London
 

My 30 something husband and I are traveling to London for our first time and prefer to avoid major tourist attractions, if possible. We will especially be tramping around the pubs/nightlife. We opt for a small dark friendly environment over an overcrowed snobby place. Any recommendations?

Every tourist I know (and I know a lot of them) are seeking out and finding the small, dark, friendly pubs. None of them like the overcrowded snobby places. So I think you're going to be out of luck. The reason most places are "tourist attractions" is because they offer the most or the best of the area. And actually the places that are overcrowded and snobby are invariably filled with locals.

Well, if you are willing to wander, it's surprising what you might find (and I think London is a relatively safe city at night). we were heading for somewhere and got lost, and ended up in the 'legal' district (near the law school) and went into a pub, nothing notable to look at, but had a wonderful and entertaining time. Just wander about with no preplanned destination, and I promise you, you will have an adventure. Look at the Tavistock hotel, which is very central and relatively economical, for a great central place to stay. (near
Russell square).

I often wonder what folks mean when they say "avoid tourist attractions"

Do you mean overcrowded joints like Madame Tussauds - then sure, I understand.

But the vast majority of central (and quite a bit of outlying) London is one major tourist attraction and has been for hundreds of years. Do you plan on laying low during the day so to avoid all those other tourists - and then creeping out at night to some dark, friendly pub w/ nary a tourist to be found??

Guess I just don't understand your question.

You're looking for dark, friendly pubs? Is that right? If so where are you staying - there are about 30,000 pubs in London.

I'd have a look at http://www.fancyapint.com/

It lists pubs by area, rates them and tells you what sort of clientele it has.
It has pictures for most of the listed pubs.

Quite how one can be a first time visitor and "avoid major tourist attractions" is beyond me. How can you rule out anything along the Thame, the Tates, the Cathedrals, etcetera? You can't. So for daytime, you're going to have to do the touristy things. Of course there are places that are less touristy... but then these are usually less touristy for a reason!

As for nightlife, anywhere you have to be a member tends to - by its very nature - be exclusive, but of course it's not practical for a tourist. Are pubs friendly? Personally, when in London - which is most of the time as I live there - I can't stand the places! Pubs tend to have their "regulars" and anyone who sticks out from the usual clientele i.e. a tourist won't be sharing in that supposed "friendly environment" anyway. You're far better off to find a relatively small (as you stated) bar in Soho and enjoy a cocktail or two in far more fashionable style!

London is a huge city.
Decide where you wish to stay and THEN look for pubs not too far.

Get a map of tourist attractions. Circle the places you want to avoid. Go walking.

Actually I thought the original question was rather "snobby." But most of the other posters summed it well. I would hate to think that I went to London only to see the insides of a bunch of dark pubs. Stay home and save your money for a real adventure.

I think it's not an unusual perspective -- "we aren't like other tourists. They just don't know better. We like to avoid the touristy things." It's a very snobbish and usually incorrect assumption. But in fact, those who avoid the tourist attractions have invariably missed the very essence of a city. If someone's main goal was just to sit in a dark pub, why spend all that money. Don't they have dark bars at home?

If these people don't want to go to tourist sights, so what?

Most visitors to London are too busy seeing relatives, negotiating contracts, learning English or researching their next book to waste time on the Tower or the Abbey.

It may well be that the holier than thou gang giving the poster such a hard time don't have anything else to do than gawp at monuments. But most people who come here have a life to lead. Doubtless sakegrrrrrrrl is in this group.

The simple answer for nightlife and pubs: Buy the Time Out Guide to Bars, Pubs and Clubs (£6.99 from any decent bookshop). There are thousands of them, but only a handful of respondents on this site. And sakegrrrrrrrrrl has no way of knowing whether those respondents' tastes are hers, her mother's, those of that distant aunt whose Xmas prezzies she always gives straight to the nearest charity shop - or just plain tasteless.

right on, flanneruk.

Just a handful of Major Tourist Attractions in London:

The London Eye
The Houses of Parliament
Big Ben
Westminster Abby
Tower Bridge
Picadilly circus
The Strand
The Thames
St. James Park
Green Park
Hyde Park
Regent Park
Kew Gardens
Tower of London
Oxford Street
Regent Street
Trafalgar Square
Buckingham Palace
Whitehall
The Southbank
Covent Garden
Little Venice
ALL the museums
London Theatres
Any Market
Harrods



I maintain that anyone who goes to London and deliberately avoids all those things because they are "too touristy" is making a mistake. But I guess that's just me.

I apologize completely if flanneruk is correct that saegrrl is going to London to:
a) see relatives
b) negotiate contracts
c) learn English
Or
d) research her next book

Forgive me for thinking none of those were the intent of the travel to London. And I will firmly challenge him to prove that "MOST" visitors to London are doing any of those things. What a bunch of hogwash.

sakegirl in another post has said that they do intend to visit the ususal tourist sites during the day. Her post is asking for nightlife entertainment/pubs suggestions.

I think m-kingdom2 has pretty much said it all,IMO.

Wow, I didn't realize that a simple question could cause such a stir. Good thing my ego is intact(thanks to all that therapy)or I might be in tears right now after the lashings I received :). I've traveled to Europe several times and consider myself an open minded person. I enjoy a quiet evening with good wine/beer/food and company over a loud crowded place. So its obvious to me that some of you on this site assume that one has to do certain things when traveling in order to "experience" a place. Well I have a different take on it....I will do and go where I please and may stay if I like it. Yeah.....I'm an adult and I pay my own way. I think thats how it goes right? Adults???? Anyways, thanks to the majority of you who gave me good advice and didn't try spanking me for being such a bad grrrrrrl. Now onto my life!

Basically the trick with pubs is that you can pretty much telll a book by it's cover.

If you open the door and look at a bunch of blokes you would run away from if down a dark alley, then it's probably not the pub for you!

In any case most of the pubs in the centre of town are pretty pants - we don't go in them for much more than a post work pint.

The pubs we actually use are around where we live.

So that's why I asked where you were staying.

Just avoid wetherspoons!

sakegrrrl: Just in case you need a translation -- "pants" is not a good thing . . . . .

Sadly, I think your small, dark , friendly environment is very scarce in London these days. I think I understand what you mean and can only sudgest that you take a trip to Brighton, only just over an hour away and there you will find the new London. At least it feels very much like London did 30 years ago. Pubs and nightlife abound----lots with a dark friendly environment.
But then you have the big smoke for your major attractions.

There are plenty of really good pubs in London - just not in the tourist bits.

I don't know paddington though so I'm no help there.