander into a new neighbor each weekend, do not get too tied down to one place, and do not be afraid to travel outside of zone one to explore. Areas such as Hampstead Heath, Chiswick, Kensal Green, and St. John’s Wood are very fun to explore.

Suggestions to enhance one’s study-abroad time in Lonodn: Splurge on high tea, see a show in the west end, see a movie at BFI, or listen to music at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, walk the Portobello Road, Camden High Street, Spitalfields, and Brick Lane markets, spend an afternoon sampling all the food at Borough, stroll through one of the parks on a sunny day, see a concert in Camden, go out in Shoreditch, visit the museums (not only are they free but they also have incredible collections), attend a football match, get a pint at a local pub, end your nights out with the traditional kebab, take advantage of the British Library, spend a night at Shunt and explore the life south of the River Thames, go out for Bloody Mary’s and a Sunday Roast. Finally, WALK. There’s no substitute for walking in order to get to know a city and all it’s twists and turns. Some of my greatest discoveries in London were made when I simply left the dorm, picked a direction, and started walking. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll discover.

This last idea illustrates what I believe to be one of London’s greatest qualities: Just when you think you’ve seen or done it all, a new world will open up to you when you least expect, be it a bar, shop, street, or neighborhood. It will be special and unique, and you will come to understand the diversity, vibrancy, and excitement embodied by the city of London.