Myself and 14 year old son trip to London, what do we do during the evenings?

[Confused92739572]

Im taking my son to London for 5 nights next week. I have tickets booked to the attractions and an itinerary planned but will only take me up to about 5pm
What do we do after that time? I must admit I feel slightly vulnerable and dont know if i will feel safe after a certain time.
But also dont want to be stuck in a travelodge room with him from that early either.
We are staying in tower bridge area. Area looks abit sketchy. Want to get a taxi back to the hotel each evening.
Am I being silly? Any ideas of things to do? We will eat during the day so won't want to go out for an evening meal and he won't be interested in seeing a show

Lots of good ideas.

Specifically sign up to Central Tickets and Show Film First.

They send daily emails for that night or the following nights offering cheap tickets to all sorts of things - not just shows but night time experiences or events or exhibitions or talks or music. All sorts. Often from just £5.

Good idea to take some cards or travel games you can play in open spaces - like barbican or Southbank centre, late cafes at museums etc. definitely don't stay in. Even if you're just playing cards in amongst people it'll be more fun than a hotel room

Also London has great cinemas! Check out The Prince Charles cinema for cheaper quirkier stuff

Yep @EasternSkies has it – a trip to the ticket office at Euston is indicated. Bit of a ballache but worth it for the savings you will make on his fares over five days.

Oooh @Bigroundhead The Prince Charles Cinema that's a good memory! First viewing of Reservoir Dogs for £1.99. A while ago mind!

Not sure when you're staying op but late at Tate is on next week on Friday evening
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tate-modern-lates

Prince Charles cinema https://princecharlescinema.com/

You’ll be fine, it’s London not Baghdad.

Scroll down in this page to find out about Young Visitor Discount https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/visitor-oyster-card

I’m. Ot sure whether you really have to get the Oyster card in advance.

Lots of good ideas posted above.
Definitely eat out - our DSs have always loved Chinatown, also you are going to be close to Borough Market, there are some good restaurants in there - have a look on Google Maps, it’s a nice area to be in and much easier to navigate in the evening, it’s too busy during the day. (Area just south of London Bridge, West of London Bridge station and behind Southwark cathedral.).
it’s very safe where you will be staying, don’t worry about being out around there as you go back to the hotel,

Tate and some of the other art galleries are open late on Friday evening, sometimes they have live music playing. It’s worth looking on their websites. You can easily walk back from Tate Modern.
As others have said, do go to a play or a show.
have a look at what’s on at the Bridge Theatre. It’s close to where you’re staying and has some fantastic productions. It’s also a wonderful design, with most productions done “in the round” - seats on all sides.

We did the immersive war of the worlds mentioned above with our sons about 4 years ago. It was good.

Also, what about stand up comedy? Often fairly good value.

There’s loads to see just walking around near the Tower Bridge area, and it felt very safe even when dark. Lots of places to eat or just have a drink, good views and people watching.
Walking along the South Bank is also noce

We are here now. Had a lovely first day, stayed around tower bridge area both sides. Did river cruise. Had lovely cocktails at st Katherine's docks this evening. Back in the room now 10pm absolutely exhausted. Looking forward to tomorrow

EXCELLENT

And delighted that you have enjoyed an evening on the tiles

Oh that sounds brilliant @Confused92739572Have a lovely day tomorrow.

Amazing update!! Can’t wait for the rest of the week.

I’m so pleased you’re having a grand time!

We went last week and I don’t think anyone’s mentioned the public performance part of Evita at the Palladium for the next few weeks? If you don’t mind hanging around for a little while, around 9pm Rachel Zegler will come out and sing Don’t Cry for Me Argentina to the crowd from the balcony. (Well, we saw her understudy but it was still thrilling). A crowd of a few hundred people will gather and it’s really good natured and worth the wait.

That’s an idea - and reminds me that I saw the original show sometime between 1978 and 1980, with Elaine Paige as Eva Peron.

@Confused92739572 (who’ll be too busy to read this) at that time I was in my late teens and living alone in London. (Without the camaraderie of uni mates.) I went everywhere! Except clubs, which weren’t my thing. Turned up at the cheap tickets booth at least twice a week and saw countless plays and shows everywhere from Hampstead to Balham. Took myself out for fancy (but thrifty) dinners. Haunted Harvey Nichols with £10 in my pocket. I loved being able to wander around Notting Hill or Piccadilly late at night, feeling perfectly safe. Very different from my Home Counties childhood where shops closed at 5.30 and everyone was safely home by 7.30 pm.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

You can go to the theatre
or to Westfield Stratford where they have lots of things to do like bowling or mini golf
you could do the London eye or walk along southbank in the evening
second the Thames clipper boat - get it to Battersea power station for dinner and back
Dinner and a walk around Hayes galleria
it’s not dodgy round there and will have lots of food traffic

@MissPrismsMistake that sounds a bit like my 80s. I moved to London from rural Somerset in '82 and thought I'd died and gone to heaven.
Still living a slightly slowed down version of that. I bloody love London.

I still love London for doing something specific, but day to day I’m very happy in a busy city where I don’t need to use the Tube!

We are home! Absolutely exhausted but we did everything I wanted to and more! Saw so much! Hotel was fab and the location no problem, as someone had previously said the area was always bus , not a ghost town how it looked on street view. We didn't have any problems and felt safe the whole time.
We used uber mostly and very glad we did as we saw so much whilst on the journeys, and went through lots of different areas that we weren't visiting directly. Have made some amazing memories and wouldn't hesitate to go again

Glad you both had a good time.

Sounds brilliant @Confused92739572

I am so pleased you had a great time

and a lesson for ALL of us to remember that Google street view pictures are taken at VERY quiet times of day
(so maniacs do not prat about in front of the cars)

See also Times Square and Trafalgar Square and the Arc de Triomphe

Op so glad you had fun!!