Lou

I'm curious the changes in London since I have not visited since 1986 thanks

amy

The food. The food. The food.<BR><BR>I don't know if the Brits realize the difference pre- and post- Chunnel. Probably the change was so gradual that those that lived there weren't aware of it. A good curry was always available; a great croissant was unheard of 20 years ago. And 30 years ago, I rarely saw a vegetable that hadn't been cooked until gray.<BR><BR>On our trip in 1999 we feasted in London. We were able to obtain Paris-level cuisine with American-size portions (we did not return slimmer). We ate the best Thai of our lives, fabulous French, and absolutely to-die-for Italian. A marvel of a change.<BR><BR>My family was deciding a few years ago where to spend the Millennium--Paris, New York or London. London was last on the list because its &quot;heart&quot; is so spread out, but it truly is a marvel that my kids said, &quot;Yeah, but boy, we're almost tempted to go there just for the food.&quot;<BR><BR>Tell me you would ever have said that 20 years ago!

Santa Chiara

Agree that the food is so much better. My first trip to London (and Europe) was in 1978. My second trip to London was in 1986. The main differences in the intervening years were the food and the ethnic diversity, and it gets better every time I go. <BR><BR>I am not a Londonphile by any means, and I was disappointed in my earlier visits. But now that go to London at least once a year, I find myself increasingly enchanted. I don't know what your impression was in 1986, but I find a city that keeps getting better. <BR>

Lori

I go every year and see more people, more traffic, and much more constuction going on. Yes, food has improved too. The major sights are still there but a few new ones have come along, i.e. the London Eye for example. The tube is more crowded then ever and slowdowns are more frequent. It's still a wonderful city to visit tho and I love it.

Rich

<BR><BR>Amy is right, The food has changed considerably. Other things that come to mind. Privatization of the rail and buss lines. Neither seem as &quot;user friendly&quot; as they were 15 years ago. Greatly relaxed &quot;opening hours&quot; for Pubs, many of which have been &quot;modernized&quot; (you can now use Credit Cards in most). Prices! 15 years ago a pint was 40P and is now about 1 pound 50. You won't believe it until you get there, but even more people! . . Traffic is even worse, crowds are even larger. <BR><BR>But it's still a great place to go . . lot's of new restaurants and sights and, of course, the old ones are still there too!<BR><BR>Enjoy London . . Rich

Kath

Do the pubs still have to close at 11pm?

Thyra

Hi Lou, my first trip to London was in 1978..but I backpacked through in the mid-80's. Well first of all, hotels are a HECK of a lot more expensive!!!! Gone are the days of the 10 GBP pp ratty B &amp; B's in Earls court, HELLO... 150 GBP per night!!! But I agree with others the food is so much better! I remember a time when you couldn't get lite cola in the UK but you will find many more of the products you are used to.. a good thing for convenience to my mind but kind of bitter sweet.. a lot of the same shops you see here.. as we become more globalized, a shopping mall is a shopping mall from here to Nairobi these days, look for gaps, starbucks, pizza huts, body shops etc. But I still find the people wonderful and the city luckily has as many historical/wonderful sights to recommend it as it always did. But seriously whenever I go back it's the shops being all the same, and the expense. have a wonderful trip.

Lou

I visited in the 70's backpack and all---later in '86 with my wife visited all the named sights---but decied to go again this spring and wnated to concentrate on the changes---I know the food has improved because it was horrible in the '80's--- this should be a fun trip and wanted to hear about the changes...thanks for everyones input

Steve

Pizza! Seems like there is an Italian restaurant or pizza place on every corner. Also in general much more americanized. I used to have a bit of a culture shock when arriving in London - on my latest trip it felt like I was in New York or Washington DC rather than a foreign country. I thought the underground stations looked much better - they must have cleaned them up. Also didn't notice any attendants in public restrooms anymore.

David

I think you'll find a much changed city that's much more vibrant and multi-culturally diverse - one in four Londoners are now from ethnic minority groups. <BR><BR>Yes there's more people - Over 7.2 live here making it the biggest city in Western Europe, more tourists - in 2001 there were 28.4 million visitors to London. There’s more traffic, apparently even the weathers warmer!! <BR><BR>Yes the food’s better - there are more restaurants with food from every corner of the globe - 6,000 restaurants and 5,000 pubs at the last count serving cuisines from over 70 different countries. Eating al fresco was rare in the 80s but is now commonplace in summer.<BR><BR>There has been a lot of regeneration in docklands with Canary Wharf now being 10 years old. Lots of new buildings with building work still going on everywhere – I heard two American tourists on the southbank surveying the sea of cranes on the skyline say – golly this place must be booming! New and refurbished and expanded museums. Less homeless on the streets - but they still exist. More crime! Higher prices! More hotels! House prices have soared. The jubilee line tube extension. London City Airport. Eurostar to Paris. 24 hour shopping. Low cost flights to other European cities. The London Eye, Millennium bridge, Hungerford bridge. etc. etc. etc. <BR><BR>And coffee shops there’s now thousands of them!<BR>

Luba

I've found London a lot more dirtier, more immigrants, and there aren't as many gentleman. I remember the days when you could walk down the street and you got a &quot;goodday&quot;, and a door held open for you. Soho is now degraded into dangerous gay/sex district, rather than the hip place to be. Also, people don't dress as nice.

Shannon

The last time you were there, they were working on cleaning up the dirt on Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abby. The scaffolding finally was taken down after several years, and these buildings look gorgeous. <BR><BR>On the chick side, Mary Quant left and came back, and Biba is gone forever, alas.<BR><BR>Carnaby St. had a facelift, and Eros is now back in Picadilly Circus.

xxx

Food is absolutely correct. Not just an improvement in Continental food, but try some of the &quot;modern Brit&quot; restaurants for really good dining. Yum... And the ability to find good coffee/cappucinos almost anywhere. Also the London Eye, a couple of new footbridges across the Thames including the Millenium (Wobbly) Bridge going from St. Paul's to the also new Modern Tate art museum. Labour government. The Eurostar train to Paris. Discounted flights to anywhere in Europe. More asylum seekers. The prices - not helped by the current dollar/pound exchange rate! Etc. Etc. Enjoy your trip to London!

PatrickW

Luba is quite wrong about Soho. The dangerous/criminal end of the sexploitation industry, though not totally squeezed out (there are still clip-joints, but you have to be more than a bit unworldly to fall for them), is much reduced, precisely over the last fifteen years. This results partly from new laws and regulations, partly from leases falling in and being re-let to new businesses. Many of these do indeed cater for the gay market, but they are open and welcoming bars and caf&eacute;s rather than the sleazy (and dangerous) porn-and-peep shows of just a few years ago. The result is a much less threatening atmosphere all round... particularly for women.<BR><BR>It does now tend to have more of the chain bars, caf&eacute;s and unremarkable pizza-pasta restaurants that everywhere else has, and in time may become indistinguishable from anywhere else, but the improvement over the last 15 years is palpable.

london lover

The food is not just changed, it is the BEST in Europe! And you will PAY for it! We loved Gordon Ramsey which is also housed in a very handsome setting at Claridges, as well as the hotel itself. London has more Indian restaurants than anything else, Tamarind probably the most famous. The top of Harvey Nichol's now houses a wine bar, restaurant, etc. that is quite the place for happy hour. The basement of Harrod's has a very tacky memorial pyramid to Dodi and Diana, as well as an Egyptian themed series of rooms on the main floor. The city is much more prosperous and bustling with gorgeous shops and people -- the business men on the street are the best dressed I have seen in large number in any city. Maybe that is because &quot;business casual&quot; has ruined the United States?? Most men look better suited up than in khakis -- enjoy. The giant ferris wheel is new, and though I did not ride it, it must have amazing views from the top. What is NOT different is the British Pound Sterling (instead of the Euro which is very convenient in most of the rest of Europe)!!! Also they have developed a love and appreciation for &quot;Yanks&quot; all over again after a starvation period on tourism following 9-11. The Harrod sale is unchanged, as are the other great January sales. I agree about Soho and sex shops and the large number of prostitutes, I didn't enjoy even walking through there at lunchtime -- don't enjoy seeing the open exploitation of women in a first world city like that. I felt sorry for all of them. I cannot imagine going more than a year or two without a London visit, so enjoy!

Lou

thanks to everyone for the replies---I'm looking for better food this visit--I always knew the Ethnic foods were better than the English fare....most of the changes seem for the better

xxx

What's changed about London since 1986? It's more crowded and more expensive than ever. More traffic, more pollution. More crime. More money oriented, greedier, harder. Even supposed &quot;hamlets&quot; like Hampstead are have chain shops, chain pubs, streets full of cars blaring rap &quot;music&quot; at full volume, and trash in the streets. <BR>The food HAS improved, but there is much about the city that has gotten worse, not better.<BR>

SharonG

Oh I'm so glad someone mentioned Biba. I remember Biba fondly. I still have a coloring book (!!)I bought there in 1973. What a great store.Also, there was a great Indian restaurant called Booboo's Tandori Treats. Alas, it's gone too.

Ken

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