I have been living and working in and around London since summertime now and I can finally say that the culture is rather different. For those of you that don't know, I grew up in Leeds and went to university in Sheffield so I never really left Yorkshire. I love living and working down there but there are some considerable differences between the north and south so I thought it would be fun to talk about them.
Here are some funny things I have realised whilst living down here:
The drinking water down south is gross - I have been spoilt growing up with Yorkshire water - we basically get Harrogate Spa water for free! For some reason southern water takes like chemicals and it comes out of the tap a bit cloudy to start with... worrying. I definitely need to get a water filter.
The weather IS actually a lot warmer and sunnier: Obviously this isn't concrete and isn't the case everyday but in general the south is much warmer. I always thought this was a myth but it isn't. Whilst I was getting texts saying Leeds had a layer of snow, it wasn't even close to freezing temperature down here. Don't get me wrong, it does get cold but most of the cold days recently have still been blue skies as opposed to Leeds which is often cloudy. Whenever I drive up to Leeds, it seems that when you get to Watford Gap, the clouds just thicken! This is an aspect I definitely love about been down here.
It IS expensive - I mean London is sort of ridiculous... You will pay £5+ for a beer and nobody will think anything of it. People slate the south for its prices but I still think it is worth it - you get used to the prices in the end and in general people do get paid much more.
House prices are on another level - Obviously the house prices are obscene in London but house prices are pretty high even on the outskirts. What would cost you £300,000 in a nice part of Leeds would cost about £800,000 in Hertfordshire.
Northern accents are a focal point of conversation - As I am from Leeds, my accent stands out like a sore thumb. Everyone guesses I am from Manchester and the usual 'I can't tell the difference between the two' comes afterwards... I can definitely tell the difference!
The nightlife is rather different - No disrespect to the north, but going out down south and in London is usually a lot classier. Of course there are some real grungy places in London but on average, the mainstream going out places are much nicer. You can go for drinks and have a dance without getting stood on and without a thousand drinks been spilt on you. The range of options in London are also great too, you can go to a proper club or for a casual drink and everything in between.
Don't get me started on public transport...
Morning commuting is much longer - Commuting 1 hour to work is a normal commute and is something I am very used to. When I mention that to people in the north, they think that is crazy. My mum drives 15 minutes to work!
All manners go out of the way on public transport - In general, people only think about themselves when on public transport; I'm talking elbowing out of the way to get on the tubes and trains, especially when it is busy.
There is SO many more people - The population density is so much larger in the south - there are so many more people! You can tell when on the roads and on the trains - the M1 is always a nightmare until you reach leicester and it clears up. Once you go north of Sheffield, you end up flying! Commuting home from work means that many people end up standing up face to face.
People are much less polite and don't really speak to strangers - Its funny because as soon as I get back on the train at Leeds, I get random people speaking to me. This would never happen on public transport.
Despite all this, I love living here and I wouldn't change my experience for the world! Seeing the gherkin from my office or walking over the Thames to college with the most spectacular views, makes me realise how luck I am to live in such a stunning city.
Do I have any northern readers living in London? Let me know!
Lots of love,
Alice xxx
Immediately sending this to my friend who wants to move to london haha.. great post xo
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