We enjoyed visiting Shepherd's Market and Berkeley Square during our last visit. They were much less crowded or touristy than Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square,
Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Piccadilly, Camden, etc. Can you suggest any other areas of London that are at a smaller scale like that?
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
780 posts
I have been to London 3 times and now I love going to the non touristy places. Here are some places to consider.
VIsit Dennis Severs house in the east end. Google it!
The South bank & Gabriels wharf. Shopping and food and an open book market daily until 7 pm. start near London eye and move east.
Museum of London area near St Pauls cathedral. Postmans park is a good place to eat lunch. Google it!
Hammersmith and kings mall and the high street are where locals shop. Hammersmith tube station and you cant miss it.
Hampstead Heath. Great celeb spotting area and lots of shops and fancy cafes, as well as Notting Hill, and Muswell Hill near East Finchely tube stop.
Posted by
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
172 posts
Little Venice in Maida Vale looks lovely. Rec. in another travel guide. We will be going this fall. I also rec Dennis Sever's House. A friend said it is awesome.
Posted by
London, UK
356 posts
Dennis Severs house is amazing. I came out of the house and got all tearful and couldn't speak! To this day I have no idea why!
I love just wandering along the South Bank and into Southwark. I really like St Katharine Docks too.
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
780 posts
Along the south bank in Southwark youll see The Golden Hinde ship, docked. It is historical.
Walking past that (inland) youll see Southwark Cathedral, a medievel era church that puts you in mind of weeping princesses in the turret waiting for a prince.
Walk a bit further and youll come to The Globe Tavern (its roundish). Its a fun place to get a drink and a bite to eat, and was where "Bridget Jones" lived, in the flats on top! Her front door was on the Bedale street side of the tavern.
A bit more east would be Shakespeares Globe. It finally came to me that the Globe Tavern is built to resemble its namesake!!
I love the entire Southwark/London Bridge area. Lots of history, diarist Samuel Pepys' old stomping ground! The Anchor pub is still open as well, where Pepys sat, drank pints, and wrote about the London fire he was watching across the river.
It is all near Borough High Street as well.
Sorry I am babbling on. Otherwise this information will just sit in my brain and stagnate so if someone gets some enjoyment out of it, then my job here is done. lol.
Posted by
Atlanta, Ga, USA
2023 posts
I like the Marlyebone High St area. The Browning home is nearby on Wimpole St and Daunt Bookshop also in the area. Have you visited the Charles Dickens home? It is worth a visit for sure. On my list for next trip to London is the old "operating theater" but am not certain of the location--but I will find it! Islington sounds like a place to check out.
Posted by
Orlando, Florida
676 posts
Tami, thanks for babbling on about the SOuthwark area, I just visited the cathedral last visit and it was great, so now I know more places to see around there!
Posted by
Bromley, Kent,, UK
1829 posts
Two books I have used in the past are "Walking London" and "Secret London", both by Andrew Duncan. They are available from Amazon.
One area that is interesting to explore is the district of St James's between Piccadilly Circus and St James's Palace. Also the Inner and Middle Temple Inns of Court between Fleet St and the river.