In the late 80’s I was lucky enough to spend a semester abroad studying in London. The food was generally overcooked and bland, it was difficult to get a drink after 11:00, and almost everything was fantastically expensive. Despite this I found it to be an amazing city and fell instantly in love with it. Fast forward to the present and many of its former shortcomings no longer exist. It has some of the best food that you will ever experience and a late gay nightlife scene that many consider to be the best in Europe. It can still be expensive if you don’t pay attention to your spending, but bargains can be found. As always there are an endless number of sites to see and a cultural scene that is the envy of cities the World over. In 1777 Samuel Johnson said “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”, and things have only gotten more interesting every year since then. Instead of giving a list of sites, restaurants and bars (which we do provide to our clients) I’d like to describe a few of our favorite neighborhoods. These distinct areas each have their own vibe and contribute to the whole that makes London such a special place.

South Kensington: I have to admit bias on this one as it was my old neighborhood. Back in my day this was considered the “yuppie” part of town and I was possibly its poorest resident. It is still affluent, but not overbearingly so, and is extremely pleasant to walk around. Its streets are lined with Victorian rowhomes, many now housing embassies and wealthy occupants. These homes are what many people think of as being stereotypically London. The neighborhood also contains some of the city’s biggest and most popular museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum (both of which have free admission). Although Whole Foods and Urban Outfitters have infiltrated, South Ken also offers wonderful boutique shopping and a lively café and wine bar scene if you tire of the museums.

Camden Town: This neighborhood has long been popular with artists and musicians and still maintains a bohemian vibe. It has a small system of canals and locks that won’t remind you of Amsterdam, but they are unique in London and make for a pleasant stroll. This is also an area where British modern architecture tried several experiments with housing in the 1980’s. It is interesting to see these newer aging relics juxtaposed against the 19th century industrial and Victorian architecture of the neighborhood. It is also home to the famous Camden Lock Market which is an enormous maze offering all types of goods and stalls serving food from all over the World.

Soho: Right in the center of the city and the center of gay nightlife, Soho is a must stop for LGBT visitors. One of the city’s largest shopping districts it offers everything from large department stores to unique boutiques. Once the center of the sex industry in London, only a few remnants of this are still in existence. Mostly having been replaced by restaurants of all types (some of our favorite farm to table type establishments are here) and fun pubs and clubs. Its Old Compton Street is the heart of the gay entertainment district. It is also adjacent to the West End theaters and many of Central London’s other sites. Not generally a place to get away from it all, but when in London you should experience some of the excitement and hustle and bustle that this neighborhood is known for.

East London: This is a bit general as East London is a huge area with several distinct neighborhoods. It is amazingly diverse offering everything from ethnic enclaves, to the hub of Britain’s tech industry to Europe’s tallest and most striking skyscraper. What started out as an infamous slum, where Jack the Ripper mutilated his victims, is now the hippest area in town. Although there is much to do during the day, especially shopping at the trendy boutiques, the area really comes alive at night with an endless variety of restaurants, pubs and clubs frequented by the young and beautiful. Although the nightlife isn’t distinctly gay, almost everyone is too cosmopolitan and having too much fun to care about who’s sleeping with whom. When we were researching restaurants to recommend to clients we ended up at an amazing Middle Eastern place that we didn’t realize was BYOB. When adjacent tables realized our predicament they offered to share their wine with us and let us know where the closest wine shop was. We found the area to be filled with interesting, energetic and friendly residents who are worth talking to.

London has something to offer just about everyone. We could go on forever gushing about all that there is to do, but we have to stop somewhere. If you’re interested in making this fantastic city a destination in 2016 give us a call or send us an email. We would love to find out what interests you and find the perfect London matches for your personality.