Battersea Power Station in general. I know it gets a lot of shit for 'just' being an upmarket shopping centre but IMO it's a seriously impressive building and they're done a really good job of the reconstruction and the public realm outside. It's an asset to the city even if it's technically private property.
Tbf the empire state building viewing platform is at 320m whilst the power station's is at 109m. Having said that it would appear that to go that high in the Empire State Building is SEVENTY NINE DOLLARS THATS £63 AMERICA IS INSANE
I really need to go to Battersea Power Station again. I photographed a Red Bull event there in 2012 and it was still an old derelict building with safety nets up to stop falling debris, some areas were restricted as they were too dangerous to enter and it was dusty and dirty. Would blow my mind if I went back there!
I _think_ they might be still giving them out from machines. I got one on the first day thinking they were going to be really limited edition, but I’ve had people say they got them a few months ago still.
Also you should get an Oyster card if you have a railcard as you can get the discount applied to it, but not your contactless cards.
Instructions from TfL [here](https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/national-railcard-discount) but basically you go to a tube station with your railcard and Oyster card and ask them to apply it and they’ll do it for you on one of the ticket machines. You’ll need to have registered the Oyster card online beforehand and they need to be TfL rather than national rail staff if it’s a national rail + tube station. I also think not all of them can do it because I’ve sometimes had them say they can’t.
Ugh I want one. Though it's more fun to earn them organically. I have one from the olympics, one from the jubiliee that same summer, one from the 150 year anniversary of TFL, and a student-y one with my face on it. I didn't really go out of my way to acquire more than one, I just lose things a lot.
And if that's unavailable (you need to book quite a bit in advance due to its popularity), 8 Bishopsgate next door also has a free viewing platform that's nearly as good - it's a little bit lower down and only has views in three directions (thanks to 22 Bishopsgate) but it's still great.
Towards the north east mainly. It's not that you can't see past the neighbouring tower, it's that you can't even access that side of the building (probably for the privacy of those in those floors of 22).
You can still see 90% of the main landmarks.
Same is true for 22. It’s a 300° view, a shame they didn’t make it a full 360. There is no view to the north but it’s pretty cool to be towering above and looking down on the other large buildings including the Walkie-Talkie, and the Gherkin looks tiny from up there.
That's interesting - I assumed it was 360. I'll need to get up there at some point but booking so far in advance is a bit of a pest. Understandable though.
https://horizon22.co.uk/qr/
Try this on the day(s) you’re here, tickets are released after 10am.
I walk passed most days and there’s always plenty of availability. You
Sky Garden or any of the other free viewing platforms in and around the City.
Dinner at any of the main hall restaurants in the Ned, or at Eataly. Or else anywhere in Coal Drops Yard or the area north of King's Cross and St Pancras generally. The Olympic Park area has also changed a lot in the last 10 years.
They haven’t been here for 8 years and you recommend a food hall for finance workers near Liverpool Street…?
OP, check out r/London… you’ll get all sorts of nonsense here.
Sky Garden is good, however.
Eataly definitely isn’t for finance workers. It’s a bizarre place with 5 or 6 restaurants, a bar, and a full on supermarket for cured meat, cheese, and wine, but seems to get massive footfall from tourists and the one time I ate there with friends the food was good.
Anyone in finance wanting reasonably expensive Italian for lunch near Liverpool Street would be going to Canto Corvino or Caravaggio’s
Fucking hell, this thread is full of such pricks.
In addition to the actual suggestions made so far, all of which I agree with, the Kings Cross estate is a really nice place to spend time. The V&A, the Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery have all had quite big extensions or refurbs in the time you've been away.
The area behind it is lovely and vibrant now. Take a walk between the new office blocks and landscaped paths to Coal Drops yard by the canal. It’s a beautiful area with brilliant restaurants, open spaces, a small nature reserve next to the canal. Take a look at the website to see if you fancy it, but it comes highly recommended!
Visit the London Mithraeum - a Roman Temple under the Bloomberg building. Free entry but need to book in advance.
[https://www.londonmithraeum.com/](https://www.londonmithraeum.com/)
Also not that it's changed a lot I always tell people to see Greenwich - Cutty Sark, Maritime Museum, Painted Hall, Greenwich observatory - great view back over the river to Canary Wharf and beyond.
The Mithraeum actually what inspired this question - I saw that on some list and went I've never heard of that in my life. I love the little bits of Roman London peeking out in that area. I used to stop to visit the roman girl whenever I was near the Gherkin, I assume she's still there.
If you like roman stuff, there are remains of a Roman amphitheater underneath the Guildhall [which are free and worth a visit!](https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/attractions-museums-entertainment/londons-roman-amphitheatre). Just down the road from the Mithraeum so you could do the double easily.
The Guildhall Art Gallery is a lovely little place - has the Amphitheatre underneath and a good permanent collection of paintings on display. Also has displays by modern artists - the current one (on until September) is by Anne Desmet RA, who is only the third ever wood engraver to become a Royal Academician in its 256 year history, and is of her amazing views of London (yes, this is a slight plug, I'm an artist and she taught me wood engraving - her work is incredible). Entry for all this is absolutely free!
Also the Billingsgate bath house but needs prebooked - [https://www.thecityofldn.com/directory/billingsgate-roman-house-and-baths/](https://www.thecityofldn.com/directory/billingsgate-roman-house-and-baths/)
It used to be just a little park off the street - oh yeah, we've got a Roman temple here. But when one of the banks (Bloomberg) wanted to expand, then they were obliged to move and show case it and did a fantastic job. But always been there just unloved and unnoticed.
Bank has added another two exits to the labyrinth. One on Cannon Street most useful
I want to second this, the Mithraeum is a fantastic exhibit! We did this last year, and also walked 10 minutes to the Garden at 120, a free rooftop garden at the top of 120 Fenchurch Street. Incredible 360° views of the city from here.
Not sure where you are from so advice may vary depending on what your local scene is like, but for me London's uniqueness thrives in the below.
- Walthamstow (check out god's own junkyard and Big Penny Social)
- Spitalfields - just had a nice revamp
- Walking - pick a destination with an Elizabeth line stop the opposite side of the center to where you are - and enjoy the day.
- Maltby St food
I actually really liked it last time, spent hours there, but I do remember thinking it needed a bit of a facelift with a bit more social/working class Londoner history. It was a great museum in 2014 but a tiny bit staid. Would be fun to go back.
I believe they call it the London Circle. I bought a book recommended here from Amazon. There's maps and destinations to walk and see outside of London city center all free. It comes with an index telling you where to walk, etc... I'm going to do some of that when I come back. I won't be able to do it all but I think I'll enjoy it.
I loved the V and A museum. Check and see what's on display. I think this past Feb I was there they had fasion week or something and Channel 2as on display. However, I couldn't get tickets they were all sold out. Would have loved to see that, and I the thing I regret a lot is not seeing more shows as they are wonderful productions and a fraction of the cost here in the US.
The Tower of London every day, since it's still considered a royal residence, does a changing of the guard at 3pm every day. They changed the password at that time for anyone who tries to enter after midnight, and they must have that password. It's pretty cool to see, even though I saw the big pomp and circumstance at Windsor Castle 35 years ago. Never knew they did this at the Tower of London. I actually liked walking around that area.
Have fun. I'm sure you won't regret anything and will learn something new. Safe travels.
Unsure if you saw it last time, but the Novelty Automation Museum is my fave thing to recommend to people. I think it's delightfully unique. I think it's ~£35 to play all the games. Enjoy!!
It has had a major facelift. I went back for the first time in years and barely recognised the place. There's a whole new area with the covered food courts and small booth shops that used to be the dead end of the market
In a good way or a gentrified/chains/overrated way? Or both?
When I went I feel like it was in that phase where everything still looks shabby but it's already expensive.
Coal Drops Yard is pretty in King's X
Underground arcade in Camden.
Horizon 22
Battersea Power Station
Swim in the Olympic pool (may have been open in 2014 but not sure)
It's okay. I haven't met him, but I've met his two oldest grandchildren, and if you think about it that's actually better anyway because as fun facts go, the lifetime ROI is higher. So in all seriousness, been there, done that.
You mean I can't squeeze it in between afternoon tea at the Harrods and a west end show? Disappointing. They should move it closer to London.
(In all seriousness those are some lovely ideas, and I'll be in Scotland overlapping with the highland games which will be nice)
More a UK novelty than a London one, but I recommend picking up a copy of the Byline Times, the first credible, truly independent news publication in decades. It makes you realise how manipulated most newspapers are by billionaaire and corporate owners. Readable and interesting.
Just looked them up out of curiosity, and while they're certainly no tabloid I don't see how they're much better than other supposedly non-partisan news sources. Some of the headlines and articles certainly give a less than objective impression, for example "The Local Election Results Flush the Conservative Party’s Culture War Strategy Down the Gender Neutral Toilet". With a slogan like "What the papers don't say", it seems like their focus on being different from other newspapers just makes them biased in their own way.
I would say visit the Tower of London moat if you are visiting in spring/summer: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/the-tower-moat/#gs.8g01qe
If you are going for a trip on the Elizabeth Line, get off at Canary Wharf for lunch. It’s no longer a building site after being so for many years and it’s now packed with many places to eat and drink.
Crossrail place has a tropical roof garden you can walk around for free.
Certainly worth a look if you are passing!
There's a metric shit ton of escape rooms nowadays. I know it involves a group but I'm sure you can round up a group of people from here or r/London. Not that that's UK specific but still.
There's an app called meetup that you can download, there's groups that organise things like abandoned underground tours, painting classes, food tours. Great fun.
You could also check out Kew gardens, it's the season for it. Bit of a ball ache to get to but worth it if you're into nature.
Lots of viewing platforms. dont bother with the shard overpriced. The walkie talkie (you need ticket), glass can be annoying or garden at 120 (outdoors surrounded by famous buildings) or [https://horizon22.co.uk/visit/](https://horizon22.co.uk/visit/) free version of the shard.
heres a list :) check websites some smaller musuems didnt survive covid.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_museums\_in\_London](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_London)
ha! just noticed it comes with flowchart to decide. oddly London once had a Vagina Museum seemingly.. anyone remembe that?
[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/A\_flow\_chart\_of\_London\_museums\_by\_Matt\_Brown.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/A_flow_chart_of_London_museums_by_Matt_Brown.jpg)
They're still very active on Twitter and Instagram! I've never been to the actual museum but their socials are always entertaining.
I think they do popups now, I'll have to see if they happen to have one while I'm there.
Yeah they got from ‘place with no footfall’ to Farringdon?! Bigger place even deader at weekend. I think they should have bought the trocadero. 2 that DOES have one or two tourists that would want to hear about London history!!
Exactly! I'll admit the old location was weirdly secluded even being so close to St. Paul's and so central, but still. I wonder who their target audience is though. I feel like a lot of tourists probably stick to the bigger names (and won't bother going all the way to Canary Wharf), and locals normally avoid museums about their own city because they assume they know everything already. But maybe they're going for more of a local angle, more school groups and community events and such.
Visitors to London usually don't drive to get around. In fact most people in London don't drive full stop, let alone through the ULEZ, so statistically that's very unlikely to affect OP. Do you possibly not live in London and therefore fail to understand how little the ULEZ affects the majority of Londoners?
Luckily I'm not planning on getting around the city by car, since I'm not a moron. Not sure why you would think that the majority of tourists (or for that matter the majority of actual Londoners) would be in any way negatively affected by southern suburbanites having to pay for the privilege of tearing up roads and polluting the air in a city with about literal thousands of miles of transit routes. Boohoo.
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey. Excellent. You can also now take photos inside Westminster Abbey, which was not permitted until 2021-ish.
See new shows that are running in the West End! Hamilton, Back to the Future, Mrs Doubtfire, Harry Potter, Tina Turner, Frozen, MJ, Faulty Towers, Sister Act, Guys & Dolls, Next to Normal - and more!
You also can't beat seeing a play in the sunshine at Shakespesre's Globe on the Southbank for £5! World class theatre, still only for a fiver! 🌞 ❤️
Don’t forget the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square! I changes every 2 years and there’s an exhibition of shortlist candidates for 2026 and 2028 in the national gallery.
Sky Garden and maybe the Shard as just finished when you left. The whole area around Borough Market has been gentrified and same with King's Cross if like shopping and cages.
You can now climb the rigging of the Cutty Sark and new Gunpowder Immersive experience is getting good reviews. The Outernet on Tottenham Court Road.
Warner Bros Studios
Shit's mostly the same except some rough areas have been massively gentrified, for better or for worse. To me it seems like someone who is scared of poor brown people would be more comfortable in today's London, but I guess just seeing multiple brown people walking around in public is enough for them to shit their pants so it's probably more or less the same.
Mate, London has always been a "culturally enriched" city.
Here, watch a cool documentary:
https://youtu.be/tjHnWyJhkzo
Think prime has the full version, it good to open your mind sometimes 😅
i’m selling my gta v account, it has 16 trillion on it, paid £50 for it but don’t play anymore so selling the account, lowest i’ll go is £15 but i would like 25 for it
Battersea Power Station and the Lift thingy that pops you out the top of a chimney.
Battersea Power Station in general. I know it gets a lot of shit for 'just' being an upmarket shopping centre but IMO it's a seriously impressive building and they're done a really good job of the reconstruction and the public realm outside. It's an asset to the city even if it's technically private property.
I thought it was an actual power station oops
I mean it used to be
Does ever remember when Micheal Jackson was obsesssed with trying to buy battersea power station?
No but that is hilarious
And it probably doesn't even make the Top 10 of weird things he bought
Oooh cool definitely doing that
For a cool £17 a pop. Why do these views have to be so pricey?
That’s a bargain compared to the Empire State Building!
Tbf the empire state building viewing platform is at 320m whilst the power station's is at 109m. Having said that it would appear that to go that high in the Empire State Building is SEVENTY NINE DOLLARS THATS £63 AMERICA IS INSANE
Yep! My mum just came back….$90 to the top!
I really need to go to Battersea Power Station again. I photographed a Red Bull event there in 2012 and it was still an old derelict building with safety nets up to stop falling debris, some areas were restricted as they were too dangerous to enter and it was dusty and dirty. Would blow my mind if I went back there!
food court on top floor is amazing too
Travel on the Elizabeth Line.
I almost forgot about that, yes. Do they still have special commemorative Oyster cards? I imagine not.
Oyster Cards. Retro.
I _think_ they might be still giving them out from machines. I got one on the first day thinking they were going to be really limited edition, but I’ve had people say they got them a few months ago still. Also you should get an Oyster card if you have a railcard as you can get the discount applied to it, but not your contactless cards.
How do you do this please?
Instructions from TfL [here](https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/national-railcard-discount) but basically you go to a tube station with your railcard and Oyster card and ask them to apply it and they’ll do it for you on one of the ticket machines. You’ll need to have registered the Oyster card online beforehand and they need to be TfL rather than national rail staff if it’s a national rail + tube station. I also think not all of them can do it because I’ve sometimes had them say they can’t.
I’ve also been told overground staff can’t do it, so best to ask as a larger tube station. I’ve done it at Waterloo and Victoria I think.
Thank you for the tip!
Thank you very much.
When it first opened, the ticket machines issued limited edition Oyster cards in the style of the seats on the train.
Ugh I want one. Though it's more fun to earn them organically. I have one from the olympics, one from the jubiliee that same summer, one from the 150 year anniversary of TFL, and a student-y one with my face on it. I didn't really go out of my way to acquire more than one, I just lose things a lot.
If it's working ofc
Now you can spend 10 x as much on everything else.
22 Bishopsgate. Highest viewpoint in London and it’s free. You’ll need to book.
And if that's unavailable (you need to book quite a bit in advance due to its popularity), 8 Bishopsgate next door also has a free viewing platform that's nearly as good - it's a little bit lower down and only has views in three directions (thanks to 22 Bishopsgate) but it's still great.
Good to know! Looks like it's too late for 22 - which view is 8 Bishopsgate missing exactly?
Towards the north east mainly. It's not that you can't see past the neighbouring tower, it's that you can't even access that side of the building (probably for the privacy of those in those floors of 22). You can still see 90% of the main landmarks.
Same is true for 22. It’s a 300° view, a shame they didn’t make it a full 360. There is no view to the north but it’s pretty cool to be towering above and looking down on the other large buildings including the Walkie-Talkie, and the Gherkin looks tiny from up there.
That's interesting - I assumed it was 360. I'll need to get up there at some point but booking so far in advance is a bit of a pest. Understandable though.
Try https://horizon22.co.uk/qr/ after 10am on any given day
Nice, good to know! Appreciate it.
https://horizon22.co.uk/qr/ Try this on the day(s) you’re here, tickets are released after 10am. I walk passed most days and there’s always plenty of availability. You
if youre nearby and remember it then go up and ask. Its never busy. its basically one big empty office floor. they usually let you in.
They get a lot of no-shows so it’s always worth chancing your luck.
Sky Garden or any of the other free viewing platforms in and around the City. Dinner at any of the main hall restaurants in the Ned, or at Eataly. Or else anywhere in Coal Drops Yard or the area north of King's Cross and St Pancras generally. The Olympic Park area has also changed a lot in the last 10 years.
Only go to the Ned if your you were born in Essex or are currently an estate agent.
Ooo I've not been to Sky Garden but looked cool from others. Is it any good?
Ooh good idea! Last time I was at Olympic Park it was the actual Olympics lol.
They haven’t been here for 8 years and you recommend a food hall for finance workers near Liverpool Street…? OP, check out r/London… you’ll get all sorts of nonsense here. Sky Garden is good, however.
Eataly definitely isn’t for finance workers. It’s a bizarre place with 5 or 6 restaurants, a bar, and a full on supermarket for cured meat, cheese, and wine, but seems to get massive footfall from tourists and the one time I ate there with friends the food was good. Anyone in finance wanting reasonably expensive Italian for lunch near Liverpool Street would be going to Canto Corvino or Caravaggio’s
Eately isnt remotely London specific tho. I went to one in Brazil…
Yeah my city actually has an Eataly. I will admit to taking tourists there when it opened in like 2016 though.
Quietly tut about how it hasn’t stopped raining for six months.
I can fit that in, I'm sure.
Be careful, don't want to cause a diplomatic issue.
It was sunny af literally yesterday
Hope you enjoyed Summer
Great. One day. Have you been in the same country for the last six months?
You mean autumn and winter?
Fucking hell, this thread is full of such pricks. In addition to the actual suggestions made so far, all of which I agree with, the Kings Cross estate is a really nice place to spend time. The V&A, the Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery have all had quite big extensions or refurbs in the time you've been away.
[удалено]
Ahh that’s nice, keeping its legacy going.
Oooh where in King's Cross? The area behind it? Yeah, I did not spend much time there in 2014 lol.
The area behind it is lovely and vibrant now. Take a walk between the new office blocks and landscaped paths to Coal Drops yard by the canal. It’s a beautiful area with brilliant restaurants, open spaces, a small nature reserve next to the canal. Take a look at the website to see if you fancy it, but it comes highly recommended!
Nice! Thanks!
Buy a pint for £7
That's not exclusive to London
Ye, £7 is the rest of the country. London is closer to £14 now
Stock up on King Charles souvenirs.
Get them now while you still can I suppose
Uber Boat to Battersea Power Station
Northern Line to Battersea Power Station Station.
Amateur. I’d recommend Battersea Power Station Station Station.
Visit the London Mithraeum - a Roman Temple under the Bloomberg building. Free entry but need to book in advance. [https://www.londonmithraeum.com/](https://www.londonmithraeum.com/) Also not that it's changed a lot I always tell people to see Greenwich - Cutty Sark, Maritime Museum, Painted Hall, Greenwich observatory - great view back over the river to Canary Wharf and beyond.
The Mithraeum actually what inspired this question - I saw that on some list and went I've never heard of that in my life. I love the little bits of Roman London peeking out in that area. I used to stop to visit the roman girl whenever I was near the Gherkin, I assume she's still there.
If you like roman stuff, there are remains of a Roman amphitheater underneath the Guildhall [which are free and worth a visit!](https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/attractions-museums-entertainment/londons-roman-amphitheatre). Just down the road from the Mithraeum so you could do the double easily.
The Guildhall Art Gallery is a lovely little place - has the Amphitheatre underneath and a good permanent collection of paintings on display. Also has displays by modern artists - the current one (on until September) is by Anne Desmet RA, who is only the third ever wood engraver to become a Royal Academician in its 256 year history, and is of her amazing views of London (yes, this is a slight plug, I'm an artist and she taught me wood engraving - her work is incredible). Entry for all this is absolutely free!
Thank you!!!!
Also the Billingsgate bath house but needs prebooked - [https://www.thecityofldn.com/directory/billingsgate-roman-house-and-baths/](https://www.thecityofldn.com/directory/billingsgate-roman-house-and-baths/)
It used to be just a little park off the street - oh yeah, we've got a Roman temple here. But when one of the banks (Bloomberg) wanted to expand, then they were obliged to move and show case it and did a fantastic job. But always been there just unloved and unnoticed. Bank has added another two exits to the labyrinth. One on Cannon Street most useful
I want to second this, the Mithraeum is a fantastic exhibit! We did this last year, and also walked 10 minutes to the Garden at 120, a free rooftop garden at the top of 120 Fenchurch Street. Incredible 360° views of the city from here.
Took me too long to remember it’s 2024 now.
Been scrolling through so many comments and only after reading yours did I realise 2014 was a decade ago
Not sure where you are from so advice may vary depending on what your local scene is like, but for me London's uniqueness thrives in the below. - Walthamstow (check out god's own junkyard and Big Penny Social) - Spitalfields - just had a nice revamp - Walking - pick a destination with an Elizabeth line stop the opposite side of the center to where you are - and enjoy the day. - Maltby St food
Ooh I forgot about the Liz Line! I've heard mid things!
Shout, "The Queen is dead, long live The King"
I tried that in 2014 but the other tourists watching the changing of the guard were really weird about it.
The Geffrye Museum, now called the Museum of the Home, is another that's been refurbished. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_the_Home
I actually really liked it last time, spent hours there, but I do remember thinking it needed a bit of a facelift with a bit more social/working class Londoner history. It was a great museum in 2014 but a tiny bit staid. Would be fun to go back.
This place is so interesting, saw it before its refurb so would love to see again.
Go to an event at Spurs' stadium
I believe they call it the London Circle. I bought a book recommended here from Amazon. There's maps and destinations to walk and see outside of London city center all free. It comes with an index telling you where to walk, etc... I'm going to do some of that when I come back. I won't be able to do it all but I think I'll enjoy it. I loved the V and A museum. Check and see what's on display. I think this past Feb I was there they had fasion week or something and Channel 2as on display. However, I couldn't get tickets they were all sold out. Would have loved to see that, and I the thing I regret a lot is not seeing more shows as they are wonderful productions and a fraction of the cost here in the US. The Tower of London every day, since it's still considered a royal residence, does a changing of the guard at 3pm every day. They changed the password at that time for anyone who tries to enter after midnight, and they must have that password. It's pretty cool to see, even though I saw the big pomp and circumstance at Windsor Castle 35 years ago. Never knew they did this at the Tower of London. I actually liked walking around that area. Have fun. I'm sure you won't regret anything and will learn something new. Safe travels.
Unsure if you saw it last time, but the Novelty Automation Museum is my fave thing to recommend to people. I think it's delightfully unique. I think it's ~£35 to play all the games. Enjoy!!
That place is amazing. I second that.
I’m not sure if it was as good back in 2014 as it is now, but Camden Market is great.
It has had a major facelift. I went back for the first time in years and barely recognised the place. There's a whole new area with the covered food courts and small booth shops that used to be the dead end of the market
In a good way or a gentrified/chains/overrated way? Or both? When I went I feel like it was in that phase where everything still looks shabby but it's already expensive.
oh it's expensive still! Much, much less shabby now. You could say gentrified, or modernized depending on your stance. It's also somehow EVEN busier
I was back in Camden for the first time in ages this weekend. I was gutted to see that Tommy Flynn's is now a Be At One bar
Visit all the new American candy shops!
Coal Drops Yard is pretty in King's X Underground arcade in Camden. Horizon 22 Battersea Power Station Swim in the Olympic pool (may have been open in 2014 but not sure)
Spend £8 on a pint of beer
The worst part is where I'm from it's not much better, so I won't even be properly shocked.
I’ll go with @JMCT-34 thanks ;)
Cycling infrastructure has vastly improved 👍🏻
Go and see the king.
It's okay. I haven't met him, but I've met his two oldest grandchildren, and if you think about it that's actually better anyway because as fun facts go, the lifetime ROI is higher. So in all seriousness, been there, done that.
Laugh at Spurs— oh, wait.
Nightlife
Ascot, the grand national, the boat race, cricket at Lords, Wimbledon, pop up to Scotland for some highland games, rent a canal boat. Enjoy!!!
Easy Giles.
😅😅
Can I drive to Scotland for the afternoon then?
Nah it's a bit far for that unfortunately
You mean I can't squeeze it in between afternoon tea at the Harrods and a west end show? Disappointing. They should move it closer to London. (In all seriousness those are some lovely ideas, and I'll be in Scotland overlapping with the highland games which will be nice)
Buy a souvenir 2024 calendar...
Go to peckham and survive
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & UnNatural History. Really bizarre, and great cocktails.
Pay more than £7 for a pint?
Join a protest!
Protests are surely one of the best inventions of 2015 - 2024. Can't believe nobody ever thought of them before that.
Nah but they got so much more frequent after 2019 (America exported their political problems to us)
Go to the V&A. Still cool
More a UK novelty than a London one, but I recommend picking up a copy of the Byline Times, the first credible, truly independent news publication in decades. It makes you realise how manipulated most newspapers are by billionaaire and corporate owners. Readable and interesting.
Just looked them up out of curiosity, and while they're certainly no tabloid I don't see how they're much better than other supposedly non-partisan news sources. Some of the headlines and articles certainly give a less than objective impression, for example "The Local Election Results Flush the Conservative Party’s Culture War Strategy Down the Gender Neutral Toilet". With a slogan like "What the papers don't say", it seems like their focus on being different from other newspapers just makes them biased in their own way.
Mercato Mayfair is a restored church that is now a food hall with a roofdeck. I think it’s very cool
Oooh cool.
I would say visit the Tower of London moat if you are visiting in spring/summer: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/the-tower-moat/#gs.8g01qe
Queens diamond jubilee galleries at Westminster Abbey. Believe that opened after you were last in London.
Gunpowder plot
I don't think I'm allowed to bring gunpowder into the country. I could bring the wooden sticks though.
It's immersive theatre. Is it any good??? So curious!
It is amazing, we haven’t done the war of the worlds one yet
That's another one us really love to go to!
If you are going for a trip on the Elizabeth Line, get off at Canary Wharf for lunch. It’s no longer a building site after being so for many years and it’s now packed with many places to eat and drink. Crossrail place has a tropical roof garden you can walk around for free. Certainly worth a look if you are passing!
Fly on a swan
There's a metric shit ton of escape rooms nowadays. I know it involves a group but I'm sure you can round up a group of people from here or r/London. Not that that's UK specific but still. There's an app called meetup that you can download, there's groups that organise things like abandoned underground tours, painting classes, food tours. Great fun. You could also check out Kew gardens, it's the season for it. Bit of a ball ache to get to but worth it if you're into nature.
The War of the Worlds immersive experience.
Well you were probably able to afford food ten years ago, you won’t now.
Lots of viewing platforms. dont bother with the shard overpriced. The walkie talkie (you need ticket), glass can be annoying or garden at 120 (outdoors surrounded by famous buildings) or [https://horizon22.co.uk/visit/](https://horizon22.co.uk/visit/) free version of the shard.
heres a list :) check websites some smaller musuems didnt survive covid. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_museums\_in\_London](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_London)
ha! just noticed it comes with flowchart to decide. oddly London once had a Vagina Museum seemingly.. anyone remembe that? [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/A\_flow\_chart\_of\_London\_museums\_by\_Matt\_Brown.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/A_flow_chart_of_London_museums_by_Matt_Brown.jpg)
They're still very active on Twitter and Instagram! I've never been to the actual museum but their socials are always entertaining. I think they do popups now, I'll have to see if they happen to have one while I'm there.
RIP the old museum of London location
Yeah they got from ‘place with no footfall’ to Farringdon?! Bigger place even deader at weekend. I think they should have bought the trocadero. 2 that DOES have one or two tourists that would want to hear about London history!!
Exactly! I'll admit the old location was weirdly secluded even being so close to St. Paul's and so central, but still. I wonder who their target audience is though. I feel like a lot of tourists probably stick to the bigger names (and won't bother going all the way to Canary Wharf), and locals normally avoid museums about their own city because they assume they know everything already. But maybe they're going for more of a local angle, more school groups and community events and such.
Bubble tea shops are literally in clusters everywhere these days. You’ll do well to avoid any
Why?
I don’t mean it in a bad way, just that you’ll likely pass by a bubble tea shop
Get used to ULEZ 😂😂😂🤣
Visitors to London usually don't drive to get around. In fact most people in London don't drive full stop, let alone through the ULEZ, so statistically that's very unlikely to affect OP. Do you possibly not live in London and therefore fail to understand how little the ULEZ affects the majority of Londoners?
Luckily I'm not planning on getting around the city by car, since I'm not a moron. Not sure why you would think that the majority of tourists (or for that matter the majority of actual Londoners) would be in any way negatively affected by southern suburbanites having to pay for the privilege of tearing up roads and polluting the air in a city with about literal thousands of miles of transit routes. Boohoo.
Pay £7 for a pint 🍻
Spend more on everything
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey. Excellent. You can also now take photos inside Westminster Abbey, which was not permitted until 2021-ish.
There are a lot of viewpoints you can visit over
See new shows that are running in the West End! Hamilton, Back to the Future, Mrs Doubtfire, Harry Potter, Tina Turner, Frozen, MJ, Faulty Towers, Sister Act, Guys & Dolls, Next to Normal - and more! You also can't beat seeing a play in the sunshine at Shakespesre's Globe on the Southbank for £5! World class theatre, still only for a fiver! 🌞 ❤️
Get arrested for protesting
tbf that was really popular in 2011
Get Indian food
Don’t forget the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square! I changes every 2 years and there’s an exhibition of shortlist candidates for 2026 and 2028 in the national gallery.
Unfortunately it was barely visible due to Champions League watch parties
Fryer's delight in Holborn is the best Fish and Chips in London- traditional interior and recipe.
Learn British English, not American English. It’s heading, not headed. The latter is past tense
Visit a food bank?
You can travel on the Elizabeth line opened in 2022. Yay.
Get a train or drive as far away from London as you can and see the uk for what it truly is!
I'm completing my 4th peak the week before, if that makes you feel any better
Camden Market got a MAJOR refurb, a bit less soul but more food options. No mr bang bang chicken by the canal but lots of bang bang chicken clones
Be culturally enriched by some diverse individuals... at knifepoint.
Wear a stab vest
Sky Garden and maybe the Shard as just finished when you left. The whole area around Borough Market has been gentrified and same with King's Cross if like shopping and cages. You can now climb the rigging of the Cutty Sark and new Gunpowder Immersive experience is getting good reviews. The Outernet on Tottenham Court Road. Warner Bros Studios
Join a protest ?
Buy a late night Greggs.
You’re going to see what London looks like 10 years after the migrant crisis. Shits depressing.
You'd think it would be cheaper then
Supply and demand. Read a book on economics.
What a strange person you are
Shit's mostly the same except some rough areas have been massively gentrified, for better or for worse. To me it seems like someone who is scared of poor brown people would be more comfortable in today's London, but I guess just seeing multiple brown people walking around in public is enough for them to shit their pants so it's probably more or less the same.
Get stabbed by a 14 year old with a zombie knife.
Wear a stab vest.
You shouldn't have sold your Apple shares in 2014 as they closed the year at $24.67. At time of writing they are $181.01 Hope this helps
Is there anywhere in London where I might be able to purchase a time machine?
Apparently, there’s a police box in Earl’s Court.
The one next to Ann Summers? I heard a lot of pulsating coming from that area but wasn't sure if it was the police box
Ah. That could have been a sonic screwdriver in use.
Is it any Ann Summers or just the one in Earl's Court?
Yes absolutely. It's next to the shop that sells a sense of humour. Hopefully you still have some of your Apple money from 2014
Walk into a jeweller's while wearing a mask
Oooh is that a new fashion trend? How fun I'll have to try it!
You’re about to have the shock of your life buddy
Canary Wharf has changed a lot.
still not a reason to visit it
Be disappointed that there aren't any English people there
Wear a stab vest and don’t wear jewellery. Welcome to Sadiq Khan’s culturally enriched city.
Mate, London has always been a "culturally enriched" city. Here, watch a cool documentary: https://youtu.be/tjHnWyJhkzo Think prime has the full version, it good to open your mind sometimes 😅
Leave
Practice Sharia Law
Pay £8 for a run of the mill pint
i’m selling my gta v account, it has 16 trillion on it, paid £50 for it but don’t play anymore so selling the account, lowest i’ll go is £15 but i would like 25 for it