I'll be arriving Heathrow pm of 12/19 and want to spend the next day, Monday 12/20, going into London. It's my first trip, and I want to avoid the typical must see places....am looking for an interesting neighborhood with good shops, accessible via tube. Thanks for any input.

What does "good shops" mean to you? High end designer, department stores, food, funky small boutiques, popular current mid-range cultures, second hand, make-up and perfumes, . . .

"and I want to avoid the typical must see places."

Well the whole point of must see places is that they are what make a city famous, and what one should see first.

Dfinitely not high end anything...I'm a former SF hippie, swinging into AARP years. Does that help?
I love classical music, books, ethnic restaurants, unique architecture, Gilbert & Sullivan, etc.

Go around on a double decker bus.
Do take the Tube.
Have tea.
See Parliament, Big Ben, Hyde Park, go to a museum, go to Westminster Abbey, and try to get over to Covent Garden.
Then you can think you have seen London.

Try out the V&A, it is a museum that holds everythhing that is art related, like British silver, haute couture, tapestry by Mor(r?)is, Indian art...

If you love books, go to Hatchards, not the biggest but a very old bookshop (Queen Victoria and Oscar Wilde used to buy there), with a very good selection, exspecially in British history, travel, but also in everything else.

Go to the Tate Modern, it is an old power station and the extensive modern art collection is wonderful but even better is the view you have on the city.

Wrap yourself in something warm and take a boot from Westminster to Grenwich, wander around this little town, go to the Maritim Museum.

There are many nice exhibitions, look them up in the net!

Have fun! London is wonderful, even one day gives you a lot!

If this is your first time, then I would do the double decker bus tour. This way you can hop on and off when something interests you. You also get a good idea of what London is all about.

I had only like 5 hours to spend in London & we took the city bus tour. It's a great way to see just about everything & your ticket lasts for 24 hours. You can pick the bus up just about anywhere. Ask your hotel for a brochure.

Hello Lakebluffer,

Here's a website about London shopping. It describes the kinds of goods available and the atmosphere in several different shopping precincts:

http://www.londonvisions.com/main_shopping.htm

Hope that helps.

lots of nice small places to explore. try hamstead heath or notting hill. but i'd say reconsider the touristy places...harrods, buck palace, try some indian...