Lily's London Adventure: Reasons Why I Love London

1. Lillywhite’s in Piccadilly Circus – DUH! Did you see the picture? I didn’t even SHOP in this store and I want to take it home with me!

2. Sense of History – Most of the buildings in London outdate my parents. Some even precede my grandparents! I rack my brain to see if any city here stateside has something like the Fountain of Eros (again in Piccadilly Circus) sitting in their downtown area. While most of America is demolishing classic design and architecture in their urban areas, London preserves and incorporates its history into the modern day landscape. The city is definitely not just boxes of glass. The soul of historic London is intact for future generations to see!

3. I *Heart* Public Transportation – I can’t say enough about the Tube. For six bucks, I could ride the subway all day, as many times as I want. And all I have to do is follow the colored lines on the maps. There is absolutely no reason you should rent a car in London. Why? There’s no freaking place to park! Even most of the commuters don’t have cars; they rely heavily on the trains and buses as well. I’m sure the locals would have some grumblings about the state of Public Transportation in London, but from someone who comes from a state where Public Transportation is sadly LACKING…London’s got it down pat.

4. Parks – I live in a desert. I come from a beach town. I can appreciate any patch of green in the middle of a huge city that I can find.

5. Food – A feast for all stomachs. Because of the cosmopolitan and immigrant nature of the city, you can find just about any cuisine you want in London. As mentioned before, high level chefs are celebrities in this country. But London is also home to the storefront restaurants that are run by families making their living. Whether it is a high class restaurant or a Mom & Pop joint, the one thing remains the same – because of the premium on space, an intimate atmosphere is always prevalent.

6. Dressing Up – Again, suits and accents. What more needs to be said?

7. Boots – No, I’m not talking about the footwear. Boots is the UK’s most popular drugstore. Think Walgreen’s, Osco, or CVS. The difference? Does your Walgreen’s carry Clinique, Chanel, or Elizabeth Arden cosmetics and fragrances? All of these brand name cosmetics are sold along side what you would find at your local 24-hour drugstore. High end products next to As Seen on TV gadgets and over the counter medicines. But Boot’s cranks it up another notch. Lenny and I actually went to the SECOND floor of the store down the street from our hotel. There, Boot’s gave us the option to purchase an X-Box or iPod Nano. Yeah, Boot’s is more than awesome.

8. Taxis – While in London, Lenny and I bought tickets to see “Phantom of the Opera” at Her Majesty’s Theatre. We could have taken the Tube from Kensington to Piccadilly…but we decided to cab it, since we were dressed up (Brit ladies can navigate the city in heels…Lily White has no delusions of such grandeur without weeks of practice). If you haven’t ridden one of the “Black Cabs” (ironic because they’re not all black anymore), do so. Especially when you’re dressed up and going out…you can pretend to be the rich. And trust your cabbies. Most cabbies spend two years preparing for a test fondly known as “The Knowledge” before becoming licensed. The two years is spent studying the streets and routes of London. So, don’t recommend a faster route…they probably know better.