City of culture

The London Eye, The Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament – all very nice, but you can forget the tourist attractions now. You are going to be living and working in one of the world’s great cities and making the most of it means breaking through the veneer you would see in the glossy brochures of foreign travel agents.

What’s your passion? Whatever it is you can indulge it in London. World class theatre venues, from massive to intimate, outdoors or in disused factories, put on more productions every month than anyone could hope to see in a year. Cineastes are well catered for, with the British Film Institute on the Southbank and the arthouse cinemas showing fantastic films, modern and classic, from around the world, while every area is served by its local multiplex. You’ll get great deals on certain nights of the week and look out for open air screenings in the summer, some of them free. If you’re more of a bookworm you’ll have plenty of bookgroups to choose from, as well as the chance to see the writers in the flesh as they tour the literary circuit giving talks and readings. Needless to say, the choice of venues for music of all sorts is bewildering. You don’t have to stick to the mainstream and you don’t even always have to pay. I recently went to a free recital of Dominican guitar music at the Bolivian embassy, and as if that wasn’t enough they provided free wine after the performance.

Live a Little

You don’t have to be a passive consumer. The range of sport teams, classes, workshops and courses you could get involved with defies belief. London is a melting pot, an ideal place for the exchange of culture. If you want to learn dance forms from Africa, a martial art from Japan or how to speak Russian, there’ll be a place you can do it somewhere in London.

London is full of amazing restaurants, pubs, bars and nightspots. Everyone has their favourites and no one will be disappointed given the variety on offer – authentic cuisine from every country on the planet? Why of course. Atmospheric historic pubs? Too many to count. World renowned restaurants where you can dine with the celebrity crowd? Check. Cavernous superclubs where you can dance the night away with the other beautiful people? Look out your skinny jeans and head to Shoreditch (just don’t get the haircut). The only limitation is your sense of adventure.

Relaxation

If it sounds like it could all get a bit tiring, remember London has some of the finest urban green spaces of any city anywhere. A five minute walk into Hampstead Heath or Richmond Park, to name but two, and you’ll have forgotten you’re even in London. Cycle, run, walk, lie under a tree and contemplate man’s place in the universe, spot the flora and fauna, have a picnic if the sun’s good enough to come out. Very soon you’ll feel refreshed in mind and body and be ready to explore the urban jungle once again.