Bug Bytes: Life in London!

by Kelly on January 18, 2011

This week’s Bug Bytes comes from Jade Broadus & Bob of Vagabond3. Jade & Bob lived in London while they studied theater, and here, they give us all of their secrets on what to see, what to do, how to get lost… and how to love it.

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BB: London! Land of the Beatles and double-decker buses! What part of town have you lived in? What was it like?
J&B: After a two week field trip to London the summer before my senior year of high school, I knew I would return to be a long term resident, and, when I finally did move to the city, my dreams were not disappointed! Bob and I lived off Great Russell Street, about a block from the British Museum. If you look at a London Tube map- we were in Zone 1, right in the center.

It was incredible to be within walking distance to so many landmarks and famous places.  Just like NYC or any other big city, there is an energy to London that is hard to explain but so tangible while you are there. Since we were there studying theatre, we had the opportunity to experience some of the most diverse and engaging theatre the world has to offer.

BB: Cool! Can you describe what a typical day was like?
J&B: London is most definitely a walking city and most days started by choosing a different part of the city to venture around and hopefully get lost in (One of our teachers told us that she had lived there for 10 years and still hadn’t seen everything that London had to offer)!  I felt like it was my personal challenge to see and experience as much as possible.

Generally, if it was really nice outside, we would take our books and head to one of the parks for the afternoon, and, if it was raining, we would spend the day in one of the dozen museums that are free to the public. As far as our museum choices, Bob loved the Tate Modern (on the other side of the Thames from where we were and about a 40 minute walk from our flat), while I loved the National Portrait Gallery (about a ten minute walk). Either way, sunny or drizzly, we would usually end our days meeting up with some nearby Australian and French students at our local pub, The Crown, near the British Museum.  The Crown was pretty tiny inside, but had this amazing outdoor patio that could seat tons of people. Even if I didn’t go to the pub to grab a pint, I always stopped by to hang out before heading home.

BB: I know there are lots of different parts of London.. can you tell us a little bit this, and how they’re different from one another?
J&B: This answer could be an entire book!! So, I will list my favorite parts of the city:

Notting Hill– (No, not just because of the movie, although- I love that movie!) This part of London is beaming with artists, home to Portobello Road Market (a great place for one of a kind antiques and vintage clothing), has a bunch of fun bars, and also is an overall great place to have a cup of tea or wander around for an afternoon.

Covent Garden– Ok- this is filled with tourist and mall brand stores and restaurants, but, even among all of that, it has an undeniable charm unlike anywhere else in the city; I loved to walk around Saturday mornings and watch the street performers, mimes, and magicians. Also, Covent Garden is my favorite place during Christmas time.

Southwark– Between Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and The Tate Modern Museum, this area of town is rich with cultural to-dos and off beat restaurants. I would highly suggest a walk starting at The Globe, then crossing the Thames (take pictures in every direction) and finally walking up to St. Pauls Cathedral (The church pokes out in the most unassuming way and is absolutely gorgeous).  

Westminster–  The Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, St. James Park and Westmister Abbey are all connected to this area. Within a thirty minute walk, you could easy check off many items on your London “to-do” list. St. James park is also one of my favorite parks in London and is especially beautiful in early spring.

Christmas in London

BB: Awesome! I love vintage shopping! If I was looking for some cool vintage shops.. where else could I go?
J&B: I’d either head to Notting Hill (which can be kind of pricey) or one of the many markets.  Camden Market is great for vintage or offbeat items; I always found something cool and unique to take home with me for a pretty reasonable price. Old Spitalfields Market is another one I loved to browse through on the weekends.
Unlike the markets, most of the vintage shops I found were great for vintage attire, but, with all that greatness, equally expensive!  Rellik has some great designer pieces and most of their stuff is under a 100 pounds.  I’ve got to be honest though, for clothing I mainly played dress-up because, as a student, 100 pounds could get me a trip to Rome or tickets to four more plays.

BB: How expensive is it to live in London? What would we expect to pay for an apartment? For a hostel? For food?

J&B: There is no denying that it is expensive to live in the UK. When I lived there I was shocked how fast I went though money, but it was mainly because the USD to GBP definitely sides with the British. I will say though, that when you are getting paid in British wages, prices and expenses seem to balance out.
Overall, London is comparable to Tokyo or NYC. A one bedroom apartment in the city center is going to run you about $2,000 a month and outside the center about $1,500 a month. I currently live in the Valley in Los Angeles and a one bedroom apartment in the center of town will cost you about $1,400 (but can go up to $2100), so roughly the same as London.
As for a quick visit, there are dozens of hostels whose price changes much like any where else- the better areas of town and the nicer the accommodations, the more expensive the stay. However, one tried and true rule is that you can always count on it being cheaper to stay out near the airport. In the city though, a nice-ish hostel will run you about 35 pounds per person.
If you are traveling in a group, I’d highly suggest getting a B&B above a pub as they usually run about 90 pounds for the room. We’ve stayed in both.  The B&B’s have all been really cozy and we’ve met some awesome people.
Food in London is a little higher.  I would always say it’s about 1.25 times the price it would be in the US, after exchange rate has been factored in.
Globe 12th Night
BB: I know there’s lots of things to see and do in London… but if a friend only had a few days, where would you suggest they go?
J&B: This is a really hard question… If you have three days, I suggest breaking them down into half days and looking at your itinerary like this:

Mornings– take a tour, go to a museum. Break for lunch.

Afternoons– wander around the different areas of town.

Nights– theatre.  Try to see two different types of shows on your trip… maybe one at the Globe (if you are in season) and one at The Old Vic or the National for newer, more experimental experiences.

For your tour, choose one like Sandeman’s Free Walking tour, which is easy because it’s free, gives you fun details about the Royal Family and little known historical facts, and is a good basic tour of Buckingham Palace, parks, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and Parliament.
All the museums are great but if I had to choose only two- I’d pick The National Gallery (because of the views of Trafalgar Square) and The Victoria and Albert Museum (for the beautiful costume exhibits). The V&A is basically next door to the Natural History Museum and not too far from Harrods and Hyde Park if you want to add either of those stops to your afternoon itinerary.
On Sundays, head to Lamb and Flag.  A basic pub every other night, on Sundays this place has a dixie-style jazz band that is amazing. I’ve always had great service and met some really fun people while listening to fantastic performers.

The Fish And Chip Bus

BB: And what should we eat?
J&B: I’m a sucker for fish and chips, so whenever I’m in town I head to Masters Super Fish near Waterloo.  Grab a friend and enjoy fish, chips, shrimp, pickles and peas for less than 10 pounds! Great mix of patrons and easy in and out service- perfect for lunch. My other favorite lunch place is Wagamama. It’s a chain all around town and they have the best “pan-Asian” stir fry I’ve ever had. (They are about to expand all over the U.S., so I won’t have to wait long until I can chow down on Yaki Soba every single day!)

Drink And Fuel Up

BB: How can a traveler cut costs and keep to a budget in a city like London?
J&B: Besides the hotel or hostel price, it’s actually fairly easy to stay on a budget and cut costs in London.
First of all, almost all the museums are free to the public. That right there will save you big bucks compared to other big cities!
Second, you can walk almost anywhere in the city within thirty minutes. Don’t be afraid to walk, ask directions or better yet, get lost! You’ll most definitely stumble upon something that you would never have found if you took a cab or tube.
Third, try to eat your biggest meal for lunch. I know this is pretty standard when you visit any big city, but loads of places have deals for lunch that could easily feed two people for half the price of dinner. I always like to do ‘take-away’ in Chinatown and people watch in Hyde Park or Trafalgar Square. (I usually check Time Out: London whenever I’m there for the latest deals!)
BB: What 3 pieces of advice would you give to someone heading to London?

1. Bring a trench coat that could take you from walking around the city, to wearing out at night to the theatre.
2. If you are there during the summer- you must go see a show at The Globe and buy standing tickets (only 5 pounds!!!) online before you go. Standing room tickets aren’t only way cheaper, they are a chance to experience Shakespeare much like the commoners did when Shakespeare was actually writing these iconic plays.
3. The main sites to see in London are worth it– if you’ve never been, plan out your mornings (or afternoons) with the things you really want to see. I loved all the history and rituals that are still performed today. Just because everyone does it, doesn’t mean it’s over-rated. And, at the same time, leave a few hours every day to just wander around. I have no doubt that after a few days, you’ll fall in love with London, too.
BB: We’ve talked a lot about theater, but how about the music scene? What can we expect?
J&B: As for rock shows, London is a major city and has all the benefits of being one. Meaning, there are different bands playing every night of the week, either at small hole-in-the-wall pubs or a huge arena. I would highly suggest picking up a Time-Out to see what shows are playing around town, being that every artist worth seeing plays in London sometime during their career.
However, staying out of the major ticket venues, visitors can also discover new bands. For us, the best shows we saw were bands we had never heard of before, like this band Muse that was just starting to take off and is now huge.
Don’t spend all your money on rock shows though, check out some culture too.  A great, free option is the recitals at St. James Piccadilly church.Every other day during lunch time you can go and watch the 50 minute recitals.
BB: What’s the best way to get around town? Tube? How much is it?
J&B: I love the tube and would highly suggest it to anyone visiting London. There are so many lines running all the time that it is so easy to find the right one and get to your stop quickly. A one-way tube ride is about 3 dollars, but a day pass or week pass can really save you money. I never bought a one way pass!
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Thanks so much Jade & Bob! London sounds amazing!!! I love that you got so immersed in the theaters!
To learn more about Jade & Bob & their buddy Rob, check out their blog, Vagabond 3, follow them on Twitter @ Vagabond3Live or connect on Facebook.
Bug Bytes is a weekly feature in which fellow travelers tell us about the places they have lived and what makes those places awesome. Want to take part in a Bug Bytes? Lived somewhere cool and want to tell us about it? Email Kelly at travelbugjuice@gmail.com.

Tagged as: Bug Bytes

{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

Jeremy B January 18, 2011 at 11:30 pm

Great interview with Jade and Bob! I have yet to visit London but greatly appreciate the tips and insights. I look forward to discovering the city and love the budget travel tips! 🙂

Rebecca January 19, 2011 at 12:08 am

The Portrait Museum is totally my favorite too! Some of the museums in London are just so overwhelming and this one is like the perfect size.

Caz Makepeace January 19, 2011 at 12:12 am

Great interview! Loved reading about London and being taken back to my old home. It is a fabulous place to live, although the atmosphere of the city does change dramatically when winter rolls around. Summer is definitely the best time to be in London. I loved Convent Garden as well, we would frequent the pubs here a lot. And walking is the best way to see the city. I lost a ton of weight from all my walking.

Adam January 19, 2011 at 12:28 am

Awesome interview with so many helpful tips for visiting London. I have only spent about a day and a half in London on our way home from Europe several years back, but I did get to experience several things I really wanted to do, including seeing and EPL game and a play at the Globe. I will definitely have to bookmark this for when we inevitably make it back. Thanks so much for all the awesome information.

Cathy Sweeney January 19, 2011 at 1:35 am

Great interview with Jade and Bob. How cool that they had a chance to live in London — I would love to do that someday. It’s one of my favorite cities and I’m always sad to leave it. I also agree with their choices of places to go and things to do and it’s so easy to get around London on the tube or walking.

eat-laugh-love-anon January 19, 2011 at 5:25 am

Great article. London can be so mind-blowing, seeing things you’ve read about or seen on tv.
I remember feeling so excited when I went to the British Museum and saw the actual Rosetta Stone with my own eyes, then some actual Egyptian mummies. And seeing Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral. (I also bought the grooviest blue velvet hat from the Camden Markets.) That was indeed the trip of a lifetime, my first big adventure solo overseas adventure.

robin January 19, 2011 at 9:44 am

Really enjoyed reliving some memories of London through reading this. Greenwich is a nice area too and you can have great night out in Brixton.

Norbert January 19, 2011 at 3:05 pm

Great interview. I’ve just been to London in transit to Brussels, but the short time that I spent there made me want to stay and toss the rest of the planned trip. I definitely need to go back because there is so much to see! Love your tips!

Christy @ Ordinary Traveler January 19, 2011 at 4:54 pm

What a thorough interview. I feel like this could be my guidebook to London. London has never been high on my list of places to visit, mainly because I like budget, but this makes me want to go!

Ayngelina January 19, 2011 at 5:18 pm

Very cool, I love the site but I didn’t so the behind the scene stories on these two!

Jade January 19, 2011 at 9:45 pm

So happy that you guys like what we had to say- living in London has forever changed that city for me and really was the start of this crazy travel passion. 🙂 If you guys ever make it to London and need any advice- definitely shoot us an email!

Marcella January 20, 2011 at 3:31 pm

Lovely interview.
My favourite place in London is Brick Lane on a Sunday!

Ellen June 12, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Reading through this reminded me so much of the visit I made to the city in 2007, making it my home for almost half a year. I sooo miss this place! I intend to go back in 2 years and see more of England.

William Smith April 10, 2014 at 6:40 am

London is the leading global city having strong hold in the fields of education, commerce, finance, media, entertainment, arts, fashion, health care, professional services, transport, research, development and tourism contributing to its prominence. This international city is brimming with amazing things to do and see. Visitors can enjoy spectacular views from the London Eye, soak up the historical sights of the St. Paul’s Cathedral, The London Tower and also explore the beautiful Tate Modern

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