London is the capital of the United Kingdom and, with a population of over seven million, is the world’s ninth-largest city. Located in the Southeast of England on the banks of the river Thames, London was first settled by the Romans in 43 CE. It has since grown into a global centre for theatre, arts, cultural diversity, and learning.
In 2005, London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The city has previously hosted two Games, in 1908 and 1948. Each time, London has approached the Olympic movement with innovation and creativity, shaping the Olympics into the modern Games that they are today.
Life in London is incredibly active, mainly because there is so much to see and do. People spend their whole lives there and still don’t discover everything it has to offer, and this makes student life very exciting. London is a busy city, but if you can navigate the streets and subways you will find an incredible diversity of cultures, restaurants, shops, art venues, pubs, and clubs.
University students in London have many opportunities to meet and socialize with other students. Through university student unions, students form sports clubs and societies. Sports range from intramural to more competitive intercollegiate leagues and include sports such as cricket, golf, football, basketball, rugby, and even ice hockey.
Student clubs, or societies, appeal to students with a diverse range of interests. With societies based on political parties to ones focused on film, debate, or anime, most students are able to find a society that interests them. If not, many students start their own society.
London is famous around the world for its non-stop nightlife and party scene. Venues for clubbing, partying, or simply relaxing and enjoying a drink, come in all sizes and appeal to everyone from the casual to the more intense partiers. Frommers lists over 100 nightlife destinations in London that range from quiet pubs to large clubs.
Clubs and bars range in price, but for students with a tight budget, there are many that hold student nights or offer discounts to students who present valid university ID.
London is home to residents who trace their origins back to almost every country on Earth. These diverse cultures are represented in a number of ways around the city. For example, London restaurants serve food from more than 55 countries. The city has 45 distinct ethnic communities and around 300 different languages are spoken. In recent decades, the UK has opened its doors to refugees and workers from all over the world, and today ethnic minorities represent about a quarter of the city's population.
Significant ethnic minority communities in London typically originate from regions where Britain maintained a presence during its time as a colonial power. Bangladeshis, Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Irish, and Jamaicans all make up relatively large proportions of the total population of London. This diversity often means that some of the best restaurants serve traditional ethnic food. From Chinese to Indian and Vietnamese to Turkish, there is something for all taste buds in the food capital that is London. Learn more about London’s multicultural influences here.
University of the Arts London
Jimmy Choo, shoe designer
Pierce Brosnan, actor
Colin Firth, actor
Stella McCartney, fashion designer
Ralph Fiennes, film and stage actor
Steve McQueen, artist
Alan Rickman, film and stage actor
Judi Dench, actress
Natasha Richardson, actress
University of Greenwich
Natasha Bedingfield, pop singer
Institute of Education, University of London
Quentin Blake, illustrator, children’s book author
Kings College, London
John Keats, poet
Virginia Woolf, author
Martin Bashir, journalist
John Deacon, bassist for the rock band Queen
Middlesex University
Helen Mirren, actress
Queen Mary, University of London
Bruce Dickinson, member of Iron Maiden
Bill O’Reilly, Host of The O’ Reilly Factor on Fox News
Royal Holloway, University of London
George Eliot, novelist
KT Tunstall, singer and songwriter
Thames Valley University
Freddie Mercury, musician & lead singer of Queen
Ronnie Wood, musician, member of The Rolling Stones
Peter Townshend, musician, member of The Who
University of Westminster
Christopher Bailey, fashion designer (Burberry)
Roger Water & Nick Mason, members of Pink Floyd
The most famous and most concentrated area for theatre in London is the West End. Along with Broadway in New York, the West End represents the highest quality English-speaking commercial theatre. With approximately 40 theatres, the West End is commonly known as Theatreland.
London is also home to some of the top art collections in the world, including The National Gallery, the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery. These galleries display masterpieces from every major period and house pieces from all over the world. Many of these galleries have free admission.
London is a global centre for popular music and artists. Many rock and pop bands became famous in London such as the Beatles, Coldplay, Oasis, and Jimi Hendrix.
September Festivals
- The Proms: 17 July - 12 September, 2009
Widely known as the world's greatest classical music festival
- Greenwich Comedy Festival: 7-13 September, 2009
Comedians perform at a number of venues including Greenwich Theatre and The Grounds at Old Royal Naval College
- London Design Festival: 19-27 September, 2009
A range of installations, events and exhibitions at various venues across London highlight innovative and cutting edge design
Other Events
- London Marathon: 25 April, 2010
This 26.2 mile race, sponsored by Virgin, raises money for many UK charities
- London Festival of Architecture: 19 June-4 July 2010
The festival, which is supported by Arts Council England, is a citywide exploration and celebration of London’s streets and buildings
The London Underground is the oldest and longest underground rail system in the world. “The Tube,” as it is often called, was started in 1863 and now has 270 stations and 250 miles of track. Each day an average of 2.95 million people ride the London Underground, with weekdays averaging closer to 3.4 million passengers. This statistic makes it the third busiest underground rail system in the world, after Moscow and Paris.
As if there isn’t enough to experience and enjoy in London, the city’s location makes it a great base to travel and see the rest of Europe. Low cost air lines such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet are worth exploring in order to get some amazing deals to European destinations. Some flights are as low as $30 and you can spend a weekend in another country. London’s airports are some of the busiest in the world but as a result, there is no European country that is off limits.
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