Simonseekers a community for travel enthusiasts

Roxanne is a travel blogger for the travel site, Simonseeks.com, a community of travel enthusiasts, celebrities and experts sharing their tips on the best places to eat stay and drink around the world, Ranging from the cheapest places to stay in London to the best places to party. Having moved to London 6 years ago, she has lived in few different locations but here are her thoughts on what her initial move to London was like and why she will always live in the city.

I grew up in Brighton and thanks to London only being a 50min ride away on the train; I made numerous trips up throughout my childhood. I thought I had a good idea of the London way of life as I knew my way around all the best places to do my Christmas shopping and was confident that I could get from A to B on all forms of London transport, without getting lost. So when I eventually took the big step of actually moving to London, I was hit with a massive shock. No matter how many times you visit London, nothing compares to living there and I was immediately overwhelmed by its sheer size.

I moved to the central district of the London Borough of Islington to the vibrant, if not a bit pricey, part called Angel. I landed on my feet really because I moved in to a house on the wonderfully popular Upper Street which was a 5 min journey from Angel High Street and Angel tube station. Most of the property prices in the area are more expensive than some of the surrounding parts because of how great the transport links are but we were lucky and were the first people to view our flat and snapped it up straight away because it was such a good deal. Luck for me, our house wasn’t too far from Highbury and Islington Tube station so it was easy for me to hop on the tube and be a Victoria in no time whenever I fancied a trip back to Brighton. Apparently, Henry VIII was fond of Angel in his time and as a result it became popular amongst the wealthy for its up-market shopping, theatre and amenities; All reasons why the area is still popular today.  One of the great things about Upper Street is that it is much less crowded than the central London locations and as well as having plenty of high street shops, there is still room for some of the quaint little shops you would expect from a historic district.

One of London’s most famous markets is Camden Market, located not too far away in Camden Lock. They have a great selection of food stalls that usually offer you a taste of the food as you are walking by. Unfortunately, it is so delicious that I find it hard to resist and always end up buying enough to last me a life time. They have recently just opened three new indoor food stalls in the lower market hall, just off Camden Lock Place. Now with a new Turkish Kebab option, the best Crepe stall ever and paella to die for, there is even more reason to visit. They also have these really cool motorbike seats to sit on and enjoy the view of the canal during the summer’s day. A novelty that never gets old!

Like I said before, I was initially overwhelmed by the size of London and how much there is to explore. I was used to Brighton with its one main shopping centre and all the main activities, be they bars, restaurants or the cinema, all located within one square mile. I wasn’t used to having to get two buses and a tube just to get home after a few post work drinks! Brighton is often referred to as “London by the Sea” so I thought I would be more equipped than most, but this was not the case. I was really lucky because I had time to shop around and find a great flat to live in, in an amazing area so my advice to anyone moving to London is not to rush it. Take your time to research the areas you are considering and visit them! Moving to London will always be a bit of a shock to the system but this is all part of the excitement. Now that I am here, and have been for so long, I don’t think I could ever move back to a smaller city. I definitely see myself growing old here!