Going To London! What should I see?

[Newnan]

Hey Everybody! As you can see from the title, I'm going to London soon!! But besides all the regular tourist attractions, I want to know what are some lesser known places to see in London? Just Wondering.

[Spartan]

One that you don't hear much about is Portabello Road in the Notting Hill area, which I found out after the fact was featured in the movie called 'Notting Hill.'

Another interesting Place in Greenwich. Its fairly touristy, but its not something you hear about as much as St Paul's Cathedral, Parliament, and the Eye of London, Buckingham Palace, etc. But the view from the Observatroy is amazing and its almost worth the trip just for that.

After your done in Greenwich, take the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) up to the Jubilee line (or to the Central line) to get back to central London. It takes you right through the Canary Wharf area and inbetween the towers of London's skyscraper district. A great view and rinde in general. I was highly irritated that my camera died immediately after that picture I just posted.

Its my experience that there really is no escaping the tourist aspect of London because the whole town has alot to offer, but you can find places that are less touristy than others.

[Chtimi]

Hey Everybody! As you can see from the title, I'm going to London soon!! But besides all the regular tourist attractions, I want to know what are some lesser known places to see in London? Just Wondering.

How answer ? All depends of what do you like, museums, architecture, parks.

London has beautiful parks, Kew Gardens for example (district line, station before Richmond), or Regent's Park surrounded by neo-classical buildings (the Terraces).

Take a walk through the neighborhoods, Belgravia (Belgrave Square), Knightsbridge (Cadogan square), St James (Spencer house, St James Palace...).

On the photo above we can see the Royal Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval College in front of the Thames. The Cutty Shark, a beautiful three-master is just west of the royal naval college.

I have a thing for the St Pancras railway station and its impressive neo-gothic architecture.

Some various suggestions : Wallace collection (Marylebone), Tobacco Dock - shops and boats (Docklands), Courtauld Institute of art (in Sommerset House, the Strand), in the City don't forget the churches (their bell towers, like those of St Margaret Pattens, St Bride's or St Mary-le-Bow), why not a dark ride in the London Dungeon (London Bridge rail station, Tooley street)...

[TheBostonian]

I'm jealous. I want to go back there. Things to do in addition to all the standard London stuff?

- Take a random double-decker bus ride. Not a tour, but a regular city bus.

- Order fish and chips at a gritty London restaurant. It just isn't the same back home.

- Buy beer from a vending machine.

- Take a look at 30 St Mary Axe -- a highlight of my visit.

- Chat with Londoners.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Make sure you take some pictures and post them on here when you get back

[monsoon]

SoHo is interesting and worth a visit as well as the nearby Chinatown. And I second Portabella Rd. Of course ride the tube as it is one of the best train systems in the world, and I would go for a ride on the London Eye. The Jubilee Extension line is worth a ride just to see how nice it is. Go to Westminster Station and Canary Warfe Station for examples of extreme engineering.