What would you do for an afternoon in your nearby city

[ihavetwelvehorsesathome]

Local area is feeling a bit small and samey so thinking about jumping on a train and checking out nearby areas.

Would a walk around the city centre with a stop for coffee and cake be enough to keep me occupied for an afternoon?

Does anyone else do this and if so, what do you do in the nearby areas to while away the time.

Geocaching?

My nearest city is Brighton, so there's no shortage of things to do/see. there The Pavilion, the museum, the seafront, lovely Regency buildings, interesting and quirky shops in the lanes - loads of interest for someone who's never been.

We have loads of interesting cities in the UK imo, especially those with some history and that still have nice buildings. I particularly like some of the smaller ones, like Hereford, Winchester and Norwich. Do your research, so you have a bit of a plan of what you want to see and do, and make sure you factor in plenty of breaks where you can sit and have a coffee so you don't get too knackered.

I go to loads of cities and towns for a wander. DP travels a lot for his hobby and I get him to drop me off for the afternoon if he’s going near somewhere interesting.

Obviously it depends on the city, but I can easily kill an afternoon in an interesting city. I’d stroll around, browse in the shops and have a wander round a market if there is one, maybe look round a cathedral or a museum or some other attraction. I always take a book and then if I do have time to kill I can happily sit in (or outside) a cafe with a cuppa and a cake and read for as long as I fancy, or in a nice pub with a pint or a glass of wine.

My closest city is Sheffield. 15 minute train journey.

• Lots of lovely cafes/restaurants
• Winter Gardens - huge greenhouse/glasshouse with tropical plants
• Peace Gardens - Big area of grass/benches to sit on with water fountains. Great in the summer. Lots of music/stalls going off, picnics
• Botanical Gardens
• Millennium Gallery - often has exhibitions on
• Theatres (Lyceum, Crucible)
• There’s even a Wetherspoons across the road from a Wetherspoons.

Research your nearby cities or any location that takes your fancy. Look on instagram/Pinterest for any hidden gems. Try and speak to locals who own cafes/stalls etc.

You'd be better off naming your nearest cities. I live in Liverpool and Chester, New Brighton, Southport, Shrewsbury, Birmingham, Blackpool etc are doable day trips. So a day out would easily be filled.

What are your interests? Shopping, art galleries, museums, exhibitions, seasonal festivals going on, art trails, farmers or makers markets - go on the correct day, antique shops? I’d google it & see what’s there & what appeals then plan around it. Or just explore with a rough plan of what there is to see. Sounds really nice.

I can easily fill an afternoon - or day - wandering round a local town or city, coffee stop, local art gallery, market, museum or cathedral, city parks are good for a stroll, charity shop browse, lunch out .... my favourite way to spend a free day. I often go and sit in a library & browse the books if there is nothing else around!

Curious as to why you ask, do you find it difficult to fill your time?

A few times a year I travel to visit my brother who lives in a bit of a 'dead end' location but I have a lovely routine of going to different towns on the way ... there is always some quirky museum or unusual 'tourist attraction' to find.

I'm in London.

I like to visit the museums or free galleries.

I also like to find a nice outdoor cafe and have lunch.

The other day I went shopping in the Westfield in Shepherds Bush. I actually find it TOO big and intimidating but I was looking for a birthday present so needs must

I like to go to the pub by the river on a sunny day.

I try and stay away from anything too touristy. (Apart from the galleries and museums).

I love Borough Market and Greenwich Market. I also like the short walk along the river from Richmond to Ham House. The walk from Putney to Kew is nice too. Which reminds me...

Kew Gardens, Fulham Palace gardens, or the Chelsea Physic Garden.

I guess it depends on where you live. Prior to Covid it was always easy to find something to do. I feel like everything is not quite the same. Everything requires pre booking, downloading apps, paying online etc. Not so much spontaneity. Or free events.

Have you ever tried Pokemon Go? I just downloaded it for the first time last week (I was away). It's a lot of fun. Geocaching is a going idea too.

My nearest city that I'd want to spend time in is Bristol. I'd get a water taxi to the end of the historic harbour, then walk all the way back to where I started, looking at all of the boats and architecture along the way. Then I'd sit with a coffee and watch the world go by.

I like art so the galleries are usually my go-to. If I don't want to pay for a big exhibition I'll see if they have a highlights tour.

Likewise I'll Google if there are any self guided city tours I can do. I like a small museum as well.

Though I can happily just wander round the shops for a long time too.

Treasure Trails are quite a good way to discover a new town, although I don't know if I would do one alone. You often discover interesting things that you'd otherwise walk straight past.

Most cities have museums which are interesting, cities near me are Southampton and Portsmouth so there is the Sea City (Titanic) Museum, the historic dockyard, Tudor House Museum, Solent Sky Museum. Or look around a building of interest, like Spinnaker Tower.

This thread just makes me miss London.

Museum, art gallery, other heritage site, walk by river, wander round gardens, get a bus around town to see what I can see (particularly applies to London), wander round the streets dipping in and out of some shops maybe but not 'shopping' per se. Go on a sort of lunch and tea and cake and coffee and ice cream crawl where I have one thing at each place this works particularly well in places like York Chester Oxford but in most places especially if you aren't too fussy what your cafe is ie in a department store or a chain if it isn't a quaint little place. Look in second hand shops, dip into an event in a hall if passing at the right time or some live music or something. Not plan too hard. I live near London so obviously there are as many things I could do there as days left in my life probably but I did live near or in other smaller cities at different times so my answer covers those too and I do like to do what you are describing when I have a half day before or after a conference away from home. Cinema or something else indoors if raining and other museum or gallery too busy or boring.

If being specific my most recent enjoyable wander was around the Barbican Estate because I had been to a meeting nearby. And the adjacent bits of the City. So much to see, hear and do without spending any money other than on a drink from a nearby Tesco. Best on a sunny day but some interesting things are indoors or the walkways which are undercover and you can spend money on a film show or exhibition if you want to. Stay until the early evening and there will often be a choir practising or bellringing in one of the many nearby churches now things are getting back to normal. In termtime you can hear the Guildhall students practising too.

look up the concept of Derive and apply it

Most cities will have plenty to occupy you for an afternoon, with museums, galleries, parks, historical buildings etc

Look on the tourist information information sites for local cities including your own as its quite likely there are things going on that you don't know about.

I recently discovered that one of the universities in my city has some galleries that are open to the public along with garden squares and a cemetery with notable historical figures buried there.

Another is set in wooded parkland with hidden monuments to so good to look for, so good to wander around

Definitely check out the local history/galleries/ places of interest.
Research a good bar and have a glass of wine with a late lunch.

Op shopping!

Thanks all the suggestions on this thread are great and I will definitely be building in these trips into my time.

Quite the opposite really in that I don't have a great deal of time to myself so wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be wasting my time.

This is such an odd question. Does anyone else go into their nearest city a) for a walk around, b) to while away the time? You give no context whatsoever - so one is bound to wonder c) why wandering around a city seems such an alien concept to you (have you never noticed hundreds of millions of tourists crossing the world to do exactly that?) and d) why you appear to have absolutely no interests that might send you into a city regularly.

People go into cities for, as you suggest, a wander and coffee and cake. But also to the theatre, galleries, museums, shops, sports venues, or for the architecture and history, and restaurants and to meet friends - and a million other things. But none of these things seem to have occurred to you?

Why not?

And why is time hanging so heavily on your hands, with no discernible purpose?

The spending money is a good point actually I want to feel like I am doing something with my time without having to spend loads. Drink or meal deal sounds like a good idea as I guess there will be public seating or nearby park to sit in for consumption.

If it’s a big city get one of those tourist bus tickets and get on and off at each stop to see the attractions. I did this in my home town once and it have me a whole new perspective. It was great!

Yes this used to be my default but I just can't enjoy it so much anymore. Find it a bit if a chore.

Bit that odd really as I think there are some great and really encouraging responses.