Travel Guide : London

[travolta]

brick lane beigel: cream cheese bagels

yes! i agree. the borough market is a good place to go--taste the cider and you'll stumble around tipsy for the rest of the afternoon.

 

[travis_nw8]

notting hill is overrated and overpriced- i'd go further north into queens park or kensal green- both of which are affordable. of course if money isn't a problem i'd go for a good bit of maida vale or little venice ( basically a bit of maidavale next to a canal)

 

[Diamond Star]

I'd recommend:
Afternoon tea in Claridges (mayfair)
See a film at the electric cinema (Notting Hill),it's great for people watching.
Visiting Covent Garden (great places to eat,shop,party)
Going to the V and A museum (South Kensington)
Visting one of the Tate gallery's
Having a look round Portobello Market
And going to Topshop on Oxford Street but go there during the morning/early afternoon otherwise it's packed with schoolgirls

 

[Ella]

I used to live in England but haven't been to London for over a year. My favorite places are Portobello market, Harvey Nichols (I so miss Wagamama downstairs) and Notting Hill. Oh and I always go to Selfridges.

 

[Browneyes]

i live in the grubby east end right now hehe.. but not too far from Spitalfields and Brick Lane, which i love. Cafe 1001!! Saw Gael Garcia Bernal shopping in Spitalfields not long ago - a bit short, but what a hottie ! otherwise i love covent garden, notting hill, and somerset house for some reason...

 

[goeth314]

Knighstbrigde
Bond Street
Strand
South Ken

 

[tulip]

going to london next week on a long weekend- considering staying there thursday and friday, then paying a relative a visit in nottingham....

I havent booked a hotel yet,last time i was there i stayed at the hilton metropole on edgware road...any better located hotels?

and umm apart from selfridges (my fav department store in the world) where else should i go? thanks

 

[katy]

For shopping go to Liberty located just behind oxford street - it has an entrance located on regent street. It has a fantastic floor of womens fashion ( no versace, d&g or any of those dreadful global designer brands) - brands such as marc jacobs, ghost, vivienne westwood, temperley, missoni, dries van noten, matthew williamson and loads of other smaller designers.
The bag dept is to die for, and they do some really beautiful stuff in liberty prints if you like that.Check out the arts and crafts vintage furniture on the top fllor and the great choclate section!
As a bonus the assistants are friendly and helpfull, unlike a lot of the assistants I have come across in selfridges, harvey nics and harrods, plus the actual building is stunning inside with the most amazing wooden staircases . It is never really crowded so I always feel relaxed shopping there.
That sounds as though i work there but I dont - im a nurse! As a londoner I only shop there and selfridges , and I do prefer it to selfridges mostly.

 

[tulip]

Thanks Katy I'll definitly check it out, I haven't heard of it before even though I was in London last year

 

[adle]

I am hoping to revive this thread a bit....I am headed to London in late July. I have been before but years ago and it wasn't during the summer. Is it horribly tourist-y during July?? And any more suggesstions on any open-air markets or places of that sort? Thanks, I'd be very grateful of any input you could provide!

 

[Browneyes]

Anyone who appreciates architecture and the contrasts of modern metropolis and ancient buildings side by side, will definately enjoy walking around Bank tube st. Try going to Leadenhall Market, the Lloyds building, the Guerkhin and next to it Holland House.. that area in general is quite impressive (i think)

 

[Browneyes]

I am hoping to revive this thread a bit....I am headed to London in late July. I have been before but years ago and it wasn't during the summer. Is it horribly tourist-y during July?? And any more suggesstions on any open-air markets or places of that sort? Thanks, I'd be very grateful of any input you could provide!

If ur interested in open air markets you should definately take a walk down Portobello Rd. But yeah, it will be packed in the weekends and especially during the summer months i can imagine.. There's also Petticoat Lane market, Spitalfields which i love (but which is not exactly open-air, but covered) and a friend tells me that the flower market on Columbia Road is brilliant too, just for the atmosphere of it. I never had the time to visit it myself though.. (i think it's on Columbia Rd. but i'm not 100% sure)
Enjoy London!!

 

[Snow-White]

Porobello Rd,
lived in Notting Hill when i was in London last

 

[adle]

If ur interested in open air markets you should definately take a walk down Portobello Rd. But yeah, it will be packed in the weekends and especially during the summer months i can imagine.. There's also Petticoat Lane market, Spitalfields which i love (but which is not exactly open-air, but covered) and a friend tells me that the flower market on Columbia Road is brilliant too, just for the atmosphere of it. I never had the time to visit it myself though.. (i think it's on Columbia Rd. but i'm not 100% sure)
Enjoy London!!

I'll look into those! Thanks so much!

 

[adle]

Porobello Rd,
lived in Notting Hill when i was in London last

Yes, last time I was there we did Portobello Rd, I'm sure I'll hit it again this time yet I am quite apprehensive about there being tons and tons of people. Thanks for the suggesstion!

 

[i_<3_chanel]

brick lane !
spitalfields market
petticoat lane
kings rd. {steinberg & tolkien}
portobello market
cheshire street. {beyond retro}
westbourne grove. {tokio}

 

[Meg]

i 3 chanel, love your suggestions. steinberg and tolkien rocks my socks hard and i was just on cheshire street two days ago, my hairdresser is there! westbourne grove is great too.

 

[i_<3_chanel]

steinberg & tolkien is so gd !

 

[DirtyMartini]

I second High tea at Claridge's in Mayfair... simply storybook experience from start to finish, a memory to savor.. it's divine just thinking back on it ..you'll want a reservation for that..
Camden Markets near Regents Park zoo is interesting..
Royal Albert Hall is unique..
The Savoy Theater is fun, we saw the Petshop Boys perform there..the atmosphere was fantastic..
Kensington Gardens was beautiful to walk through, and surprisingly peaceful with very few people around when we visited.. almost like a scene from The Secret Garden
Speaking of the gardens..not to get too tourist-y, but visiting Kensington Palace was a highlight.. you don't get to walk through Queen Victoria's bedroom everyday.. it was particularly thrilling to see because at the time it was Princess Diana's residence..along with a few other royals..
We shopped and explored all over Soho...ecclectic, from classic middle-class English pubs to punk rock, bold and brassy costume shops..we walked everywhere that day, and didn't really mind the blisters that followed...
Fortunately the drinking age in London (as well as many other places) is 18 so at the time I was just able to enjoy the array of cocktails and exciting nightlife that this city has to offer..
If you're looking for a place to have an after-dinner drink with friends, try the Blue Bar in Knightsbridge..the environment is utter elegance and quite low key when we were there...good place to actually share a conversation without having to repeat yourself over the hussle and bussle of most nightspots..
For more of an upbeat atmosphere, try the Brixtonian Havana Club.. the music was great..the dj played a good mix of popular songs as well as remixes and funky beats I'd never heard before...quite an attractive place, with bodies and faces to match.
I'm not sure what else to add... there's so much more I want to discover on my next trip over the pond pretty soon...this makes me want to go dig up my London picture album..

 

[Acid]

if anyone is coming to london during the summer i absolutely recommend going to St. christophers place for dinner on a warn sunny evening.....its BUZZING