It seems ironic that two countries who once waged war during the American Revolution have evolved into the fiercest of allies.
Over 200 years ago, the relationship was anything but cordial. History books bear witness to the countries' ongoing conflict. There was the 1765 Stamp Act (the first direct tax levied by Parliament on the American colonies), the 1770 Boston Massacre (five Colonists died), the 1773 Boston Tea Party (Colonists threw overboard 10,000 British Pounds worth of tea), and the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill (a Pyrrhic victory for the Brits who suffered their greatest losses of the entire war, 800 wounded, 228 killed). Now, the only battle to be found between the English and Yanks is on the soccer-er, football-pitch.
Our soldiers fight side by side and our leaders work in concert to make the world safer, more prosperous and civil. Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson, Churchill and FDR, Thatcher and Reagan, Blair and Bush, each of these legacies will be forever linked. And as the world's economies continue to globalize, so too will the American-British bond.
By some measures, London has surpassed New York City as the world's financial and cultural center. The British capital has outgrown NYC to become the global hub of over-the-counter derivatives. Wall Street titans are expanding their London offices at much faster rates (e.g., Goldman Sachs' London office has grown from 50 employees to 6,500 in a mere 25 years). London also hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics, getting the nod over NYC.
Because visiting London (and the rest of the U.K) is simplified by an increasing number of direct flights from the U.S., the lack of a language barrier, and culture similarities, it's baffling why more Americans are not jetting across the Atlantic. Up to 80 percent of U.S. citizens do not even hold a valid passport. Cost may be a factor (especially with current exchange rates), but trips to the U.K. are often similar to those of Mexico or Hawaii. Flight time may be another deterrent, but again, depending upon your U.S. departure city, flying to Mexico, Hawaii or the Caribbean can take just as long.
We jump at any opportunity to take a trip "across the pond" and so should you. Even the food is getting better (fish and chips is no longer the meal of choice). And with the hundreds of personally researched London pages that follow, you'll be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle with ease.