Profiles of London
Students at NYU in London are often surprised by how different London is from large US cities and by how much they come to feel like true Londoners in their relatively short time with us. Part of this comes from their own sense of curiosity, but we also encourage students to be adventurous, to explore the city and discover their “own” London—whether it takes the form of a favorite park, museum, restaurant, or any other favorite spot. As a result, London—a city that’s equally well known for its history and for its place as a modern world capital—truly becomes our students’ home away from home.
"I really enjoyed visiting the museums and markets of London. The city's culture is amazing and I really felt that through my visits around London."
"I really feel as if being put into a new country (especially the free time we were given) really gave me a chance to understand myself a little better and what I wanted out of life."
"I really found that once I went out to places and interacted with people from the culture I learned a lot more about it. It's just about taking that first step to interact with locals."
"Traveling with friends taught me how much I appreciate my loved ones as well as my home in New York, but also opened my eyes to new worlds and people. Also, simply exploring the city every day made me feel like a citizen as I became more familiar."
"The fact that London has so much preserved history really taught me a lot about my areas of interest."
"Just being able to walk along the streets of London and use the tube or bus like a fellow resident of the city helped me to learn a lot about the culture and the people."
"London's history is so rich and long, and I think that most people know something about it before arriving, but the walks around areas like Spitalfields, where you can see layers of history still there (i.e. the Denis Severs House), are amazing."
“While in London, take advantage of every opportunity. I interned at Islington Youth Offending Service, volunteered for the SHINE program, participated in almost all the NYUL excursions, sight seed within London, and traveled around Europe. It was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity.”"I felt a great cultural immersion while traveling in the tube. In the tube; there are all sorts of people; and one is able to see the vast amount of people living in London. Comparing a Monday morning train ride to a Friday night train ride; I had a great sense of cultural immersion; getting a taste of the working class people; and then a taste of the teenage population. Going to pubs and clubs; I also got to converse with residents of the city and the overall experience was amazing."
"Traveling abroad and getting around London taught me the most about my abilities to get places and to experience new things."
"I would say that just going out on my own to experience the city taught me the most this semester. I think meeting Londoners helped me feel as if I was a Londoner myself the most."
Get an oyster card. An oyster card is similar to a refillable NYC metrocard. You can deposit certain amounts of cash in it and you are able to ride the tube at about a 30% discount. Because London doesn’t have the equivalent of a monthly Metrocard, this is your most economical bet. Tube rides start at £1.50 and can reach up to £6, depending on what zone of the city you are traveling to. Oyster cards also work on buses, which are a cheaper (but slower) means of transportation. You will be using the tube a LOT. Don’t be intimidated by the maps though; workers at the tube stations are very friendly and helpful, and the tube is easier to navigate than one might think from glancing at the map. Be careful though, the tube stops running around 12:00 midnight. Every station lists the last train times for each line. Don’t get stuck!