Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
  • London knowledge please
  • Jolsa
    Full Member

    Heading to London this Friday for a couple of days, the good – TDKR at the BFI Imax on Friday, the not so good – shopping on Saturday. Looking to pick up some small gifts for some close friends who are getting married.

    Arty, independent, unique rather than generic department store guff.

    Any ideas? We’ve got Greenwich Market, Old Spitalfields Market on the list having browsed online, but expect there’s a few places we haven’t seen that the STW collective can point us in the direction of?

    oneoneoneone
    Free Member

    carnaby street? always has some good bits

    http://www.carnaby.co.uk/

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    What sort of present?

    Spitz market is OK for the t-shirt and cheap end of eclectic gift market, IMHO. Oh, and there are two excellent branches of CycleSurgery in the area (one MTB, one road). And then there’s Poncho No8. AWESOME! (Run by a mate of mine, who’s a MTBist as well)

    There’s so much choice in London, so I suppose the questions have to be, “What sort of present?” and “What sort of budget?”

    You see, London is just an amazingly big place. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to London.

    😉

    (With apologies to Douglas Adams)

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    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    .

    Jolsa
    Full Member

    Thanks, Carnaby street sounds promising (“unique independent boutiques”).

    CF – I guess we’re thinking of arty decorative things for the home – these are going to be gift fillers really so not that expensive. Just thought that the independent craft/artist shops would be a better bet for something a bit more interesting.

    Nick
    Full Member

    I’m hoping that someone with more knowledge than I will turn up soon, but last time I was in Carnaby St it was basically like pretty much any other High St, apart from the crappy London/Punk tat outlet. Was a couple of years ago mind, but you’ll find all the unique Levis, Animal etc you could want there.

    Maybe Gabriel’s Wharf and the Southbank in general?

    http://www.southbanklondon.com/index.php?pid=3&aid=10

    hh45
    Free Member

    Portabello Market in Notting Hill on a Saturday is pretty good but v busy.

    Spitalfields is pretty good as CFH says or you could try the area around Seven Dials / northern half of Covent Garden that has a lot of indie shops and is not so branded out as the main bit around Long Acre and the Piazza.

    ChunkyMTB
    Free Member

    Go to Borough Market on saturday for grub and Monmouth Coffee.

    atlaz
    Free Member

    I’d try the Truman brewery as well (preferably Sunday though) as there’s often some little pop-up shops to supplement the “proper” shops and the market around there. There’s some interesting stuff up Brick Lane from there (particularly down Cheshire Street) and if you go over Bethnal Green Road there’s Unto This Last that makes furniture/home stuff with a MASSIVE computer controlled router. Next up, head to Redchurch Street (just around the corner) for Labour and Wait as they also have some interesting stuff.

    Of course, along the way you can pop into Brick Lane Bikes as well as 14 Bikes in the brewery.

    atlaz
    Free Member

    Go to Borough Market on saturday for grub and Monmouth Coffee.

    Don’t bother going there for coffee unless you go early as you’ll easily queue for half an hour from mid-morning onwards unless you use my fail-safe tip. Walk to the front of the queue, buy some beans/ground coffee to take away and ask them for some coffees at the same time. It’s not really cost effective unless you actually want to take coffee home with you obviously 😉

    theteaboy
    Free Member

    Where are you planning to be? As above, it’s huge.

    2nd for Brick Lane if you’re going east. The market at Chalk Farm if you’re north.

    poolman
    Free Member

    I’d go to Monmouth coffee shop on….Monmouth St, Covent Garden. Its tops. From there its 15 min walk to Condor Cycles, Grays Inn rd. I bought a Condor branded set of allen keys which I use all the time, 15 quid I think.

    Other top coffee shop is Bar Italia, 3 quid for a cappuchino, opp Ronnie Scotts, Soho.

    Present wise can’t fault John Lewis, Selfridges etc. I think the markets are v overrated.

    spacemonkey
    Full Member

    +1 Borough Market if you want to pick up foodie gifts. Plenty to feed yourself with too.

    joolsburger
    Free Member

    Camden is OK for a walkabout and is not costly.

    ononeorange
    Full Member

    Good pubs at Borough Market too.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

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