I grew up in England, but spent my college years living in New England. Here are 4 things both places have in common. (2024)

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I grew up in England, close to London.

I was born in Luxembourg, but spent most of my childhood in England.

My first home was in a small village called Marlow, which is about as picturesque a small British town can get. When my sisters and I moved to an international school, my parents moved us closer to London to a village called Gerrards Cross, which has a train going straight into the city.

Living within reach of London always made me wonder what city life was like, which is why when I knew I was going to the US for college, I wanted to go somewhere that was a mix of urban living with a college town feel. That's why I chose Boston, New England.

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After spending four years in the US, I moved back to the UK but this time to London.

I went to Boston University (BU) for four years and graduated in May 2019, after which I moved back to the UK. I've since been living in London, which I absolutely love. I'm closer to family and friends from high school. But I definitely miss a lot about Boston.

Even though I'm an ocean away from where I went to college, there are quite a few things here in London that remind me of my home away from home. In fact, I'd go so far as to say New England and England have more similarities than differences.

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One visual similarity I picked up on is how Boston's European-style architecture reminds me of older areas of London.

BU's main campus is just a walk or T-ride away from one of my favorite places in the whole city, Newbury Street.

The boutique stores and restaurants were incredible, and the brownstone townhouses, streets lined with trees, and shorter buildings reminded me of my favorite parts of London, like Notting Hill. In American cities like Atlanta and Miami, walkable streets tend to be difficult to find. And in New York City, a place I considered moving to for college, I found the towering sizes of the buildings overwhelming.

Boston is like London because you can actually see the sky, and both cities are breathable urban jungles.

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Both England and New England also have gorgeous seaside spots outside major cities.

Taking a drive outside of Boston and London, you can be at a gorgeous seaside town in a couple of hours. In my senior year, I took a day trip to Newport, Rhode Island, and felt like I could've been back home somewhere like Cornwall. The green grass blending into sand and then into the sea are features both England and New England share.

You can also enjoy some great seafood. In Newport, I remember friends trying oysters (I stuck to mussels) and when visiting Cornwall in August 2021, I enjoyed a fair few fish and chips meals — both were delicious.

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The Thames and the Charles are quite similar and add character to sprawling cities.

Having a huge river cut through a major city is a feature both New England and England share. The Thames separates two sides of London and is connected to smaller canals that make for picturesque sunset walks and bike rides, especially in the summer.

The same can be said for the Charles. Walking around the water via the Esplanade, which is a long park stretching from BU bridge all the way to the Museum of Science, provides some great sightseeing. I loved looking outside my senior year dorm window and seeing the rowing team out early in the morning, crisscrossing the river.

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Boston and London are relatively sleepy cities, a quality I value a lot.

I consider Boston and London to be relatively sleepy cities when it comes to nightlife. Depending on the type of person you are, this could be seen as a downside, but I personally love this quality.

Pubs in London, England close around 11 p.m. and most clubs at 3 a.m., and in Boston, clubs when I lived there closed around 2 a.m. If anything, cities like Miami and New York City, which I visited a few times during my four years studying abroad, are great vacation destinations but I couldn't see myself there long-term because of how non-stop everything seems.

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I consider Boston and London to be great walking cities.

London's public transport beats Boston's out of the park in my opinion, but both cities are really practical walking-wise. To get from my dorm to classes around campus, I'd often walk the length of Commonwealth Avenue twice in a day.

I also loved taking friends and family who visited to different areas close by, like Cambridge, where Harvard and MIT are located. Most smaller streets were lined with trees and cute stores, which always made walks so much more pleasant.

London is a massive city but when I can, I love walking around rather than taking the tube or bus because you can go from busy touristy spots to museums and parks all in one afternoon.

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Both England and New England are super multicultural.

I grew up in a bit of an international bubble. In England, I went to an international school just outside of the city, so friends and classmates were from everywhere.

Walking around London though, I hear so many different languages being spoken, so I know it's not just my own experience. And when visiting New England for the first time, I remember feeling the same way. Boston felt like a home away from home, not just for me, but for students at BU who came from all over the world.