Travel Guide : London

[bikkle]

Claire de Rouen bookshop that just opened. Great for fashion and art books.

 

[Becky_da_da_da]

Camden market
Covent Garden

And Richmond Park for my morning runs

 

[Meg]

^
Where is that bookshop?

R.D. Franks, just off Regent st. its great for fashion books and industry mags as well

 

[bikkle]

Claire de Rouen is on the 1st floor of Charing X gallery and Soho Books on Charing Cross Road

 

[Babitto]

Gota be Harrods and Sloane Street!!! AAAAAAAH! OMG ! I luRRRRRRRrrrVe

 

[LoveInParis]

Liberty is great around Christmas (sells similar stuff to Selfridges and Harvey Nichols but is smaller and quieter - still easy to get lost in there though!)
Around about Oxford Circus is great for high-street basics - there's Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Mango, Gap, Urban Outfitters all within a few metres of each other
Covent Garden is great - good Urban Outfitters and make-up shops (Pout, Shu Umera, MAC) - especially the covered market around Christmas, it's beautiful
Have a look and see what exhibitions are showing at the Victoria and Albert Museum as they often have good fashion ones (I saw a beautiful collection of Queen Maud's dresses from early 20th century, incredible)
Embankment is fantastic just to walk along beside the river, nice atmosphere

There's sooo much to see in London! Also, if you're interested in going to the theatre go see The Woman in Black which is on at a theatre in Covent Garden - it's the scariest thing I've ever seen. Oh, and Richard II with Kevin Spacey is playing at the Old Vic at the moment - definitely worth seeing

 

[lucinda rose]

London Clubs

Hi I am going to London on Wednesday and would love to go out this weekend. What are the best clubs to go to and where are they? I am a fashion design student and I normally go to clubs where young arty fashion types go. I was also wondering what night they are best?

Thanks a lot!

 

[travis_nw8]

waterloo international - because it means i'm heading back to paris....

 

[twilight fairy]

Any cheapy, good thrift stores/markets in London?

 

[susie_bubble]

^Many!

UK is famed for it's charity stores (the equivalent of NYC thrift stores). If you go to the nicer parts of town like Notting Hill, Chelsea, Kensington, you'll find tons of charity stores with good pickings.

In terms of vintage clothes, a one stop drop is Brick Lane on a Sunday - you get vintage stalls in the indoor Upmarket and Spitalfields - all very reasonable prices. Then you get the vintage stores - Rokit, Absolute Vintage, Beyond Retro and a non-descript under the rail tunnel cave which is really grotty but some SERIOUSLY cheap clothes (50p jackets anyone?)
On a Sunday, you get the sprawling flea markets where everything and anything is sold - great for rummaging through piles of clothes and accessories. I find nice jewellery this way.

If you wanna go further afield - Greenwich Green market on a Saturday is excellent. Lots of retro stores and stalls here - plenty of rummaging. On the high street, there are also a few charity shops that's worth looking round.

 

[estherlouise]

Moving to London!

hey guys, well i am finally doing it. i am moving to london. throwing myself in the deep end and cant wait!!!!
just need ANY advice , info , facts etc that you may have about london. from banks to acommodation to jobs etc. acommodation is the thing i am mostly nervous about. i have been researching on the internet but would love to hear some first hand experience. so fire away boys and girls

 

[fairy]

I don't really have info etc. but I'm also moving to London in summer and I'm also very excited! when's the big day?

 

[sanrio]

I was gonna move to London this summer but then changed my mind...Im moving in two years...and i can't wait!!

 

[Multitudes]

I was lucky to have friends living in London I could stay with while I was searching for acomodation, which really helped to see what exactly it was I was renting and to get a feeling of the area. So if you know somebody here already, I would recommend that, because to tell you the truth, there is alot of sh*t for rent, eventhought its expensive...

If you rent through agencies you have to be aware that they take fees, but if money is not a problem, then it's great. I'm renting through a privat landlord and I have, again, been lucky that they are just so caring and supportive..

Do you already have some areas in London in mind where you want to live?..
I'm living in Higbury Islington and I have alos lived in Camden, which is both excellent and interesting areas to be, but ofcourse it all depends on ones temperemant and what kind of surroundings you are looking for... Also your financial situation will also come into the picture, because the closer, you are to the center, the more expensive it will get...

But any way good luck and if you have more specific questions, I would be glad to answer them the best I can...

 

[sharkey]

Well done-im sure it will be amazing. are there people to visit in your first few weeks? it can be a lonely place so make friends quickly (not saying that you wouldnt otherwise!!). once you have an initial group of friends you will get more confidence ect. Good luck !

 

[estherlouise]

I was lucky to have friends living in London I could stay with while I was searching for acomodation, which really helped to see what exactly it was I was renting and to get a feeling of the area. So if you know somebody here already, I would recommend that, because to tell you the truth, there is alot of sh*t for rent, eventhought its expensive...

If you rent through agencies you have to be aware that they take fees, but if money is not a problem, then it's great. I'm renting through a privat landlord and I have, again, been lucky that they are just so caring and supportive..

Do you already have some areas in London in mind where you want to live?..
I'm living in Higbury Islington and I have alos lived in Camden, which is both excellent and interesting areas to be, but ofcourse it all depends on ones temperemant and what kind of surroundings you are looking for... Also your financial situation will also come into the picture, because the closer, you are to the center, the more expensive it will get...

But any way good luck and if you have more specific questions, I would be glad to answer them the best I can...

Sorry for the late reply!!!!
I havent got any family there, but friends of friends , so possible contacts. i was thinking if i cant stay with them for a week or two , then a youth hostel??? any thoughts?
as far as where abouts, i did hear central london was really expensive, so anywhere out of there i dont mind. As long as it is not to far out, is nice area etc.
I kind of what the whole Portebello Market, Notting Hill scene, but am not fussy (cant be).

Also anyone got ideas on opening a bank account up there? i have heard its hard to do it once there....

 

[estherlouise]

i am going over with a friend. we are planning to work for three months, then go on our contiki tour, she is then coming back to australia, but i plan on staying.....i guess i can hang out at all the aussie pobs for the first few months hehe

 

[fairy]

hey we can do newbie flat sharing

 

[*Sunrise_Serena*]

I've moved to London once from another city too. If there's anything you want to know, just om me. I'll be happy to anwser all your questions.

Yes you're right Central London is really expensive. When I've lived there, I had to live with a couple of other friends so we could pay the rent, but if you're living alone itwould probably be better to live a little bit outside. It's good that you know a few people there, it'll be very helpful. Without my friends, it would have been really hard to find a flat, job etc. Do you have any ideas where you want to work and what you want to do in London? It's not always easy to find a job overthere. I had quite some problems, but i guess it just depends on what you want to do....

About where you want to live, it just depends on how much you want to spend...if you might live with someone else so it's less money for you and get a job...of course there are a few areas where it's cheaper than in others but I would still visit of course the flat and also the areas, cause there are some areas I wouldn't really recommend, esp if you live on your own. Like you've been told before, you really have to take care which agency you choose, some might be unserious. Really the best thing you can do is ask your friends there for help and just take care of what you choose. If there are any other questions, I would be glad to help you, so don't mind asking.

 

[fairy]

that's so nice, thanx for all those useful suggestions! though I'm not the one who started the thread and asked for tips, I hope that it's not a problem if I might pm you as well...