Over a month and a half, Nicholas’ flat served as a really memorable home for my time in London. Initially, it was an exceptionally rough start. I had to spend a week in a much inferior apartment as I was informed the prior tenant left a cigarette stench in the place that he could not yet eradicate; this substitute apartment had an extremely dirty bed, so I spent the first night trying to sleep, very uncomfortably, in the couch; and when I was finally able to move into this flat after a week, the odor from the chemicals the cleaner used was so overpowering, it wasn’t until the next day that it was no longer suffocating. So it was indeed a very disappointing start, however, I wish to place the emphasis on how Nicholas addressed these issues. He could have just welcomed me into the flat, without a mention of the cigarette stench, but was forthright about it; and he came by with new bed sheets the very next day for the dirty bed. The problems were extremely inconvenient and unpleasant, but I think it important to also place import on how the problems were addressed.
From this point on, it was all wonderful. I wish to give special insight on some aspects of the flat that are not evident in the already impressive photos in the listing. The massive panoramic windows give you a really engaging view of London. You can see the residential and commercial, historic and modern, sky and water, cars and people, people and birds. At the very center of the view, is a major canal, Regents Canal, where you will regularly see people kayaking, and at certain times of the day you’ll see a vibrant lime green swath of algae ushered into the basin by the currents. Throughout the sweeping view you will see seagulls flying around and regularly dropping by the roof of the building just below your terrace to mingle. Another really notable aspect are the sounds experienced from the flat. With windows ajar, you get an unexpected and uncommon mixture of city and nature: the hum of traffic and the squalls of seagulls and the wafting wind. I kept the windows open most of the time, as the combination of those sounds and the view afforded a really lovely ambience, day and night.
The amenities, like the gym and pool and jacuzzi, and the flat’s modern features, like simultaneous light dimming and almost-boiling water on-tap, are a real joy to have.
The outside premises also deserve a special mention: one day as I was leaving the building walking towards the sidewalk, a woman passing by glanced briefly at me, and me at her. We see faces and exchange glances every few seconds as we roam the city, but hers looked familiar somehow. I stopped to think why hers was familiar. And then I realized what just happened: the renowned songwriter, singer, rapper M.I.A. was just here.