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Unless it is pissing down with rain – i never need the tube. I can easily walk from kings cross and be over the thames in half an hour. Easy to walk around and you see far more of the city that way.
I work there and commute in from Cambridge and i can leave home and be at work in just over 1 hour including walking to the office.
The reason we don't say downtown London is because it has multiple centres. It would make sense in pretty much any other British city in context. In London we'd say "in town" or "in central" generally for talking about the Soho and surrounding areas.
Even as a lifelong local I've always found standing on the right on escalators insane when in every other mode of transport or moving in general, you keep left and allow people to pass on the right.
Never climb the stairs at Covent Garden. Just take the fucking lift. You'll regret it otherwise. It's like 191 steps and the first 'rest' spot is at like 128, at that point you might as well finish it.
If you want the exercise that badly, walk from Leicester square.
Terrible English. 'Ideal' is an absolute, 'more ideal' is nonsense. It's just 'preferable'. I hate what Americans do to English it's so lazy and they use a load of superlatives, draining the language of subtlety and meaning.
Probably because "downtown" is very American. No one else says that. Most cities in the rest of the world tend to have specific names for the central parts of the cities. For example where I am from….Cape Town….it is called the city bowl. The term "downtown" also often makes eff all sense as the central area is not "down" from anything. It may be in a Northern, Western, or Eastern direction. So the term "downtown" just sounds nonsensical.
I don’t understand why people come to London for a holiday, it’s crowded, smelly, dirty, wet and an overpriced tourist trap. Go somewhere nice with a beach and pleasant weather where you can relax and enjoy yourself.
As someone who lived in London for 40 years, and worked in central London for 15 years. My top tip is Walk, forget the Tube or Bus, Many of the big sites are minutes apart. Also (and this is a tip for the locals as well) LOOK UP! above the modern glass frontages in shopping areas are fantastic old buildings, statues, and Bridges between the buildings that many miss.
Another little tip is When in Knights Bridge, take a break from the main road with the shops and take a wander around the roads off the main streets. The hustle and bustle disappears and you will find yourself in quiet streets with birds signing.
That escalator role is unspoken in Vancouver Canada. Like regular transit users know it and there are no signs and nobody says anything. London is different. There are signs
Use city mapper when I was visiting London ( from new York ) I found google maps to be unreliable don’t know if that’s true for everyone but for my crew city mapper was the best choice for getting around
Please, please, please, don't just walk out into cycle lanes and certainly don't just stand in the middle of them. Treat them like any other roads. In London there is a lot of traffic on the cycle lanes and it saves anyone getting angry at you or worse yet an accident of some kind.
1. Know which stations are lift only (hint: Covent Garden), at peak it'll take a long time to get platform/street -side. 2. Avoid changing at Green Park if you can 3. There are shortcuts at Kings Cross. 4. The cable car isnt worth it
When we first moved to London in 1992 (from Australia) we spent so much time underground, my mum would write and ask what London was like and I couldn't tell her! I'd hardly seen any of it – I was constantly on and off tubes!
Very good!! We used to say ‘we’re going up west, or going to the West End as kids. I think they still use that expression. The West End of London is where some of the best shops are. Have a look at Bond Street too for some special place, and you can’t miss Covent Garden. London is such a great place!!!
No one ever mentions Fitzrovia either – its a nonentity of a place – you would refer to it as just north of soho, west of Bloomsbury or East of Marylebone.
If you don't have to get anywhere quickly and the weather is nice definitely walk as much as possible. The tube is handy but generally awful. The bus can be nice but it's very slow. If you're fit and active then walk. You'll see much more of London. If it's raining then totally get public transport. Also don't worry too much if you upset someone on the escalator. People need to chill out a little bit. If they're late for work then they should have left earlier lol x.
Excellent advice. I would also add, don't stand around In front on the ticket exit/entrance gate on and off the tube. It will irritate a lot of people. Get your ticket or phone out ready to beep through and then walk out of the way
Yes, please be considerate of commuters, particularly at rush hour – lots of them are rushing to catch trains at other stations and have a long commute home, so please, please stand on the right and let them pass. And please hold on to something when you get on the tube. I cannot count the amount of times I’ve had tourists fall on me and laugh as they didn’t realise the train moves off with a jolt – it’s not bloody funny when you have it happen to you every day for 20+ years! 😖 We all want you to enjoy London as it is fab, just be aware of what’s going on around you…
Blimey! 'Downtown' is a great song sung by the lovely amazing Petula Clark. "When you're alone, and life is making you lonely, You can always go downtown" ❤😂🎉❤😂🎉❤
50 Comments
We actually call Central London ‘town’ even if we live in London. I live in Primrose Hill, but if I were going to say, Fitzrovia, I’d call that ‘town’
Where is that area in the very last part of the video?
On the escalator you can walk down on either side, but if you stand then stand on the right.
I like these video shorts , well presented and good content 👍
Unless it is pissing down with rain – i never need the tube. I can easily walk from kings cross and be over the thames in half an hour. Easy to walk around and you see far more of the city that way.
I work there and commute in from Cambridge and i can leave home and be at work in just over 1 hour including walking to the office.
Nice city
The reason we don't say downtown London is because it has multiple centres. It would make sense in pretty much any other British city in context. In London we'd say "in town" or "in central" generally for talking about the Soho and surrounding areas.
Even as a lifelong local I've always found standing on the right on escalators insane when in every other mode of transport or moving in general, you keep left and allow people to pass on the right.
Top tip. Don’t go to London in the first place…it’s a shithole. Go to ANYWHERE else in England instead. (Except maybe Swindon)
If you say be downtown London…..WE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!
Generic advises that are applicable to every city in the world I'd say 😂
Never climb the stairs at Covent Garden. Just take the fucking lift. You'll regret it otherwise. It's like 191 steps and the first 'rest' spot is at like 128, at that point you might as well finish it.
If you want the exercise that badly, walk from Leicester square.
I use Uber so not so worried about where to stand but on a curb.
That voice! She's got a Kardashian vocal fry like a chunk of coal trapped under a shithouse door.
Ask for the toilet and not restroom like in America
I won't remember
Terrible English. 'Ideal' is an absolute, 'more ideal' is nonsense. It's just 'preferable'. I hate what Americans do to English it's so lazy and they use a load of superlatives, draining the language of subtlety and meaning.
Probably because "downtown" is very American. No one else says that. Most cities in the rest of the world tend to have specific names for the central parts of the cities. For example where I am from….Cape Town….it is called the city bowl. The term "downtown" also often makes eff all sense as the central area is not "down" from anything. It may be in a Northern, Western, or Eastern direction. So the term "downtown" just sounds nonsensical.
I don’t understand why people come to London for a holiday, it’s crowded, smelly, dirty, wet and an overpriced tourist trap. Go somewhere nice with a beach and pleasant weather where you can relax and enjoy yourself.
As someone who lived in London for 40 years, and worked in central London for 15 years. My top tip is Walk, forget the Tube or Bus, Many of the big sites are minutes apart. Also (and this is a tip for the locals as well) LOOK UP! above the modern glass frontages in shopping areas are fantastic old buildings, statues, and Bridges between the buildings that many miss.
Another little tip is When in Knights Bridge, take a break from the main road with the shops and take a wander around the roads off the main streets. The hustle and bustle disappears and you will find yourself in quiet streets with birds signing.
Visited London over 20 years ago. Glad I had that chance because I won't be setting foot in the UK again. It's not British anymore.
That escalator role is unspoken in Vancouver Canada. Like regular transit users know it and there are no signs and nobody says anything. London is different. There are signs
Use city mapper when I was visiting London ( from new York ) I found google maps to be unreliable don’t know if that’s true for everyone but for my crew city mapper was the best choice for getting around
“Unspoken rules” the first one is signposted everywhere
Down town london ☠️☠️☠️
I thought brits held the left lane in traffic.. but not on an escalator
You would say West End for Central London.
The otherwise it is by the area. Or specify Covent Garden etc..
Please, please, please, don't just walk out into cycle lanes and certainly don't just stand in the middle of them. Treat them like any other roads. In London there is a lot of traffic on the cycle lanes and it saves anyone getting angry at you or worse yet an accident of some kind.
Superglue your phone to you hand as it will e gone
So its literally not unspoken.
1. Know which stations are lift only (hint: Covent Garden), at peak it'll take a long time to get platform/street -side.
2. Avoid changing at Green Park if you can
3. There are shortcuts at Kings Cross.
4. The cable car isnt worth it
When we first moved to London in 1992 (from Australia) we spent so much time underground, my mum would write and ask what London was like and I couldn't tell her! I'd hardly seen any of it – I was constantly on and off tubes!
Very good!! We used to say ‘we’re going up west, or going to the West End as kids. I think they still use that expression. The West End of London is where some of the best shops are. Have a look at Bond Street too for some special place, and you can’t miss Covent Garden. London is such a great place!!!
No one ever mentions Fitzrovia either – its a nonentity of a place – you would refer to it as just north of soho, west of Bloomsbury or East of Marylebone.
If you don't have to get anywhere quickly and the weather is nice definitely walk as much as possible. The tube is handy but generally awful. The bus can be nice but it's very slow. If you're fit and active then walk. You'll see much more of London. If it's raining then totally get public transport. Also don't worry too much if you upset someone on the escalator. People need to chill out a little bit. If they're late for work then they should have left earlier lol x.
People screamed to get out of the escalator when I first visited London.
Now, where I live, in my own country, I always ask that people get out of the left side of escalators too….
Nice manners and patience over for me
Excellent advice. I would also add, don't stand around In front on the ticket exit/entrance gate on and off the tube. It will irritate a lot of people. Get your ticket or phone out ready to beep through and then walk out of the way
Come to London and say hi 👋
We also call some areas by their nearest tube station. So I live in Tottenham but sometimes it's easier to say "Seven Sisters"
beautiful，may be i can going to has a travel！
Top Tip Dont bother going its full of Eastern European Crooks and Immigrants. I believe Moscow , Gaza and Rhyl North Wales are much Safer places
A fair decent amount of your footage was shot in Camden, I can see!
Also people who grew up in London still use postcodes to say where they are going or are.
Pick pocket attentioneyyy pick pocket attentioneyyy
Please anyone coming to London, learn where to stand on the escalator… we don’t take prisoners
Standing on the right on escalators is unspoken because it is written down on the notices by the side.
I'd rather not visit London tbh 😅
Yes, please be considerate of commuters, particularly at rush hour – lots of them are rushing to catch trains at other stations and have a long commute home, so please, please stand on the right and let them pass. And please hold on to something when you get on the tube. I cannot count the amount of times I’ve had tourists fall on me and laugh as they didn’t realise the train moves off with a jolt – it’s not bloody funny when you have it happen to you every day for 20+ years! 😖 We all want you to enjoy London as it is fab, just be aware of what’s going on around you…
Fitzrovia? 😂😂
Blimey! 'Downtown' is a great song sung by the lovely amazing Petula Clark.
"When you're alone, and life is making you lonely, You can always go downtown"
❤😂🎉❤😂🎉❤