Well I'm standing in an almost empty piano shop on Denmark St. My job. I'm being serenaded by our resident drunkard at 10:50 in the morning on one of our most expensive pianos, and I'm trying to decide when will be the appropriate time to throw him out without getting an earful of expletives. As I listen to his flopping about on the fake ivories, I'm drawn to a question asked by a friend via email. What do I think of London? She's thinking of making a move herself and wants my impressions. Now doubtless to say that at this exact moment in time, I'm probably not in the right state of mind to give a most accurate impression, but I will do my best.
I have lived here for 10 months now. I've spent a winter, and a summer here; I've been drunk at 3 in the morning in divey bars and hot nightclubs; I've spent small fortunes on poor meals and a pittance on some fantastic grub; I've won and lost on the horses and dogs; and I've seen Shakespeare and visited the British Museum. In other words, I've tasted a lot of what London has to offer. So maybe I am qualified to offer a relevant opinion.
London is a city of contradictions. It is enormous while at the same time feeling like you could walk its length in a half-hour. It is atrociously expensive, my partner and I pay more for a tiny studio flat -- that's right, one room with a kitchen -- then we did for a three-bedroom townhouse in Ottawa, while at the same time earning about 1/4 of the wage. Finding low paying jobs is as easy as walking down the street, but finding a decent salary could take many months.
In my opinion, London is the most cosmopolitan city in the world. People of all ethnicities and backgrounds are melded into one. They live side by side, and it's not surprising to see a woman in a Burkha with a mobile taped to her head yelling "you wanker, you were supposed to bring it innit". There is always stuff to see and do, whether they are gigs at Wembley Arena or the Roundhouse, plays and musicals, or just quiz night at the local. London is a city that never sleeps. It quiets down between 3 and -5 in the morning but not a whole lot.
It is also really easy to reach loads of places from London. Brighton, Cambridge, Oxford, and a whole host of other English places are short train journey away. All of continental Europe is at your doorstep as well, and even with XL going under, there's plenty of budget airlines to take you to exciting destinations.
On the other hand, London is one of the most unfriendly places I have ever lived. It is extremely difficult to make friends here. I've made a few, mostly foreigners or co-workers, and many of those I had before I arrived here. I don't know what it is about this city, but most people keep to themselves. I got into a verbal argument with a guy who hit his girlfriend in a tube station a few months back, and a whole train load of people walked right past without giving us a second glance. Nobody speaks to each other on the train, in the cafe, or even having a cigarette (which is really bizarre for me). There's no comraderie, and I can easily imagine that by oneself it could be a very lonely place.
From a musical perspective, London is an exciting city to be in. There are always fantastic local acts to see, and there are a ton of venues catering to original music. Back home, there were always places to play if you were a good cover band, but there were just a few places that wanted you if you had a few original tunes under your belt.
All in all, it is one big bizarre city and while I do not regret coming here for even one second, I don't think it is a place that I will ever properly call "home".
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