So, you would like to do some wandering around east London. Here is a guide to the treasures you will come cross, by neighborhood.
Aldgate
Whitechapel Gallery, home to exciting, always-changing exhibits. The pointiest noses in east London.
Freedom Press, Peter Kropotkin, the prince who gave it up.
Petticoat Lane Market, A lively market surrounded by fabric stores selling African prints. The streets which splinter off are adorable. A place to get totally lost.
Tinderbox, best atmosphere coffee shop in London. Best for chai latte and pricey European-style pastries.
(map)
Barking
Nicely-planned but sparse high street, with the last standing Woolworth's sign I know of. Not a lot around, but the locals are among the friendliest anywhere in London and will run up to you and explain what everything in the Abbey Green is.
Attractions:
Barking Abbey, ruins in north east London are fun for kids
Saint Margaret's Church, where Captain Cook got married
(map)
Bethnal Green
A mysterious place. Never many people walking around outside, and the rare few always seem to be on their own or in small groups and recently landed from a fashion show. I think the problem is most things are really far from the tube.
Attractions:
Museum of Childhood, may sound babyish but actually a branch of V&A, aesthetic + sandbox, lone adults welcome.
The Gallery Cafe, rare vegan restaurant
Viajante, Nuno's Mendes restaurant with an ethos
(map)
Bow
A lot of true East End families live here.
The Morgan's Arms chic gastropub
The Bow Quarter now flats, historically part of the famous Bryant and May match factory
(map)
Brick Lane
Bangladeshi restaurants are the main tourist attraction, but the area has a night life which is visibly fun, young, student-y. Indoor and outdoor markets seem to appear out of nowhere. The northern part of the road is where to do hipster sightseeing.
Attractions:
Bangladeshi grocery stores, sweetshops and restaurants
Beigel Bake, the best 24-hour cheap eat (and take some home for breakfast)
All Star Lanes bowling, eating, parties
Rootmaster double-decker bus converted into a vegan restaurant
RichMix movie theatre, premieres, ping pong, art gallery, whatever!
Columbia Road Flower Market biggest in town, very Bethnal Green-y, but far from the tube stop
Arnold Circus one of the earliest social housing schemes. Once on the way to the Shoreditch Festival we got lost and ended up at an amazing street party here instead. My favorite hippie artist people!
Events:
Baishakhi Mela Bangladeshi cultural festival
(map)
Canary Wharf
Where the money's at in east London. Like the City, it has many great places to eat (including the Wharf and the northern part of the Isle of Dogs)
Attractions:
Shopping, not exactly a mall, but full of shops and eateries.
Museum of London Docklands great place to learn about local history, pirates galore, has a nice British restaurant "Rum and Sugar", and a soft play area in it for little kids.
Wahaca best of their locations (but the one in Stratford is the most "East End" looking, and the one in Soho has a tequila bar). The best Mexican restaurant I know of created by Europeans, doing wonders with British cheese and local produce. Even the peppers are grown in the UK, and they'll provide you chili seeds to prove it.
Billingsgate Market, the place your fish should be coming from. Limited access to visitors.
(map)
Chingford Plain
Great for a long walk and a day outdoors. On a sunny weekend Chingford Plain and its pub with outdoor seating are very popular. Find many more pubs on the other side of Epping Forest in Loughton, Essex.
Attractions:
Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge
Events:
Epping Forest Festival
(map)
Crystal Palace
North and south of the river really are two different worlds, but I will go ahead and claim SE London as a part of east London, since the riverine border is fading. The sectors are now joined by Overground and DLR, and soon a cable car. There are many treasures right along the river, too.
The actual Crystal Palace is gone (can we get it back, please?). The world's first giant dinosaur models (according to Bill Bryson) are still on display from that era, in a park now full of prehistoric animal statues (ipod audio tour available). The area is very nice and has a student-town feel to it, although I don't actually know of a university for miles.
(map)
Dalston
Currently a hotspot for nightlife, but actually has much more than that. Aside from a crowded mall near the station, and some really sad looking buildings, it is one of the most interesting places during the day. Along the high street, women sit in windows rolling Turkish flatbreads. The area has the most bookstores and music shops this side of Tottenham Court Road.
Docklands
Greater area along the river Thames within which is the Isle of Dogs. You can lean all about it at the Museum of London Docklands. Known for converted warehouses, and interesting maritime council housing. Further east, there is some interesting modernist architecture (lots of glass) around the London City Airport (the only airport in London, recommended although it caters mostly to business travelers and Stansted is usually the best option for east Londoners on holiday). The north side, and also the south side east of the Thames. It is totally deserted and peaceful on weekends, great for a long walk by the river.
Events:
Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
East Ham
Although further afield, more busy than Bethnal Green and just as authentically cockney. The spiciest and most vegetarian high street in east London, thanks to the Sri Lankan community. Your waiter will shake his head when he means "yes". Used to have the original Robin's Pie and Mash shop (now closed, but there are braches further out). Also used to have a Starbucks.
Epping Forest
London's largest city-owned forest. At the annual Epping Forest festival in Chingford in late summer, medieval heroes launch fire arrows. Always beware of free roaming cows. Seriously, they have big horns.
Attractions:
Horse riding schools
Forest Gate
VERY residential area located in Newham at the dichotomy of urban Green Street and the spacious Wanstead flats. Familes live here, many with cars and houses. After school, the neighborhood seems to be run by the most visible, loudest clusters of teenagers anywhere in London (Londoners fear them deeply). Technically, Forest Gate is just the houses and local services (don't expect your bus to EVER show up), the sights which surround it are in different boroughs.
Attractions:
Wanstead Flats, Redbridge
Fred Wigg tower blocks, Leytonstone, said to be inspiration for Ill Manors, a new movie by Forest Gate native Plan B. Awkward tall buildings, although all I ever see there is kids playing football.
(map)
Gants Hill
A suburban roundabout near other things.
Attractions:
Faces Nightclub
Shalom Bagel Bakery
Valentine's Mansion in Valentine's Park
(map)
Green Street
South Asian high street, especially clothing.
Attractions:
Puja Silk House, very straightforward and helpful saree store.
Vijays Chawalla, yummy Asian vegetarian restaurant in a laid back family atmosphere. Sparkling clean, especially the fish tank.
World Cup Sculpture
West Ham Stadium
Newham Bookshop, bookshops are rare outside of Tottenham Court Road and this is amazingly friendly
(map)
Greenwich
Major tourist attraction of east London. The whole place is a World Heritage site reeking with historical relevance, and has a feel to it like Virginia. The park on the hill is littered with BBQs (are they legal?) on one side, but past the attractions on the way to Blackheath there are lovely gardens, trees, deer, and sometimes pony rides and concerts. Several of the dining options are clearly tourist traps, but they have very nice bakeries and breweries. Mysteriously, south of the Thames there are very few grocery stores, and yet many quaint places to buy food.
Attractions:
Royal Observatory Prime Meridian, Astronomy museum, and London's only Planetarium
National Maritime Museum pirate science
Queens House interior featured in Pirates of the Caribbean no. 4 (the exterior was actually the lovely Hampstead Court Palace far away in west London, although the admission is included in a Tower of London annual pass).
Greenwich Market
Meantime Brewery (2 locations, always packed on weekends)
Events:
In Summer there are many festivals, so don't bother to plan, they are more exciting that way. The best one was a few years ago celebrating the Tudors.
(map)
Hackney Central
Attractions:
Hackney Empire, a beautiful theatre which is home to London's favorite panto.
(map)
Hackney Wick
A very loud happening place where artists live and work.
Events:
Hackney WickED
Haggerston
Attractions:
Geoffrye Museum, nice garden and cafe, lawn covered in sunbathers in summer
Broadway Market
Hackney City Farm
Vietnamese restaurants and stores
(map)
Hollow Pond
At the edge of one of several distinct sections of forest annoyingly all called Epping Forest, between Snaresbrook, Upper Leytonstone, and Whipps Cross
Attractions:
Snaresbrook Crown Court, a pretty building behind Eagle Pond, consistently in the news for something unpleasant, but you need not worry unless you work there.
Hollow Pond, pond with boating (recommended) and on very hot days, swimming (not recommended).
Forest School, independent school filmed in Never Let Me Go
Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel, a walk away, on the way to the Hollow Pond boating lake.
Bom Pecado
(map)
Hoxton
Painfully stylish people at night.
Attractions:
LSO St Lukes offers free concerts for tiny children in groups
Hoxton Pony (they sell the gin at Waitrose)
(map)
Ilford
Very South Asian suburban center described as "British Asian bourgeois" with "religious diversity". Off the tube line, so it has a distinct character and feels like a different country.
Attractions:
Cineworld Multiplex Ilford, a big cinema featuring a lot of Bollywood films
Redbridge Museum, a small museum within a library, very informative about the migrations from the East End into the suburbs.
(map)
Isle of Dogs
The peninsula containing Canary Wharf. There are other interesting things to see such as London's only lighthouse and nature reserves along the river.
Attractions:
London city farm Mudchute Park and Farm
Leytonstone
On the border of zones 3 and 4, it is "just" out of reach for most students who consider it too far. Notable populations of families, Irish, South Africans, and northern Africans. The high street has been blessed with nice architecture and a border of forests and parks, if only it had nice shops it might be like Georgetown.
Attractions:
The Red Lion cosy new pub with good beer
Horizon Patisserie & Viennoiserie, the little nut pastries are delicious with coffee but the deli is overpriced because it is the busiest place for miles.
TFC large Turkish grocery store (branch)
Alfred Hitchcock's birthplace plaque is pretty disappointing, but people love the tube station's tiles
(map)
Manor Park
Attractions:
City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Bobby Moore's ashes rest in the Garden of Remembrance
Little Ilford Park, the "Itchycoo Park" of Small Faces fame
London Sri Murugan Temple
(map)
Mile End
Some of the world's thinnest university students, making you wonder if hipster is really the result of the abhorring London food prices. If you must eat, you are best off doing so at a regular cafe, as there are few decent and reasonably priced restaurants that last, and there is far too much Name-your-state Fried Chicken.
Attractions:
Ragged School Museum
Regents Canal
Mile End Park
Old Velho Sephardi Cemetery (within Queen Mary campus),oldest UK Jewish cemetery and burial place of boxer Daniel Mendoza.
(map)
North Greenwich
It is not easy to walk here because you cannot cross the river, and it is far from regular Greenwich, so it is most fun to arrive by the Thames Clipper (boat).
Attractions:
O2 Arena, a small planet which can be visited on any day, not just if you are going to a show. There are places to eat, touristy exhibits, promotional displays, and the occasional funfair. Perfect for a day when you don't have anything particular to do and feel like leaving the planet, but can't stand Ikea!
Royal Docks
A few docks on the Newham side of the Thames which together form the largest enclosed docks in the world. If arriving by DLR take note of where you are going because the places and their names are all quite similar looking.
Attractions:
London City Airport
ExCeL Exhibition Centre
Royal Victoria Dock Watersports Centre, kayaking
(map)
Shoreditch South
Shoreditch is a term for a broad area in south Hackney, for this sub-region within it, I go by this map. Always a hideout for extremely cool people, probably they go to art school. Rivington Street is particularly hipster.
Attractions:
Pretty town hall
South Woodford
A concentrated, miniaturized West Essex-London hybrid. Must hold the world records for beauty parlors and cleavage.
Attractions:
George's Fish & Souvlaki Bar
Bella Naples
Woodford Green statue of Winston Churchill, who was MP for Woodford and Wanstead
(map)
Spitalfields
Historically edgy and innovative, some parts of the area east of Liverpool Street Station are rather upscale and trendy. Best to do hipster sightseeing nearer to Brick Lane. There are so many options in this area I can never decide between restaurants, pubs, tea time, or coffee.
Events:
Charnel House, can only be visited on Open House London day
Attractions:
Spitalfields Market now converted into a sort of a mall with boutiques and London family-friendly chains.
Nude Espresso best quality coffee shop in London. Can never decide between the New Zealand flat white and the espresso.
Rosa's my kind of Thai restaurant - healthy, fresh, casual, serving the only Thai iced tea I have found in Europe.
The Water Poet
19 Princelet Street, I have heard good things about the Museum of Immigration and Diversity but still haven't managed to get in on an open day.
Dennis Severs' House is what's behind the scary door
(map)
Stamford Hill
Europe's largest Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. You know you are getting closer because of the bagel shops.
St Katherine Docks
A dock, upscale and touristy
Attractions:
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
(map)
Stoke Newington Church Street
Stoke Newington High Street it splinters off of. A micro version of the Upper West End complete with New Yorkers. The neighborhood takes good advantage of the fabulous urban park it merges into (Clissold Park). Like north London (it is Hackney with an N postcode) it is a more bobo and intellectual area, but also family oriented, with older parents and younger kids.
Attractions:
Stoke Newington Bookshop
Whole Foods, but this one is small, more like a pricey healthfood store
The Spence Bakery and Cafe, perfect for buying sandwiches to take to Clissold Park
(map)
Stratford
The unofficial capital of east London locals. Although most foot traffic heads to Westfield, the real Stratford is on the other side of the tracks. Stratford must be the most nationally diverse spot in London. Also very religious -- you will obtain many free informational pamphlets on world religions here!
Attractions:
PictureHouse my most visited movie theatre - small but friendly, with a cafe/bar inside. The Pizza Express downstairs is unusually good.
InShops hidden permanent marketplace within Stratford Shopping Centre. Unique in the world, I think! There are also markets inside and outside of the mall.
Discover Children's Story Centre fun and educational. Ideal for little kids, and so much better than soft play!
The Cart and Horses legendary home of Iron Maiden
Westfield Stratford City the mall with the free toilets and seating, where you can do all your shopping errands and eat pretty much anything you desire. Always crowded, especially near the tube, but you can go around and enter elsewhere. Star attractions are: Great Eastern Market, Foyles, Getty Images Gallery and All Star Lanes.
(map)
Stratford South
Past the two malls and the Olympics, there are some interesting things along the waterways.
Abbey Mills Pumping Station if you have seen it no doubt you have wanted visit - the Cathedral of Sewage, generally closed by check on Open House London Day
3 Mills Studios Madonna's ex filmed something here.
The House Mill so quaint, is this really a stone's throw from the mall?
(map)
Victoria Park
Seemingly inhabited by east London's hippest parents.
Attractions:
Victoria Park Books friendly children's bookstore, check for author visits
Pavilion Cafe serving up my favorite vegetarian English breakfast and nice coffees (buttourists looking for a traditional English fry-up are better off at a greasy spoon!)
Royal Inn On The Park, for a Pims or a pint with hipsters
Events:
fairs, concerts, and such
(map)
Walthamstow
Well-planned pedestrian area and exotic stores around the longest daily outdoor market in Europe. Public big screen TV to watch national events.
Attractions:
William Morris Gallery
Cafe Rio + Ricco's Cafe, coffee shops which look like local museums
Orientex Filipino grocery store
Windmill Portuguese restaurant always full of families. Most locals go for the cafe fare but they do nice Madeiran dishes, at much better prices than Lambeth.
(map)
Walthamstow Village
Little houses, some very old, set up like an English village but very near the main drag. Local children are left free to roam.
Attractions:
Vestry House Museum
Eat 17
(map)
Wanstead
The houses start to get "family-sized" here (but not as big as over the border in Essex) particularly near the parks, forest, and golf clubs which surround the area.
Attractions:
The Orange Tree boutique of British decorative and quaint things
Wanstead Park pretty walk along a creek.
Belgique
(map)
Wapping
Charming former warehouses along the river converted to luxury apartments. The guy who played Gandolf lives here.
Attractions:
Tobacco Dock, now as mostly abandoned gallery with a big pirate ship in front.
Prospect of Whitby wonderful and popular pub, there is a noose for hanging pirates on the 'beach'.
The Wapping Project
(map)
Whitechapel
Attractions:
Tayyabs one of the most liked restaurants in London.
Centre of the Cell an open plan biomedical laboratory building permeated by rooms shaped as cell organelles, the "shows" area nerdy kid's paradise.
East London Mosque the first in Britain to broadcast the call to prayer using loudspeakers.
(map)
Aldgate
Whitechapel Gallery, home to exciting, always-changing exhibits. The pointiest noses in east London.
Freedom Press, Peter Kropotkin, the prince who gave it up.
Petticoat Lane Market, A lively market surrounded by fabric stores selling African prints. The streets which splinter off are adorable. A place to get totally lost.
Tinderbox, best atmosphere coffee shop in London. Best for chai latte and pricey European-style pastries.
(map)
Barking
Nicely-planned but sparse high street, with the last standing Woolworth's sign I know of. Not a lot around, but the locals are among the friendliest anywhere in London and will run up to you and explain what everything in the Abbey Green is.
Attractions:
Barking Abbey, ruins in north east London are fun for kids
Saint Margaret's Church, where Captain Cook got married
(map)
Bethnal Green
A mysterious place. Never many people walking around outside, and the rare few always seem to be on their own or in small groups and recently landed from a fashion show. I think the problem is most things are really far from the tube.
Attractions:
Museum of Childhood, may sound babyish but actually a branch of V&A, aesthetic + sandbox, lone adults welcome.
The Gallery Cafe, rare vegan restaurant
Viajante, Nuno's Mendes restaurant with an ethos
(map)
Bow
A lot of true East End families live here.
The Morgan's Arms chic gastropub
The Bow Quarter now flats, historically part of the famous Bryant and May match factory
(map)
Brick Lane
Bangladeshi restaurants are the main tourist attraction, but the area has a night life which is visibly fun, young, student-y. Indoor and outdoor markets seem to appear out of nowhere. The northern part of the road is where to do hipster sightseeing.
Attractions:
Bangladeshi grocery stores, sweetshops and restaurants
Beigel Bake, the best 24-hour cheap eat (and take some home for breakfast)
All Star Lanes bowling, eating, parties
Rootmaster double-decker bus converted into a vegan restaurant
RichMix movie theatre, premieres, ping pong, art gallery, whatever!
Columbia Road Flower Market biggest in town, very Bethnal Green-y, but far from the tube stop
Arnold Circus one of the earliest social housing schemes. Once on the way to the Shoreditch Festival we got lost and ended up at an amazing street party here instead. My favorite hippie artist people!
Events:
Baishakhi Mela Bangladeshi cultural festival
(map)
Canary Wharf
Where the money's at in east London. Like the City, it has many great places to eat (including the Wharf and the northern part of the Isle of Dogs)
Attractions:
Shopping, not exactly a mall, but full of shops and eateries.
Museum of London Docklands great place to learn about local history, pirates galore, has a nice British restaurant "Rum and Sugar", and a soft play area in it for little kids.
Wahaca best of their locations (but the one in Stratford is the most "East End" looking, and the one in Soho has a tequila bar). The best Mexican restaurant I know of created by Europeans, doing wonders with British cheese and local produce. Even the peppers are grown in the UK, and they'll provide you chili seeds to prove it.
Billingsgate Market, the place your fish should be coming from. Limited access to visitors.
(map)
Chingford Plain
Great for a long walk and a day outdoors. On a sunny weekend Chingford Plain and its pub with outdoor seating are very popular. Find many more pubs on the other side of Epping Forest in Loughton, Essex.
Attractions:
Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge
Events:
Epping Forest Festival
(map)
Crystal Palace
North and south of the river really are two different worlds, but I will go ahead and claim SE London as a part of east London, since the riverine border is fading. The sectors are now joined by Overground and DLR, and soon a cable car. There are many treasures right along the river, too.
The actual Crystal Palace is gone (can we get it back, please?). The world's first giant dinosaur models (according to Bill Bryson) are still on display from that era, in a park now full of prehistoric animal statues (ipod audio tour available). The area is very nice and has a student-town feel to it, although I don't actually know of a university for miles.
(map)
Dalston
Currently a hotspot for nightlife, but actually has much more than that. Aside from a crowded mall near the station, and some really sad looking buildings, it is one of the most interesting places during the day. Along the high street, women sit in windows rolling Turkish flatbreads. The area has the most bookstores and music shops this side of Tottenham Court Road.
Docklands
Greater area along the river Thames within which is the Isle of Dogs. You can lean all about it at the Museum of London Docklands. Known for converted warehouses, and interesting maritime council housing. Further east, there is some interesting modernist architecture (lots of glass) around the London City Airport (the only airport in London, recommended although it caters mostly to business travelers and Stansted is usually the best option for east Londoners on holiday). The north side, and also the south side east of the Thames. It is totally deserted and peaceful on weekends, great for a long walk by the river.
Events:
Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
East Ham
Although further afield, more busy than Bethnal Green and just as authentically cockney. The spiciest and most vegetarian high street in east London, thanks to the Sri Lankan community. Your waiter will shake his head when he means "yes". Used to have the original Robin's Pie and Mash shop (now closed, but there are braches further out). Also used to have a Starbucks.
Epping Forest
London's largest city-owned forest. At the annual Epping Forest festival in Chingford in late summer, medieval heroes launch fire arrows. Always beware of free roaming cows. Seriously, they have big horns.
Attractions:
Horse riding schools
Forest Gate
VERY residential area located in Newham at the dichotomy of urban Green Street and the spacious Wanstead flats. Familes live here, many with cars and houses. After school, the neighborhood seems to be run by the most visible, loudest clusters of teenagers anywhere in London (Londoners fear them deeply). Technically, Forest Gate is just the houses and local services (don't expect your bus to EVER show up), the sights which surround it are in different boroughs.
Attractions:
Wanstead Flats, Redbridge
Fred Wigg tower blocks, Leytonstone, said to be inspiration for Ill Manors, a new movie by Forest Gate native Plan B. Awkward tall buildings, although all I ever see there is kids playing football.
(map)
Gants Hill
A suburban roundabout near other things.
Attractions:
Faces Nightclub
Shalom Bagel Bakery
Valentine's Mansion in Valentine's Park
(map)
Green Street
South Asian high street, especially clothing.
Attractions:
Puja Silk House, very straightforward and helpful saree store.
Vijays Chawalla, yummy Asian vegetarian restaurant in a laid back family atmosphere. Sparkling clean, especially the fish tank.
World Cup Sculpture
West Ham Stadium
Newham Bookshop, bookshops are rare outside of Tottenham Court Road and this is amazingly friendly
(map)
Greenwich
Major tourist attraction of east London. The whole place is a World Heritage site reeking with historical relevance, and has a feel to it like Virginia. The park on the hill is littered with BBQs (are they legal?) on one side, but past the attractions on the way to Blackheath there are lovely gardens, trees, deer, and sometimes pony rides and concerts. Several of the dining options are clearly tourist traps, but they have very nice bakeries and breweries. Mysteriously, south of the Thames there are very few grocery stores, and yet many quaint places to buy food.
Attractions:
Royal Observatory Prime Meridian, Astronomy museum, and London's only Planetarium
National Maritime Museum pirate science
Queens House interior featured in Pirates of the Caribbean no. 4 (the exterior was actually the lovely Hampstead Court Palace far away in west London, although the admission is included in a Tower of London annual pass).
Greenwich Market
Meantime Brewery (2 locations, always packed on weekends)
Events:
In Summer there are many festivals, so don't bother to plan, they are more exciting that way. The best one was a few years ago celebrating the Tudors.
(map)
Hackney Central
Attractions:
Hackney Empire, a beautiful theatre which is home to London's favorite panto.
(map)
Hackney Wick
A very loud happening place where artists live and work.
Events:
Hackney WickED
Haggerston
Attractions:
Geoffrye Museum, nice garden and cafe, lawn covered in sunbathers in summer
Broadway Market
Hackney City Farm
Vietnamese restaurants and stores
(map)
Hollow Pond
At the edge of one of several distinct sections of forest annoyingly all called Epping Forest, between Snaresbrook, Upper Leytonstone, and Whipps Cross
Attractions:
Snaresbrook Crown Court, a pretty building behind Eagle Pond, consistently in the news for something unpleasant, but you need not worry unless you work there.
Hollow Pond, pond with boating (recommended) and on very hot days, swimming (not recommended).
Forest School, independent school filmed in Never Let Me Go
Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel, a walk away, on the way to the Hollow Pond boating lake.
Bom Pecado
(map)
Hoxton
Painfully stylish people at night.
Attractions:
LSO St Lukes offers free concerts for tiny children in groups
Hoxton Pony (they sell the gin at Waitrose)
(map)
Ilford
Very South Asian suburban center described as "British Asian bourgeois" with "religious diversity". Off the tube line, so it has a distinct character and feels like a different country.
Attractions:
Cineworld Multiplex Ilford, a big cinema featuring a lot of Bollywood films
Redbridge Museum, a small museum within a library, very informative about the migrations from the East End into the suburbs.
(map)
Isle of Dogs
The peninsula containing Canary Wharf. There are other interesting things to see such as London's only lighthouse and nature reserves along the river.
Attractions:
London city farm Mudchute Park and Farm
Leytonstone
On the border of zones 3 and 4, it is "just" out of reach for most students who consider it too far. Notable populations of families, Irish, South Africans, and northern Africans. The high street has been blessed with nice architecture and a border of forests and parks, if only it had nice shops it might be like Georgetown.
Attractions:
The Red Lion cosy new pub with good beer
Horizon Patisserie & Viennoiserie, the little nut pastries are delicious with coffee but the deli is overpriced because it is the busiest place for miles.
TFC large Turkish grocery store (branch)
Alfred Hitchcock's birthplace plaque is pretty disappointing, but people love the tube station's tiles
(map)
Manor Park
Attractions:
City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Bobby Moore's ashes rest in the Garden of Remembrance
Little Ilford Park, the "Itchycoo Park" of Small Faces fame
London Sri Murugan Temple
(map)
Mile End
Some of the world's thinnest university students, making you wonder if hipster is really the result of the abhorring London food prices. If you must eat, you are best off doing so at a regular cafe, as there are few decent and reasonably priced restaurants that last, and there is far too much Name-your-state Fried Chicken.
Attractions:
Ragged School Museum
Regents Canal
Mile End Park
Old Velho Sephardi Cemetery (within Queen Mary campus),oldest UK Jewish cemetery and burial place of boxer Daniel Mendoza.
(map)
North Greenwich
It is not easy to walk here because you cannot cross the river, and it is far from regular Greenwich, so it is most fun to arrive by the Thames Clipper (boat).
Attractions:
O2 Arena, a small planet which can be visited on any day, not just if you are going to a show. There are places to eat, touristy exhibits, promotional displays, and the occasional funfair. Perfect for a day when you don't have anything particular to do and feel like leaving the planet, but can't stand Ikea!
Royal Docks
A few docks on the Newham side of the Thames which together form the largest enclosed docks in the world. If arriving by DLR take note of where you are going because the places and their names are all quite similar looking.
Attractions:
London City Airport
ExCeL Exhibition Centre
Royal Victoria Dock Watersports Centre, kayaking
(map)
Shoreditch South
Shoreditch is a term for a broad area in south Hackney, for this sub-region within it, I go by this map. Always a hideout for extremely cool people, probably they go to art school. Rivington Street is particularly hipster.
Attractions:
Pretty town hall
South Woodford
A concentrated, miniaturized West Essex-London hybrid. Must hold the world records for beauty parlors and cleavage.
Attractions:
George's Fish & Souvlaki Bar
Bella Naples
Woodford Green statue of Winston Churchill, who was MP for Woodford and Wanstead
(map)
Spitalfields
Historically edgy and innovative, some parts of the area east of Liverpool Street Station are rather upscale and trendy. Best to do hipster sightseeing nearer to Brick Lane. There are so many options in this area I can never decide between restaurants, pubs, tea time, or coffee.
Events:
Charnel House, can only be visited on Open House London day
Attractions:
Spitalfields Market now converted into a sort of a mall with boutiques and London family-friendly chains.
Nude Espresso best quality coffee shop in London. Can never decide between the New Zealand flat white and the espresso.
Rosa's my kind of Thai restaurant - healthy, fresh, casual, serving the only Thai iced tea I have found in Europe.
The Water Poet
19 Princelet Street, I have heard good things about the Museum of Immigration and Diversity but still haven't managed to get in on an open day.
Dennis Severs' House is what's behind the scary door
(map)
Stamford Hill
Europe's largest Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. You know you are getting closer because of the bagel shops.
St Katherine Docks
A dock, upscale and touristy
Attractions:
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
(map)
Stoke Newington Church Street
Stoke Newington High Street it splinters off of. A micro version of the Upper West End complete with New Yorkers. The neighborhood takes good advantage of the fabulous urban park it merges into (Clissold Park). Like north London (it is Hackney with an N postcode) it is a more bobo and intellectual area, but also family oriented, with older parents and younger kids.
Attractions:
Stoke Newington Bookshop
Whole Foods, but this one is small, more like a pricey healthfood store
The Spence Bakery and Cafe, perfect for buying sandwiches to take to Clissold Park
(map)
Stratford
The unofficial capital of east London locals. Although most foot traffic heads to Westfield, the real Stratford is on the other side of the tracks. Stratford must be the most nationally diverse spot in London. Also very religious -- you will obtain many free informational pamphlets on world religions here!
Attractions:
PictureHouse my most visited movie theatre - small but friendly, with a cafe/bar inside. The Pizza Express downstairs is unusually good.
InShops hidden permanent marketplace within Stratford Shopping Centre. Unique in the world, I think! There are also markets inside and outside of the mall.
Discover Children's Story Centre fun and educational. Ideal for little kids, and so much better than soft play!
The Cart and Horses legendary home of Iron Maiden
Westfield Stratford City the mall with the free toilets and seating, where you can do all your shopping errands and eat pretty much anything you desire. Always crowded, especially near the tube, but you can go around and enter elsewhere. Star attractions are: Great Eastern Market, Foyles, Getty Images Gallery and All Star Lanes.
(map)
Stratford South
Past the two malls and the Olympics, there are some interesting things along the waterways.
Abbey Mills Pumping Station if you have seen it no doubt you have wanted visit - the Cathedral of Sewage, generally closed by check on Open House London Day
3 Mills Studios Madonna's ex filmed something here.
The House Mill so quaint, is this really a stone's throw from the mall?
(map)
Victoria Park
Seemingly inhabited by east London's hippest parents.
Attractions:
Victoria Park Books friendly children's bookstore, check for author visits
Pavilion Cafe serving up my favorite vegetarian English breakfast and nice coffees (buttourists looking for a traditional English fry-up are better off at a greasy spoon!)
Royal Inn On The Park, for a Pims or a pint with hipsters
Events:
fairs, concerts, and such
(map)
Walthamstow
Well-planned pedestrian area and exotic stores around the longest daily outdoor market in Europe. Public big screen TV to watch national events.
Attractions:
William Morris Gallery
Cafe Rio + Ricco's Cafe, coffee shops which look like local museums
Orientex Filipino grocery store
Windmill Portuguese restaurant always full of families. Most locals go for the cafe fare but they do nice Madeiran dishes, at much better prices than Lambeth.
(map)
Walthamstow Village
Little houses, some very old, set up like an English village but very near the main drag. Local children are left free to roam.
Attractions:
Vestry House Museum
Eat 17
(map)
Wanstead
The houses start to get "family-sized" here (but not as big as over the border in Essex) particularly near the parks, forest, and golf clubs which surround the area.
Attractions:
The Orange Tree boutique of British decorative and quaint things
Wanstead Park pretty walk along a creek.
Belgique
(map)
Wapping
Charming former warehouses along the river converted to luxury apartments. The guy who played Gandolf lives here.
Attractions:
Tobacco Dock, now as mostly abandoned gallery with a big pirate ship in front.
Prospect of Whitby wonderful and popular pub, there is a noose for hanging pirates on the 'beach'.
The Wapping Project
(map)
Whitechapel
Attractions:
Tayyabs one of the most liked restaurants in London.
Centre of the Cell an open plan biomedical laboratory building permeated by rooms shaped as cell organelles, the "shows" area nerdy kid's paradise.
East London Mosque the first in Britain to broadcast the call to prayer using loudspeakers.
(map)
No comments:
Post a Comment