London
Oh, Londontown (my playlist here)! Grey as can be, yet eccentric as ever. They say it’s the New York of Europe, so I guess it makes sense that it just so happens to be my third favorite city. London is bursting with culture, history, and neighborhood charm. Take Soho and Covent Gardens as the center, with Chelsea and Kensington southwest, Notting Hill and Marylebone northwest, Islington to the north, Holborn and Clerkenwell to the northeast, Shoreditch to the far east, closer in, but still east is the City of London, and to the south of the Thames you get Southwark. London is huge. Words to the wise: get to know your neighborhood; live where you work; make friends where you live; and go out with said friends in that neighborhood. It will make your life so much easier.
There is really no bad time to visit London, since your subject to terrible weather whatever season you decide to visit in, but the summers are delightful and the reduction sales are worth flying in for in January. Heathrow to Central takes about an hour and costs £50-70 by Uber or takes 15 minutes and costs £20 by Heathrow Express to Paddington Station. I have an international data plan on my phone with Verizon, but I like to buy a local SIM at O2 if I am there more than two days (6GB for £10). If you’re a New Yorker and hate taking public transport and rely on Uber, get over it; you take Uber and you’ll sit in traffic for hours and go broke. Learn to love the tube! It’s clean, efficient, and the best way to get around the ever-so-spread-out London neighborhoods. Load up on an Oyster Card or link it to your phone for easy access. Avoid Piccadilly Circus and Regent & Oxford Streets at all costs, unless being surrounded by crowds and tourists are your thing. Harrod's, even as touristy as it is, is the place to go for shopping. Depending on which neighborhood you live in really does depend on what you do on weeknights and weekends, but I personally love waking up late, stopping in one of the markets, grabbing some oysters, and catching up with friends in one of the their amazing coffee houses on weekends. My favorite market in town is Columbia Road Flower Market in East London.
*PS, a HUGE thanks to my dear friend Christoffer for showing me your London
"There's nowhere else like London. Nothing at all, anywhere." - Vivienne Westwood, Fashion Designer