City Virgin
Clark Comer – Associate Consultant
The term ‘city virgin’ could be miss-construed to imply that I have never seen a building with more than two floors and this is certainly not the case, but rather that London is so unlike any other city in this country. Being the young new kid on the mean streets of London has its advantages and I am still trying to overcome getting over excited when I see the Gherkin or Big Ben. This coupled with the variety of night life, the buzz and the utter abundance of entertainment on my doorstep rivals even Legoland – and I haven’t even been to the Trocadero Centre yet! It must be said, a sense of ruffled charm provides this city with something very special.
Of course like with most situations, living in London has its fair share of low points. The fiscal sacrifice that comes with any form of entertainment (except for going to the science museum) is astonishing. I had the pleasure of necking a glass of champagne at the infamous ‘Vertigo’ in Tower 42 the other day – the cost of this indulgence? £14 a glass sir. While I must admit this isn’t an everyday activity, we must just pause for one moment and remember, this kind of reasonless luxury must be ‘afforded’ on top of providing yourself with a small, dingy and most likely damp terrace flat above a 24 hour convenience store with signs displaying ‘Cheap Booze’ or something to that taste on the side. With rent and housing prices being among the most expensive in the world – it is surprising any young professional can crawl out of their not-so-sanitised home and enjoy the delights previously described as being better than racing a lego go-kart.
The fact of the matter is; people do! I have found myself pushing non-essential duties such as eating any food other than Heinz baked beans far into the background so that I can stand in an overpriced city bar, wearing my suit, puffing my chest out and give it the sally big potatoes. It is certainly not a place for the faint hearted and the 400mph minimum speed limit must be considered before entry. Having said this, small pockets of sanctuary can be found providing quick pit-stops for those who need it – but wow don’t I just love it. I am just hoping that the aforementioned fiscal sacrifice will one day persuade me to leave…before the place swallows me whole.