I grew up in York, which is a beautiful city in Northern England. I haven’t lived there for seven years (admittedly when I moved back in with my parents after completing my PhD, questioning the wisdom of the bamboo specialization and general life choices. Luckily, I applied for a job in DC and the rest is history!). Although it’s been a while, some things don’t change. York is a lovely, walkable city. Like DC, York has a height restriction: nothing can be taller than York Minster. York has a long and varied history with colo(u)rful characters. It was the capital city of England in Viking times (Yorvik), a Roman outpost during the time of Constantine, the home town of the likes of Guy Fawkes (of gunpowder plot fame) and Judi Dench (of James Bond fame), has a sweet history (the KitKat was invented in York), has plenty of breweries (having more pubs than days of the year!) and by all accounts is the most haunted city in the England (although I’m yet to meet a ghost, you are likely to bump into many ghost tours if you head out at night!).
Some suggestions of things to do include visiting York Minister, walking the Roman Walls and hiring a boat down the river. So many bloggers have this covered!
I’m a big fan of afternoon tea. One of my favorites is Grays Court and a family favorite is Bettys. I worked at Little Bettys in my teenage years for my weekend job. Luckily, I got to drink nice tea all day and take great cakes home. But the list goes on….
If the sun is shining (it doesn’t always rain in England, I promise – see photographic evidence), it is worth having a drink outside – some favorites include the Lamb and Lion, the Star Inn the City and the Phoenix Inn. If the sun doesn’t shine, don’t despair! There are plenty of cozy places. Try the House of Trembling Madness and the family favo(u)rite – the Bluebell to name a few. Here is a pub map and some good suggestions in case you get thirsty! Other than tea and beer, there are other options! Skosh is a favorite restaurant – but book ahead to avoid disappointment. I’m also happy having some Chinese food at the Red Chili. As a researcher, I couldn’t resist the urge to find the best restaurants, and conduct a survey of local friends and family (some suggestions include Rattle Owl, Roots, and Partisan, for dinner Eagle and Child, and Duke of York for pub food and Perky Peacock and Cafe Concerto for a causal pit stop). Anyway, there is a lot of fun to be had. I hope to see you in York!