Dating as an expat in London
By Sanchia Saunders
Dating in London is like shopping in Selfridges, Harrods or any large multi story department store that you can think of, as there is so much selection, diversity and personality in this small little city, that you are bound to fall in love.
Whether that's with the city itself or the people within it, that is totally up to you. However London, especially London in Summer is the city you need to be in if you are on the hunt for love.
As you just see everything through rose tinted glasses; everyone is happy, people are smiling, Hyde park is packed to the brim, the flowers are blooming, it is almost and yes there is a lot of emphasis on the ‘almost’, perfect.
So much so that it makes me question is London giving Paris a run for its money by being the new city of love ?
Let me know your thoughts.
But all jokes aside, the possibilities of finding love in London during the season of summer is very high, and one of the biggest reasons for this is due to expats living right here in the city.
What is an expat and how are they aiding the London dating scene ?
Unfortunately an expat is not a MI5 agent working in the secret service, as the name is very much giving that.
Instead an expat which according to the BBC, ‘Carries many connotations, preconceptions and assumptions’, in simple terms is a person who resides outside of their home/ birth country. Example being that i was born and raised in London, however if i then packed up my things and moved to Dubai, i would then be considered an expat.
However how does this relate to the London dating scene ?
According to statistics, Around 8.8 million people live in London, of which 46% are Black and Minority Ethnic and 41% are not born in the UK, which immediately highlights how nearly half of the UK population are from overseas.
Meaning that singles aren't just exposed to British natives but also singles from around the world, who have come to London for love/work/ find love or even a holiday romance.
With women being more susceptible to finding love abroad, as among women, 14% cite love as the primary motivation for moving, compared to 11% of men, it highlights how normal it has become to move countries for love.
When you look at these statistics in dating terms it also shows that when singles are searching for love they won't just be faced with one race, gender, demographic or ethnicity, but a multitude of them, as London is like a melting pot/ cultural hub of people from different walks of life.
What is it like being an expat in London?
Despite not being an expat myself, I do believe that it would be an experience to remember searching for love in London, the main reason being the culture shock that expats would experience upon arrival.
Examples being:
The London Charm: This charm which more simply is the London accent is number one on the list when it comes to causing expats to fall in love in London. This is due to it being voted one of the most attractive accents worldwide according to the Standard.
The Lingo: The way in which Londoners talk and interact is actually quite different to the rest of the world, as we use our own words and slang, which you can find in the urban dictionary if you wish to explore this further. However this lingo which you see artists like Dave and Central Cee use within their music, is another popular aspect which tugs as the expats' heart strings.
Diversity: With a 2021 consensus finding that London was the most ethnically diverse region in England and Wales, it is no surprise that so many travel to this city. As it is home to minority groups, the LGBTQ+ community and many other demographics, allowing them to express themselves as well as their romantic preferences freely.
The Royals:
Last but not least the royal family is a very large focal point for many tourists and expats, especially when the late queen was alive. This is because the accent, the charm and the status is something that is very enticing to expats
The surge since covid
As we all know 2020 was the year that the world locked down due to Covid, and during this time many people switched to online to find love. Reason being as people couldn't travel, meet up or even be outside. Meaning that online dating apps like tinder, Grindr and bumble were dominating the dating world.
However since the lift of Covid’s restrictions uk singles have very much been outside, in the hunt for love and meaningful connection.
As well as this we have also seen the return of expats travelling to London in search for love also.
However has it made it easier now, for expats to search for love or is there still a stigma behind being an expat London.
As despite London being a melting point for all the beautiful and wonderful cultures of the world, I still belive that for expats there is still some disconnect and segregatio.
This is because I feel when it comes to dating, singles look for people who come from similar walks of life and have similar interests.
Therefore due to expats coming from a different environment, they may still struggles to connect with London culture and slang and ultimately find love in the UK.
However upcoming dating app Evntful, may be the missing piece in the puzzle to help bridge this gap.
As with people looking for love within people who obtain similar interests in them, some of the features within this app could help narrow this down.
This is because with singles being able to swipe for people who may like the same music or live within the same area, may help expats to finally have the tools to connect with like minded people, or people who are looking for something new.
So this presents the question of, would you take dating offline and date an expat living in London, or are stuck on online dating ?
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