Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with London

Where to go for NYE in London?

simolean — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:55:23 -0800

House clubs for NYE in London I'm looking for a club to go to for NYE. I haven't been back since '07 and usually go to Ben Watt's club or any deep house club for that matter. Any suggestions? Thanks!

What gift(s) could I request for Christmas that would make my life more interesting, social, or creative?

Kirn — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:41:00 -0800

What gift(s) could I request for Christmas that would make my life more interesting, social, or creative? I've been asked by my mother for suggestions of what she could get me for Christmas. Recently I've realised that I spend too much time reading books, watching movies and playing video games, and not enough time doing creative or interesting things, attending cultural events, or being sociable and meeting new people. This is particularly daft as I live in the interesting city of Brighton, an hour outside the even more interesting city of London.

What gift(s) could I ask for that would help me to have a more interesting, social, creative 2010? There's infinite interesting stuff happening in London (and Brighton), so what would give me an excuse to see/do more of it? There's infinite new creative activities I could get involved in (none of which I really engage with currently) so what would give me an entry into them? What would get me out the house? What would get me outside my comfort zone? What would bring a bit more culture, a bit more social scene into my life?

Absolutely any and all suggestions welcome, I'd love a wide grab-bag of ideas. Thanks!

Things to do in London over Christmas

Conductor71 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:50:23 -0800

Looking for recommendations for things to do in London. Asking on behalf of a colleague, who is visiting from America for a week over Christmas. Relevant details:

-Traveling with his wife, and daughters aged 11 and 13.
-Jewish (so no carol concerts)
-Assume a decent budget
-Seasoned travelers, so would rather avoid the obvious tourist traps
-Like contemporary culture, shopping, art, music

Should I avoid flying British Airways?

catchingsignals — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:59:41 -0800

How has your recent experience been flying with British Airways, particularly if it was to and from the US? Is it not such a good idea to fly with them right now? BA really hasn't been doing so well lately, so I don't imagine staff morale is all that high at the moment - and from what I've read over the internet they seem to have a particularly bad reputation for losing luggage. How were your recent flights with them? There are other things I've read about BA that I don't like much, but they are the only airline that flies direct from London to Tampa. I've been flying Virgin to Orlando, but that means an extra 2-hour drive both ways that I'd like to avoid, if that doesn't mean more unpleasant flights. Thanks Mefi!

There's no oil in Southwark

qwip — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:17:38 -0800

So, what is this orange platform on the Thames? We noticed this rig east of Tower Bridge a few weeks ago and now it's set up to the west. Makes a lot of noise some of the time. Anyone know what it's for?

What kinds of music does London deserve credit for?

yankeefog — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:50:49 -0800

What musicians would you consider to be London musicians? I'm not talking about people who have merely passed through London to do a few gigs or record an album -- otherwise, you'd have to list everybody who ever recorded at Abbey Road! Instead, I'm looking for folks whose work grew out of the city's cultural scene in some real way, whether London natives like Dizzee Rascals or transplants like George Frideric Handel. More broadly, what styles of music originated (entirely or partially) in London? I know about grime and dubstep--what others are there? (As the Handel example probably suggests, I'm equally interested in historical and contemporary examples.)

Where can we get an advanced London Eye(s) Test?

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:17:22 -0800

Advice on where to go in London for more advanced eye problems? My wife is having problems with her eyes, black spots and a cloud on one eye. We want to get her eyes tested further....

She is an EU citizen with an EU health insurance card. We live in the Camden area, does anyone know of a suitable place in London where she could go and around how much it may cost?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Can I negotiate rental agency tenant-changeover fees?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:12:42 -0800

I live in London in a flat of three, and someone wants to move out. We have someone else ready to move in. The lettings agency wish to charge £150 for swapping a person over, and £100 for admin fees. Can we dispute this, for a more reasonable fee? The fees were similarly massive when we moved in (and we paid 6 weeks rent as deposit). When I visited the building we ended up saying yes to, the agent actually never came down (the janitor let us in). In fact, the first time I ever actually saw the agent was going into their offices to sign the contract and collect the keys.

While I understand that credit checks must be done, and some phone calls must be made, I fail to see the justification for paying half a months rent to change some names on a piece of paper when I found the other tenant. £100, that's going to sting but it's doable. But £250?

Two options seem to present themselves:

1) Try to negotiate, asking them for an itemised breakdown of these costs and making a case for them to reduce the fees for good tenants who have paid all their bills on time and never broken anything or asked them to do anything or fix anything.

2) Go straight to the Landlord. Do this actually have to be done through the Agency? Problem is in this case the 'Landlord' is a big company and I'd expect they'll just want the agency to handle it and will happily pay whatever they're being extorted for, in turn.

The person moving in is having a hard enough time getting 6 weeks rent, plus one months rent up front together, without high fees adding to the troubles.

Thanks!

Quiet Uncrowded London Sweet Spots

ElmerFishpaw — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:30:50 -0800

LondonFilter: Looking for a place almost exactly like Gordon's Wine Bar without the crowds. Somewhere in central London. I love Gordon's but Im looking for a wine bar or bistro that is quieter where I can have a conversation without having to yell. Subterranian, candlelit, intimate-feeling, good food and wine. Any suggestions?

I'm glad to accept your personal Central London Secret Spots- quiet, dark, small, hidden, bars, pubs, bistros that arent crowded at night.

Pass me that menu Stat!

mary8nne — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:15:14 -0800

Quick! need a restaurant recommendation for London City / Shoreditch area, for tonight. Casual but not too casual. Was thinking St Johns Bread and Wine but I left it too late to get a table. Everywhere decent will probably be booked out I guess. Its for two, kind of a 'date'. I'm thinking not a curry obviously.

S&M / Canteen seem a bit clinical. I coudl do Viet on Kingsland Road but its a little obvious.

Recommendations for laser eye surgery in London

dmt — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:37:04 -0800

Recommendations for laser eye surgery in London I have been thinking about laser eye surgery for some time. Last month my optician confirmed that my prescription has been stable for long enough that I am now (at 33) a viable candidate. Obviously I’ll look to an ophthalmologist for a definitive view but I’m now interested in taking the next step.

So then, what was your experience with laser eye surgery? Did you use someone in London; were you impressed? What did it cost? Any recommendations on the various available procedures? My sense is that the various procedures are safe but I would really like to avoid halo effects while driving at night.

Finally – and this might be a deal breaker – I would be happy to use eyedrops for a period following the procedure but a year sounds like a hard act to follow; the rest of your life sounds positively onerous.

Additional details: shortsighted by 1.5 in both eyes with mild astigmatism.

I'm mad, I know, but its part of a bigger plan...

twine42 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:16:09 -0800

For various reasons, I'm planning on walking the A10 from London Bridge to the North Circ (Shoreditch, Kingsland Rd, Stoke Newington Rd, Stamford Hill, Tottenham High Rd, Bruce Grove, Roundway, Gt Cambridge Rd). I'll have my camera with me... Without detouring from the route by more than a couple of hundred yards, I'm looking for suggestions of places to visit that are photographically worthy for their interest, beauty or hideousness.

I'm very early in my plans, so all I've really considered so far is the bridge itself and Abney Park.

What else should go into my plan?

Oh, and while I know London is hardly Baltimore, is there anywhere on that route where a country boy like me should be very clearly Not A Tourist™?

Building home across the pond

zvs — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:47:40 -0800

Make London work. Help a beleaguered New Yorker figure out how to acclimate. Griping follows. So, there's a decent chance I'll be trying to move to London next year for school and work. No visa issues (EU passport), no language issues, no real issues at all -- except that when I've visited London, it Just. Doesn't. Work. For me.

New York to London shouldn't be a big culture shock, right? But for some reason I've never found anywhere there that felt nearly as comfortable or useful as Brooklyn. I don't feel like I can pop in somewhere for quick food, I can't find any life (not nightlife) after 8 PM, I can't find more groceries than a Tesco Express... I realize some of these aren't reasonable London expectations, but that won't stop me from building a little homey bubble around myself!

So, your tips are welcomed for this oddly specific question: where's the appropriate London district that's similar to home? It doesn't have to be terribly central or TOO cheap. If you're familiar with both cities, comparable neighborhoods in New York would be Astoria, or Greenpoint, or Carroll Gardens -- the last three places I liked. All of them are sort of quiet, insulated, and very dense. A little off the beaten path.

The closest I found to something like this in London was the area near St-John-At-Hackney, and that wasn't all that close. Pleasant though.

(I've seen this, but it's not really what I mean)

Weird me out in London

MsMolly — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:37:44 -0800

Fun/weird London activities. Sock 'em to me. I'm going to be in London for three days at the end of November/beginning of December before an academic conference. I lived in London for a year during high school 20 (ulp!) years ago, and have been back a couple of times since, but my last visit was in 2001. I'm looking for quirky, off-the-beaten-path places to go and things to do. Something like Philadelphia's Mutter Museum, or Toronto's Bata Shoe Museum, or NYC's Peanut Butter and Co.. Shops, restaurants, museums, activities, all appreciated.

Milton Keynes Calling

Sonny Jim — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:24:16 -0800

So, I just got my dream job. It's in Milton Keynes. What now? I'll be moving to the UK at the end of this year to take up a fixed-term contract. While I'm excited, I'm also a little apprehensive about MK's ... reputation ... for being somewhat boring and car-focussed. I'm also kind of unfamiliar with the UK itself, having never lived there before.

Are there any English Mefites who could give me some good, basic advice about finding decent (but cheapish) long-term accommodation in (or preferably about) Milton Keynes? I'd probably be looking to join an existing flat or perhaps board (at least initially); where are the best places to look for listings? Is accommodation especially hard to line up if you're a non-EU citizen? Is living in London and commuting to Milton Keynes just perverse?

I don't have a car or a license, so I'll be reliant on trains and buses for getting around.

Thanks!

What is the optimal National Express bus stop near Clerkenwell, London

srboisvert — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:41:02 -0800

What is the best national express bus stop to go to in order to end up near Clerkenwell, London?

New Years Eve, London, 1899?

gottabefunky — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:33:32 -0800

How can I find out what sort of New Year's Eve events and festivities were held on December 31, 1899? I'm specifically interested in London, but other places would help too. I know 12/31/1900 was technically the start of the 20th century, but I'm specifically interested in 12/31/1899 - I'm assuming there were celebrations then too, like in 1999.

Need a new jacket lining that is hopefuly not stripey pink. In London.

ElmerFishpaw — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:03:07 -0800

My leather jacket needs a new lining. Im in London. Where should I go and what should I expect to pay?

What is the best way to move from London, UK, to Brussels, Belgium?

meso — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:07:30 -0800

Hey there! I'm moving to Brussels for a job early November, and I'm trying to plan my move from London. What is the best way to do this move? My latest plan is to drive there in a van with a friend, stay with him for a couple of days, and have him drive the empty van back to London. Am I missing something? Is there an obvious way to make it easier/cheaper?

Right now the costs would involve paying the van rental, the Eurotunnel transfer between the UK and the continent, paying for a hotel, and packing stuff myself.

More information: I don't have any furniture, just books and clothes. It's not a massive amount. I don't have a driving licence myself. I'm also hesitating between driving there with a friend, gonig there on Eurostar and leave my stuff, or send them to myself by post.

Any suggestion would be immensely appreciated... thank you!

Paid internships in London?

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:41:59 -0800

How do I find a professional paid internship or temporary position in London? I am an American college and law school graduate who would like to live and work temporarily (1-3 months) in London and be paid some stipend, however minimal. The particular field of work isn't important, but I would like it be a substantive job (not copying and filing, etc). How do I go about such a job search? I'm looking for specific websites, job agencies, etc. And does Craigslist work for finding a job there?

How to be an au pair abroad

grobstein — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:58:49 -0800

I'm thinking about working as a nanny in England for a year or so. I'm a twenty-one-year-old American woman with a few years of experience with kids as a teacher's assistance and tutor. Anybody know a good way I could start looking for a position from the U.S.? (Asking for a friend.)

How to read at minimum cost

Polychrome — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:31:36 -0800

What are some non-pretentious used bookstores in London? I'm looking for the sort of second-hand bookshops that aren't full of rare, out of print, hard to find or necessarily obscure texts; I simply want a bookshop full of readable books that have been discarded by their previous owners and so are marked down to a reasonable used-book price. I can currently find this sort of material online (amazon, for example, has sellers who sell super cheap used editions of currently in print editions of books) but would like the instant gratification of purchasing used books in person. The sort of things I look for are generally in print and are contemporary non-fiction or literature. I'm having trouble finding shops that meet these criteria in London (I'll go anywhere but central and south are most convenient); does anyone have any recommendations?

Where in North/Central London did I see a model of London?

metaBugs — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:48:19 -0800

Where in London, UK did I see a "model village"-style map of the city centre? In a building near Bloomsbury, it was pretty big (something like 2x3m) and at ground level just inside a private building's glass front wall. It was astonishingly detailed, with all the buildings in a few square miles of central London represented as scale models. I saw this fantastic map/model of central London late one night. Unfortunately I saw it while walking away after an evening at the pub, so my memories of the place are frustratingly vague. Here's what I can remember:

I was walking away from ULU (here; Gower Street, near Russel Square / Euston Square Tube) and heading (very) roughly southwest. I was following a friend and I don't know those roads well, so it's possible we took an indirect route. We saw it after walking for about 5 minutes.

The map was at floor level in the entrance/reception of an office building. It was placed to be looked down on from the reception or from the pavement through the reception's glass front wall.

The base was roughly 3x2 meters and flat. Part of the Thames was represented, presumably painted on.

The area covered was something like Westminster - Mile End (West-East) and King's Cross - Southwark (North - South). I remember thinking that it roughly covered the City (as opposed to the city).

All the buildings in that area were modeled, with the streets I could identify tallying with my mental map of the city. I think -- but can't swear -- that the vast majority of buildings were plain white boxes, with larger buildings and landmarks (bridges, Wetminster Palace, etc) represented in more detail and colour.

It wasn't a new feature: the friend I was walking with (who has since left the country and is uncontactable at the moment) was surprised that I hadn't seen it before. It can't be too famous though, as the other people I've asked have never heard of it.

Have you seen this model/map near Bloomsbury? Do you know of any businesses nearby (architects? cartographers?) that are likely to have such a display in their window?

Where can I go to use skype in London from 11pm GMT tomorrow onwards?

Not Supplied — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:46:38 -0800

I can't get skype working on my Ubuntu machine. Where can I go to use skype in London from 11pm GMT tomorrow onwards? Is there a suitably equipped internet cafe open then? I know I could probably get it working on 'buntu with a bit of time, but I'm too busy 'tween now and then.

So any good public computers or creative solutions?

They will obviously need to reliably have an ok headset and skype installed.

I'm sorry what?

greytape — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:05:47 -0800

Found a flat, put down a deposit. Now the landlord wants more money. What can we do? So we found a flat on Gumtree in London over the weekend for £435. We really liked it and put down a deposit immediately. Today the letting agent has called us and said that the landlord wants more: £450. Do we have any options? Is this kind of activity illegal in any way?

Although they, the letting agent, thinks that £435 is a realistic price, we don't really want to risk finding out if this is true or not by letting them put it back on the market.

Weirdly the letting agent seems to have put the property on their own website for £450, while putting it on Gumtree for £435. Is this practice of advertising properties on Gumtree for a lower price standard? Or is this just a way of suckering people in then jacking up the price?