A bit different to the view from the Waitrose car park

In the first of a series of guest blogs for angels & urchins, Nappy Valley Girl writes about her experiences across the Atlantic. While there’s plenty she misses about lovely London, sea air and endless beaches go some way to making up for it. Despite the chiggers.

When I moved from Southwest London to Long Island, New York State a few months ago, I was regretfully aware that I was leaving behind one of the most child-friendly urban areas in the world. On the plus side, I was gaining more space, a sea view and proximity to one of the world’s  most exciting cities. There are things I love about the place that will now be our home for three years, and things that drive me crazy. But, as always, being away from home makes me appreciate the positives about London…

Five things I love about London
1. Park cafes. At home, days with my two little boys revolved around Clapham Common bandstand cafe, Common Ground on Wandsworth Common and Dulwich Park café. While there is no shortage of parks and playgrounds here, I have yet to find anywhere that I can hang out with other mums on a ‘playdate’ (sorry, am picking up the lingo already) and share a decent latte and cake. It just doesn’t happen, although I have an inkling of why. Most people’s houses are huge, and can easily take a marauding horde of children without major collateral damage…
2. Eating outside without getting eaten alive. When it’s hot on Long Island, it’s generally humid – and cue mosquitoes in their thousands. I now lather myself in a toxic-smelling product called ‘Backwoods Cutter’ every day. This is supposed to repel not only mosquitoes but ticks, flies, gnats, ‘chiggers’ (what?) and fleas. And probably humans as well. Meanwhile I am constantly checking the boys for ticks and worrying that they’ll step in poison ivy. Give me good old British stinging nettles any time.
3. (Mostly) good driving. New York drivers are quite simply, atrocious; talking on mobiles, cutting corners, driving in the middle of the road. There are also a suspicious number of cars sporting large dents. We found out why when my husband had to take his New York State driving test last week. The test took precisely three minutes, during which time he drove around two suburban streets,  performed a three point turn and parked. ‘Nuff said.
4. British reserve. In London, people do not ask you direct questions such as how much you earn, how much your house cost to rent, what you are paying in nursery fees.  Here, such direct questions appear to be completely normal. They’re not being rude. They just want to know.
5. The BBC. Well, we can still listen to BBC radio. But come on Beeb, when are you going to make iPlayer available internationally? We miss CBeebies, Eastenders and Have I Got News for You? And even the American TV shows I like (House, Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men) are ruined by the constant interruption of ads, unless you record them.
Five things I love about the US
1. Parks with water fountains. This is a great idea and one that London could definitely adopt. The local playgrounds all feature an array of specially built sprinklers for children to play in when it’s hot. Our nearest one even has buckets which fill up and then tip out over their heads, resulting in great hilarity. A great way to keep little ones cool and entertained on a muggy summer’s day.
2. Weekends at the beach. In my old life, going to the beach was something we only ever did on holidays. Here, the nearest beach is a stone’s throw away and within an hour’s drive are fantastic state parks, with white sand beaches, dunes and surf. Everyone takes a picnic, and has a blast.
3. Friendly folks. The postman came and introduced himself personally, the neighbours immediately invited us to a barbecue. Americans usually go out of their way to be friendly. In London, it took me years to know the neighbours, and our postman and I only exchanged words when he posted someone else’s letters through my door, yet again.
4. The New York Times. Fantastic, especially at weekends, when it comes with as many supplements as The Sunday Times, but of far higher quality. I particularly love the page after page of film reviews, book review section which actually reviews books I would read, and mouthwatering ‘dining’ section.
 5. Fantastic shopping. Whether it’s a mall with all your favourite clothing brands, a branch of ‘Target’ (think Woolies, but 10 ten times better and cheaper, and still going) or the fantastic ‘Bed, Bath & Beyond’, you can find anything you need in American within about ten minutes. You can always park. And your favourite stores send you discount coupons all the time.

Read more at Nappy Valley Girl. And let blog angels & urchins know what you love about where you live, whether it’s Brook Green or Brooklyn.