Londoners weekends

[RufflesPlus]

Inspired by a thread (or a few threads!) in which Londoners tell us how great London is....

What do you actually do in a regular month? How many times do you go to the theatre? Art gallery? Obviously not everyone spends their time in the same way, but give me a feel for living in London! Is it literally daily culture? Don't you get tired?

For context I live in a large town (not city) and go to the theatre, gallery, shops, museums and dinner approx once a month but have always thought the limiting factors to be cost and babysitters rather than availability of activities.

Pre-kids we really did do loads - gallery or museum weekly (we lived near Greenwich and DH worked in Bloomsbury), ballet or opera monthly (there are cheap options for this, we were not in the stalls of the ROH monthly).

Post-children, we do a lot less - swimming lesson on Saturday morning then usually lunch out somewhere local, rugby on Sunday mornings then park.

But we do go to a lot of stuff in the holidays - over Christmas we have been to Greenwich (skating, Cutty sark, maritime museum), NHM, Kew Gardens for the lights, and the zoo). Planning a trip to British museum once the Roman exhibition opens. The Tate is 10 mins away on the train, so we often pop in as we are passing. Go to the zoo multiple times a year as we are members. Go to the aquarium 3 or so times a year. NHM and Science Museum are a bus ride away, so we go to each a few times a year.

The advantage to being in London is that we can wake up in the holidays, think “what shall we do today” and decide to go to the zoo for the afternoon, or pop into the British museum after a shopping trip. These things are close enough that they can be normalised. If we lived in, say Brighton, and a trip to NHM involved a three hour round trip on the train, I wouldn’t just decide to go for an hour or two after lunch. We probably would go to the beach or walking in the Downs a bit more spontaneously though, whereas in London that has to be a planned event.

My DC are grown and I live in Zone 3, so I go to a museum, a gallery, a gig, dance or a play every week. It's why I live in London

I have a health condition that means I wouldn’t be allowed a drivers licence, but also struggle with mobility these days. Without the good public transport here in London, and having shops and cafes all within a (normal persons!) ten minute walk, plus being a very short walk from a station and several bus stops, I would essentially be housebound. So for me, living in London is freedom. I’ve lived rurally, and loved it, but was much younger and still able bodied and able to walk and cycle everywhere. I don’t get to take advantage of London as much as I used to, but wouldn’t really be able to do anything g if I weren’t here, or somewhere similar.

@RufflesPlus also even someone living in z3 can have a door to door journey of 50 mins plus to get into town which I think gets forgotten.

Agree with popping in places while doing other things.

Theatre etc is cheaper because you can go when it's cheaper rather than when you can get to London. End of Jan/beginning of Feb often lots of cheap seats available.

Recently shopped in the big HMV shop on Oxford Street with my 13 yr old (who was in 7th heaven) and thought about how growing up in the North that would've been such a flagship London experience. Great to be able to pop in. Even if I understand about 2% of what was being sold in there.

Born and raised in se London (zone 3) - I moved to Essex about 2 years ago and miles happier here, I live 10 mins from my city centre now with all the shops restaurants theatre etc which obviously I could never have afforded in London.

I can reach central London in 20 minutes if I take the fast train. I probably go in once every other month to meet friends who still live there.

I have been to lots of cities and I have to say London is my favourite, there is something about it but maybe I'm biased cause I'm a Londoner. However I would never live there again, love going there, love leaving. The only thing I miss is the bus network which was reliable and accurate. In my new city they aren't great and I don't have a driving license so I find I walk a lot more than I used to which probably isn't a bad thing x

We are on the border of zone 3/4 but only a 7 minute bus or few minutes drive to the station and then a 20 minute train to central London.

Went in loads when ds was younger (free travel and free or low cost entry for kids at lots of places) and now mostly at the weekends to mooch about the different neighbourhoods, get a coffee and people watch. We've lived in London for many years but find there are always new things and places to discover.

We go to the cinema locally around fortnightly- Picturehouse and Everyman cinemas but the usual chains nearby and the theatre on average once a month but not always West End, we have active local theatres/pub theatre. Also eat out (too) often and we like going into town for that due to the huge variety of restaurants and street food places. Art galleries and museums around once a month now but also live near a world heritage site with a free museum.

This week for eg, we went to a royal park for Xmas day afternoon stroll, took the car on Boxing Day (no congestion charge on Bank holidays) to see the Xmas lights and had a drink on the river at the south bank. Yesterday, saw a film locally and had a birthday meal out locally. We're taking the train in today to meet friends for tea in a gastro pub in West London and will have a mooch around Notting Hill beforehand. I'll probably go alone to one of the galleries tomorrow or Monday if they're open. A bit of a costly and busy week but we like to make the most of time off and there is lots to do for free and we often pack a lunch/snacks.

It's hard to fit it all in when you work though but as a pp said, it's just the huge variety and choice of everything and anything at all times that's different about London.

Pre kids, we probably did something cultural 1-2 times a week - art or theatre or both.

Now we have kids - we do some things for the kids, we take the kids to children's theatre probably once every six weeks on average (we live close to two specialist children's theatres), w do museums geared towards the children (science museum/natural history/maritime) probably once every six weeks.

Then we take the kids to art exhibitions we want to see maybe every couple of months. About once a month we get a babysitter and go to the theatre or comedy together, probably about every six weeks or so we go separately with friends to avoid the babysitter cost.

We are in zone 3 but there's quite a lot of cultural stuff that is also in zone 3, you don't have to go into central London for everything - we have smaller theatres in walking distance and some of the best theatre I've seen has been in off West end/fringe theatres.

I find people on here often say "oh but in zone 3, it still takes you 45 mins to get to central London, it's just the same as living in towns and cities near London" - as someone who grew up in one of those places, it really isn't. The transport is a lot cheaper within London and there are more options and it's a lot easier to get home late at night which is especially important if you've left your children with a babysitter. Also, as I say, lots of cultural stuff exists not in central London anyway.

Depends what you mean by living in London. I live in an outer London borough and to go to London Bridge by train is over 30 minutes. So that's not really something I want to do to go for dinner on a regular basis especially as I have plenty of lovely restaurants locally.

I found that paying for West End shows is not something I am prepared to do anymore, we try to find touring theatres instead unless we get discounted tickets.

Over the years we did lots of the big and small museums, we took DD all the time and still look out for new exhibitions we visit. But it can be that we don't go for months and then several things in a row.

I never go voluntarily to Central London for shopping.

One thing that helps is that it's much easier and cheaper to get to the theatre if you can go on a Monday or Tuesday night and be back home in bed by 11.

I've been through different phases of using London culture in my life. When the DC were toddlers, right up to age 14 it was brilliant to have so many different things to do with them every weekend and holiday.

Once they got to the age when they could go out on their own they could do so much, pursuing their own interests for the cost of a bus ticket, (i.e. free, up to school leaving age). DD does whatever nerdy exhibition is in on Instagram, and DS mostly does the big parks and wildlife areas, which are ironically much more accessible to a non-driver here than they would be in most rural locations, he loves the quieter more adult-friendly museums and galleries.

I do theatre a few times a year and I generally get a membership of somewhere different each year for Christmas: this year it's the V&A. My problem is not having the time spare to do more.

When the DC we're younger and I worked part time I did much more, ditto when DPILs were young enough and well enough to visit regularly we used to go somewhere different that we thought they'd enjoy every time.

But I'm getting to the age where retirement is within sight, and unless I have an unexpected health breakdown I plan on being one of the glamorous grey haired ladies who's a regular fixture at every Wednesday matinee and gallery cafe.

Most weekends if we've got nothing else on we'll just dash up to the South Bank food market and then have a walk along the river. There's always something to see.

I do enjoy all that stuff but don't go very often because of the cost of babysitting. I like knowing it's there though.

I like knowing people from all over the world and as my hobby is playing classical music and singing, I like that I can access that at a high standard - something that would be harder elsewhere (although I lived in Cheshire/Manchester for a while and liked that for similar reasons).

We're on the edge of London and this Xmas hols we went to Battle Abbey one day and Battersea Power station the next. Lots of options.

I do wish the trains would stop with the strikes though.

I find people on here often say "oh but in zone 3, it still takes you 45 mins to get to central London, it's just the same as living in towns and cities near London" - as someone who grew up in one of those places, it really isn't.

What people usually say is I live outside London but can be in town in 25mins by train but realistically it takes longer than that because you need to wait for a train, you aren’t going to live on a train platform & will likely need to travel on from your destination 😆.

However as someone who grew up in z2/3 I really don’t see that there would have been much difference between me & someone growing up in central Manchester or Bristol?

I hate the West End though. Always makes my heart sink when people come to stay and want to do the tourist traps!!!

Glad it’s not me! I think post Covid it has got worse I agree as I used to work near Baker Street and Bond Street and the like were never as busy!

I mean it’s good tourists are back for our economy but why the F do they need to mill around F&M/Harrods etc and not bloody move?! Especially if they can see you trying to walk past, quickly?!

There’s loads of free stuff to do and transport in London is great so we do that. You can’t compare it to elsewhere for variety and choice. It’s too big to do everything so you don’t do everything. You can’t afford to do everything so you don’t do everything. There’s nothing wrong with that.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain I wanted to pop into F&M but couldn’t face it! I saw so many standing in the bit between the roads taking fucking selfies. One did an outfit change, one had a tripod ffs. Same on Regent street, I’m too old for this shit! 😆

I grew up in outskirts of SE London and buses used to go all the way to Oxford Circus or Marylebone from there (took about an hour or more). You now have to change to get there.

I don’t go into London like I used to for shopping/theatre etc which I used to do when younger. I’d happily meet friends/family and spend a day/evening out with them in the west end.

And Londoners tend to avoid the tourist traps because they are miserable or try to go at the quieter times.

I saw the selfie lot too and with tripods. I mean F right off! I went to F&M in October this year with friend visiting so we got our fix then. Even so it was very crowded!

Maybe we try Sept next yr then!

It’s getting harder and harder to avoid the tourist traps, people still flock there even at quiet times I’ve found, even the lesser known ones are posted on Instagram and then something quiet is ruined.

I live in central London and feel lucky to walk by all the tourist spots every time I leave the house. Other than that, it's a place that doesn't close at 5pm. Life starts after 5pm. Everything is at your convenience. Great restaurants, theatres, museums and galleries. Pre kids it was more about socialising, post kids it's more cultural actually and a lot to do with kids. Great parks and a lot of free things i do with my kids.

Go in around the side, straight up the stairs to the top away from the main hordes and work your way down 😁

I live jn z5 but it's 20 mins to central London stations (Victoria/London Bridge) so it's very easy for us to get in. I'm in town probably once or twice a week for work, and go to 'events' (museums, theatre, concerts etc) a couple of times a month. I also meet friends for dinner and/or drinks a couple of times a month.

We take the DC up whenever we find something fun to do which is probably once or twice a month as well. We don't do as much as we could and should be better at it - once we've done our local running around for swimming lessons and activities on a Saturday we quite like to potter at home.

@webbydeb how do you handle the constant crowds, traffic, busyness? I always wanted a z1 pied a terre but not sure now. Having said that Chelsea was dead, presume the residents have all fecked off to their country retreats or Swiss chalets.

I live just on the edge of zone 1 so have most things I want within easy walking distance. I walk to work. I love the huge variety of choice in London. No day is ever the same (unless you want it to be the same) and you can do something different every day and still not run out of things to do or places to go.

I do get tired of the tourist crowds with school holidays being the absolute worst. Argh! Sometimes it can be frustrating just trying to do normal day-to-day stuff because of tourists getting in the way. They seem to forget that some of us do actually live here and are trying to go about our daily lives. Sky Garden is a huge source of annoyance for me because of the packs of clueless tourists it seems to attract. But there are also lovely moments and experiences that you wouldn't get anywhere else.

One of things I love about London (and no-one has mentioned yet) is the fashion and the sample sales. There are lots of designers / studios close to where I live so there's always interesting style to see and some great bargains to be had if you know where to shop.