Living in London so far has been an incredible experience for me. Before arriving in London, I was constantly reminded that an apartment in London may be inferior to a typical dorm room in the US. But it turned out to be totally different. I was luckily assigned into a studio on the fourth floor of a beautiful apartment near the busiest shopping street in London: Oxford Street. So what is it like to live in London?
My studio apartment is in a building called Byng Place, next to the Campus of Engineering of the University College London, one of the best colleges in the UK. I have my own kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. The studio is amazing, fully furnished, and is in white color which gives me a feeling like I'm living in a five-star hotel. The only drawback of living on the fourth floor is that I have to bring my laundry upstairs and downstairs on foot because we don't have an elevator (or "lift" as the Brits call it).
Caption: My bathroom after weekly cleaning.
Caption: My kitchen after weekly cleaning.
Every Wednesday, my room is cleaned and provided with linens and duvet covers so I can make my bed. It is important that students keep the room clean and change their covers after they are washed by the staff.
Caption: My quick and easy breakfast.
Caption: My dinner.
Byng Place is about 15 minutes from Lidl, an affordable grocery store, and Sainsbury's Local, a slightly more expensive local market. The best part of living in Byng is you can take bus 390 to Oxford Street and go shopping there or just walk and see all the signature architecture of London. My apartment is also close to Boots, where you can check out your free COVID-19 Lateral Flow Test Kits and buy necessary groceries such as medicine, cosmetics, and more.
In some classes at CEA CAPA, my professors have recommended that students visit the British Library to borrow some books for research or further reading. Luckily, Byng Place is only 10 minutes away from the British Library, a famous historical site and one of the largest libraries in the world.
My building is only 25 minutes away from the CEA CAPA London Center and 30 minutes away from my internship abroad site. I normally take the tube (London's underground train) to CEA CAPA from Russell Square, which is about an 8-minute walk. On days when I don't have classes, I will go by bus number 390 to my office. The bus stop is right next to the Goodge Street Station and is about 5 minutes from my apartment. The tube is always faster but you can't enjoy the beauty of London from it, so I highly recommend occasional travels with on-the-ground transport like the overground train or bus.
I love my apartment at Byng Place because it is the best of both worlds to me: near the CEA CAPA Center, near my internship site, and also close to the busiest shopping center in London. I also love how CEA CAPA staff placed me in this single studio so I can freely cook and enjoy myself. If I had had roommates, I can't imagine how they would have reacted when they smelled my signature Asian fish sauce that I like to cook with!
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Please note that CEA CAPA students are placed in different accommodations throughout London, and housing options may vary per semester based on availability. All accommodations are within a one-hour commute to the CEA CAPA Center.