I've spent a lot of time in cities.

I was born and lived most of my formative years in Brooklyn, NYC.I am currently being educated in the City of Brotherly Love.And, given that the lion's share of my life has been spent in rural Monroe County, I relish any opportunity to set foot in other metropolitan locales. So naturally, when my aunt and uncle extended the invitation to spend a week in London with them, I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed.Luckily, my sojourn happened to fall during my summer stint as a Times News reporter. Channeling the energy of my former Young Voices colleague Brandon Taylor, I decided to compose this short reflection on my experiences in a city 3,000 miles away.One thing was apparent to me after spending only a few hours in London: it's a city of paradox. Meticulously preserved buildings erected back when the sun never set on the British Empire rub shoulders with modern glass-and-metal monstrosities. The bastions of one of the world's strongest empirical traditions occupy the same space as proponents of the avant-garde attitude of Europe's cultural and fashion communities. A strange combination, to say the least.Yet what was most shocking to me was how apathetically the British regard their surroundings. I simply can't imagine commuting to work every day and hearing the chimes of Big Ben cut through the morning fog, or glancing upward from my bus seat to gaze at the spire of St. Paul's Cathedral, a church built in 1697. But what would be a totally surreal experience for me, someone who grew up in a country that isn't even 300 years old, is commonplace and mundane to the average Brit. It seemed, at times, that they didn't even notice these hallowed landmarks anymore, taking them completely for granted.Then again, I'm sure that a transplanted Englishman would marvel at the Pocono Mountains, whereas my relationship with them has mellowed into a subconscious acceptance of their presence. In the end, I suppose, it's all relative.Another thing that set London apart from other North American cities was the general aura it exudes, the milieu of the people that line its streets. London is a city that places much emphasis on bustle, but also on recreation. Every morning, thousands of people rush headlong into the Underground (subway), headed for work clad in suits or blouses. Yet when the workday ends, most of this same score can be found either sharing a drink together in the pub or strolling through one of the city's many parks, massive expanses of verdant land that would make Central Park blush self-consciously.This general spirit of camaraderie is so rich and palpable that it's easily transferred to the city's myriad visitors; everyone in London, from the waiters to the cab drivers was friendly and more than willing to offer assistance. I'd like to think, perhaps naively, that this had to do more with the fact that they genuinely wanted to help me, rather than my wide-eyed stare and laughably unfashionable garb that screamed "thick-walleted Yankee tourist."And speaking of tourism, there certainly is enough to both see and do in London to fill an entire week's visit. Although the traditional cultural staples are pleasant - Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey - the less-advertised attractions were just as, if not more, enjoyable. Being a person with a healthy appetite for history, I simply loved the Tower of London, a combination fortress/castle where London's royalty used to hunker down and hide their jewels. It's scores of battlements and turrets reflected the medieval spirit of yore, as did the costumed staff who guided visitors in character a la the "minutemen" of Colonial Williamsburg.Equally stunning was the London Eye, a Ferris wheel-esque construct that boasts a 30-minute, agonizingly slow revolution that affords riders a birds-eye view of the city. As I rode it, I couldn't help but think how much New York could benefit from a similar installation.Ultimately, it's the little differences that make London unique: The food (bangers and mash, meat pies, afternoon tea) is foreign, yet delicious; the language is the same (English) but simultaneously different (how many times have you used the "water closet?"); the cars drive at breakneck speeds on the wrong side of the road. Nevertheless, a chance to spend time outside of the country is always exciting, and expanding your horizons is never a bad thing.Not to mention it beats the hell out of a vacation at the Jersey Shore.