March 1, 2010

London

Category: Travel — Biella @ 7:55 pm

Londoners or those that know the city well: if you had to pick your favorite thing to do in London (in March) what would that be? I have 1.5 days there of mostly free time and would love to gather some intel.

14 Comments »

  1. http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/

    The Forbidden Planet has some good book signings, you might want to check whether an author who’s work you like will be there at the time of your visit. Sometimes these things used to be announced at short notice (the web site announces nothing for this month but that may change).

    Also you might be interested in the jewelry stores that are underground in London (not sure how to get there but I found it by accident once) – they should be interesting as a social thing even if you don’t want to buy anything.

    Also many (most?) of the tailors in Saville Row now make clothes for women too, you might want to check it out – they are expensive though.

    Tower bridge is of interest both as engineering and history (London bridge is not worth seeing).

    Also walk around the “City” area and observe the security cameras, it’s a taste of the Big Brother experience that’s coming soon to a city near you. :-#

    Comment by Russell Coker — March 1, 2010 @ 11:01 pm

  2. museums: I found tate modern just awesome.

    Comment by gregoa — March 2, 2010 @ 12:40 am

  3. If you like a good Espresso or Latte or Flat White, do not (!) miss Flat White in 17 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0PT. For a different coffee experience, try the Bitter Taste of Love in 276 Hackney Road, E2 7SJ – that’s basically what I know of London :)

    Comment by Lukas — March 2, 2010 @ 1:20 am

  4. I haven’t ever been to London, but I think I’d do the same thing I do in every new city I visit: try to get lost. When you’re lost enough, try to find your way back. And take a lot of photos along the way.

    You know when you’re lost enough when you find places like this.

    Comment by harry666t — March 2, 2010 @ 3:48 am

  5. Daytime highlights of London are the museums and galleries. It’s the best city in the world for this, and entry to most is free, amazingly.
    British Museum. And/or the Science Museum. It has the real Rocket (first modern train) and lots of fun things to do.

    Comment by tim — March 2, 2010 @ 4:00 am

  6. I personally had a wonderful time at the London Transport Museum.

    If you can hit a Porterhouse brewpub, their menu is entertaining.

    Comment by Sumana Harihareswara — March 2, 2010 @ 7:27 am

  7. 1) bookmarks socialist bookshop in bloomsbury
    2) tate modern (if you’ve never been before, it’s worth it)
    3) frank’s cafe (near the tate modern… the best cafe in town. just be warned, you’ll be the only person in there who isn’t wearing a jumpsuit and working construction)
    4) shopping muji near tottenham court, then round the corner to red veg in soho from take-away veg burgers… take ‘em to soho square just ’round the corner.
    5) a pint and thai curry at the windmill, on the cut near the young vic.
    6) if its a weekend, hit the open air book stalls underneath waterloo bridge on the southbank.
    7) pretty much just hang out on southbank.
    8) a pint at the blackfriars pub, right at the north end of blackfriars bridge. most beautiful pub in london. just don’t be there around 17h, when the bankers from the city show up and act like total asshats.

    Comment by andrew — March 2, 2010 @ 8:24 am

  8. uhh… not sure how the emoticon got in there… supposed to be the number 8.

    Comment by andrew — March 2, 2010 @ 8:24 am

  9. I’m a huge fan of the original london walking tours, there are dozens of them covering a variety of subjects and they’re relatively inexpensive (depending on how exchange rates are working for you that week) — they have the schedules at http://www.walks.com I try to hit at least a couple every time I find myself in london.

    Comment by Ryan — March 2, 2010 @ 10:47 am

  10. main galleries: British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Britain and Modern; less well-known galleries: Sir John Soane’s Museum, Wallace Collection.

    theatres and concert halls: anything small will be interesting and easier to get into (Time Out London has useful listings)

    for walks, hunt out a churches by Hawksmoor and Wren

    Comment by Glyn Moody — March 3, 2010 @ 6:37 am

  11. Gabriella – came across your blog looking up something on statute of ann! as a Londoner my fave things:
    Portobello road market on a fri or sat, walking the thames path all the way down the river from London bridge – you can go all the way to Greenwich which has great market and the National Maritime Museum is really cool. If you’re around UCL = go to the Hunterian museum. Best place for free hangout which you would LOVE: The Wellcome Institute and library on Euston Road – they’ve made it into a club and have great exhibitions. My favorite place of all is Hampstead Heath which is a haven in all types of weather even the rain and the house in Kenwood has hidden treasures like Vermeers…Hampstead village is nice to walk around as well….I could go on and on have a GREAT time…

    Comment by Haidy — March 3, 2010 @ 10:14 am

  12. thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions!!! lets see what i will end up doing (and Haidy, that is quite funny about the Statute of Anne!)

    Comment by Biella — March 6, 2010 @ 3:56 pm

  13. if you make it here… Mar 17-19, i’m super jealous.

    http://bit.ly/cyuHKr

    Comment by nano — March 9, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

  14. Come visit the Canonical office and have lunch with me. :-)

    Comment by Matt Zimmerman — March 16, 2010 @ 3:40 am

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