Museums and diversions near Hackney Central/Dalston, London
October 6, 2023 7:17 PM Subscribe
Hey there! I'm going to be staying in London for seven days at the end of the month—specifically in Central Hackney, and travelling to Dalston for a few of the days. To fill in the gaps where I don't have anything scheduled, my "plan" is to walk around randomly, in whatever direction, and poke my nose into whatever looks interesting. Please name some diversions within a three-mile-radius of Hackney/Dalston should aim for. I like fun things!
[NB: No food/dining recommendations necessary—your answers in my previous AskMe have me very well covered in that respect, thanks!]
For daytime stuff: I know London has a lot of tiny hidden museums and shops which I wouldn't want to miss, but I don't even know where to start. E.g., my partner totally stumbled into the tiniest museum that dealt with timepieces, and would have missed it if not for chance. I like the random element of chance thrown in, but I also want to know more about Specific Things that are worth steering toward. Anything that will be enlightening to any of my senses—that's what I'm aiming for. For instance, one of the days I'm there, I plan on walking up or down the Regent's Canal. Just because it is A Historical Thing That Looks Interesting (Geographic Feature Category); but also because it seems to be lined with other interesting diversions of the many types: historical, artsy, infrastructure, etc. I LIKE FUN THINGS. Street performances or art; small-scale cheap-ass tours; you get the idea.
As for the nighttime, I suspect there's a thriving stand-up comedy scene, and that some people in town even enjoy live music... ME TOO. So, venues or hangouts like that but close to where I'm staying.
So: anything around Hackney & Dalston, night or day—if you think it's worth my time to poke my head into any particular door, name that door. (I know I could hit Yelp for stuff like this, but I prefer your recommendations—MeFites seem to share an affinity for the oddball outliers that the squares wouldn't notice.)
Feel free to ask me for any clarifications, what kinds of XYZ do I have in mind, etc. I know I am casting a wide net here. Thanks as always!
[NB: No food/dining recommendations necessary—your answers in my previous AskMe have me very well covered in that respect, thanks!]
For daytime stuff: I know London has a lot of tiny hidden museums and shops which I wouldn't want to miss, but I don't even know where to start. E.g., my partner totally stumbled into the tiniest museum that dealt with timepieces, and would have missed it if not for chance. I like the random element of chance thrown in, but I also want to know more about Specific Things that are worth steering toward. Anything that will be enlightening to any of my senses—that's what I'm aiming for. For instance, one of the days I'm there, I plan on walking up or down the Regent's Canal. Just because it is A Historical Thing That Looks Interesting (Geographic Feature Category); but also because it seems to be lined with other interesting diversions of the many types: historical, artsy, infrastructure, etc. I LIKE FUN THINGS. Street performances or art; small-scale cheap-ass tours; you get the idea.
As for the nighttime, I suspect there's a thriving stand-up comedy scene, and that some people in town even enjoy live music... ME TOO. So, venues or hangouts like that but close to where I'm staying.
So: anything around Hackney & Dalston, night or day—if you think it's worth my time to poke my head into any particular door, name that door. (I know I could hit Yelp for stuff like this, but I prefer your recommendations—MeFites seem to share an affinity for the oddball outliers that the squares wouldn't notice.)
Feel free to ask me for any clarifications, what kinds of XYZ do I have in mind, etc. I know I am casting a wide net here. Thanks as always!
The Gentle Author’s tour of Spitalfields sounds wonderful.
posted by Grunyon at 12:52 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Grunyon at 12:52 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Museum of Home is cute. And while you are there, you should eat in the many Vietnamese restaurants nearby on Kingsland Road, or head to Fabrique Bakery.
posted by moiraine at 1:20 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by moiraine at 1:20 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
The Young V&A (formerly the V&A Museum of Childhood) has recently had a complete refit and is apparently excellent, though I've not been since the reopening. Its temporary exhibitions are usually great.
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies is exactly what the name suggests. A one-stop shop for all your monstrous needs.
posted by Hogshead at 5:04 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies is exactly what the name suggests. A one-stop shop for all your monstrous needs.
posted by Hogshead at 5:04 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Viktor Wynd's is fun but very small, so don't anticipate it taking up a lot of time (unless you decide to get spendy on taxidermied animals).
Other slightly further afield museum recommendations: The Wellcome Collection, Grant Museum of Zoology, Sir John Soane's Museum.
Spitalfields/Brick Lane/Shoreditch is a great place to wander around. Definitely take a (reputable) historical tour or two because there's a lot of stuff that you'll just walk past and miss. Don't worry too much about seeing things and just enjoy what you wander into.
Shoreditch is a good place to go during the evening. Lots of nice little bars and things. It gets very busy.
That said, one note: that area is notorious for tourists, therefore it's also rife with casual street crime. Keep your phone close, be smart about your wallet, etc. Phone snatchers tend to ride around on bikes so standing waiting to cross the street with your phone out is a bad idea.
posted by fight or flight at 5:25 AM on October 7, 2023
Other slightly further afield museum recommendations: The Wellcome Collection, Grant Museum of Zoology, Sir John Soane's Museum.
Spitalfields/Brick Lane/Shoreditch is a great place to wander around. Definitely take a (reputable) historical tour or two because there's a lot of stuff that you'll just walk past and miss. Don't worry too much about seeing things and just enjoy what you wander into.
Shoreditch is a good place to go during the evening. Lots of nice little bars and things. It gets very busy.
That said, one note: that area is notorious for tourists, therefore it's also rife with casual street crime. Keep your phone close, be smart about your wallet, etc. Phone snatchers tend to ride around on bikes so standing waiting to cross the street with your phone out is a bad idea.
posted by fight or flight at 5:25 AM on October 7, 2023
There are better properties to see in London but if your intention is to try and stay local you could put this on your list: Sutton House.
posted by spibeldrokkit at 5:33 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by spibeldrokkit at 5:33 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also, Abney Park is great if you like strolling in cemeteries.
posted by spibeldrokkit at 5:38 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by spibeldrokkit at 5:38 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh yes and Rich Mix is a community arts hub that usually has spoken word performances. Worth looking at. Quality a little hit or miss but ticket prices are very affordable.
posted by moiraine at 6:12 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by moiraine at 6:12 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
The stretch of Broadway Market between the canal and London Fields is a wonderful street to explore. Good book stores and lots of cafes/restaurants. The Dove pub is lovely.
Hackney City Farm is fun and good for a coffee & snack.
Columbia Road is fun/hectic when the market is on (Sundays), and the shops lining the street are really wonderful, too. My favorite record shop in the world (no kidding) is right there - World of Echo.
Seconding the Museum of Childhood - now Young V&A - my wife and I make a point of visiting it each time we are in London, it's not just for kids. The building itself is worth a visit.
posted by niicholas at 8:52 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Hackney City Farm is fun and good for a coffee & snack.
Columbia Road is fun/hectic when the market is on (Sundays), and the shops lining the street are really wonderful, too. My favorite record shop in the world (no kidding) is right there - World of Echo.
Seconding the Museum of Childhood - now Young V&A - my wife and I make a point of visiting it each time we are in London, it's not just for kids. The building itself is worth a visit.
posted by niicholas at 8:52 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: > Viktor Wynd's is fun but very small, so don't anticipate it taking up a lot of time
That's the kinda thing I like—I don't want to spend a whole day in one museum or venue, I want to spend a good, concentrated 30-60 minutes maximum at any one place, then move on. I know there's tons to see in London, and I'll never get to it all. But if I can see taxidermied animals for 20 minutes and then split, that's great.
All these suggestions are great—cemeteries, properties,... oh, LIBRARIES, any good ones in the Hackney/Dalston area?
Also, keep in mind I'll mostly be on foot (except to catch a double-decker every so often (I am a USAian never been to UK after all), so Shoreditch is probably out of my range. I'll probably go into the center of London once or twice from where I am.
Keep 'em coming! Thanks!
(Oh by the way, I have called an IRL meetup, too, but haven't chosen the venue yet... more to follow!)
posted by not_on_display at 10:53 AM on October 7, 2023
That's the kinda thing I like—I don't want to spend a whole day in one museum or venue, I want to spend a good, concentrated 30-60 minutes maximum at any one place, then move on. I know there's tons to see in London, and I'll never get to it all. But if I can see taxidermied animals for 20 minutes and then split, that's great.
All these suggestions are great—cemeteries, properties,... oh, LIBRARIES, any good ones in the Hackney/Dalston area?
Also, keep in mind I'll mostly be on foot (except to catch a double-decker every so often (I am a USAian never been to UK after all), so Shoreditch is probably out of my range. I'll probably go into the center of London once or twice from where I am.
Keep 'em coming! Thanks!
(Oh by the way, I have called an IRL meetup, too, but haven't chosen the venue yet... more to follow!)
posted by not_on_display at 10:53 AM on October 7, 2023
There's the Overground line which is three stops from Dalston to Shoreditch. Not very far at all, and very walkable.
Or you can do what the young people and celebs do these days, which is to hire a Santander/ Lime bike to get around. Santander is cheaper but Lime is electric and more flexible. You need to download an app. Hackney and Islington are the most friendly cycling boroughs out of the 32 London boroughs.
Route Plan Route has colour coded cycle routes. Green routes are safe enough that younger kids can cycle (mostly).
posted by moiraine at 11:29 AM on October 7, 2023
Or you can do what the young people and celebs do these days, which is to hire a Santander/ Lime bike to get around. Santander is cheaper but Lime is electric and more flexible. You need to download an app. Hackney and Islington are the most friendly cycling boroughs out of the 32 London boroughs.
Route Plan Route has colour coded cycle routes. Green routes are safe enough that younger kids can cycle (mostly).
posted by moiraine at 11:29 AM on October 7, 2023
It's within 20 minutes of Shoreditch, sadly in the City of London rather than Borough of Hackney, but the Hunterian, the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, has comparative anatomy via skulls and skellingtons.
Also on the bus, but 30 minutes away: British Library at St Pancras, up the hill to The Wellcome Collection.
Get CityMapper app to tell you the bus routes and how long to wait -- between 2005-2015 London doubled the number of buses running and have displays saying 'next bus 5 minutes' in nearly all bus stops.
posted by k3ninho at 1:30 PM on October 7, 2023
Also on the bus, but 30 minutes away: British Library at St Pancras, up the hill to The Wellcome Collection.
Get CityMapper app to tell you the bus routes and how long to wait -- between 2005-2015 London doubled the number of buses running and have displays saying 'next bus 5 minutes' in nearly all bus stops.
posted by k3ninho at 1:30 PM on October 7, 2023
...within a three-mile-radius of Hackney/Dalston
Shoreditch is probably out of my range.
Happily Shoreditch is about 2.5 miles walk from Hackney Central! Through London Fields, down Broadway Market, past Hackney City Farm, along Columbia Road, and you've had a nice, interesting walk and are now on the edge of Shoreditch.
If you're into experimental live music, Cafe OTO is in Dalston and is The Place for that kind of gig.
posted by fabius at 4:50 AM on October 8, 2023
Shoreditch is probably out of my range.
Happily Shoreditch is about 2.5 miles walk from Hackney Central! Through London Fields, down Broadway Market, past Hackney City Farm, along Columbia Road, and you've had a nice, interesting walk and are now on the edge of Shoreditch.
If you're into experimental live music, Cafe OTO is in Dalston and is The Place for that kind of gig.
posted by fabius at 4:50 AM on October 8, 2023
Yep, you'll find that London is much smaller than you think it is. As already pointed out, Shoreditch is a decent walk or 10~ minutes on public transport from Dalston (on a good day), you can just hop on and off the 149 which will take you into it.
Or you can do what the young people and celebs do these days, which is to hire a Santander/ Lime bike to get around.
Strongly recommend you only do this if you have decent cycling experience in a busy city and you're willing to wear a helmet. It's a good part of London to cycle in but with unfamiliar traffic patterns and London drivers it's easy to get lost or get yourself in trouble. You do not want to be on the wrong end of a HGV.
Buses are your transport. There's no need to restrict yourself to such a small area when the whole of London is easily available!
posted by fight or flight at 4:55 AM on October 8, 2023
Or you can do what the young people and celebs do these days, which is to hire a Santander/ Lime bike to get around.
Strongly recommend you only do this if you have decent cycling experience in a busy city and you're willing to wear a helmet. It's a good part of London to cycle in but with unfamiliar traffic patterns and London drivers it's easy to get lost or get yourself in trouble. You do not want to be on the wrong end of a HGV.
Buses are your transport. There's no need to restrict yourself to such a small area when the whole of London is easily available!
posted by fight or flight at 4:55 AM on October 8, 2023
I cant believe I’m this far down and no mention of Dennis Severs’ House
Also strongly agree, no need to restrict yourself by miles. London doesn’t really work like that because of the tube. Hackney is very well connected.
posted by tardigrade at 9:57 AM on October 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also strongly agree, no need to restrict yourself by miles. London doesn’t really work like that because of the tube. Hackney is very well connected.
posted by tardigrade at 9:57 AM on October 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Estorick in Canonbury is a short (ish) walk up St Paul’s Road from Dalston and is small but has a great permanent collection of modern Italian art, not sure what the current exhibition will be when you’re here. You could combine with a walk along the New River Path which runs around there, a cute little nature walk along the New River.
posted by conkystconk at 3:56 AM on October 9, 2023
posted by conkystconk at 3:56 AM on October 9, 2023
Response by poster: > Happily Shoreditch is about 2.5 miles walk from Hackney Central!
AHA! I think I was getting Shoreditch confused with some other borough. Thanks for clearing that up. That's a totally reasonable distance.
> If you're into experimental live music, Cafe OTO is in Dalston and is The Place for that kind of gig.
In a nutshell, the reason I'm travelling to the UK is to see People Like Us's three-day residency, so that was spot on... but I am going to ask a separate AskMe about nighttime activities like gigs or shows, comedy clubs, etc. I know Sam Campbell is doing a gig somewhere nearby, but it may overlap with the tail end of one of the PLU shows. (I just learned about Sam Campbell via TaskMaster, and followed that up with a couple youtube examples, and he looks like a real chaos muppet comic—so I hope I can hop from PLU right over there, but if not, it's not a big deal.)
...So, YEAH SHOREDITCH IS IN! And I will be taking whatever public transport occasionally, I'm sure. (Never been on the 2nd floor of any vehicle, never mind the iconic buses.) I'll probably spend at least an afternoon doing a random "see which bus gets me where" self-guided blindfold tour.
> Get CityMapper app
That's essential, thanks. I use it almost every time I hop on the "T" at home (Boston MA), even if I know where I am going.
posted by not_on_display at 7:47 PM on October 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
AHA! I think I was getting Shoreditch confused with some other borough. Thanks for clearing that up. That's a totally reasonable distance.
> If you're into experimental live music, Cafe OTO is in Dalston and is The Place for that kind of gig.
In a nutshell, the reason I'm travelling to the UK is to see People Like Us's three-day residency, so that was spot on... but I am going to ask a separate AskMe about nighttime activities like gigs or shows, comedy clubs, etc. I know Sam Campbell is doing a gig somewhere nearby, but it may overlap with the tail end of one of the PLU shows. (I just learned about Sam Campbell via TaskMaster, and followed that up with a couple youtube examples, and he looks like a real chaos muppet comic—so I hope I can hop from PLU right over there, but if not, it's not a big deal.)
...So, YEAH SHOREDITCH IS IN! And I will be taking whatever public transport occasionally, I'm sure. (Never been on the 2nd floor of any vehicle, never mind the iconic buses.) I'll probably spend at least an afternoon doing a random "see which bus gets me where" self-guided blindfold tour.
> Get CityMapper app
That's essential, thanks. I use it almost every time I hop on the "T" at home (Boston MA), even if I know where I am going.
posted by not_on_display at 7:47 PM on October 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Walks.com is a bunch of london walking tours that are cheap and good. We did a boat tour of the thames (taking the ferry with the tour guide) and it was great. I really WISH we had been able to fit in the legal london tour so that we could see some barristers in wigs, but it didn't work in our schedule. Maybe it will yours!
Alternative London Tours is east London Specific, and probably also worth a look
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:17 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
Alternative London Tours is east London Specific, and probably also worth a look
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:17 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't have gone to Harrod's had a friend not suggested it as a post V&A destination but i am so glad i did- The escalators alone are worth the trip, and the foodhall in the basement is astounding. It also had a weirdly great bookstore, just very well curated. Paperback books from the UK are more pleasingly lightweight and easier to carry around than the bricks they sell us here in america, so i spent a lot of time in bookstores, and london really has good ones.
All the museum bookstores are worth a special look, Harrods was really tightly curated, and then there was a big sprawling Foyles near charing cross road that had a band playing? Delightful. Another cool book store is he book barge, on regents canal, nearer to where you're staying.
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:35 PM on October 16, 2023
All the museum bookstores are worth a special look, Harrods was really tightly curated, and then there was a big sprawling Foyles near charing cross road that had a band playing? Delightful. Another cool book store is he book barge, on regents canal, nearer to where you're staying.
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:35 PM on October 16, 2023
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posted by not_on_display at 7:25 PM on October 6, 2023