Most magical places in London? Feeling so depressed to be back. Help me find some joy and wonder!

[Bionacan]

All that in the title really…

Hampstead Ladies’ Pond is my most magical London space.

Please give me some others and stop me from feeling gutted to be back (was living abroad in my favourite country but had to return for family reasons).

I was wondering around all the Inns of Court near Temple yesterday- hadn't been for years- was lovely- even in the epic rain. I looked up at a huge building (I think Australia House) on Aldwych and the architecture was amazing. I'm not particularly 'into' architecture but was in Madrid a few months ago marvelling at their buildings and thought what I saw yesterday was just as impressive and hadn't really noticed it despite living in London for 30 plus years and working in and among all these buildings for ages (not any more...). Had lunch at a lovely buzzy restaurant full of interesting looking people. Basically saying I'm determined to walk around my City more and take things in!

I love the Southbank. Get some noodles from the RFH food market and wander down past the bridges. See a film at the bfi, some art at the Tate, or just hang out and people watch.

Parks with all the spring flowers in bloom.

Eltham Palace - down a little lane off Eltham High St and like being in the country. Shame it was pelting down because the gardens look lovely.

Canary Wharf from the DLR when it's dark and all the office lights are on.

Sky Garden. You need to book tickets but it’s free. Really fun and magical. https://skygarden.london/booking/

Hungerford Bridge. Or rather not the bridge itself but the view downriver from it. Especially at dusk.

@easycomeasygo It's amazing the architectural detail you can see on even quite humble buildings when you're on the top deck of a bus. Some buildings in the City are amazing above eye level.

Bit cliche but I love Greenwich

I know- Im always looking at my bloody phone though!

Walked around the Olympic village in Stratford today. Really interesting to see how the sports facilities are being used by the public and there's the new V&A museum nearly finished and a new concert hall being built.
Wouldn't call it magical but definitely worth a look to see how that part of London has changed.

The British Museum or V&A on a weekday morning (so quiet). You have the world’s greatest art, history and culture practically to yourself.

The Magnificent Seven cemeteries - particularly Brompton, Highgate and Kensal Green. The cobbled streets of old Wapping, and down on the beaches around the Prospect of Whitby. The Prospect itself, particularly outside for a drink on a clear evening. The Thames once you get east past Greenwich, and it turns gritty and industrial as you head in towards Woolwich. St Dunstan’s in the East - especially on a Sunday afternoon when the City has cleared out of its office workers.

Natural History Museum.

It's awe-inspiring even without the dinosaurs. Plus, there are dinosaurs.

Go and see the immersive " Guys and Dolls" at the Bridge Theatre - it's stupendous, and everyone leaves with a huge grin on their face.

Is it good- we were just talking about this today- DD doesn't fancy standing for 2 hours!

Lea valley is lovely it goes from urban to countryside...three mill island, hackney marshes, right up to cheshunt and open countryside...have lunch at lea valley farm cafe without paying entry. Am back in london today and remembering how much I miss it...but you can always use as a base and visit just outside london too.

Postman’s Park near St Paul’s.
A small park dedicated to heroic deaths.
Such a wonderful place.

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/city-gardens/find-a-garden/postmans-park

@Trumpton I’d heard of that park but didn’t know what it was called. Thanks for posting.

Temple Inn is magical - there is a fountain from Martin chuzzlewit and it so beautiful and peaceful.

Also love around the Jamaica wine house in the city.

Brompton Cemetery.
I find just general flaneur-ing in London always pays off.

YY to the Southbank and Hungerford Bridge.
Primrose Hill

When I was a teenager, I used to love walking round Covent Garden and the West End at night.

Do they still do lunchtime concerts at St John's, Smith Square?

The Banqueting House in Whitehall - the only surviving part of the Palace of Whitehall - where you can recline on beanbags, look up at a magnificent ceiling painted by Rubens glorifying the divine right of kings and reflect on the irony that this was one of the last things Charles I saw as he walked to execution.

I'm delighted the bean bags are still there, I haven't visited since I was a teenager.

https://suitcasesandsandcastles.com/banqueting-house-ceiling/

It's amazing. Stand if you possibly can.

Wear comfy shoes, try to plan your outfit so you won't have to check in a bag or coat (big queues for cloakroom at the end), preorder drinks/freshly made madeleines at the interval because there's a pretty good cabaret show during the interval so you don't want to waste it queueing at the bar.

Also, because you're walking around it's not so hard on the feet as just standing in one

Oops.

because you're moving around it's not so hard on the feet as just standing in one place throughout.

Thank orchard at Fulham Palace in summer. Feels a million miles from London