PalenQ

Carnaby Street has history of being trendy at least in 80s but when I posted about it recently janis said it was so passe so must be. Yet it is just around the corner of Oxford Street - kind of a large cubby hole. Yes maybe check Time Out London site or mag to read about many shopping areas. For a shopping mall with most Brits take the Tube and Dockland Light Railway to Canary Wharf where there is a large underground shopping mall.

A trip on the DLR is great - elevated train high above the renovated Docklands and its many high-rise offices and banks. Take it to Greenwich, a cool part of London with famous markets and antique stores - plus the beginning of time at the Observatory and historic ships like Cutty Sark and HMS Bounty - take train back to central London.

janisj

>>but when I posted about it recently janis said it was so passe so must be.<<

Your memory fails you . . . I posted no such thing. I merely asked when was the last time you were there. Others described what Carnaby is Street now . . .

thursdaysd

I got a reply from my niece, who is closer to the OP's niece's age than she is to mine.

" I try and avoid Oxford Street at all costs, especially on the weekend but it might be OK midweek mornings, but i don't think it has the best shop selection. I only really go to John Lewis and Selfridges there. In central London i think Regents Street, Carnaby and Covent Garden are more pleasant and cover all the bases. If the weather is bad Westfield Stratford is huge or White City is big and more convenient.

Tulips

I get that when you live in London you may give Oxford Street a miss. I've visited London with teenage girls (daughters + friends, nieces) and they all want to go to Oxford Street, as some of the high street brands there are not available here. For example we don't have Topshop, Warehouse, French Connection, Reiss. And they all love Topshop Oxford Circus. The personal shopper there was a huge hit.
Covent Garden has a nicer atmosphere, though, compared to Oxford Street.

I'd drop the niece at Oxford Street, go and do something else myself, and meet up for tea or drinks later.

Bicester Village is great if you have the time, or can combine it with a trip to Oxford.

RM67

PalenQ

What about Harrods? The building is much of the attraction to me - it's ornate Tea Rooms are famous for afternoon and high teas - though may be too touristy for some - indeed Harrod's is a must for shoppers but just to waltz thru the grand emporium is so neat IMO. The Food Halls are also very famous - if looking to take home some delicacy home check this place out:

https://www.google.com/search?q=harr...w=1280&bih=625

janisj

Pal - give it up, you are not a 18 yo female, have never been an 18 yo female, did not have an 18 yo daughter, last visited Harrods when the Diana Dodi monument/monstrosity was brand new (it has since been removed), think they serve 'high tea', and have really no idea what you are talking about. One cannot 'waltz' through Harrods -- one has to pretty much elbow their way through, especially through the food halls. The parts tourists want to see are mainly on the ground floor and it is a total ZOO. No fun trying to buy a £2000 handbag with hordes of tourists clogging the aisles. In the fine fashion galleries and deluxe departments up stairs there are fewer crowds - but it ain't someplace an 18 yo from the States would be buying anything.

PalenQ

The famous building in itself is a sight (see pictures) - go home and talk about shopping in Harrods may still have prestige. No I don't know what an 18 yr old may want and you don't either - they're all different and so far OP has not said what see enjoys shopping for.

thursdaysd

historytraveler

5alive

Wow, this is really a nice gift and I think the niece always remember it.

My daughter was 18 when we went as a family to London. I love this shopping link. I wish I'd found something like it two years ago. A store where your niece can afford to actually buy something would be fun. The accessories store by the H&M brand looks like a good stop. It's called "& Other Stories."

My own daughter liked Hampton Court, as well as the Tower of London and the Eye. At Hampton Court, we loved the maze. Also, the staff told us that the staircase there was the one used in the original Pirates of the Caribbean. So be sure to get a picture if you go.

I regretted not setting up a tea in London. However, we had a great cream tea up in York. After I got back, I heard about a friend who took their daughter to afternoon tea at Kensington Palace. They said it was great, although expensive. They reserved ahead.

historytraveler

goddesstogo

I have no idea where an 18 year old might want to shop but if you are going to be on Oxford Street can I suggest you veer off it to walk up Marylebone High Street from Oxford to the Regents Park end. It's a sweet street chock full of shops and restaurants and while nice and lively, it's a break from the hordes of Oxford Street.
I think Selfridges is a good bet. Also the Marks & Spencer across the road if she's a bit more conservative and budget conscious. I love the idea of a TopShop personal shopper.
And to add to your list of things to do, I suggest that you look at London Walks for their very interesting walking tours. There are several an 18vyear old would find interesting.

historytraveler

menachem

Whitechapel, Shoreditch are great areas for (semi) independent shops. I see Topshop mentioned. Uhm.......

Also, maybe choose a hotel in that area. If it's a graduation gift, you might want to splurge on something like Ace. But near Brick Lane there are good, sanely priced, places as well. It's nice to be able to have coffee at Rough Trade Records.

Odin

Oxford Street is not all tourist tatt and besides, all because you are on Oxford Street, it does not mean you have to stay on Oxford Street. You can veer off to other shopping streets, to Soho, to Charlotte Street for lunch, to Berners Street Tavern for cocktails/lunch etc, to St Christopher's Place, to Mount Street, to Sketch etc, Regent Street. TopShop branches might be all over the place but none are like the one in Oxford Street. And no, it is not always as crowded as the youtube posted above. Can't imagine an 18 year old wanting to go to John Lewis in Oxford Street, bit too middle aged I would have thought.

goddesstogo

I meant to add that Carnaby Street is worth visiting for a young person. Last time I was there (just last October), it was full of young people's types of shops. Also, IMO, going to London without going to Oxford Street is like going to New York and not going to Fifth Avenue. You may like it or you may not but it's part of what makes London London.

thursdaysd

Not to a Londoner or an ex-Londoner.

PalenQ

Some say Oxford Street is all tourists and others say it is not? Certainly not all tourists - TripAdvisor ranks going to Oggsford Street as a great thing:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...n_England.html

If looking for really cheap stuff and second-hand items check out Petticoat Lane Market in the East End - not so much for cheap clothes but typical flea market stuff.

goddesstogo

Sure, and most of the New Yorkers I know don't shop on Fifth Avenue or even take a walk there. But unless I've misunderstood the OP, neither she nor her niece are Londoners or ex-Londoners.