Well, to avoid cluttering up the other threads about NYE, here's one where I'm looking to all you ever-helpful forumites for suggestions about what I should do during my week in London.



What attractions and museums are must-see?



Which neighbourhoods are charming to the point that they're unavoidable (and which should be avoided at all costs)?



Where are the trendy places to shop? The unique places? The great deals? The record shops? (!)



Any restaurants that are heart-stoppingly good? Or great for cheap?



Which clubs and club nights will get my body moving?



For football fans, any recommendations as to where I should try and take in a game? There are home games for all 6 London-based Premiership clubs during the week (although Chelsea, Charlton and Tottenham are only home on New Years Eve afternoon; a shame b/c I'd really like to check out the Charlton/West Ham or Tottenham/Newcastle matches).



Any particular pubs that are mandatory or recommended for watching a game or having a pint (or two... or twenty...)?



Or any other advice at all, really!



I've got a bunch of travel books that I've been voraciously reading instead of studying for exams, but I would really appreciate any input from those that know the city and have enjoyed their time there.



Thanks in advance!!!

Oh yeah, about catching a football game: Any of the teams/stadia among London's Championship members worth taking in?



I kinda developed a soft spot for Crystal Palace last year.... :-//

I know a good PUB!..



THE VICK!... Em.. Out of Eastenders ? X-D :P



Naw well, westminster is always good to check out.. Big Ben.. and i think its close to london bridge ? :S



Liecester Sqaure, i liked it there.

id say just get an all day pass for travel and go about london :)

You've got to check out Camden Town. It's a cool place to wander, it's a very hip part of town with funky weird shops and bazaar stalls, plenty of pubs etc. etc.. It's a shame the mushroom carts have all gone away... ;) It's easy to get there. All you need to do is take the Northern Line tube (the black line) and there's a stop right on the line that's called Camden Town. This is a great place to pick up a few things for yourself and for the people who are probably going to ask you to bring them back a souvenir - the best deals since it's probably the cheapest place to buy stuff in London.



Go check out the Natural History museum, it's an amazing place, it's huge, and there's always special exhibits going on. Don't fall down the stairs like the little girl in theHey Boy Hey Girl video. hehe.



British History museum is also very cool, and so is the Victoria Albert.



I know it sounds completely touristy, but you really should check out the Tower Of London. It's a creepy place and it's a big part of London's history, and there's even a torture section which is... well, it's creepy.



Another touristy must-see is Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Parliament. Westminster Abbey is especially cool because it's a majestic cathedral that's seen the centuries. There's this area inside called Poet's Corner and that's where Geoffrey Chaucer and Lord Byron among other greats are buried, and personally I think it's a treat to be in the presence of such great literary figures I admire.



There's a pub called the Zetland Arms in South Kensington, it's a place where I unintentionally started a brawl back in 1991 -hehe- and when stash and I were there last, he almost got beaten by a toothless pikey. But the barkeeps have always been nice.



If you're feeling snooty check out Knightsbridge which is oh-so-posh. Just take a quick tour inside Harrod's and check out the ridiculous prices, you'll laugh yourself silly that anyone would spend so much money on so much stuff that's so ridiculously overpriced. The whole place is a dizzying display of "stuff." One thing I found most impressive about Harrod's is the grocery section. The sad thing was they put in a Krispy Kreme donuts in there.



Just for tourists' sake you should see Piccadilly Circus, but don't stick around. It's just so full of tourists and it's filthy.



If you're planning on taking a trip out of the city which I highly recommend, you can do so fairly cheaply either by coach or train (which is a little more expensive.) Cambridge is a beautiful city and is 2 hours by coach and 1 hour by train. Bath is a city that fairytales are made of and it's one of the most beautiful places. It's a good 3 hours by coach - don't know about train because I've always bussed it in since the road winds down into the valley - the view is breathtaking!



Anyway, there is so much to do in London and any short amount of time spent there is a whirlwind. I fuckin love that city, it's so amazing and it's a great town to wander on foot, by tube, whatever - once you're there you won't be want for anything to do. My view is pretty much from a tourist's perspective, so I don't know the hidden "local" gems that are off the beaten path but maybe Girlelectric who lives in London can give you more of a local view on what's cool to see and do.

Absolutely perfect answer, Whirly! That goodness you're not afraid to write mini-essays every time you sit down at the keyboard! :D



Thanks so much.



I'm undecided about making a day/2-day trip outside of London. Cambridge and Oxford interest me, as does a chunnel trip to Brussels for some fine Belgian beer. But with only 7 days and limited money I feel as though I might miss out on too much of London if I leave for a bit!



If I had another week or so, I'd consider taking the ferry ride to Santander, Spain for some sunny rays.

ive been to camden town, i should have said that :P but whirly does it like so much better than me X-D

Whirly you naughty woman. Nothing left for me to say ! hahaha X-D



But the market near camden town is absolutly lovely.

For record shopping go to BEERWICK STREET in Soho.

For Antique markets ( Hey , the amtosphere there is so nice m) go to Notthing Hill - paddington road if i am correct.



But dude , me and my friend Ed decided to stay some longer , so we'll might be able to do some sightseeing togheter!!!

Portobello Road is also an incredible place to see all those ancient antiques. It's amazing, but very very crowded on weekends. There was this amazing bakery down near the end of the road and you could smell the bread wafting through the air long before you could see where the source was. Baguette heaven!



Another museum that is a must-see is the National Maritime Museum in Greewich. That place is like the birthplace of "time" as we know it today. The only drawback is it's a way out of the heart of the city. stash and I had a taxi take us there (and the company my dad worked for has donated a lot of money to the museum, so we got the star treatment with a personal guided tour by the museum curator and got to see off limits stuff like the restoration rooms where people were restoring old paintings.) Anyway. The museum is cool, and so is the Royal Observatory, and it's spread out and sprawling and the grounds were gorgeous - very grassy and hilly with a great view of the city off in the distance. When we were there we were blessed with it being a sunny day in the fall, and we got a lovely sunset. The museum grounds was, at one time, where royalty used to live and Henry VIII used the place as his personal hunting grounds. Also really nifty is you can stand on the meridian line, maybe get someone to take your picture. And down the way is a pub (all you gotta do is ask and they'll tell you how to get there) that Charles Dickens used to frequent and stash had a killer bangers and mash.

Did anyone mention Trafalger Square?

It's quite a sight (especially if it snows), just mind the pigeons X-D

my fave pub in london is the heavenly social on little portland avenue, which has the greatest jukebox ever and of course tons of heavenly social merchandise to buy and a lovely pub to boot

go to camden market area.. you will fucking love it

Yeah that market is cool!

Great suggestions all, keep'em coming!



I think I'm going to go on the tour of the Fuller's brewery in Chiswick. Should be interesting and I get a free pint at the end.

The best looking food in london (we didn't eat there cuz we were so strung out and hung over) is the food court that's under the rail bridge near the Camden Lock (once again, in Camden town).... there's all these little food stalls under the bridge, it seriously looks like something straight outta Bladerunner, and it's right by Cyberdog, the coolest store in the entire universe...



As far as pubs... seriously, just pick one. TIme before last when we were there, eating at pubs was still a semi-affordable business, but this last time it was like 9pounds for fish and chips, yes, $18 american for a piece of fish.



Another cheap way to eat well is to find a Waitrose grocery store, and eat their take out food. They have really good curry and rice for cheap, as well as asian noodles and crap like that.

Oh yea, and Nando's... find Nando's and eat there... it's like a chain of chicken places, it's spicy, and it's reasonable.



They have a website, you can find out where you're staying, and find the closest Nando's.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned the Dali gallery, but that's brilliant if you're into Surreal art which I am.



Oh and visit the red light district, it will give you heart palpatations! oh wait, that's Amsterdam, DAMN!

iguanapunk Escribi�:

Don't know if anyone has mentioned the Dali gallery, but that's brilliant if you're into Surreal art which I am.



Oh and visit the red light district, it will give you heart palpatations! oh wait, that's Amsterdam, DAMN!

I read about the Dali gallery yesterday in one of my books and will try to get to it, for sure.



Wish I had another few days. Would hit Amsterdam...

Darkstarexodus Escribi�:

iguanapunk Escribi�:

Don't know if anyone has mentioned the Dali gallery, but that's brilliant if you're into Surreal art which I am.



Oh and visit the red light district, it will give you heart palpatations! oh wait, that's Amsterdam, DAMN!

Wish I had another few days. Would hit Amsterdam...

You'd hit more than Amsterdam! ;-)

Oh, check out the Tate Modern as well, it's free, and has a decent surrealism section. Overall, it's the sort of place you'd love to be stoned in (or something stronger) so you pick up hidden meaning in some of the works of art. I mean, you can do it sober, but it almost seems like you're forcing yourself to try to justify the point. Hmm, anyone with me, coz I lost myself there. Damn. :-//



Forget all that crap, just go to the Tate Modern, you could do a lot worse for free!

Free is the magic word, because I can just about afford free. :D



(and I followed what you were saying just fine, man...)