Pretending to be a local in London

[NewZealandintherain]

Where should we go? It’s just my husband and I.

We like walking/people watching/little boutiques/vintage/nice pubs and history. What is Highgate like? I fancy visiting the cemetery. Also East London? I liked Shoreditch/Brick Lane when I last went.

Any tips would be great! Thanks 🤩

@UnstableEquilibrium
That is part of the charm, there are residents in Soho, just not that many, how lovely to have the opportunity to be one. Also Soho is very quiet in the mornings and some parts never get that busy, there are no tube stations or bus routes. Soho is for the strong!

As a zone 1 West Londoner, I absolutely love Clerkenwell, and the Zetter used to have a great bar, pre-covid, anyway. It's a great jumping off point for exploring east (my suggestions are further up in the thread). Personally, I'd avoid Soho (rammed with tourists these days) and Kensington/Chelsea (bland and boring). Marylebone is lovely but rapidly becoming samey with all the other high streets, although La Fromagerie is always worth a stop. If you really want to live like a Londoner, you'd probably be heading over that way for a dentist appointment 😂. Alternatively, Marylebone is walkable to Fitzrovia/Bloomsbury in one direction and Primrose Hill/St John's Wood or Notting Hill in the other. There's also a Zetter not far from Marylebone.

Editing to add - I agree with the pp that Soho is great very early morning, before the city wakes up.

Hope you have a great time, OP!

Wow this is brilliant thanks all! I’ve already stayed in Marylebone and my DH used to work in Jermyn Street so he wants to be away from that area. Stayed in Soho before so want to explore somewhere new. Really looking forward to this. Thanks all you generous people!

@Notgoodatpoetrybutgreatatlit just realised you think I’m in NZ. I’m not! I’m in Scotland!

If you get a chance please visit more of East London

London Fields
Victoria Park (has a nice market on Sunday’s too)
De Beauvoir Town - I love this area it’s really pretty and you’re also near Dalston (lots of cool bars), Haggerston and Angel
Broadway market and Columbia flower market

Brixton

Walk all round the market (lots of independent shops) have a curry in Fish, Wings and Tings, include Brixton Village, Market Row and Brixton Station Toad, walk along Electric Avenue, Atlantic Road, Coldharbour Lane,see the Bowie mural, the famous mural alongside Brixton House Theatre, Black Cultural Archives, the iconic Ritzy Cinema… check the mural over the entrance to the tube .

Walk down to Brockwell Park (stop for a drink at Effra Social) , stroll up to the top of the hill, great views, stop at the Lido Cafe and watch the swimmers in the Lido, , stroll to Herne Hill station for your train back.

Dulwich Village with its lovely houses and art gallery, plus park to wander through.

@NewZealandintherain
How stupid am I. There is even a clue in your user name. It's like Tinsel Town in the rain.
The same applies though Soho is still wonderful. Also are you getting the train down? If you do you can catch a bus to Soho from King's Cross or Euston. You can get a cab if you wanted to of course. How lovely to live in Scotland you are so lucky.

Victoria Park is the best for people watching! You could start walking from Bricklane (lots of vintage clothes shops - inc the massive Atika), or from Redchurch Street (little boutiques, plus Brat / Lyles, excellent restaurants), up Columbia Road, then along the canal to Victoria park.

Hampstead is a little more picturesque / impressive than Highgate, but both are great, and definitely visit Highgate Cemetary. Jin Kichi in Hampstead is one of my fave restaurants, great to sit at the yakitori grill - book as they get busy even during weekday lunch.
There's a v good walking tour of Hampstead - www.walks.com/our-walks/old-hampstead-village-walking-tour/ .
The southern bit of Waterlow park, right next to Highgate Cemetery is interesting on the weekends - it gets taken over by families doing BBQ's, which is a rare sight in London. Also worth popping into the charity shops in these wealthy areas!

If you're here in the summer or like cold swimming the Hampstead ladies pond is beautiful (need to pre-book from Spring). The mixed ponds are not quite as nice, but your partner could go to the men's ponds and you go to the ladies if you need a break from each other haha!

I'd say Clerkenwell is a fine base - Farringdon is on the speedy Elizabeth line. Lots of good food options - Bouchon Racine, Quality Chop House / Quality Wines, the original St Johns, Scotti's Snack Bar. Exmouth Market is a v cute street / good people watching. Also close to Sadlers Wells, and the Barbican (the architecture tour of the Barbican is interesting).

Primrose Hill has a cute high street, then you can walk down the hill and West along the canal to Little Venice. Along the way there’s Alfie’s Antique Market which is huge, full of character, and definitely off the tourist trail! Check opening times.

Portabello is v busy and touristy, however, the north bit around Golborne Road has less tourists and more character (and Trellick Tower of architectural interest). There are great antique arcades in basements on Portabello road north of Chepstow Villas, that the tourists don’t notice as they keep to the stalls outside. (arcades open on Saturdays)
The Museum Of Brands & Packaging is nearby, which I love for the nostalgia.

Use City Mapper for getting around, and don’t try to do too much in one day - it can get knackering!

Loving the ideas in this thread for next time I visit London. Thanks for starting it OP.

There is now a Dean Street exit from the Tottenham Court Road station Elizabeth Line. So, not technically a tube, but it removes the disconnected feel Soho had before.

Portabello is v busy and touristy, however, the north bit around Golborne Road has less tourists and more character (and Trellick Tower of architectural interest). There are great antique arcades in basements on Portabello road north of Chepstow Villas, that the tourists don’t notice as they keep to the stalls outside. (arcades open on Saturdays)
The Museum Of Brands & Packaging is nearby, which I love for the nostalgia.

And as an FYI, if anyone is into vintage (or has teens who are), the very top end of Portobello, after it's crossed over Golborne, is absolutely wall to wall vintage shops these days. And the croissants at Layla are pretty hard to resist https://laylabakery.com

@JustHoldOnOneMinute
Omg the first rule of Dean Street exit is that you tell no one about Dean Street exit. It's word of mouth only! I can't believe you broke the first rule.

F

You can “watch the thread” instead of typing “F”

This is turning out to be a fantastic source of information! I think I’ll do another trip on the back of these tips. Thanks again.

Definitely recommend Hampstead. A wonderful place to wander around.

Plenty of nice pubs to try out, particularly the Holly Bush, and the Duke of Hamilton.

I don't know what you're looking for in terms of a hotel, but there's a Premier Inn down South Hampstead, towards Finchley Road. If I were feeling adventurous, I might be tempted to try the King William IV pub with rooms.