Feature Friday: The business of London

Technically, this Feature Friday isn't actually featuring a business at all, but I figured why not feature the place where all these lovely businesses stem from (for the most part). Good old London. 
Ah, London.  You are a city unlike any other.  Some people may say you're not really a "tourist destination" while others will scoff at the fact that you have a "party" atmosphere due to your college and university (ahem) reputations.  But if you are a true Londoner (third generation right here!) and have been born and raised here, or moved here and adopted this city as your own, then you understand that this city is so much more than "the other London" or "the city between Windsor and Toronto."

As a blogger who strictly blogs about local London awesomeness, I have to say I am a bit biased.  But being born here, raised here, educated here, and working here as well as choosing to raise my family here, has made me realize that this is home for me.  And I love every inch of it. Of course it's nice to get away (absence does make the heart grow fonder), and even move away for a while. I moved away from the city when I first got married and actually ended up back here by pure accident.  My husband and I were SURE we were going to live elsewhere and providence led us right back to my hometown. He is originally a Montrealer, so for my husband it was a little bit hard to get used to the very Southwestern Ontario mid-city feel but he eventually came around and now knows even more about this city than I do in some cases. 

This blog post isn't necessarily about all the great stuff that London has to offer.  My entire blog is all about that! It's more

about highlighting the fact that London is a great, livable, family-oriented place.  Western University and Fanshawe College are two wonderful educational institutions (despite said rumours).  Our plethora of neighbourhoods, little villages within the city, are unique all in their own right.  Our parks are teeming with nature, fun and lots of activity.  Our local London businesses are proud, strong and supported by an amazing local population that believes in our homemade, homegrown ideal. 

On the flip side, there are of course, always things this city could improve  on.  Traffic is, well, sub-par here.  Walking score is usually poor to sucky unless you live right in the heart of downtown or in the centre of your neighbourhood village.  Public transportation needs a serious overhaul for London to become less car-dependent. Hopefully something good and efficient will come out of London's Rapid Transit idea.  London could also use some fine-tuning when it comes to preservation and restoration.  Beautiful areas around London have been levelled or replaced whereas some compassion and respect for history could be shown to preserve what London used to be, rather than just wiping out areas and building anew.   Speaking of building anew - that's another thing London needs to work on: inviting more people HERE.  New businesses could thrive in this city; there are so many opportunities for people here!

All in all, London is my main city squeeze.  Being born here (anyone else born at St. Joes? Cool fact: my mom, myself AND my first born were all born there), being educated here (Westdale and Riverside PS, STA and Western shoutout!) working here and raising a family here has made me all that much more aware of how much I appreciate this city.  And also how much more I want to be involved with this city.  Hence, my blog.

OH, and I need to give a shout out to Tourism London, which is doing a fabulous job of promoting our city.  I get a lot of info from their website and they have a great Facebook page as well that promotes tons of awesome neighbourhood fun. Check them out here! So I guess you could say, the Feature Friday is about these guys too, because they truly epitomize what London is and showcase what London has to offer. Kind of like myself, in my own teeny-tiny London Mom way ;)  Great job, guys.

Have a great day, London