London by Request

Apparently you should always start at the beginning. Well since I wasn't around in 36 bc when the Romans founded London, I guess I'll just have to start my own beginning. So let's start with a quick orientation.

London. Capital of England and the UK, population of around 12 million people, and the biggest city in Europe. Split into two halves by the River Thames, four quarters by most people, 32 boroughs by local officials, and countless different areas by locals. These are more easily narrowed down to five general regions:

Central London
Postcard London. Home to Westminster, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and numerous museums, tourist attractions, pubs and clubs, and the financial centre. Most people come to London, do the centre and go home.


North London
A mixture of everything and everyone from the alternative mecca of Camden Town to the rich and famous areas of Highgate, Hampstead and Primrose Hill. Very down-to-earth with lots of averagely nice areas as well as a few dodgy ones.


East London
Home of the Cockney. Full of EastEnders, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis and one of the most culturally diverse areas in the UK. Great markets, great old-fashioned pubs, and the best currys in Britain. One of the poorest parts of London, but also home to the Docklands financial hub and multimillionaire bankers. Where council estates sit next to luxury apartments, and future home of the 2012 olympic games.


South London
A mix of leafy laid-back affluent areas, and some of the roughest parts of London. On one hand it contains lovely Greenwich, Battersea, Clapham, and the home of tennis, Wimbledon. On the other Peckham, Brixton, Lambeth and many of London's most notorious gun crime and gang areas.


West London
Residential, leafy and fairly expensive. Home to Chelsea, Fulham, Notting Hill and Wembley Stadium. Also the backpackers hub of Shepherd's Bush, and Heathrow Airport way out west. Home to many of London's richest residents towards the centre and along the river, but like the rest of London, turns into sprawling suburbs further out.


For those who come to London though, the only sense of direction you need to know is based on the tube map.

Although each region has a mix of good and not-so-good areas, which part of London you live in often defines you and your outlook on the rest of the city. Those from north of the river often feel little connection to those south of the river, and North, South, East and West all have their distinct characteristics (and in some cases even a slightly different accent).

For more interesting stuff on London areas check out these cool websites:
Stuck in London
I know London

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Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London.
I'll show you something to make you change your mind."

Ralph McTell - 'Streets of London'

Well maybe not by the hand. But I live in one of the biggest, busiest, coolest, richest, poorest, and most interesting cities in the world, and I think it's worth sharing. The good, the bad, the fascinating, the infuriating and the... well, weird.

There's many sides to London, from the pomp and circumstance of Westminster, to the edgy cool of Camden, the council estates of Newham, the sprawl of the suburbs, and everything else inbetween. There's pretty much something for everyone. I'll try to write about the things I see, and probably get some help along the way from other Londoners.

I've been living in London since 2006, working there since 1998, and visiting all my life. Yet I'm still as much a stranger to the city as the next person. Like most Londoners I still don't know all of London, there are great big parts of the city that I've never been to, and there are places that I haven't even heard of. It's a big place, and very few people know it all. And they're mostly black cab drivers (who know EVERYTHING). So there's always something to discover, and always something new to check out. Welcome to 'London for Beginners'!

I always appreciate comments, so if you have something to say or something to share, please do!

Cheers,

Jamie

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