Covent Garden

[TheWashingMachine]

I went there today and I used to like it when a I worked nearby but it just felt so sterile and the shops were sooo expensive. It just felt like a tourist trap, when I left I felt so relieved to be out of there. Anyone else thought this, I often see it recommended on MN as a good place to go with DC but actually apart from the transport museum and the odd busker, there is not much for children.

Free admission for kids to the London Transport Museum. Great shop upstairs for London-related gifts.

But the bastards at Westminster City Council have closed the free loos next to the LTM, and make you use the pay ones across the square.

(Tell them you have a child with you and they have to let you in free.)

I quite local the market with the old mug and bacon butty cafe and the local trades people. But yes agree the main Covent Garden central area is now expensive.

Quite like

Don't even mention Camden

I used to work part time in Covent Garden when I was in University (mid 90's) and I loved the atmosphere back then, although the mass of tourists and street performers were always a bit annoying. There used to be a really good nightclub there as well (my age-addled brain can't recall the name right now).

I live overseas now and hadn't visited CG in a decade until last summer and I was shocked at the change! No atmosphere, far fewer tourists it seemed and the stores were ridiculous - far too upscale for casual tourists I would have thought, more suited to Bond Street IMO. It was very sad :(

My mum used to work there when it was a fruit and flower market she’s always baffled by how it looks now! She said it was a bit dodgy at some times and the chap she worked for was always telling others to mind their language around ‘his girls’.

I can remember going as a teenager and there were some interesting stalls and affordable stuff available. It’s not like that now. Mixture of the ver posh and the tourist and very bland.

However DH is in an office nearby and loves the array of lunch options and I do like shake shack

Omg I remember gems !

C.g is crap now such a shame the whole of London has lost its lovely shops now just like everywhere else

I miss Kensington market and shops like hyper hyper

I also had a very odd experience there in the pub by the tube. I was having a drink at the bar with my newish boyfriend when my ex walked in. awkward introductions all around especially as they had the same name. We then attempted to causally chat while the bar filled up with half a dozen of those ‘living statue’ people. Whole experience was very surreal.

Cross Waterloo Bridge and visit the South Bank, things to see and do, then walk up to Southwark. Much more interesting.

It's awful now. Shops are all makeup and nowhere decent to eat if you don't want to part with a kidney.

One toyshop left and the street performers. It's so sad.

Not roadhouse was it? I’ve some hangovers from that place !

Was it the gardening club?

Whenever I see the Ultravox video for Vienna it takes me back to when CG was a great area.

We usually hit the Dancewear shops but Bloch has moved now.

formerbabe - YES! That's the place. It wasn't the best club in London by any means but I remember on some weeknights it had great music and cheap drinks . Fun memories of that place.

I think I can beat the time scale of these memories. Remember it in the 1960's.
There was a hippy type club in the cellars under what is now the Apple store called Middle Earth.
Saw Pink Floyd there. Amazing place then. We used to emerge at dawn to the market traders who were still there at the time.

The odd Street entertainer!! My DC adore the many street entertainers around there. It's still lovely but too busy

Hi Sally those were happy days. Fond memories of switching between UFO, or Middle Earth as it became, and Les Cousins in Greek St for something less strenuous than Pink Floyd.

Comefromaway I remember going to Pinneapple Dance in the early 80's for a pair of pastel blue jazz shoes. God I loved those shoes.