'I'm an American Living in Britain. It's Not What You'd Expect' -

I moved from the United States to the United Kingdom nearly twenty years ago. I was living in San Francisco with my partner, who is Scottish, but when his visa ran out he decided he didn't want to renew it. Generally, California has a stable climate all year round and he said he missed the change of seasons.

We moved to London in November 2004 and I felt completely comfortable with the decision. I had previously lived in New York for ten years and during that time would travel to London quite a lot. I had friends who lived in the city and was really into the British music scene at the time.

Nightlife and bar culture

The first difference I noticed, which even after so many years I can't get used to, was how early everything closed in Britain. When I first visited friends in London, in the mid-nineties, they always knew where late-night parties were—but once I lived here things were different.

Most bars and pubs in the city close by 11pm or 12pm, and restaurants usually call their last orders at around 9pm, whereas in New York or San Francisco you can go in and order dinner at 10.30pm at night and many bars stay open until the early hours of the morning.

Another thing I noticed was that in the States, you could walk into any type of bar and order any drink. For example, anywhere in the U.S. would be able to make a margarita—it may not be the best depending on the bar, but they would make you one.

However, when I first arrived in the U.K. and asked for a specific cocktail in a pub, they just looked at me and said: "What?"

Work-life balance

I would definitely say, especially after having worked in New York, the work-life balance in the U.K. is better. When I lived in the States, most people I knew would go into the office at around 8am and wouldn't leave until around 7.30pm every day.

I work in public relations, but it didn't matter what industry you were in, if you worked a desk job that seemed to be the norm—there was almost an unspoken rule that you didn't leave until after the main boss left.

However, when I got my first job in London, I noticed right away that we would start at 9am and leave at 5.30pm, unless there was a special project which meant we had to stay a little longer.

Slang and terminology

Before I arrived in the U.K. I listened to a lot of British music and read books like Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, so the subtle differences in language weren't too much of a surprise to me. However, there are still some things I can't wrap my head around.

For example, Cockney rhyming slang. Even now, when I hear phrases like "apples and pears"—which means stairs—I think: "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Where does that correlation come from?" I don't get it.

And it may be more of a cultural thing, but the combining of the words "isn't" and "it" has always confused me. I have a friend from the east of the country, who I always have to remind they are two separate words.

I enjoy the phrase "suss it out", which is not something they use in the States, however phrases like "fancying" someone have been working their way into my vocabulary over the years, so most of the time they just wash over me.

Relationships and dating

I have been in a relationship since 1999, but from what I have observed about the dating scene here, I feel it would be easier to meet someone in New York or San Francisco than London.

When I lived in New York, before I met my partner, I had no problem going to a bar on my own, reading a book and having a drink. To me, it felt like a fun thing to do and people would usually come up and talk to me. But in Britain, it seems people primarily hang out in groups and are less likely to go to a bar or coffee shop on their own.

I would say that, for the most part, Americans are more open to chatting to new people and, on the surface, friendlier. I often hear other Americans who live in London say they found befriending British people really hard, but for me it was never a problem.

Meeting people in the U.K.

Generally, I find people in U.S. cities are a bit more forward than people in U.K. cities. When I lived in New York, if I saw someone on a corner looking at a map or their smartphone, I would always stop and ask if they needed help with directions.

Now I live in London I still do so, but I think British people are more hesitant to speak to strangers. I am the type of person who, if I am walking down the street and I recognize a face—even if I have never spoken to them or don't know them—I will say hello.

But here, even if I have passed the same person every day on my way to work and recognized their face, if I were to say hello to them, I think they would probably stare back at me like I was a crazy person.

Challenges living in the U.K.

For me, one of the strange things about Britain is that many main-streets seem to have the exact same stores. Often you walk down the street and see the same chemist, the same sandwich shop, or sneaker store two blocks away from each other.

Whereas in New York, they have bigger chains in central parts of the city, but when you go places like West Village or Soho you'll likely find many more independent shops.

While it doesn't apply to cities like Manchester or Glasgow, I found it surprising when I first moved to London that the underground train did not run 24/7. Nowadays, some tube lines run all hours over the weekend, but when I first moved to the city it could be really hard to get home late at night.

Things I love about living in the U.K.

For me, one of the great things about living in the U.K. is the culture available for free. While I believe everyone who visits should make a donation, in London you're able to visit places like the National Gallery, the Tate Modern, and the British Museum, without paying anything.

I love the fact there are so many green spaces here, even in big cities like London. In New York, I found the only piece of nature really available to me was Central Park, otherwise it was mainly concrete, but here Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park, and Regents Park are all in relatively close proximity.

I have found many more people I know in the U.K. go camping and hiking than in the States. Admittedly, I never thought I would go camping until one year my partner suggested renting a tent and heading out into nature.

Another thing I love is that there are so many dogs here and cats, and people take their dogs to the pub. Whereas in the U.S. there are far fewer places available where you can bring your pets. I really enjoy going into a pub and saying hello to people's dogs.

Good transport links are also a benefit of living here, in the U.K. you can get to most places by train. For example, you could travel to Bristol, Brighton, or Scotland from London in a matter of hours. You don't necessarily need to have a car to live here.

Overall, I would say I prefer living in the United Kingdom. Since living here I have experienced many different cultures, good food—for the most part—and it's easy to get to other parts of Europe in no time.

Kenneth Hooper has lived in the United Kingdom since 2004. He lives in London with his partner and works in public relations.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

As told to Newsweek editor, Monica Greep.

Do you have a unique experience or personal story to share? Email the My Turn team at myturn@newsweek.com

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