Coming to London...Need Tips!

[Bill 213]

So for my birthday this year, I've decided to treat myself to a nice little vacation to London.  I'm going for a week in October and basically I've been reading up on as much info as I can on things to do, but nothing beats firsthand tips from former visitors or residents.  The big touristy spots are of course things I've already plotted, but I'm always more so interested in the not so well known gems.  So what's everyone recommend? 

[Mr. Redman]

Go see Apple Records.

[andy1981]

go to the Hard rock cafe on Park Road, they have a vault next door that used to be a bank or something where they keep lots of memrobelia like Jimi Hendrix's guitar and freddie mercurys sofa. The tour is free.

The Science museum is good if your into science stuff, certainly good if its raining

Hamleys is a great laugh, large toy shop on Regent Street

theres a street behind Hamleys (fogot the name) which used to be the 70's hangout, lots of small independant shops (Carneyby St?)

Go to soho for the strip bars

If you get the tube to Camden, thats where all the music shops and good stuff is, lots of things to look at at the camden market

Theres a big wheel called the London eye accross from the houses of parlement, its expensive but a good view over London.

On the Underground you can buy a day pass called a rover ticket (i think) so you can hop on and off all day wherever you want to go.

Madame Tussards is ok, its a big waxworks, again quite expensive, but it depends what you like

Harrods is a big department store owned by Mohammed al Fayad, big place if your with some girl, she might appreciate the shopping?

oxford street is where all the shops are at, big flagship stores

be carefull with your money/wallet as (in every big city) theres plenty of dodgy folks around who will take advantage. Watch out for the gypsys around Pickadilly Circus who force you to buy thier "lucky white heather"
if something is too good to be true, it normally is.
If you go on one of the round the city bus tours, make sure you can see an actual bus before you part with any money, seems silly I know but the've been at that one for years. "just wait here at 1pm and the bus will pick you up" of course once you've paid the guy runs away with your cash and there was never a bus anyway

enjoy!

[Drew]

I enjoyed Covent Garden when I visited a couple of years ago.

[Robman?]

I;m going for a bit over a week in July. Thanks for the tips Andy 

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

"just wait here at 1pm and the bus will pick you up" of course once you've paid the guy runs away with your cash and there was never a bus anyway

ahah that's funny.

[jarmo]

What do you want to see?

There's all the obvious sights like The Tower Of London, Tower Bridge, Houses Of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Madame Tussaud's etc et....

You can cover a lot by foot, which is always a nice way to see things.


I never understood the fascination with wax replicas of celebrities so I never bothered with Madame Tussaud's.....



/jarmo

[GypsySoul]

Watch out for the gypsys around Pickadilly Circus who force you to buy thier "lucky white heather"

shoooosh up andy1981!!! 

@ Bill 213
I could get you a discount on the "lucky white heather" 

~gypsy

[polluxlm]

Go on one of those busses that take you through all the old buildings and churches.

And you gotta do a speach in Hyde Park.

[Bill 213]

Watch out for the gypsys around Pickadilly Circus who force you to buy thier "lucky white heather"

shoooosh up andy1981!!!?

@ Bill 213
I could get you a discount on the "lucky white heather"?

~gypsy

Haha deal!  I've been looking for a good lucky white heather, but they just don't make them like they used to here in the states 

Thanks everyone for the great tips and Andy, I'll definitely check out some of those spots you mentioned.  I'm definitely into as many music themed spots as I can hit up and I'm always up for some great record shopping.  I can't wait, I'm stoked!  I also hope to visit some nice pubs.

[jarmo]

If you want to check out records stores, don't miss the ones in Soho.




/jarmo

[anythinggoes]

If you want to check out records stores, don't miss the ones in Soho.




/jarmo

True but 10-15 years ago there was so many more and they were so much better, same thing has happened in Camden as well i used to love going to the old record shops but they seem to have mainly gone

Another thing to do is if you can, is walk as much as possible between places you find amazing shops in the back streets that you would never normally spot

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

oh yeah, best stuff to do in London:
take the train to Paris.






i kid i kid !!!!



ps: they an abercrombie store now in London. kickass.

[Jessica]

there is a cool indoor market/alleyway with shops/arcade on kensington high street that used to sell beautiful second hand leather clothes.

You can go and have a walk in hampstead park, you can play the game '" spot the celeb neighbour who walks his/her dog".

Abbeyroad if you're a beattles fan

Take a bus at victoria station ( you can get it for less than 10 pounds return) and go spend the day in windsor, visit the castle and the walk along the river banks, loads of boats and yachts during the summer, nice place for a picnic..love it

Go and visit the new eurostar train station in St Pancreas

In covent garden, ask where it is if you don't find it, but behind the Doc Marteen's two levels store, there is a small passageway that leads to the actor's church.
It's not because it is a very very special place to me, but because it is exquisite. See it.

If you like egypt, visit the british museum.

A must see is the imperial war museum.

You can't go to london without treading into brixton ( south london, go to trafalgar square and take the 159 bus, same route and departure place for night buses, one every hour) and seeing the market ( very jamaican) and the brixton academy, the off club and the windmill, for live music.

from wiki :

The heart of Brixton is the Market, open every day selling produce from all over the world. The song "Electric Avenue", written and sung by Eddy Grant in 1982, refers to part of the market (come out of the tube, turn left then left again), so named because it was the first streets in Britain to be lit with electric lamps, in 1888 (Brixton itself is mentioned in the lyrics at the very end of the song). The market sells a huge range of Afro-Caribbean products as well as reflecting the many other communities in the local area with Indian and Vietnamese supermarkets and South American butchers amongst the shops and stalls.

Brixton is also home to a 1970s purpose built skatepark, named Stockwell Skatepark. Brixton also has a windmill built in 1816, and surrounded by houses built soon after, as London expanded. The Windmill pub (see above) is named after it.



For live music, if still open, the " venue" in newcross ( bad area but good music).

Hmmm...tons of other places

OH, yeah, Ronnie Scott's in Soho ( jazz club, nights of music or stand ups) with loads of italian delis around it, cool to get a cake and a capu at 4 am.

Near whitechapel in the night, ask any cab to drive you to the bagel takeaway, everyone knows it, best place in town for years.

Also in whitechapel, you can get a feel if you wish of the unfamous street where prostitutes were murdered by jack the ripper.

And for funk a very cool barber shop a few doors down from the " sherlock holmes" address, on baker street.

[Jessica]

ps :

there are also very fun sm nights in a club on oxford street but can't remember, was too drunk, walked in there with a friend 15 years ago and it was fun they try to convert you, but if you have a thing for it, ask around past midnight..

[Jessica]

and for info :

Famous people from Brixton
Three people who have lived in Brixton have blue plaques marking their former homes:

Vincent van Gogh lived in a Boarding House in Hackford Road, Brixton, London[1]
Havelock Ellis pioneer sexologist lived at Dover Mansions on Canterbury Crescent[2]
CLR James the writer and black political activist lived in Railton Road.[3]
Other notable people with Brixton connections include:

Current London Mayor Ken Livingstone grew up and lived for many years in Brixton
Former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was born in Brixton.
Former British Prime Minister John Major spent part of his childhood in a two-room flat off Coldharbour Lane, and started his political career as a Lambeth Councillor while still living in the area.
Freddie Davies the comedian and actor was born in Brixton in 1937.
David Bowie was born in Stansfield Road, Brixton.
Danny Williams, heavyweight boxer, was born in Brixton
Paul Simonon the bass player for The Clash is from Brixton.
Mick Jones the guitar player for The Clash is from Brixton.
Drum and bass producer Dillinja is from Brixton.
The band Alabama 3 (A3 in the USA) who recorded the theme tune to The Sopranos were formed in Brixton and hang out here.
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a long time Brixton resident
House music duo Basement Jaxx formed in Brixton.
Fruitbat of power-pop punk band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine is a life-long Brixton resident.
Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne, was born in Brixton.
Mike Skinner of the band "The Streets" moved to Brixton c.2000 to pursue his recording career. Some of his songs deal with living in Brixton.
Skin, former singer of the band Skunk Anansie, grew up in Brixton
Stereo MC's, acid jazz/club dance group, was formed and is still based in Brixton
Cult novelist Martin Millar lived here, and most of his novels are set in and around Brixton.
Environmentalist James Lovelock, famous for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, was born and spent his childhood in Brixton.[4]

[Jessica]

pss :

i lived in streatham a few years, i am def a south london gal  in case no one noticed 

[Annie]

I just returned from London. I loved it, but is very crowded and very expensive. The GLOBE theater is very cool and you can see a play and be a groundling! You can purchase a 3 day pass for the London Underground, but WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE totally describes riding on the tube. You can take the Picadilly line from Heathrow Airport to the city central. Cabs cost $100 and shuttles are about $35 per person. The US exchange rate is terrible. Double the cost of everything in converting dollars to pounds. Covent Garden is cool. I found 2 expensive but cool GNR tops in the basement of DAVID AND GOLIATH. If you are into musicals go see WE WILL ROCK YOU with the music of QUEEN. It is the next best thing to being at a GNR concert. You can get half price tickets at  the Underground station at Leicester Square. TRY and book your hotel with British Airways, they give pretty good discounts. Have a great time!

[Jessica]

for very good prices, book hotels with easyjet.com

 

[AdZ]

For live music, if still open, the " venue" in newcross ( bad area but good music).

All they do is Abba, Oasis, Westlife etc. Tribute nights, it's awful.


Just find some good bars.

Brick Lane is also good for the market on sundays.