What No One Tells You About London

Being a born and bred northerner and in my little northern bubble, the capital is like a different world. I see a lot of things there that I’ve never seen before, experienced things I’ve never experienced before. I’ve read the typical London problems people face but these are the things no one tells you about London.

Hard Water Problems

I had never understood how the hardness level of water could affect you until I started visiting London regularly. I couldn’t see or feel a difference when I visit yearly but now that I’ve been down every month for the past year and a half, it’s finally taking a toll on me. Dry, red and eczema-like skin on my neck, arms and around my nose as well as a dry, itchy and flaky scalp – two things I’ve never experienced before. To this very day, I’m still fixing the damage. There was a lot of trial and error at the start but I think I have found the perfect products to soothe, deeply moisturise and prevent.

Pockets of Areas

When I heard someone mentioning K-town (Korean Town), I couldn’t get my head around it for some reason. I was in my little bubble up north so exploring London does open my eyes to how multicultural London actually is. Different communities are concentrated in different neighbourhoods around the capital so you can expect to get authentic cuisines in those areas. Other communities are Little Portugal in South Lambeth, Vietnamese in east London, Caribbean in Brixton and more.

I’ve had amazing Korean food in New Malden and is my go to area.

It’s Not For Everyone

London will be a love-hate city, it’s not for everyone. If I had moved there when I was in my 20s, I would have enjoyed it a lot more as it was a dream move but now that I’m in my 30s and staying a week long every month, I’ve realised that I prefer the quieter life and being back home isn’t bad at all. The lifestyle and culture is different. Despite it’s where the opportunities and events are, I feel like the city is good in small doses. I’ve finally realised London isn’t home for me.

It Can Feel Overwhelming and Exhausting

The people, the choices, transport, unfamiliarity, basically everything. It can be intense if you’re not used to that way of living. Commuting to the office during peak time can be too much for me at times as I’m not used to so many people being all up in my space and squashed like sardines. London during the peak holidays is on a whole different level and I thought December 2023 was significantly busier than the previous year – crowds left, right and centre. It is stressful.

Spending a day in and around central can be mentally and physically exhausting especially if you don’t have a plan or haven’t booked tickets/table. There have been times when I felt absolutely drained and needed a whole week to recover from it.

Constantly Complaining About the Prices

Everyone knows that London isn’t cheap and will cost an arm and a leg. The moment you step off the train and take your first breath in London, £50 has already magically left your account and in return, you’ll have black stuff in your nose.

Being from the north, my commonly used phrase is “How much?” with a shocked expression whilst thinking about how much it’ll cost back at home. Another common thought I have is “£5/6 for a small sausage roll? I could get 4 of those from Gregg’s” knowing full well I’d be paying for quality but where I’m from, it would be considered a bougie sausage roll.

Don’t get me started on transport. Despite there being a cap on your pay as you go spend on the TFL, in the end, it does all add up at the end of the week. The price of the daily cap for 7 days in London is more expensive than a month’s public transport pass at home. In reality, it’s a big difference and off my mind goes, “I could save that money blah blah blah”

Walking Speed is Running for Me

My little legs were not prepared for this! I hadn’t noticed it in the past until I started visiting monthly. I’ve been told I am a slow walker and I don’t disagree with that. I’ve been living the slow paced life so this was a 180 for me. It seems like everyone is in a rush or even preparing for a marathon. I can easily get caught up in it therefore my pace increases and I’ve become a temporary Londoner. It’s considered normal speed for Londoners but translate it to someone who has short legs, it honestly feels like running.

What I never understood was people running for the tube when there’s one arriving a few minutes later. Am I missing something? Honestly, do let me know.

Travel between Southwest and Southeast

If you’re travelling between these two areas via public transport, the quickest way is to go into central and then back out. You can’t cut across and it can take about an hour depending on your start and end destination. I’m still learning about London and I was mindblown about this.

Is there anything else we should be aware of?