New things to do in London?
 

Can anyone tell me what new and interesting things I should look for in London? I lived there for 2 years, but I left back in 1992 and haven't been back since. I'm taking my wife there in two weeks to show her the town that I loved so much, but I'm sure that so much has changed since I left. And advice on both touristy and not touristy things?

Sorry for the double posting folks! I didn't see my first post, so I did it again. I guess that postings don't appear in searches until they have at least one reply.

The London Eye and the Hungerford footbridges.

The Millennium Bridge from St Pauls to the Tate Modern, the Globe and all the Bankside area.

Much development of museums - general spruce-up in the South Kensington Museums, the Museum of London, the new Museum of Docklands (you might or might not be interested to see how Canary Wharf has developed)

The revamped Royal Opera House and Coliseum, Covent Garden generally.

Somerset House (the Courtauld, the Hermitage rooms and the Gilbert Collection).

Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane on a Sunday.

Presumably major museums charged, or morally blackmailed you into a "voluntary" donation when you were here last. They don't any more.

The Great Court of the British Museum is probably the most spectacular of the millennium-related spending sprees. It followed the move of the British Library to St Pancras, and therefore the circular Reading Room in the British Museum is now accessible.

The new British Library is one of London's two most beautiful new buildings, (the other has to be Waterloo International station), and much of it is now on public display. Do go to the Silk Road exhibition that's on there at present. Many of the most wonderful artefacts of the Silk Road are either in the British Museum or the V+A

The extraordinary St Pancras Chambers next door is now often accessible for public viewing, though hours are erratic.

London's two most spectacular new buildings are the Neasden (Hindu)Temple and the Southall (Sikh) Temple

Other products of the great spending spree include:
- the Wallace Collection extensions(possibly the dullest of the investments, but they do make its fabulous collection more accessible)
- the new Fine Rooms at the Royal Academy, opened in the past couple of weeks
- the view over London from the top-floor restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery

The Jubilee Line eastward from (and including) Westminster station is thoroughly unEnglish is the grandiose planning of its stations, and not at all what you'd expect from their street elevations.

The Erotic Gherkin in the City, and the Greater London Authority building opposite the Tower (aka the Crystal Testicle) make up a remarkably complimentary pair of buildings

Especially if, like me, you think of the 'Gherkin' as the Glass Suppository. But maybe we should stop there.

At the opposite extreme from new temples: The re-creation of Shakespeare's Globe and resulting revival of the Southwark area.

Wow!! Tanx for the input. There's definitely been a lot of renovation going on. Of course, I have been gone for a very long time. The museums and some of the architecture will definitely be on our list.

What else can you tell me about Spitalfields? I know of it from when I lived there, but never went there. Isn't it a big produce market? What else is there? We're kinda interested in agriculture, so Spitalfields might be good for us to check out.

What's the deal with the big ferris wheel that I see on the bank of the river?

Thatt's the London Eye, the most profitable venture of British Airways. Has huge "rooms", goes around very slowly, the entire excursion is once-around, about 40 minutes. Great views, go on a clear day at sunset for best effects.

Try also taking lunch, tea or dinner at the gallery restaurant at the revamped National Gallery. Great views across the rooftops - very Mary Poppins!
I think you'll like the new, pedestrianised Trafalgar Square with much fewer pigeons, due to Mayor Ken's efforts.

I miss the pigeons at Trafalger Square.
And I don't like those glass enclosure things on the Jubilee line that form a barrier between you and the train. I like to feel the "whoosh" of air from an approching train. Oh and there's now a congestion charge.

Spitalfields is an interesting place to visit. In recent weeks there was a fashion show going on, but there's always something happening. You should also try the pies from the Square Pie shop, they have a little stall in the market and their pies are delicious. You may also want to visit Brick Lane which is just around the corner

For a big new food produce market you might try the Borough Market, Thursdays and Saturdays, opposite London Bridge Station on Borough High Street.
A new public space is Trafalgar Square, new in that it has been opened up to walking or having coffee without dashing through knitted traffic nor bombed by defecating pigeons.

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<<Presumably major museums charged, or morally blackmailed you into a "voluntary" donation>>

LOL! I always wondered if you didn't pay the "donation" if they'd actually let you in. :)

>Presumably major museums charged, or morally blackmailed you into a "voluntary" >donation when you were here last. They don't any more.

The VA still works pretty hard at getting donation beofre letting you in.

Keith

This is a super thread. Being in the same situation, I posted a similar query on another travel board and got nowhere near the same amount or quality of info as jhides as received. So thanks to OP and all contributors.

Since I suggested Spitalfields, let me explain - the wholesale fruit and veg moved out years ago, and during the customary arguments about what sort of development should be allowed, and archaelogical investigation of what was discovered underneath, a (slightly) alternative arts/crafts/collectables/funky fashions market developed in the old market building, and quickly became a Sunday institution. Lots of food stalls, cafés, bars, restaurants. Spitalfields as an area has retained a high proportion of its original 17th/18th century streets with their elegant frontages, as well as the building on the corner of Fournier St and Brick Lane which has successively been a French protestant chapel, a synagogue and now a mosque as different waves of immigrants have passed through the area: and all of them have made their way through the clothes and fashion trade. Brick Lane combines Bengali style (and lots of curry restaurants) with would-be hip and dotcommery, a couple of art galleries, more trendy cafés and a shop which rejoices in the name Eat My Handbag Bitch.

Let me second what curious said! I too, am similarly situated to jhides, and am now returning to London this summer after a several year absence to give a presentation in the City. I feel quite honored (or should I write "honoured"?) to be invited, but of course, I also want to look up old friends, and get a sense of my old stomping grounds again. In that regard, thank you Flanneruk, PatrickL, and other Londoners who've responded- the information you've provided is both hugely informative and amusingly insightful!

This is a great topic! When I was in London a week ago I visited some things I haven`t been to before.
Great is the renovated Dulwich Picture Gallery, a little bit outside London (but oner can take a bus and is there in no time) and a great place to visit on a sunny day, it is in a very nice village, great pictures and one of the oldest museums in London as far as I know.
For lunch I would recommend the Fifth floor café at Harvey Nichols ( really a great place to watch people and I do not know one woman who dislikes it!), around ten years old and with a nice roof top space to eat outside.
The London eye is famous, but what I like even more is the Modern Tate and to walk along the river (great new walk)to the London eye, in the evening it could be very romantic.

God... I now feel like I never even left London, with all the great info you folks have given me. Many thanx to all who've contributed. I'm going to hit as many of the sights you've mentioned as I can--while still relaxing and drinking many, many pints!!! I'll tell you all how the trip was when I get back home.