Exploring London's nooks and crannies? (5 week work trip with down-time)

This sounds like an opportunity to do lots of London Walks tours.

@cala: yes, and over the years I have done many of the London Walks, most very good. I now have my eye on bicycle tours (I saw several groups in the St James Park area when I was in London in June and they looked quite fun).

I really should look into bike tours as a day activity outside of London on a day trip. And I have looking into the "Call the Midwife" set tours on my list. And a day trip to Canterbury (finally!).... and a weekend in Glamorgan/Cardiff...

As far as a Youtube channel that covers the "nooks and crannies" of London, I enjoy John Rogers. You can find his channel here -

https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRogersWalks

He's written two books I also liked, but they are maybe a bit too London nerd for the casual visitor. Ian Sinclair is another contemporary of John's that's writing about London in a metaphysical way, alongside the practical.

Off the top of my head, Hackney Wick is somewhere that not many visitors are going to, but is really quite fascinating. I was last there in July after a few years of not visiting, and it's really happening these days. It was absolutely buzzing on a Sunday afternoon all around there.

Oh.. lucky you!
I always say that popping into the smaller neighbourhood churches and libraries and looking at their notice boards can yield many activities such as concerts, musical events, markets, book fairs, etc.
I’ve done that in a few countries and heard some amazing music.
The other thing is if you are there in November many churches start selling beautiful charity Christmas cards and calendars if you like those.
Take a bus out to a neighbourhood you’ve never been to before!

Gods own Junkyard in Walthamstow
Walthamstow Wetlands
Florence Nightengale Museum
Hackey neighborhood
Richmond Park to see the red deer
Watch a trial in the Royal Courts of Justice
Try to see if there are cheaper tickets for Witness for the Prosecution which is performed in an actual courtroom at County Hall. Lovely stroll across Westminster Bridge before or after.
Have a meal at the gorgeous art deco Blackfriars pub
Try to see if they are serving pumpkin sage soup at The Dove pub in Hammersmith
Enjoy Mari’s Deli on the Chiswick Mall
See if movies are still being shown at the Sands Movie studio in Rotherhithe
Have tea at Orange Pekoe in Barnes
Walk along the Thames River path
Visit the O2 and surrounding area
Visit the wonderful conversion of the Battersea Power Station into a massive shopping center
Visit The Mitre in the Richmond neighborhood to see Rudi, the best pub dog in all of London. Tell Chris, the owner “hi!”

Just a few different options if any interest. Been exploring London since Truman was in office. Always changing, always the same.

I also like Atlas Obscura for interesting things to see. For your weekend side trips, if you're not already a fan, check out Escape to the Country.
Have you spent any time in Paddington Basin and Little Venice? I had a little ramble there and really wished I'd had more time. The boat tour I passed was crazy expensive, even in March when I was there, but just walking in that area was very nice. Cycling there would be nice, too, I think. I did see several cycles.

If you have an interest in cycling, Lime Bike rental has really taken off in London in a big way. I'm not saying you should dive into rush hour central London on a rental bike, but there's plenty of places you can do it with a little care and savvy.

Going out west of central London to see more of The Thames river, or as Claudia mentioned, destinations like Walthamstow, Hackney Marshes, Hackney Wick and the Olympic Park are good places to pick up a rental bike to cover some ground on canal paths.

Thanks! I probably should have noted that I have spent at least 4 weeks in London each year since 2017 (except Covid) but never in a 5 week stretch with so much free time.

@GerryM: Thanks for the YouTube ref. I haven't been to Hackney Wick, so that's now on the list. So many of the older neighborhoods are "absolutely buzzing" these day -- there are many I don't recognize after an absence of 4-5 years. They are, in essence, new discoveries. There's a Lime Bike (and a Boris Bike) station outside my accommodation but I don't have the gumption to grab a bike there unless, I suppose, I walk it the dozen blocks or so to Kensington Gardens. Now that's a nice idea!

@SJ: yep, I am addicted to reading notice boards where-ever I am. This past summer it yielded a superb organ concert in Haarlem, a change-ringing "come give it a try" session near Oxford, and a massive list of village parish fairs (I highly recommend the Buckden Village Fete in June, as well as the early summer weekend fair in Llangollen). Any favorite neighborhoods?

@Claudia: that's a great list. I've done probably about half over the years, so I have a lot more to do now. I used to enjoy the walk from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge along the South Bank, but alas in June this year so many of the great views across the Thames were dominated by construction. Watching a trial in the Royal Courts of Justice would never have occurred to me -- Thanks!

@G3rryCee: Little Venice and the Paddington Basin are interesting, aren't they? I've done a lot of walking along Regents Canal to Camden and beyond to Kings Cross (a bit of a marathon day but lovely). Quickly checking something on google took me to the Canal & River Trust page, so oodles there to read about various towpaths, etc. And yes, Atlas Obscura for the win! Thanks for reminding me to check that.

Again, thanks everyone for these suggestions. Now I need to hope for great weather.

Oh, and I need to decide where to spend the evening of Nov 5....not sure whether I want to go to a big bonfire, or overnight out to a smaller village celebration.

Yes, Hackney Wick has really come on in the last few years. I'm not of fan of some of the modern development around the Olympic Park and environs, but the new neighbourhoods, essentially, that have popped up in Hackney Wick are pretty good. It still feels like a proper "place" even though the apartment blocks are new.

These type of sites are my favourite in London. I have an extremely long list but can recommend some specifics if you have particular interests. I also recommend Atlas Obscura and the book Secret London (there’s a whole series of Secret [city] books). A lot of my favourite less visited sites are former homes like Ham House, Osterley House, Sutton House, etc. If you like walking the Capital Ring Walk is a wonderful way to see areas tourists don’t normally visit.

• London Mithraeum, roman temple underneath an office building in the city of London.
• Barbican Conservatory: Big greenhouse type thing with tropical plants.
• Beigel Bake
• Spitalfields City Farm: it's a farm.
• Muscleworks Gym, one of my favorite gyms in Europe if you want to get a hardcore bodybuilding workout in. Very cool vibe and cheap daypass.
• Plaza Khao Gaeng: Absolutely incredible unique southern Thai food above the Arcade food hall. Well worth it.
• Seven Dials Market: Good post British museum food here.
• Different types of pubs, a place like Lore of the Land with perfect classic British food, or The Tamil Prince where you get the pub experience along with exceptional Indian cuisine.
• A few unique restaurants I really like: Lao Dao, Silk Road, Behesht Restaurant in Kensal Green, Sam Sandwiches.

I recently bought an excellent book listing hidden corners in London. It is by Jack Chesher, called 'London. The hidden corners for curious wanderers '. I have no connection with the author or publisher.

YouTube’s JoolzGuides is very good. He goes neighborhood by neighborhood and points out all sorts of quirky, interesting stuff - like the sewing machine museum in Tooting Bec - that might float your boat. Check out his channel for videos about neighbourhoods you might like to visit. He’s got two books out now: a London walks book and a London pub walks book! (Oh - and he’s an adult. So if like many of us here you are a member of the Over Forties crowd, he should be in your wheelhouse.)

You might also look into popping into a local meeting of a cause or hobby you are interested in. Mudlarking - the Society for Creative Anachronism - metal detectorism - theatre costuming - Extinction Rebellion - a CAMRA meetup - the list is endless. You will be there long enough to maybe even make two meetings of something you like - or learn about something new.

When we moved to London I used to hop on a bus and ride to the end of the line, then get out, explore, and come back the same way. I discovered loads of cool things! You note that you are a bus aficionado, so this seems right up your street!

Another idea is to deliberately explore the “NOT Ye Olde England” London that many tourists don’t get to. There is so much to see and do in Tower Hamlets, Brixton, New Malden, Clapham Junction, etc.

Maybe choose a cuisine that you’d like to explore more in depth, and do a personal Yelp ratings tour through London: Korean BBQ, Mexican, French, sushi, pub grub, fried chicken, Indian (so many choices!), Szechuan, high tea… there are so many wonderful cuisines to sample and places to eat! A ramble through Yelp and TripAdvisor would help you nail down a few choices for a cuisine that really floats your boat, and would prompt you to try out new neighborhoods as well.

Here’s an interesting link for people looking to make friends in London. It isn’t an exact match for your needs, but you might get some inspo: https://secretldn.com/how-to-make-friends-london/

Good luck! What a fun “problem” to have! :-)

Stuartcumella, I was going to suggest his books as well! We were in London a couple weeks ago and I would get up at sunrise, walk east and find various spots he mentions along the way. His Instagram is @livinghistorylondon and he’s on YouTube as well. No affiliation either, just have appreciated the content enough to buy the books.

Volva, on this recent trip we went out to New Malden to have dinner at the home of dear friends and had Korean takeaway. They were explaining how this area became the epicenter of good Korean food. I have no idea which place we had, but I later found this list:

https://london.eater.com/maps/best-korean-restaurants-new-malden

Eltham Palace - art deco re-do in a 15th century palace. Can be done in an easy half day with public transport from London. Great views over greater London - the residents watched WWII London being bombed from this vantage point.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/

Battle of Britain Bunker Museum in Uxbridge. End of the Tube line, short walk to property. Fascinating insight into protection of the coast and city during WWII.
https://battleofbritainbunker.co.uk

Have you wandered Highgate? Look for the foxes. (as well as the tombs!)

Freud's House with a stroll through Hampstead. Many other small sites of interest of interest in the Hampstead Heath area including Kenwood House, Keat's House, 2 Willow Road, others
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=freud%27s+house&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I don't know that I would call these "hidden" but they are often off the radar for US travelers.

If you are thinking of going to Cardiff - best to avoid days when events are taking place at the stadium as hotel prices rocket and trains will be packed - with no ‘cheap’ tickets available. See:>https://www.principalitystadium.wales/events-and-ticket-information/

Note that you can pre purchase so called ‘advance’ tickets for specific trains but no refunds if you are unable to travel. Buying on the day is generally more expensive for longer train journeys.

These South African You Tubers recently made a video about Cardiff. (They also have videos about other places).

The Garden Museum is a lovely place to visit right by Lambeth Palace.

https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/the-museum/

I often suggest that a good way to know the off-beat and quirky and just fun things that are on in the greater London area is to read and or subscribe (free) to the weekly newsletter of Ian Visits https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/

I have found all sorts of interesting things. Two recent discoveries are the special exhibition at the Heath Robinson House and Museum in Pinner (think Rube Goldberg for a not quite equivalent), set in a really lovely garden and park; and the Amersham Fair Organ Museum (free, donations accepted, only open 6 times a year) in Amersham. https://afom.org.uk/ Next open day is November 2.

I am fairly sure that it was Ian Visits that sent me to the Mithraeum a few years ago - mentioned above, a real experience.

Welcome back to the "Big Smoke".

Visit the Banksy art works throughout the city.
Stroll through Victoria looking at the parakeets and stopping to see the 1862 Burdett-Coutts Memorial Drinking Fountain, the first fountain to provide clean drinking water to that area.
Visit Battersea park and The London Peace Pagoda. While there walk over the historic Albert Bridge.

Nancy: thanks for that link! We’ve only eaten at Jin Go Gae… now we have more places to check out! :-)

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

While I have, over the years, done many of the things suggested here, I've really only tipped the iceberg -- there is so much more suggested here to explore (and read and watch and eat ...).

The luxury of not being on a one-week business trip with just "two afternoons and a Sunday off" but rather being able to explore at my leisure is truly exciting. And it creates a mind-shift in thinking about visiting a place, and researching. For example, I've found a website listing organ performances in the city (a weakness of mine!). And I wouldn't mind another crack at change-ringing.

I've cut-and-pasted most of this into a document to take along; one of my first stops (always is) will be Waterstone's in Picadilly. Dangerous place.

And of course, thank goodness for the Senior RailCard, which helps on the fares for day or weekend trips.

@James: regarding Cardiff, during events there everything is insane. The last time I went, I slipped in for a couple of nights mid-week between concerts by Pink and Taylor Swift followed by Pride weekend. The hotel staff looked absolutely exhausted and shell-shocked. This year Cardiff would be the jumping off point for nearby.

I also have the book Stuart mentioned by Jack Chester, entitled London A Guide for Curious Wanderers. As many times as I’ve been there, this book has given me more things to look for!