London Life Hacks: Exploring London Hello! I am Josh, a Study Abroad Peer Advisor. Welcome to my London Geography

guide. As you can see from my beautiful photos below, I know a thing or two about

nice areas of London. I hope this guide provides you with useful ‘off the beaten

track’ ideas of where to spend your free time in London.

The Shard

Brick Lane Westbourne Grove

North London

Area: Primrose Hill

Tube: Chalk Farm (Northern Line), 15 minutes from

Waterloo.

Why go? My favourite part of London is not just a vista

point - its main street (Regent’s Park Road) houses

quaint cafés and boutiques. Greenberry café is my

favourite, go for the waffles.

Area: Hampstead Village

Tube: Hampstead (Northern Line), 25

minutes from Waterloo.

Why go? The village of Hampstead is hilly,

green, and very reminiscent of a village in the

Cotswolds. Check out Hampstead Heath for

an abundance of green space, as well as a

Area: Little Venice Tube: Warwick Avenue (Bakerloo Line),

20 minutes from Waterloo.

Why go? I come here a lot just to have a

wander around the peaceful canals of

North London. There are lots of places to

get a nice coffee by the water, and it’s well

worth walking all the way to the gorgeous

South London

Area: Peckham, specifically Rye Lane

Tube: Peckham Rye (Overground), 30 minutes

from Waterloo. Or get the bus for 30 minutes.

Why go? Make time for a unique and trendy part of

London that is far off the tourist track. I like visiting

the Peckhamplex (and so does my bank account)

for an incredibly cheap movie, the Bussey Building

for an alternative night out, and eating or drinking

at one of the breweries or cafés. Click here for a

great guide to Peckham.

Area: Richmond Park

Tube: Mortlake (National rail), 35 minutes from Wa-

terloo.

Why go? It’s three times the size of Central Park but

has not even a third of the fame. This southwest park

is a beautiful oasis worth getting lost in. Make sure

you go early to see the deer! If you need a bite to eat,

go to the leafy Petersham Nurseries.

Area: Greenwich

Tube: Greenwich (DLR), 30 minutes from

Waterloo.

Why go? I love wandering around this quaint

‘village’, which houses Greenwich Market

and a beautiful royal park. You can stand on

the Greenwich Mean Time line at the Royal

Observatory too. Check out the Instagram

here.

West London

Area: Notting Hill/Westbourne Grove

Tube: Notting Hill Gate (Central), 15 minutes from Waterloo.

Why go? I am sure you are aware of Notting Hill from the

Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant film, and yes – it is as lovely as

you’d expect. Go to Portobello Road Market, check out the

plush Electric Cinema, and make sure you give time to West-

bourne Grove at the other end of the market. My favourite

places to eat around here are Farm Girl and Daylesford.

Area: Shepherd’s Bush/Westfield

Tube: Shepherd’s Bush (Central Line), 20

minutes from Waterloo.

Why go? This is one of the biggest and best

shopping centres (mall) in London. It has

everything.

Area: Kensington Gardens

Tube: Kensington High Street (Circle) Line), 25

minutes from Waterloo.

Why go? In the summer I like to grab a bite to eat from

Whole Foods and sit in the gardens surrounding Prince

William’s London abode, pretending I live there. The

gardens themselves are very pretty and they are at-

tached to Hyde Park. The Roof Gardens is a nearby bar

and restaurant for a nice evening drink.

East London

Area: Stoke Newington

Tube: Stoke Newington (Overground), 35 minutes

from Waterloo.

Why go? There’s a lot see in London’s newest ‘it’

area, known as Stokey to the locals. From the beau-

tiful Clissold Park, the old streets around Church

Street, to the farmer’s market on Saturdays. I’ve

only been here a few times but I can’t wait to go

and see more of it.

Area: Shoreditch

Tube: Shoreditch High Street (Overground), 20

minutes from Waterloo.

Why go? An unlimited amount of quirky bars and

restaurants await you. My favourite bar in Lon-

don (the world maybe?) is here: The Cocktail

Trading Company, I highly recommend the snow

globe.

Area: Bethnal Green

Tube: Bethnal Green (Central Line), 20 minutes from Wa-

terloo.

Why go? Often overshadowed by neighbour Shoreditch,

Bethnal Green has a lot to offer. I like the Arch Gallery by

the tube station, they have live jazz every week as well as

excellent cocktails. This edgy borough also has the beauti-

ful Columbia Road flower market every Sunday amongst

its old Victorian streets.

Near Campus

Area: Lincoln’s Inn Field

Where: 10-minute walk from Strand Campus, be-

hind the library.

Why go? I come to this small park when I need a

break from the busy Strand or if I’m cooped up in the

library all day. In the centre of the park is a really

nice café (Fields Bar & Kitchen) which offers a stu-

dent discount!

Area: St James’s Park

Where: 20-minute walk from Strand Campus.

Why go? If you have a long gap between classes, it’s

nice to explore around Buckingham Palace and

Westminster. I do this a lot in the summer, and

sometimes come here after class and have a walk

around before heading home.

Area: Potters Fields Park

Where: 10-minute walk from Guy’s Campus.

Why go? This small stretch of green is right on

the river by Tower Bridge, and has food stalls in

the warmer months! Alternatively, grab a bite to

eat from Borough Market and walk over for a

relax between lectures.