Traveling these days is becoming less and less about seeing the sights and experiencing the culture and more about getting that perfect photo to post on Instagram. Ask any post-grad who studied abroad or 20-something who's recently took a trip to Europe: Their itineraries were probably full of lists of places to walk by simply to take a photo and move on.
I'm definitely not one to judge, since I'm probably guilty of doing this exact thing, but it's important to remember that tourism shouldn't come at the cost of the local residents. A popular hike in Hawaii, for example, was recently outlawed -- you can literally get fined over $1,000 for being caught making the climb -- because visitors were too disruptive for the neighborhood.
London's Notting Hill feels the same way.
Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts made the little neighborhood famous with their 1999 rom-com that made the line "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her" famous. "Notting Hill" really laid on the fact that Grant's character's home was a far cry from Roberts's character's Beverly Hills. Nevertheless, it provided a quaint backdrop to a sweet love story.
While a newfound appreciation for rom-coms is great for gals like me who love a good romantic fantasy tale, it might not be so great for Notting Hill. The neighborhood has recently seen an uptick in visitors, and not just couples strolling hand in hand, taking in the scenery. Young women, mostly, are plopping themselves on stoops and having full-on photoshoots on people's doorsteps, all in the name of Instagram "influencing," which we're all still trying to wrap our heads around being a thing.
The photos turn out looking fantastic, sure -- it is an adorable neighborhood, full pastel colors and Victorian abodes -- but locals are downright begging these kids to get lost, or at the very least be a little more respectful.
"At first it was sweet but it's just getting crazier. The walls are quite thin and you can hear them laughing and directing photos from our living room," one resident, 21-year-old Daphne Lamirel, told Insider. "On weekends there will be at least four groups taking pictures at the same time. It's weird -- it didn't used to happen."
It's actually refreshing to hear someone so young getting annoyed with the 'grammers; it's not just easily-irritated older residents that are having a problem.
Unfortunately for Notting Hill, these visits go beyond simple photographs posted as an attempt to garner envy from internet friends. These influencers are, in most cases, getting paid for every photo posted, so taking up space on someone's property isn't necessarily a hindrance to them -- their social media presence is their job, and if hanging out in Notting Hill will make their jobs better, that's just what they'll do.
Another resident, Olivia Lamb, said, "They'll just set themselves up for hours on your doorstep with a range of outfits. They make no effort to move when people come in and out of their houses. I've come across our doorstep on Instagram many times."
And, unfortunately for Lamb and others, that's just how it is for social media stars. One blogger, Lena Josefine, said, "The houses are so colorful, so [our posts] make the day brighter...We are always planning our next location, and we bring our suitcases. It inspires my followers to visit London as well. We don't show the bad areas."
Never will I ever hate on a hustle, but let's give people their privacy, eh?