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1000 things to do in london

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Glimpse the Future at The Crystal

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One part science museum, two parts corporate advert, Siemens’ The Crystal in Royal Victoria Dock is a so-so introduction to environmental science, so long as you like it sponsored. The new glass buildings that sprout like weeds along the revamped docklands of east London rarely conceal their true identities, their storeys-tall names calling out like sponsored beacons in the London fog. But I thought that maybe, just maybe, this squat, spear-cornered building at Royal …

#585: Sample Okonomiyaki at Abeno

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Japanese cuisine has been riding London’s trendy food wave, but because ramen is the focus, Abeno‘s okonomiyaki has gracefully slipped under the radar. Dining in London is like rocking up to a buffet of the world with an empty plate. What’s to stop you from having hot pot and hamburgers in the same day, with hareeseh for dessert? Even when you think you’ve ‘done’ a country’s cuisine, you’ll find that little place tucked away in plain …

#158: Clown Around at the Grimaldi Service

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Nothing brings colour to a grey February Sunday like a cohort of clowns descending upon a church in East London to honour the father of their trade, Joseph Grimaldi. I can’t remember the last time that I was at church on a Sunday, but of course the mad city of London had just the quirky thing to get me back through the doors. LONDON THING 158 OF 1000: Peruse the Eggheads at …

#74: Sail through the Museum of London Docklands

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Covering 2,000 years of history in one place is no easy feat, but the Museum of London Docklands does it beautifully, keeping you rolling through the story of the River Thames right up to the contentious present day. A year ago, I moved to East London, and it’s been my perfect place. Living a 15-minute walk from the River Thames and the old Docklands means that I get to experience first-hand one of the fastest changing neighbourhoods in London. …

19 Princelet Street

#253: Find Your Roots at 19 Princelet Street

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On a quiet side street off Brick Lane, a dark nondescript door hides one of East London’s absolute gems (and hardest places to get into). Step beyond the curry touts’ grasp to discover London’s global roots at the rarely open Museum of Immigration and Diversity at 19 Princelet Street. ‘You cunt. You shouldn’t even be living in this country.’ My mind was racing through the British dictionary stored in my head. The c-word. This was …

#574: Bring On Summer at Kyoto Gardens in Holland Park

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Delight in the tranquility of the Kyoto Gardens, one of London’s best outdoor treats. Meander along the narrow gravel path past trees decked out in cherry blossoms and a cascading waterfall to feel instantly recharged. London has finally thrown off the shackles of winter, and it’s this time of year in particular that I love watching the English in their native habitat: the park. Nothing makes these folk more excited than when …

#758: Jam to the Jukebox at Ed’s Easy Diner

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Nothing will cure an American’s homesickness like a retro kitschy diner that serves up perfectly done burgers and gooey milkshakes. Such were the wonderful elixirs from Ed’s Easy Diner near Covent Garden. It’s been just over a month since I returned to London from the US, where in usual form I ate a burger for every breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fortunately, my withdrawal symptoms won’t last long here because London definitely doesn’t have a shortage …

#590: Start Your Weekend with Brunch at The Table

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A few streets behind the hulk of the Tate Modern stands an unassuming British caff called The Table. Seemingly tucked away on the ground floor under the weight of the modern glass-and-steel block overhead, The Table is a weekend beacon of light in an otherwise deserted sea of office space in Southwark. Even though we’re just seconds away from one of London’s biggest art galleries, the roads we’re wandering through on this …

#200: See the City from Parliament Hill

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Few of London’s neighbourhoods command majesty like Hampstead. Best of all is the square mile of luscious green parkland that is Hampstead Heath. The crowning glory of this part is Parliament Hill with panoramic views across the whole of London. After spending a few hours at the Freud Museum, we trekked through the posh, are-you-sure-we’re-even-allowed-to-walk-around-here, orange brick neighbourhood to Hampstead Heath, officially my favourite London park. London Thing 200 of 1000: Take in the …

#841: Get a Dose of Your Own Medicine at the Herb Garret

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Quietly lingering in the shadows of Europe’s tallest building, the Herb Garret in the attic of St Thomas’s Church near London Bridge stored the dried flowers and plants used for medicine before the days of packages of paracetamol. The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret has to be one of London’s most London-y places: Blink and you’ll miss it. Look the other way as you walk past, and you might …