5 things you take for granted when you live in London

Whether you’ve lived in London all your life or have relocated from somewhere else you can’t deny that the cosmopolitan city has it’s unique specialities. It’s taken me over a year of living abroad to really appreciate this and there are still some things that I just can’t let go of. So here it is, 5 thing you take for granted when you live in London:

1. Eating on the go

And by this, I mean easy access to a range of good food that isn’t a cheese role or a pastry. Just minutes from any tube station in central London, is a Pret, Eat or Itsu offering a range of foods both hot and cold, that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now perhaps this is part of London’s ‘rush-rush’, ‘go-go’ culture, but I very much miss the convenience of these little treasures.

2. Contactless payment

I was totally under the delusion that the world’s banking technology had developed so fast that we could all make payments at the tap of our card and not have to fuss with entering our PINs. Well, don’t be fooled into thinking that this is actually the case. Germany for example, is not even on to the ‘paying by card at every possible moment’ wave, let alone using contactless payment.

3. Drinks after work

The socialising and let’s face it, drinking culture, is a major part of working life in London. It’s expected that you head over to the local pub ‘just for one’ after work on Friday and if you’re not going then you’ll usually get stick for ‘letting down the team’. Of course people socialise with their colleauges in other cities and countries too, but don’t expect it to be the same wherever you go.

4. The view of over the Thames

Standing on Southwark Bridge, I could turn one way and have a view of Tower Bridge and the Shard (my absolute fave) or look the other way and watch the sun setting over St. Paul’s Cathedral. I actually didn’t realise how much I missed these breathtaking views until just a couple of months ago.

5. Free entry to museums

Why oh why is this not the case wherever you go? In fact, I didn’t even realise that paying entry for a museum was a thing!? Perhaps that’s my bad, but if you leave London for a new city and fancy exploring the museums on a rainy day, just be aware that there may be an entry fee.

So there you have it, the top 5 things in London that I wish I could take with me wherever I go. What would you add to the list?

Photo credit to London blogger Jessica Eve Ballantyne.