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Started By
Message
Anyone been to London recently?
Posted on 6/14/23 at 9:11 pm
Posted on 6/14/23 at 9:11 pm
Heading there in October
Staying at the St Ermins near Westminster
Spending 5 days.
Any recommendations?
Staying at the St Ermins near Westminster
Spending 5 days.
Any recommendations?
12
Posted on 6/14/23 at 9:17 pm to cbtullis
Mind the gap.
Posted on 6/14/23 at 9:32 pm to cbtullis
Beermondsey Beer Mile
Posted on 6/15/23 at 12:54 am to cbtullis
Watch out for quasi-terrorists of all types. Milk is murder (I wish I was kidding), religion of peace, yadda yadda. You're near a lot of landmarks that invite both protests, potential violence and general frickery. The Tik Tok crowd/Flash Mob tendencies have created a genre of sudden violence to be cool. It's not that different than a lot of European cities, but you must be aware of what is going on. Trafalgar square (because of the statue of Nelson) is a constant protest point. Sometimes it's peaceful "Free Tibet" stuff, but it's a gathering point for sure.
Everything can be fine, until it's not. Hoodie culture in UK/EU has made common property/violent crime more prevalent, and earlier, than it was before COVID gave everyone an excuse to wear a mask in the US. Even in NYC, I didn't see a dude assaulted and his laptop stolen at 7:30AM on a workday like I did in SoHo over some imagined slight. It was BLM/anti-colonial/blah blah territory before BLM existed.
Pay attention, and you will probably not be messed with. Stick your face in your phone, and be sure to come back to this thread and post photos of the damage. Or not, if you hold your phone at arm's length when you're taking pictures of stuff when teens in hoodies are walking by, etc. (You won't have a phone.)
On the not pessimistic side, the east bank of where you seem to be staying is full of river side bars and restaurants. Yet, that's nearly exactly where the "frick you, I'm Millwall" attack occurred. #OptimismFailed.
If the sun is out, just find one with a good view. I crossed seven? bridges in one walking day.
Stay on the outside of the bollards between the roadway and the walking area.
Otherwise, what is it you like? Do you want to hit the Brit Museum, arty stuff, Churchill's bunker?
I would for sure suggest finding any EPL football match and going if a gameday falls during your trip. There are a number of teams in London that might be playing at home (avoid Chelsea, cough cough). Pick the team with the best record you can, and take it in. Nobody in the SEC has a song book that's 209 pages long, but some in the EPL do, and it's fantastic. Carlsberg is horrible beer, but the noise is instructive to us Americans. Off the scale. At least an Anfield
Everything can be fine, until it's not. Hoodie culture in UK/EU has made common property/violent crime more prevalent, and earlier, than it was before COVID gave everyone an excuse to wear a mask in the US. Even in NYC, I didn't see a dude assaulted and his laptop stolen at 7:30AM on a workday like I did in SoHo over some imagined slight. It was BLM/anti-colonial/blah blah territory before BLM existed.
Pay attention, and you will probably not be messed with. Stick your face in your phone, and be sure to come back to this thread and post photos of the damage. Or not, if you hold your phone at arm's length when you're taking pictures of stuff when teens in hoodies are walking by, etc. (You won't have a phone.)
On the not pessimistic side, the east bank of where you seem to be staying is full of river side bars and restaurants. Yet, that's nearly exactly where the "frick you, I'm Millwall" attack occurred. #OptimismFailed.
If the sun is out, just find one with a good view. I crossed seven? bridges in one walking day.
Stay on the outside of the bollards between the roadway and the walking area.
Otherwise, what is it you like? Do you want to hit the Brit Museum, arty stuff, Churchill's bunker?
I would for sure suggest finding any EPL football match and going if a gameday falls during your trip. There are a number of teams in London that might be playing at home (avoid Chelsea, cough cough). Pick the team with the best record you can, and take it in. Nobody in the SEC has a song book that's 209 pages long, but some in the EPL do, and it's fantastic. Carlsberg is horrible beer, but the noise is instructive to us Americans. Off the scale. At least an Anfield
Posted on 6/15/23 at 5:25 am to cbtullis
Was there a couple of weeks ago. Really enjoyed the Mayflower Pub and took a bike tour around the city with Tally Ho tours. Fantastic city and weather was spectacular. 70 degree highs entire time I was there.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 9:10 am to cbtullis
Research which guided bus tour is best. Soon after arrival, hop on and take a loop of the city and see all the major sites at least once. That will help you get the lay of the land and decide which sites are/aren't worth coming back to and spending more time.
Go see a play. Book of Mormon is a hoot, and they've got many others to choose from. I don't mind the cheap seats; most of the theaters have good views from anywhere.
Go early to hot spots like Westminster Abbey and Tower of London. Lines/crowds can get bad later in the day.
You'll certainly learn to use the Tube, but don't overlook the buses. We would Tube out to a pub on the outskirts, then ride a bus back. It was slower but often went through neighborhoods that a tourist would otherwise never see.
Borough Market is fun to shop through and try some street food. Had my first sea urchin there, popped open on the spot. Portobello Road Market is another place for street food, but it's a way out and eats a lot of time for a person on their first visit to the city.
Some pubs worth looking for: The Museum Tavern (near the British Museum), Cittie of Yorke, Ye Old Mitre, Princess Louise, The Grenadier, Prospect of Whitby, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, St. Stephens (across from Parliament).
Citymapper app is great for telling you which train station, bus, etc. to take to get somewhere.
Go see a play. Book of Mormon is a hoot, and they've got many others to choose from. I don't mind the cheap seats; most of the theaters have good views from anywhere.
Go early to hot spots like Westminster Abbey and Tower of London. Lines/crowds can get bad later in the day.
You'll certainly learn to use the Tube, but don't overlook the buses. We would Tube out to a pub on the outskirts, then ride a bus back. It was slower but often went through neighborhoods that a tourist would otherwise never see.
Borough Market is fun to shop through and try some street food. Had my first sea urchin there, popped open on the spot. Portobello Road Market is another place for street food, but it's a way out and eats a lot of time for a person on their first visit to the city.
Some pubs worth looking for: The Museum Tavern (near the British Museum), Cittie of Yorke, Ye Old Mitre, Princess Louise, The Grenadier, Prospect of Whitby, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, St. Stephens (across from Parliament).
Citymapper app is great for telling you which train station, bus, etc. to take to get somewhere.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 10:26 am to cbtullis
quote:
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, St. Stephens (across from Parliament).
Second these. We were in St. Stephens when the bell rang calling members of Parliament to vote. About 10 men got up.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 8:33 pm to cbtullis
In London, do The Tower. But listen closely.
Buy the ticket for the earliest entry right when they open the gates. Tickets are based on entry time. GET THE FIRST ONE. Get there early, grab a coffee and pastry and get in line. The second they open the gate, haul arse straight to the back and see the Crown Jewels. DO NOT stop to look at anything. Just go straight to the Crown Jewels exhibit.
I did this and got to see the whole exhibit with a handful of people in the room and had time to read all the info. By the time I walked out, 30 mins later, there were lines that were an hour or more long. By beating that line, I had plenty of time for the rest of the tower. It's a great place.
Buy the ticket for the earliest entry right when they open the gates. Tickets are based on entry time. GET THE FIRST ONE. Get there early, grab a coffee and pastry and get in line. The second they open the gate, haul arse straight to the back and see the Crown Jewels. DO NOT stop to look at anything. Just go straight to the Crown Jewels exhibit.
I did this and got to see the whole exhibit with a handful of people in the room and had time to read all the info. By the time I walked out, 30 mins later, there were lines that were an hour or more long. By beating that line, I had plenty of time for the rest of the tower. It's a great place.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 9:16 pm to cbtullis
We went in March.
Enjoyed The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Jack the Ripper Museum. Kensington Palace and Kensington area (incl. Churchill Pub), Spitalfields market and Brick Lane area, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town secret bar, Sky Garden, Leadenhall Market, Westminster Abbey, Clos Maggiore restaurant, and Mouse Trap at St. Martin's Theatre.
Enjoyed The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Jack the Ripper Museum. Kensington Palace and Kensington area (incl. Churchill Pub), Spitalfields market and Brick Lane area, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town secret bar, Sky Garden, Leadenhall Market, Westminster Abbey, Clos Maggiore restaurant, and Mouse Trap at St. Martin's Theatre.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 10:18 pm to TigersMaul Bammers
If you do a museum do the Victoria & Albert Museum
Totally worth it
Totally worth it
Posted on 6/15/23 at 10:24 pm to cbtullis
I went over new years. We did a hop on hop of tour with big bus tours which was really cool. The Harry Potter and cursed child play was phenomenal and I’m not even a big potter fan. Amazing meal at Maggie Jones restaurant. Top notch Indian food all around the city if that’s your thing (it is mine ). Changing of the guards was kinda cool at buckingham palace but extremely crowded.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 11:35 pm to cbtullis
Some of the things we enjoyed in London:
High tea at Kensington Palace
Mary Poppins play in the Theater district
Churchill War Rooms
Westminster Abbey
Notting Hill subdivision
The restaurant Sketch if you want Instagram pics
Like someone above said, the Tube is efficient but the double decker bus is cool too because you can see more.
High tea at Kensington Palace
Mary Poppins play in the Theater district
Churchill War Rooms
Westminster Abbey
Notting Hill subdivision
The restaurant Sketch if you want Instagram pics
Like someone above said, the Tube is efficient but the double decker bus is cool too because you can see more.
Posted on 6/25/23 at 9:19 pm to cbtullis
Some of these have already been said, but my picks:
Parliament Tour - very cool, if you're into that kind of thing. You'll go on the floor of Commons and Lords if not in session. I stood right at the Dispatch Box.
Westminster Abbey
Cabinet (Churchill) War Rooms
Tower of London, but just go look at the jewels and leave. The rest is pretty meh.
British Museum - Rosetta Stone is here.
V&A Museum
Go to the Churchill Arms in South Ken for a pint, but also eat Thai Food in the restaurant in the back. Walk past the bar and go straight back to a small host stand to get your name on the list.
Shop at Harrod's and Liberty. Harrod's has a food hall which is a good place to visit. Also, shop at Fortnum & Masons, but high tea in the is great.
Eat at (any location) for fantastic Indian/Iranian fusion.
Borough Market is also a fun place to get street food for lunch. There is going to be a Thai Food stand there with a line. They are making tiny coconut pancakes. They are the best £5 you will spend.
Drink as much Extra Cold Guinness as humanly possible, since we can't get it over here.
Day trip to Windsor is easy by train. If you can be there in the evening, you can catch Evensong at St. George's which is pretty special.
Parliament Tour - very cool, if you're into that kind of thing. You'll go on the floor of Commons and Lords if not in session. I stood right at the Dispatch Box.
Westminster Abbey
Cabinet (Churchill) War Rooms
Tower of London, but just go look at the jewels and leave. The rest is pretty meh.
British Museum - Rosetta Stone is here.
V&A Museum
Go to the Churchill Arms in South Ken for a pint, but also eat Thai Food in the restaurant in the back. Walk past the bar and go straight back to a small host stand to get your name on the list.
Shop at Harrod's and Liberty. Harrod's has a food hall which is a good place to visit. Also, shop at Fortnum & Masons, but high tea in the is great.
Eat at (any location) for fantastic Indian/Iranian fusion.
Borough Market is also a fun place to get street food for lunch. There is going to be a Thai Food stand there with a line. They are making tiny coconut pancakes. They are the best £5 you will spend.
Drink as much Extra Cold Guinness as humanly possible, since we can't get it over here.
Day trip to Windsor is easy by train. If you can be there in the evening, you can catch Evensong at St. George's which is pretty special.
This post was edited on 6/25/23 at 9:21 pm
Posted on 6/26/23 at 10:24 am to lsualum98
Just got back on the day before Father's Day.
Pardon the pun, but London was not my cup of tea. It was very interesting to experience and see, but it was VERY big and urban, not Manhattan-style super dense urbanity, but just a whole lot of people.
The trip was more for my wife and 2 daughters-- in addition to the regular touristy things, they went shopping, saw a play, and caught Harry Styles at Wembley-- none of which I did.
(in spirit of Tiger Droppings "rules", here's your pic of them):
The air quality there must not be too good-- I am not allergic and never have had respiratory issues, but I sneezed and coughed more while in London than I did the in the whole first half of 2023. Not sure if it was a combo of riding in the tube so much, or the pollen from plants and trees I wasn't familiar with (London leaves a lot of its park greenspaces fallow/not mowed; lots of wildflowers and such). All four of us had such issues while there.
Another thing is that London is not as 'British' as I would have thought (or liked). Most people you deal with in restaurants, hotels, Uber drivers, bus drivers, pretty much any service occupations (even upscale ones like maître D's and hotel managers) and even lots of police were all of foreign descent-- and not just from former English colonies (India, Pakistan, West Indies, Kenya/Tanzania) but there were a lot of Europeans working there as well-- Italians and eastern Europeans--TONS of Polish workers.
Plus, like home, London was ridiculously woke and even more crazy for Pride Month:
I got tired of the urbanity of London and my wife and daughter's fascination with all things bougie and royal, so on the last day there caught a train down to Brighton, just to see some English countryside (I saw cows, sheep, horses and even DEER along the way) and to see and take a dip in the English Channel.
That being said, I did see a lot of touristy spots, including:
- Big Ben
- Parliament
- Westminster Abbey
- Tower Bridge
- Tower of London (didn't go in)
- Greenwich Park/observatory -- got to stand astride the prime meridian, 0 degrees longitude, in both the eastern and western hemispheres simultaneously).
- Kensington Palace/Kensington Gardens
- Royal Albert Hall
- Buckingham Palace
- Millennium Bridge
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Chelsea FC's stadium
- Marc Bolan's memorial
- filming sites in Richmond from Ted Lasso.
The good-- got and enjoyed some Cuban cigars. Had a lot of great meals-- The Wolseley, Ffiona's (great little hole in the wall in Kensington), Ivy Brasserie (they had several locations); La Terraza was right across the street and great for Italian, and Light of India down the street was also very good.
I also enjoyed just walking around the Kensington area by our hotel-- again more urban than I am used to (you can't find a single family house) but nicely done, lots of street trees, parks, and nicer housing.
Also, as a last minute thing one day I went to play golf at a public course (Richmond Park).
Turned out they were all booked up solid, but the guy there lent me some clubs so I could hit a bucket of balls at the range. They were so packed, I even had to wait for an open range stall behind 3 or 4 other folks.
Pardon the pun, but London was not my cup of tea. It was very interesting to experience and see, but it was VERY big and urban, not Manhattan-style super dense urbanity, but just a whole lot of people.
The trip was more for my wife and 2 daughters-- in addition to the regular touristy things, they went shopping, saw a play, and caught Harry Styles at Wembley-- none of which I did.
(in spirit of Tiger Droppings "rules", here's your pic of them
): The air quality there must not be too good-- I am not allergic and never have had respiratory issues, but I sneezed and coughed more while in London than I did the in the whole first half of 2023. Not sure if it was a combo of riding in the tube so much, or the pollen from plants and trees I wasn't familiar with (London leaves a lot of its park greenspaces fallow/not mowed; lots of wildflowers and such). All four of us had such issues while there.
Another thing is that London is not as 'British' as I would have thought (or liked). Most people you deal with in restaurants, hotels, Uber drivers, bus drivers, pretty much any service occupations (even upscale ones like maître D's and hotel managers) and even lots of police were all of foreign descent-- and not just from former English colonies (India, Pakistan, West Indies, Kenya/Tanzania) but there were a lot of Europeans working there as well-- Italians and eastern Europeans--TONS of Polish workers.
Plus, like home, London was ridiculously woke and even more crazy for Pride Month:
I got tired of the urbanity of London and my wife and daughter's fascination with all things bougie and royal, so on the last day there caught a train down to Brighton, just to see some English countryside (I saw cows, sheep, horses and even DEER along the way) and to see and take a dip in the English Channel.
That being said, I did see a lot of touristy spots, including:
- Big Ben
- Parliament
- Westminster Abbey
- Tower Bridge
- Tower of London (didn't go in)
- Greenwich Park/observatory -- got to stand astride the prime meridian, 0 degrees longitude, in both the eastern and western hemispheres simultaneously).
- Kensington Palace/Kensington Gardens
- Royal Albert Hall
- Buckingham Palace
- Millennium Bridge
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Chelsea FC's stadium
- Marc Bolan's memorial
- filming sites in Richmond from Ted Lasso.
The good-- got and enjoyed some Cuban cigars. Had a lot of great meals-- The Wolseley, Ffiona's (great little hole in the wall in Kensington), Ivy Brasserie (they had several locations); La Terraza was right across the street and great for Italian, and Light of India down the street was also very good.
quote:Wife and daughters went there for high tea. I passed.
The restaurant Sketch if you want Instagram pics
I also enjoyed just walking around the Kensington area by our hotel-- again more urban than I am used to (you can't find a single family house) but nicely done, lots of street trees, parks, and nicer housing.
Also, as a last minute thing one day I went to play golf at a public course (Richmond Park).
Turned out they were all booked up solid, but the guy there lent me some clubs so I could hit a bucket of balls at the range. They were so packed, I even had to wait for an open range stall behind 3 or 4 other folks.
This post was edited on 6/26/23 at 10:27 am
Posted on 6/26/23 at 8:52 pm to cbtullis
Went in April. Harrod’s at least once. A play at West End. Indian food. If there’s a musical event at O2 go. Notting Hill is great. Hyde and Green Park. Soho. Cabs in London are plentiful and very nice. The tube is as well.
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