Photography | Mosaic in Tottenham Court Road

I've started commuting via tube twice a day, minimum, and am feeling more and more British as a result. When I think back to all the space we Torontonians took for granted, 8:30am at Bloor/Yonge ain't got nothing on the tube lines here! Despite the sheer vastness of lines, stations and trains running through London, any tube you ride between 8am - 10am, or 5pm - 7pm (or, as they would say here, 17:00 to 19:00) is positively massacred. Armpits in my face, Head curved into whatever corner will fit it, jostling with strangers who are all trying their best to ignore each other and immerse themselves in books, music, papers, or Candy Crush (in my case).

Though I don't go through Tottenham Court Road on my commute, I happened to be in that station last week after some Soho adventures. And I was struck by the beauty and aesthetic of the station. Mind you, when most stations are 3 - 5 stories submerged under ground, consisting solely of soulless concrete tunnels jam packed with humans, it doesn't take much to switch up the pattern.

Here are some photos of the beautiful mosaic featured at TCR station.

Moving to London | Housing

Hi!

I'm so excited to announce a couple of my friends just moved to London, and a couple more are on their way in the 'Autumn' (no one calls it 'fall' here).

We gave all our soon-to-be ex-pats pals some tips and advice on housing, and how to find a nice, yet affordable, spot to live. I thought I would compile all the information in one place for easy reference - especially as I start convincing more and more of you lovely people to make the hop over here to live!

Without further ado, here are a bunch of random thoughts, hopefully some helpful, that are meant to assist anyone looking for housing (in this scenario a 'flat') in London.

(I am by no means an expert, I urge you to take what you like, drop what you don't, and make your move all about you and what you need)

London Transit on a Monday

Hiya!

Happy First Day of Summer! Though you would never know it by the way London's weather is behaving. This morning the rain was plentiful and strong, everyone on the street sought shelter with their umbrella, and I practised my ninja skills by avoiding all those pointy sticks and rain dripping off everyone's 'brollies'.

I can't complain about my commute at all. It's a mere 30-35 minute trip from home to work, with one transfer and an entire ride taken above ground. Even on a rainy day, it's nice to get that extra bit of daylight and keep my circadian rhythm in check. The wonderful thing about London is ease of transport (delays, cancellations, and construction aside!). I know people who live in Zone 6 - which is wildly far from the centre - and they can make it into the city in 25 minutes flat. There is no shortage of transport options if you have an Oyster card and a bit of extra time to cushion for delays.

Today's rain made my commute a little less than awesome, though still a wonderful time all in all.

Architectural Bake-Off in Fitzroy Square

There is so much going on in London!

I remember feeling that way about Toronto, too, it seemed that every single weekend there were at least 5 cool things to check out, new gallery exhibitions, concerts, trivia nights, film festivals, park parties. Other than a few die-hard extroverts, I think it's safe to say my friends and I fell into a content pattern of drinks, food, and movie nights with only the occasional out-of-the-ordinary Toronto experience.

As a newcomer to London, I'm focussed on keeping track of all the cool stuff and actually going to some of them! (Feeling very grateful for Time Out right about now!) Last weekend was the architectural bake-off in Fitzroy square, a competition that pitted 8 architecture firms against each other as they tackled the building of an iconic London structure using cake!!

Read on for all the delicious details and pics.....