Living in a city with such variety like London you sometimes miss the small and permanent fixtures which make the city so wonderfully rich. With its grand history through hundreds of generations London like many cities in Europe and Asia really does have more to offer than its New World cousins.
I was fortunate to host my old school chum Nicola and her other half Cameron over a couple of weekends in June and July. It was refreshing to notice some of the i iconic London sites through their squeals, elbow grabs, raised eyebrows and turned heads.
Do you ever look at a Black Cab and think huh it has a Union Jack on it ? Do you wonder why there are so many Lions around the city adorning bollards, barriers and bridges and not know the significance. Look around at the city and think relative to other cities in the world the buildings are short, and in contrast the new buildings seem so terribly phallic. Wonder where indeed is the city centre and the true hub of the action. Question the fact you don't need to swipe out of a Double Decker or why anyone would not think living in East London was the best place in London to live.
If you visited London today; with Vodafones mobile campaign featuring the flag on our trademark transport you might think Advertising is the New Black. You would learn the Lions are the emblem of the city the square mile around the Bank of England where many of the Financial sectors have their hub (with secondary offices of larger sizes out East in the old Docklands called Canary Wharf founded in a New World fashion with plenty of phallic symbolic buildings adorning the skyline), the Cultural hub is the West End where you can find Theatres and Restaurants in Covent Garden, go to a Gay Bar (forgive me I am singing the song! Gay Bar! Gay Bar!) , Irish Pub or Nightclubs of the cheddar cheese variety in Soho, and shop along Regents, Bond and Oxford Streets all leading to Hyde Park. Or at least that would be what you would tell a visitor off the street.
For real London life though I would head away from these areas try
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| Celebrating Nic and Cam's engagement at Vertigo, Tower 42 |
Do you ever look at a Black Cab and think huh it has a Union Jack on it ? Do you wonder why there are so many Lions around the city adorning bollards, barriers and bridges and not know the significance. Look around at the city and think relative to other cities in the world the buildings are short, and in contrast the new buildings seem so terribly phallic. Wonder where indeed is the city centre and the true hub of the action. Question the fact you don't need to swipe out of a Double Decker or why anyone would not think living in East London was the best place in London to live.
If you visited London today; with Vodafones mobile campaign featuring the flag on our trademark transport you might think Advertising is the New Black. You would learn the Lions are the emblem of the city the square mile around the Bank of England where many of the Financial sectors have their hub (with secondary offices of larger sizes out East in the old Docklands called Canary Wharf founded in a New World fashion with plenty of phallic symbolic buildings adorning the skyline), the Cultural hub is the West End where you can find Theatres and Restaurants in Covent Garden, go to a Gay Bar (forgive me I am singing the song! Gay Bar! Gay Bar!) , Irish Pub or Nightclubs of the cheddar cheese variety in Soho, and shop along Regents, Bond and Oxford Streets all leading to Hyde Park. Or at least that would be what you would tell a visitor off the street. For real London life though I would head away from these areas try
- Shoreditch for a more relaxed feel with bars and restaurants to all budgets and welcoming checked shirts and girls in flats in a scene where Graffiti and vintage markets abound.
- Notting Hill for Antiques markets, naughties clichéd hang outs and cupcakes are on order (but never seemingly eaten).
- Clapham/Battersea/Wandsworth/Putney for wider and leafy streets, with garden bars and antipodeans outnumbering Brits so jandals and shorts are the standard attire and beer, wine and travel stories are the local currency.
As far as living in the East End being the best place in London - I couldn't agree more but don't tell anyone or I'll never be able to afford to buy!
You make us miss London. East is definitely best (but we won't tell anyone!). Go Hackney Downs!!
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