“What do you like the most?” I asked my partner at the end of our first day in Liverpool, famed birthplace of the Fab Four. I had a ticket to see another musical phenomenon at Anfield, Liverpool F.C.’s stadium, and since he’d never been, we made a trip of it and arrived four days before.
That first day, we’d explored much of the city on foot, visiting the largest cathedral in Britain, a quirky street of unique shops and eateries, and the historic docks that brought prosperity to the city in the 19th century.
It was a beautiful summer day with not a cloud in the sky, we’d thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and I was curious what aspect of Liverpool had endeared itself to my partner.
He crinkled his forehead, smiled, then went: Everything.
Everything to love
We spent a week in Liverpool, and we loved absolutely everything.
Our accommodation was comfortable and cheap—we each spent $35 a night on a cosy room that would have set us back hundreds in London. And if that wasn’t enough, the AirBnB was a stone’s throw from a supermarket, a café, several restaurants, a Chinese takeaway, and a pub. Plus a mere fifteen minutes’ walk from the city centre.
Both my partner and I love exploring on foot, and Liverpool was ridiculously walkable. I’d suggested we buy a bus pass, but we barely needed it given how compact the city was. We ended up walking everywhere, only using our pass when it rained.
When we did jump on the bus, we spent entire journeys marvelling at the historic, characterful buildings whizzing by. Every block we drove past, something caught our eye. Having lived in London, we were both no strangers to outstanding architectural beauty, yet Liverpool still impressed.
It’s a bit like London, my partner said, but less busy. I agreed. Liverpool had everything you’d want in a city, but it didn’t overwhelm. It’s like a friendly neighbour you greet every morning on your way to work, and who waves and smiles at you every time you run into each other in town.
Which brings me to what I love most about Liverpool…
More than The Beatles
I’ve visited more than a dozen cities around the world, and nowhere have I felt more welcomed than in Liverpool.
From the moment we stepped off our train, we were met with a level of generosity and kindness I’d never experienced anywhere else, before or since.
The first person we spoke to at the travel centre not only sold us our bus passes. When my partner casually mentioned I was going alone to my Taylor Swift concert, the man spent five minutes reassuring me on the easy commute. Not to worry, he said, bus so-and-so will take you to Anfield and you can take the concert bus back after—only takes fifteen minutes!
Our Uber driver warmly welcomed us to the city and rushed to help us with our bulky suitcases, unlike the typical London driver who always takes their sweet time and makes it abundantly clear they find luggage of any size a hassle.
Out sightseeing the next day, we asked the staff at the Maritime Museum for visitor information and were surprised when they took out a city map and spent the next fifteen minutes circling every point of interest—not just museums—and writing down all the bus routes we might need.
When we went to the pub the museum staff had recommended, fellow patrons overheard us asking about food, which the pub didn’t sell, and gave us detailed directions to all the restaurants in the vicinity. When they found out we were tourists, they recommended nature walks outside the city and invited us to come back to the pub for the live band before we left. Hope to see you Saturday!
When we went to see Gormley’s “Another Place” art installation, yet more locals gave us their time of day, providing directions and regaling us with stories of the statues. That same day, a couple struck up a conversation with us at the bus stop—have you seen bus so-and-so while you’re waiting—and we ended up discussing what the man deemed “proper music” (more Fab Four, less Tay Tay). When our bus arrived, the woman hugged me goodbye and wished us a good stay.
I was floored. Where else in the world does a bus stop conversation end in a warm hug?
Every person we interacted with in Liverpool was friendly, helpful, and generous with their time. If a city is the sum of its people, then—Fab Four or no—Liverpool must be the most magical city on earth.
What do you think?
Thinking of all the Liverpudlians we met still puts a smile on my face. I don’t think I’ll ever forget them and how they made me feel. I hope I never will.
Where in the world have you visited whose people floored you with kindness?
What did they do to leave such an impression? Is it enough to make you want to return? Please hit “reply” or leave a comment—I read every response and I’d love to hear from you. If you want, share this post with a Beatles superfan so they can fall in love with the magical place from whence their heroes came, and maybe visit it someday.
Until next Friday… Stay thoughtful,
Val
Photo by Jiamin Huang on Unsplash
For me it was Iran! Persians bring the idea of hospitality above and beyond! You pass by families having picnics on the squares's greenery, and they will signal you to come over and join them. You ask for directions, and you'll end up being driven around town. You'll queue up for bread and you'll get the eldest to push through, using her "seniors first" power and buy you bread! You quickly learn to do the same and always bring extra food to offer to drivers, guides everywhere you go. They are incredibly honest in this sentiment, it is not just a formality - their ways of welcoming you and sharing, it's something I've never experienced anywhere else, it was really moving.
As a Scouser, the natural reply to a brilliantly positive account of a visit to the City would normally be the self-depreciating 'ah, but did you go down to Concert Square or Mathew Street on a Saturday around midnight to see the traditional fighting over who stared at who?'.
But that's disingenuous. Delighted that you both had a really great time and met lots of friendly and warm people. A few years back, 3 ex-pat teacher mates and their partners from Southern England visited Liverpool and I showed them around. As we went from historic pub to historic site and through the Georgian quarter they quickly dropped the car stereo jokes and said similar to what you've written here, Val - the friendliness of the people, the beautiful buildings, and how Gormley's Another Place is like being in a Bowie video or on an alien moon. They even didn't mind that after visiting Mordor Anfield I forced them to go to the Old Lady, Goodison Park, which they humoured me in describing the home of the Toffees as 'more colourful' than the Red's corporate shack.
I did make sure they were all out of the city centre by 11.30, though........