What is the City of London?
The City of London, also known as the Square Mile, is the financial district of London. stems from the Roman born Londinium originated in 43 AD. London’s oldest neighbourhood. Situated at the heart of the city. Picture this, you’re onboard a ship, entering the borders of the UK from the North Sea through the Thames estuary. Simply follow the winding path of the famous river, then you will find yourself in the heart of London. There you will see Tower Bridge, an industrial marvel, a monument signifying the entrance into a world where time is free flowing and overlapping, that is The City of London. A coalescence of medieval streets and modern architecture, the City arguably encapsulates the progression of London from the days of Londinium to the current era.
My relationship with the City of London
I’ve lived in and around London my entire life, but only recently have I been able to fully appreciate this city. Over the years, whenever family would come to visit from places like the United States or Nigeria, they would want to spend most of their time in Central London. So my family and I would take them out and show them around . They’d always want to see and do the touristy things like, shopping on Oxford Street, see Big Ben or Buckingham Palace. So for a while, that’s all Central was to me, an overpriced tourist fly trap. I never really got the hype, so, what’s the big deal about Central?
But that all changed once I got a job in the City of London. Up until then, I had zero reason to visit. The only landmark I recognised was the Gherkin and I only knew it because of the Apprentice! The City didn’t have anything that could reel in a kid.
My first office was just down the road from Liverpool Street in Broadgate at the heart of the London Insurance Market. Taking the train down into London, I was unknowingly stepping into a world that felt familiar yet perception shifting.
When you first arrive in the City, you’ll quickly notice the different habits that all of the locals have developed. They’ll either be: staring down at their phones, trying to map out their tube journey or speed-walking with a Pret sandwich in one hand whilst staving off salespeople with the other. (I need to emphasise how fast you need to walk if you’re going to exist in this space; slow-walkers, you’d better fix up!) The speed at which inhabitants move around in the City is microcosmic of the fast-paced nature of the work environment.
