What do you LOVE to do in London?

[Oesta]

I'm a Londoner and I've been feeling really down in the dumps reading about crime in London.

I need some cheering up to remember that this city is full of life and happiness and joy. What do you love to do?

I personally love the museums and want to start moving into art galleries next.

I've done sky garden and garden at 120. Want to do the others and pay for the shard later on.

190 museums, 250 galleries. Wowza!

I hope this great thread about our great city has cheered up the OP!

It has a lot. Thanks

The theatre . I come over multiple times a year from Dublin to see shows . But I don’t even have to attend one to feel pure joy walking around the West End ! Especially savouring the atmosphere after a show !
All the theatres have their own quirks - it’s just wonderful ! If I lived there I’d just walk around it every night !

I also love the smell of London . It’s probably not a ‘nice’ smell really - a mixture of the tube smell and traffic fumes mixed with food !!! But it makes me happy .

I love seeing so many people going about their business and wondering what they do , where they are going !

Love your museums, galleries and parks ! Love your restaurants and food options !

You are so lucky to live there . I was born there though so maybe that explains some of my affinity .

It's BBC Prom season starting soon! See world class classical music and a world-renowned venue every day for just £8.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3598F306c3KnN6t3x6ThKpN/what-is-promming

💛💛💛

I think you should ask for Art Fund membership next birthday OP!

I did the lion king once and it was amazing.

I'm not a Londoner but bloody love a trip there.

I like to choose an area and mooch for a couple of hours, especially if I've read up on it first.

Bloomsbury - Gays the Word, the second hand bookshops, the Brunswick Centre etc

Highgate cemetery and the park that's nearby - can't remember its name

Greenwich - especially when you get away from the crowds a bit and go to the old pubs along the waterfront

The walk along the river through Wapping

Love the choice of restaurants / Love the parks, especially Richmond

Brompton road cemetery is on my list for my next visit, and also Hackney

Kew Gardens. I have annual membership. It allows you to take a friend for free and I make good use of it. The area around Ham Common is lovely too. You can walk up to Richmond Park through Ham Common Woods and hardly see a soul.

Highgate cemetery and the park that's nearby - can't remember its name

Waterlow Park. There's a cafe there where you can stop off before or after visiting the cemetery. And if you're walking back down Highgate Hill, look out for Dick Whittington's cat.

Given that the weekend is always too short. What can be done after work if you work in central?

Walk along the river or in one of the parks, if you're anywhere near.

Look out for museums or galleries that have a late evening.

Find a nice restaurant with outdoor seating and have dessert with a glass of wine or coffee.

Go late shopping in one of the big bookshops.

Theatre? Would definitely recommend Operation Mincemeat - they’re doing cheaper stalls tickets on a Monday at the moment. Sitting in the park as the sun goes down and having an M&S picnic? Drinks at the upstairs bar in the ROH, looking over Covent Garden? Museums - they often have Friday lates on, as does London Zoo. The Scoop between London and Tower bridges has a full summer programme including showing Wimbledon on big screens, sing along musicals, live music, etc. Lots of after work activities!

As you're a life-long Londoner and work in Central London I'm just wondering how you don't know these things!

Browsing at the expensive things in Fortnum and Mason and treating myself to things like quince paste, capers, loose leaf tea and other store cupboard essentials.

Wandering around and happening upon delightful arcades, museums and churches.

History walks, museums and theatre

Usually after work. I sometimes I go gym, meet friends for dinner or very occasionally these days attend an event in the evening. But I've just checked and most galleries shut at 6pm

@Oesta have a look on meetup.com as there's 100s of groups in London that meet after work doing all sorts of random activities.

Many thanks to the poster who mentioned Atlasobscura - my son and his GF live in London and don’t have pots of cash spare and I’ve sent them this as there is all sorts on that site that I think will interest them , on the cheap!!

We stay in London for a few days about 4 times a year. I have a list of all the places we want to visit and all the things we can do. I usually google free ideas and have found all sorts of hidden gems, sometimes just little places that appeal to me, such as Postman’s Park. Love to read all the tiles of bravery.
120 Fenchurch Street is worth a visit, and is free.
Greenwich, all the galleries.
Mercato Mayfair to eat.

I've done the garden at 120. I work in insurance (so it's right nearby)

Oh my goodness! See my previous post about promming! One of the best way to spend a summer evening after work.

I used to queue before work to get cheap day tickets for the ROH or NT and go to a play or opera after work. I think they’ve changed the cheap ticket system nowadays (I no longer live in London) for both, though. Late opening galleries. The John Soane used to do a candle lit late opening monthly. Concert at the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Barbican, Kings Place. Film at the BFI, Barbican, Curzon or Prince Charles (or has that closed? I know it was at risk). Meet friends and get a pre-theatre/early bird menu somewhere. Surprising amounts of free stuff around if you signed up to nailing lists or follow arts organisations on SM. We used to see quite a few London Film Festival films for free and go to Radio 3 classical concerts being recorded.

I just like a good wander around Marylebone. The architecture is so beautiful. You could also come to Hampstead Heath!