As I’m sure you’re all aware, the legal drinking age in the United States is 21. Turning 18 is a huge milestone and then you’re forced to wait three years that seem to drag on for twice as long until you can finally clink your frothy beverage with your friends’. However, in London, the only thing turning 21 indicates is the fact that you’re an adult. In London, your 18th birthday is often celebrated with a pint and your closest friends, the night commencing with a hearty “Cheers!” As a 21-year-old submerged in the London night life scene, it’s easy to feel out of place. Not that this doesn’t make the night enjoyable, it’s just a different experience. A different crowd. A different vibe.

​

Pubs line every street. And by the time the sun begins to set, crowds swarm and lines form outside the doors. Nightclubs with DJs and flashing lights lure you in, seducing you with their electric techno and neon laser displays. Abroad, they approach you. Here, they couldn’t care less if you walk into their bar or not. But there, they spot you from a half a kilometer down the street and yell things like “free admission!” and “free shots with admission!” That’s hard to turn away from, right? Free? College students? It’s the perfect pair!

 

If the partying aspect of London’s nighttime scene doesn’t seem all that thrilling to you, have no fear! There are plenty of other things to occupy your time by that are just as entertaining and fun. Dance lessons with cute British men, concerts by bands known in the United States just as well as they are in London, Blackbox productions, tattoo parlors, and more! People seem to be out more at night compared to during the day. Even members of the bands that are stopped in the city on tour are out roaming the streets of London, like members of Vampire Weekend.  

​

​

​