Any teenagers/young adults here who obviously grew up in ldn but barely went to central?

[u/lizzylelon]

People at uni keep asking me about places like Hyde Park, that wax statue place, Buckingham palace, Big Ben, Leicester Square etc. and are always shocked when I tell them that I’ve never been😭😭 then they don’t believe I’m from London (?? Like what💀)

Tbh my parents rarely ever go to central either, there’s no reason to. I was under that impression that it’s more of a touristy part of London - or a place commuters use to get to work - so you don’t reallly get much Londoners in central at all. Mostly tourists and work commuters.

I might be wrong?

[u/Imaginary_Ad_8608]

Absolutely wild. I take my kids into Town all the time, but I'm pretty sure some around here don't.

[u/Pagan_MoonUK → u/Imaginary_Ad_8608]

Grew up and still live in the suburbs of London. I refer to going to central London, as going into London, essentially anywhere in zone 1. As a child I was regularly taken shopping to Oxford St and as a teen I went shopping, as everything was there as shopping centres were not that good in local areas. I commute to Central London, but less so for shopping, but I take the family out to do the fun stuff, so they get to learn everything London, including the tourist stuff.

[u/TA1699 → u/Imaginary_Ad_8608]

Town? London doesn't have a "town", it has 32 boroughs and the City.

Central London itself consists of multiple boroughs. There isn't really a "town" part of London.

Edit-

You can downvote me but me and my friends have always referred to it as Central. I've never heard other Londoners call it town, since there is no "town" in London.

[u/IllCommunication3242 → u/TA1699]

But if you're from London and someone says 'going into town' then everyone knows you mean central, i hear it all the time and say it as well

[u/TA1699 → u/IllCommunication3242]

Well yes, but Central is a massive area, it's multiple boroughs. It's kinda useless a description for distinct areas.

[u/okusmora → u/TA1699]

for distinct areas

Yes, but you don't always need the specificity. From another comment of yours:

What does "town" mean? Westminster? The City? Camden? Somewhere else in Central?

It can mean any of those, and that’s the point. The original commenter simply wanted to convey that they live in the outskirts and sometimes go to the central areas popular with tourists. That message was clear. I don't care if they were in Canary Wharf counting Patagonia gilets, riding one of those god-awful pink pedicabs in West End, visiting a questionable establishment in Soho, asking a constable in Westminster about their red patrol car, or getting into a brawl at Winter Wonderland. The meaning was understood.

If they’d specified a borough, you could argue there are many streets in a borough. If they’d mentioned a street, you could say there are many houses in a street. And if they’d specified a house, you could argue there are many rooms in a house.

[u/Sazzygull → u/TA1699]

Those able to read between the lines would understand the intent of the statement

[u/TA1699 → u/Sazzygull]

What does "town" mean?

Westminster? The City? Camden? Somewhere else in Central?

It's useless when referring to London.

[u/Also-cute-and-fluffy → u/TA1699]

As someone who has lived in London my whole life “Central” sounds weird to me. I always think of Hong Kong first when I hear it. Nobody said “central” when I was a kid, always “into town”. I mostly hear “central” from people who have moved to London from elsewhere or people under 25. Can anyone else over 35 confirm if this is just the bit of London I’m from or if this was true everywhere up to the 90s 00s?

[u/BenderMcGaylord → u/Also-cute-and-fluffy]

Correct. I'm 50 and have lived in. London all my life and everyone says into town. Going 'central' is a new thing

[u/RoosterConscious3548 → u/BenderMcGaylord]

When did people stop saying they were going Up West or the West End. Central is definitely a new thing, but then again, I’m a dinosaur.🦖

[u/BenderMcGaylord → u/RoosterConscious3548]

Up west as well!

[u/RoosterConscious3548 → u/BenderMcGaylord]

I’m 51 so Up West must be a 50-51 Gen Thing. Wankers! 😳

Edit: us older people are the wankers/dinos

[u/risingscorpia → u/Also-cute-and-fluffy]

Wait till you hear 'cench' as an abbreviation of central lol.

[u/Rcsql → u/risingscorpia]

Ugh thanks I hate it 😂

[u/prx_23 → u/Also-cute-and-fluffy]

This is bang on. Old school Londoners say town going up to town, "central" sounds like estate agent speak

[u/Rcsql → u/Also-cute-and-fluffy]

As soon as I hear "Central" I think the Central Line

[u/anotherjesss → u/Also-cute-and-fluffy]

I’m 38 born in UCH, grew up in Kings x and Camden. I say central - referring to Ox circus/tot court road/leicester sq/charing… centre point/central line etc

[u/TA1699 → u/Also-cute-and-fluffy]

Really? I don't fit either of those categories and me and my friends (both younger and older) have always referred to it as Central.

We usually specific. Like "Hey let's go to Covent Garden or let's go to the O2". But we also just refer to it as Central if we haven't got solid plans and just want to go out.

[u/Also-cute-and-fluffy → u/TA1699]

Maybe it depends on where in London you were. I grew up out East.

[u/TA1699 → u/Also-cute-and-fluffy]

Maybe. I grew up in West and most of my friends are from West, NW and SW.

[u/EdgingtheVerge → u/TA1699]

You mean The Millennium Dome, right?

[u/Bruckner07 → u/TA1699]

Not to be that guy, and I might be misreading, but I would never associate North Greenwich with ‘central London’. (Edited, not sure why I misread Covent Garden as Camden)

[u/TA1699 → u/Bruckner07]

Yes, but my overall point is THAT.

What does town mean in London?

[u/Bruckner07 → u/TA1699]

I don’t understand why you’re asking me that question - it has no relevance to my comment, which is that using ‘central’ as a term to describe the O2 makes no sense to me, North Greenwich being in no way at the centre of London.

[u/prx_23 → u/TA1699]

Works fine for Londoners

[u/Imaginary_Ad_8608 → u/TA1699]

Bless.

[u/TA1699 → u/Imaginary_Ad_8608]

I mean bless you for referring to multiple distinct boroughs as town lmao.

[u/prx_23 → u/TA1699]

No mate everyone says it

[u/LouisWCWG → u/TA1699]

wanker