Bright Lights Big City

[laliandra]

Or, Things To Do in London When You're Cool!

Hey Guys.

So my dear friend brimtoast is visiting London this week, and wanted a list of cool not super touristy things to see and do with her parents while they're there. I have y few ideas, but I know that I have Flistees with good London knowledge, so I'm asking you all for ideas too.
And then we can create the greatest guide to London that livejournal has ever known!

Okay I'll start.

I lovelovelove the South Bank. It can be kinda busy and everything but still. There is always something cool going on, there's the really great bookshop that we had a marmfish picnic in, art exhibitions, the book fair, and let us not forget, the busker who sang a serial killer song especially for me.

In places to eat, I love the World Food Cafe in Neil's Yard near Covent Garden. There is also a amazing Moroccan restaurant there that I can't remember the name of for the life of me.

I say, go to the British Library, it's incredible.

Go for a drink in the new, gorgeous St Pancreas station and read the poetry in the floor.

What about you guys? Any suggestions?

(PS. Man, after this I am going to have to think of some sights to see in Leeds!)

(PPS look, I have worked out how to do line breaks on my phone \O/)

Comments

I think the touristy stuff is great too!

[laliandra.livejournal.com]

Wow, I am seriously in love with all your suggestions :D. Clearly we were meant to be friends.

I didn't know the National did free tours, that is so awesome. I must check them out sometime.

I haven't been to the V and A for years. I mostly remember the dolls houses.

Also, thank you for the ticket advice. I knew you could get cheap tickets, but not quite how. Me and Brimtoast are musical junkies so I am sure that this will be very useful info.

Lizards on bikes?!

Re: I think the touristy stuff is great too!

[wavesofwood.livejournal.com]

Ack, sorry, that's not actually free! I think I might get it cheaper because of my Entry Pass, but tickets are £6-7. Sorry! /o\ It really is worth it though, if you like theatre, the tours are really interesting though - you usually get to eavesdrop on rehearsals or vocal warm-ups, and see the prop department etc. http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/18/backstage-tours/backstage-tours.html

Definitely do the V&A! You will get hopelessly lost, but it's really peaceful and lovely. I tried on a corset and a gauntlet last time I was there,

Tickets- most West End musicals do day seats, they sell the front row tickets for about £25 on the morning of the show. I've only ever queued for Billy Elliot & Wicked myself, and the Wicked queues are always a bit mad - you have to be there early! Tickets are limited to two per person, and if there's a matinee that day there are day seats for that as well, so it's best to queue on a day with a matinee performance because there are twice as many seats for sale. With most musicals (i.e. ones where the fans aren't as crazy as the Wicked ones) you should get there one, one and a half hours before the tickets go on sale, which they do at ten or ten thirty - check the show's website! Hope that helps!

Yep! Sometimes they're on the South Bank near to the Eye - two people dressed as chameleons on bikes. I don't understand it either.