Going to London tomorrow with DD (13) should we avoid Oxford Street - if so where?

[daisie4]

Am a bit concerned its going to be manic, but not sure where else to go to get a good selection of shops for us both? High Street Ken maybe?

Westfield shopping centre. Shepherds bush.

I like Bond street (selfridges), Christopher Place and then Marylebone high street. Lovely - but less so for your DD I think.

I work just off Oxford Street and it is pretty bonkers at the moment. At 5.30pm every evening Oxford Street tube station is so busy they have to close the entrances every ten mins or so to stop the station getting too crowded. It's definitely worse the later in the afternoon/evening that you get, so perhaps you could go before lunch if you really wanted to go there.

Otherwise I'd say Marylebone High Street or Kensington High STreet (though I haven't been there recently so it might be manic at Christmas)

The Kings Road is always nice too, crowded but a gentle saunter along there finishing in Peter Jones is my preferred shopping experience. It's not going to rain tomorrow so why stay in a shopping centre?

Well it's fucking cold - that would partly sway me.

Going in and out of the shops from the freezing cold to warm/ hot shops makes me crabby. A shopping centre at least has a constant ambient temperature.

And Westfield has great shops for teenagers. Or so my teenager tells me.

Was it you going for a Vivienne Westwood dress at Liberty a while back Headfairy? Or am I getting mixed.

Oh that rings a bell Pag, you've got a cracking memory.

I've just been in to Westfield and it's pretty packed in there for a Friday lunch time. Strangely, there's quite a few school age kids in there. Dunno why. The ice rink is open now, but I think you have to book in advance for that.

I love the cold so going in and out of shops doesn't bother me. Somehow it feels more Christmassy stepping out of a shop in to frosty air.

We took DD to Westfield last Saturday and she loved it. Lots of shops she loved. It wasn't too heaving but did get busier after lunch.

Oxford Street's dead and empty. Westfield is horrible. King's Road suggestion sounds better.

I too hate Westfield with a passion (though of course I'm not a teenager) and Oxford St horrific from now to Christmas. High St Ken is fine, but a bit lacking in character unless you go off main road, eg to Kensington Church St.

Would definitely go for King's Rd, or perhaps Marylebone High St - but probably wider variety in King's Rd.

Covent Garden has lots of shops (also checkout the outdoor market there), or the Stratford shopping centre (like Westfield, but in the east of London) is compact and has a good mix of HS and upmarket.

It will be fine re tube, that crush is commuters.

She will want to be able to say she went to Topshop so I think you should go.
Do Topshop then walk down to Carnaby Street which is very hip again.
If you want a department store, walk to fenwicks from Carnaby st.
And then go down bond st for all the fab designer shops.

It's dry this weekend, you can do a shopping mall anywhere.

All of above is walkable. Also lunch around Carnaby st such as mother mash or pattiserie Valerie would be nice.

Oxford street will be absolutely fine until 12.30-1pm at the latest,it really doesn't get that bad until then-primark excluded though,I have walked into primark at marble arch at 10am and walked out again because if the queues etc.
Covent Garden definitely will be ok until about 1-2pm tomorrow,if you get there at 10am dead on it will be empty as shops don't open until then.
Shopping there is lovely now,great mix of high street and boutique and of course the Market which looks beautiful

Westfield is covered. Kings Road is lovely. Covent Garden for entertainers etc as well as shops. Avoid Oxford Street like the plague.

Kings Road is good; posh shops generally.

Islington isn't bad - I think they have an arcade, plus a good high street. There's actually a really good arcade in - I think - St Pancras station. Canary Wharf has excellent shops and eateries and may not be that bad on the weekend. Never been to Westfield Shepherds Bush but sure must be nice - certainly Stratford on the way out of the Olympic Park looked great! That's another Westfield. High Street Kensington, yes, that's pretty good.

shatteredDreams from now until Christmas I'd say the weekends are just as bad as the week days on Oxford Street.

Some kind of insanity struck us last year and because I have free parking on Regent Street for work we thought we'd drive up and go to Hamleys the weekend before Christmas. Oh. My. God.

Kings Road; and you can easily pop up to Harvey Nicks or Brompton Road from there.

Spittlefields market area is nice as well; not sure if they are open much on the weekend but the main roads in the City generally have some OK shops. Again there's not a bad arcade in Liverpool Street. Don't know if prices are hiked at transport hubs though?

Oh god, the entertainers, good point. Avoid Cov G.

I totally agree with Shattered. For a 13 yr old you can't beat TopShop and if you did it early enough it shouldn't be too bad. I was in there on Wednesday around 4 and it wasn't mad busy and there was no queue for the changing rooms. You could then head to Carnaby Street via Liberty's. And Kingly Court which is on Carnaby has loads of funky little shops.

Wherever you go, go early. Lunchtime onwards is absolute hell on Oxford street or at westfields this close to Christmas.

Bluewater was carnage last weekend. I'd rather Oxford st any day! At least you can walk away from it but still be going somewhere.

Westfield Stratford- I would steer clear of Oxford street, it will be heaving. They usually have a pedestrian only weekend in December on Oxford street- check when that is, it might be worth doing it then.

Don't think Spitalfields would appeal to a 13 year old.

Pedestrian only weekend was last week I think...

the primark on corner of tottenham court road and oxford street is very well laid out and each time I have been there minimal queuing!

yep. the new primark at the Tott Ct Rd end is faster and vast.

I would start at Toppers at 10, float down via coffee at Carluccio's behind it through H&M to new Primark, do TK in Charing X Road & then Cov Gdn. Or, post Carluccio's, down Regent St via Carnaby St.

Spitalfields is shut on a Sat, but it is genius for teens on Sun if you slip off to Upmarket and Downmarket in Brick Lane.