How to Live Like a Local in London
And other travel tips and non-touristy recommendations from a new British citizen.
The ponds at London’s Hampstead Heath.
Photographer: Yui Mok - PA Images/PA ImagesHello, it’s Sarah Rappaport, your luxury reporter in London—and new subject of the crown. After 12 years in the UK, I have just became a British citizen.
I made it official by attending a ceremony at my local town hall, where I pledged loyalty to King Charles III and his heirs—a change from my childhood in Chicago, where I pledged allegiance to the US flag every schoolday. It took much time and effort to get here, including having to pass the Life in the UK test, which quizzed me on such things as past monarchs and national landmarks. I wouldn’t have spent thousands of pounds on immigration expenses if I didn’t love London and the life I’ve made here with my British partner, Dan.