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London Calling

dubmick

19:21 / 24.07.06

Hi,

I know the are a good few people here who live in London and know it well. I am going to London with my girlfriend for the weekend and was wondering what are the essential things to get up to for a first trip to London. I've been all over the world but never in London despite the fact it's only an hour's flight away. I want to do a bit of sightseeing, a little bit of shopping and a lot eating and drinking

and maybe even a bit of clubbing if my legs can take it.

I am staying in Islington btw.

All help and ideas appreciated!

sleazenation

20:39 / 24.07.06

Well, the first thing is that there is more to do in London than you could possibly fit into a weekend/week/month/whatever so don't even worry about trying...

Outside of that - it is very much down to the sorts of things you like doing and the things that you are interested in...

When I show people around I tend to wander the streets popping in and out of pubs along the way, pointing out various cool bits - if you are into comics there is the cartoon museum close to the British Museum...

Jub

08:26 / 25.07.06

What sleazenation said really - the best way is to just mop up the feel. The thing my visitors have always remarked upon is the lack of London's centre. Whilst it does have many recognisable points there are lots of different areas you can go out in and explore and each has their own feel and good points.

For sightseeing I would recommend walking around the west end, buy an A-Z and mosey around that way than pay bucks for a bus. Another good plan for this is to take a river ferry from Westminster to Greenwich (then get the jubilee back), for shopping Oxford Street / Camden depending on what you like; personally I like either Soho or Bricklane for food - again it's all down to taste. Buy Timeout for listing on clubnights.

dubmick

08:37 / 25.07.06

cheers guys.
I wondered about the city centre so to speak, Leicester square?

Think I might go to the Cross on Saturday night as Renaissance have a club night on there.

I've been reading up on Islington, seems like a really cool area, loads of shops, cafes & bars. Might pop down and see Arsenal's new stadium too.

lonely as a cloud...

08:55 / 25.07.06

sleaze - I'll be in London this weekend - any chance you could find me a link for the cartoon museum you mentioned?

I remember, many years ago, I was in London for Patrick's Day (17th March). I mention this, because my friends and I all ended up in a pub in Islington. And after it shut, we somehow ended up in a flat belonged to someone that one of us just met in a pub, being fed whisky, beer and drugs. It was a strange night.

Smoothly

09:02 / 25.07.06

There’s not a great deal of interest in Leicester Square itself, dubmick, but the surrounding areas (ie. Soho and Covent Garden) are definitely worth a wander.

illmatic

09:21 / 25.07.06

A really nice bit to walk along is the South Bank from about the London Eye down to London Bridge. Along this route you've got the Eye itself (monstrous queues though - I'd skip it if your time is limited), then the Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, a couple of pricey pubs (hint: hang on to London Bridge and go to The Market Porter, if you like your ale), the Royal Festival Hall, the Hayward Gallery and the National Film Theatre. You've also got Borough Market at London Bridge on Saturday where you can have a really nice scoff from the various stalls, and pick up some nice bits to take home. Very nice if you like your food. The walk itself is about 30-40 minutes but you'll run out of time with the various distractions. If I had to chose two, I'd kick off at Borough Market, Saturday morning then walk down to the Tate along the river.

Smoothly

09:55 / 25.07.06

Oh, and although I agree with almost everything Jub says, I’d really advise against going to Oxford Street. It’s a bit of an embarrassment really. The only good thing about it, IMHO, is Selfridges – otherwise it’s just horrendous, particularly at weekends.

Good call from Haystacks though. If you’re in Soho/Covent Garden I’d go in the other direction, cross the river on the Hungerford footbridge (at Charing Cross/Embankment). You can head east to take in the sights mentioned above, and around Borough Market there some winding medieval streets that reveal some ancient oddities like Clink gaol. If you’re making an afternoon of it, keep going to Tower Bridge and Butlers Wharf (where there are some quite nice restaurants for al fresco eating). It’s lovely.

sleazenation

11:13 / 25.07.06

As requested, a link to the Cartoon Museum

Alex's Grandma

11:53 / 25.07.06

As with New York, it's probably worth remembering that London, for all it's plus points, is essentially a disaster area full of troubled individuals - be careful.

Ticker

13:25 / 25.07.06

I'm very sad the Museum is not open on Mondays.

nixwilliams

21:54 / 25.07.06

one of the best things to do in london... go to hampstead and eat crepes from the hampstead creperie (a little stand outside a pub a block or two from the station). so long as you're not vegan, this is grand. it's also fairly close to primrose hill, which you can climb and look at the pretty views, and from camden market which may or may not show you a good time.

if you are a geek, maybe you would like to go to greenwich and stand astride the prime meridian and FEED NUTS TO THE SQUIRRELS OMG SO CUTE!!!1!11!!!1

Tryphena Absent

22:07 / 25.07.06

If you walk from Westminster tube you can see the Houses of Parliament, cross the river and turn left down the riverside, pass the Saatchi gallery, Millennium Eye and Royal Festival Hall. Once you pass the NFT, which has a nice cafe and book stalls outside you can walk past the Tate Modern up to Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral. It's my most favourite walk in London and really gives you a sense of vibrancy.

Tryphena Absent

22:09 / 25.07.06

Sorry just realised that's exactly what Haystacks said with an added couple of minutes!

Daemon est Deus Inversus

14:52 / 26.07.06

Visit the more or less mummified remains of Jeremy Bentham, and his cat, the Reverend Dr. James Langbourne-Jones, D.D., at the main entrance to University College, London. They were still there on my first visit to London in 1978.

Dr. Langbourne-Jones was stuffed obviously. Bentham was a sort of greenish, waxy thing over a skeleton.

dubmick

12:49 / 27.07.06

many thanks for all the replies

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