London neighborhoods

[maa9144]

I am coming from New York City with my sister for a one week vacation to London in early June. I am less interested in doing touristy things such as buckingham palace and instead would like to explore cool neighborhoods in London. Can you kind ladies please give me recommendations for neighborhoods and things to see while there?. Restaurant recommendations would also be appreciated as would recommendations for hotels no more than $500 a night. Thanks so much

Camden is quite interesting in parts and so is the Portobello road market.

Have you googled anything?

Thanks for responding. So far I think I want to go to Camden town, isling ton and noting hill

Hoxton, Spitalfields

Sounds like a good selection. Soho is quite vibrant at night and a little quirky. Hope you have fun, London is a great city.

Just my final tip, if you will be using the tube (subway?) download a tube app onto your phone before you come, you will get tutted at by thousands of londoners if you stop on the platform to use the maps!! Tube app is brilliant

I was going to suggest Camden too. Go to the Worlds end pub. It's always a great night.

I'd head out to Shoreditch too, and probably Brick Lane and Spitalfields.

Chiswick is full of nice restaurants and bars but more residential. Clapham is also good for that type of thing.

Greenwich has more touristy stuff too but it's got a good feel.

I would also recommend a walk round the City area on a week day when it's really busy and do St Paul's and the Milllennium bridge and Tate Modern if you do want to see a few sights.

In terms of hotels, you have a decent nudge so I'd look at places like The Soho.

King's Road

Thanks to all who preponderance so far. KepekCrumbs you rock!!!!

Meant responded so far!

Walk from London fields to Columbia rd flower market, my favourite bit on London

Have fun :)

South bank is always interesting, although not really a neighbourhood. (Side note, there's a website where you can check when Tower Bridge is going to open. I took a visiting American friend there at a scheduled time, and convinced him that as a London resident, I had the right to request a bridge opening once a year, heh heh heh)

You may want to look at onefinestay, it rents out amazing apartments when owners are away and the tag line is 'live like a local', you get loads of tips from the owners about best places for pretty much anything in the area.

I would look at Camden/Primrose Hill too, the two are right next to each other but chalk and cheese (one very buzzy and packed with tourists, the other beautiful and chi chi, celeb heaven, nice shops and cafés). More choice of great places to eat and drink than you would believe. Lovely open space in Primrose Hill/Regents Park. From there you are within easy reach (you could walk) of Hampstead, Marylebone, the West End, or short bus ride to Islington, Southbank, Soho and Covent Garden or Notting Hill - a tube to anywhere central is unlikely to take more than 30mins, that would be to somewhere like South Kensington.

Spitalfields is nice to hang out, find a bite to eat. Go to Dennis Server's House for a truly chilling slice of London history.

Google Street Art tours around Shoreditch/Old Street are good.

I work in Camden and it is a bit grotty but the foodmarket is fun during the week. And if you need anything in fluorescent rubber, you are probably in the right palace.

You can walk up the canal from Camden to Primrose Hill in about 15 minutes. I like this because of the complete contrast between the two. From there you can take a walk up Parliament Hill and take in the amazing views of the city.

What kind of stuff do you like doing in New York?

There are so many great neighbourhoods to explore in London, I'm not sure which to recommend first, as it depends what you're into really.

Maybe have a look at Time Out London.

Thanks so much everyone. I love parks, museums, people watching and shopping. I love the west village and Brooklyn heights/cobble hill area in NYC

Museum of London is great.

Take the docklands light railway to Canary Wharf and then onwards to Greenwich. Greenwich park is great , you can see the meridian line, the observatory and the national maritime museum. Try Drings for sausage and mash and Royal tea on Royal Hill-a quirky venue for tea and cake.

I second Columbia Road flower market too.

British museum is great as is the V and A museum. All museums are free.

Take in a visit to the Old Bailey and sit in on a trial-no mobile phones allowed though.

Primrose Hill and Hampstead Heath

I could go on...........

for something a bit different but fascinating try Dennis Severs House. It's in Spitalfields and is a fascinating visit.

The hop on/off river taxies are fantastic - you can cover a lot of ground with a day pass. Get the cable car across the river from O2 and back - cheap on a Oyster card (you'll have one of those for public transport).

Book a table in the restaurant at Tate Modern for a meal with breathtaking views of London. The South Bank is elf is a great day out and the London Eye is fantastic.

Check out Time Out online for gigs, plays etc you can book in advance.

Oh MichaelFlanagan I was thinking Columbia Road too. Has to be a Sunday morning earlyish when the flower market's going on :)

Battersea has a beautiful park and the power station is a sight to behold. Pimlico is lovely and just going for a walk along the Thames path is fabulous. Echo comments on Clapham, Brixton and Balham, lived around there for years and had an amazing time.

I was going to suggest London Fields...

Hiya,

What a beautiful time to come and visit London. I live in North London so recommendations may be a little this side of the river......

-restaurants duck and waffle in heron tower -pricey but lovely views and great interior, mem and laz and Gallipoli for cheap eats along upper st in islington, banners in crouch end for good grub if you are up north.

• lovely things to do : watch a performance in regents park open air theatre, see if there are any concerts on the lake at kenwood house, walk around Hyde park, Colombia rd market on a Sunday, Broadway market on a Saturday, clissold park and cafe then a stroll down church st ( possibly eat in yum yums! In stoke newington). Go to the Albert hall for a show if you can afford it.go to Ronnie Scott's for some fab jazz, lovely food and very atmospheric night out (pricey though...)

• best galleries - serpentine, tate modern, saatchi gallery and Hayward.
• best museums - British museum, v&a, natural history and science museum (the last 3 are all in walking distance of each other)

I would steer clear of camden unless you have a spare hour to look round, I work there and it can be a bit grotty unless you want some market goods.

Love St. Paul's cathedral, tate modern and design museum walk (all closeish together too)

Only hotel I know is hotel Hoxton. www.hoxtonhotels.com
Don't get to stay in hotels much due to £ and have a house here!

Get a timeout mag as soon as you get here or look online - they list everything!

Get an Oyster card for the tube so can can travel cheaply, a week long travel card would be best.

Please feel free to ask any more questions or query anything. Us Londoners can be a very friendly bunch so ask away and I hope you have a welcoming and sunny (here's hoping) stay!

1st walk as much as possible and step 1 street back from the main drag. Take a tube to high gate and walk across the heath to Hampstead. Walk down the canal from Regents park to Camden lock. Take a walk around back streets south Kensington or knights bridge (smart areas). Geffrye museum. For a culteral experiance curry inSouthall . Look at a website called off west end for pub theatres and alternative venues.
London is a very access able city and hard to get lost as you are never far from a bus stop or tube which will take you back to somewhere you know, but bring comfortable shoes.

Thanks so much to everyone who responded so far. Special thanks to woody31 and Mary21 and the person who recommended soho hotel- we will be staying there. Woody31 will we be easily able to do the things you suggest staying in soho?. Thanks again and would love to hear from others. Also my sister would like us to venture out to the countryside for one day. Any recommendations for this including a hotel to stay there if we need to stay overnight?. Thanks so much and you guys are awesome!

Winchester is lovely, beautiful cathedral. The Black Rat restaurant and Black Boy pub just across the road are fantastic. Just 2 miles outside is Lainston House a lovely English country house hotel. Also consider Calcot Manor if you fancy the Cotswolds.