Book Description
The timeless treasures of Westminster and St Paul's, the hedonistic pleasures of Shoreditch and Soho, culture on the South Bank and multiculturalism down Brick Lane - London is a world in one city. Find its heart with this smart and stylish guide. * GET THE INSIDE SCOOP from our dedicated London experts * GO UNDERGROUND, GO OVER GROUND with easy-to-use colour maps and detailed walking tours * EAT & SLEEP LIKE ROYALTY - accommodation and restaurant options to suit all, whether your style is pie and mash or Fortnum & Mason, elegant townhouse B&Bs or ubercool designer hotels * IMMERSE YOURSELF - drink in Dickensian pubs, club in Clerkenwell and browse the boutiques of Bond Street with the help of our definitive listings * GET OUT, GET ABOUT with day trips to Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and beyond


Excerpted from Lonely Planet London: City Guide (Lonely Planet London) by Martin Hughes, Tom Masters, Sarah Johnstone, Neil Setchfield. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introducing London The sun is shining brighter in London these days, and the English capital is aglow. It has always been a compelling capital but right now it's also one of the most dynamic hubs on earth, leading the vanguard in music, visual arts, fashion, film and, these days, even food. It's not the technicolored swagger of the swinging '60s but London's back in the spotlight and it is certifiably groovy. This mammoth metropolis is a world in one city; at once exhilarating, irrepressible, intimidating, stimulating and brimming with spectacle and possibilities. It can be different things to different people, but these qualities are always in abundance, making London the place to be right now. Not only is it home to magnificent historical architecture and such familiar landmarks as Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, it's a cornucopia of cultural wealth that boasts some of the world's greatest museums and art galleries (treasures which, since 2002, are mostly ours for free). The London of Harrods, the Ritz, Buckingham Palace and Mayfair still charms with the decadence of a bygone era but these days London is riding on the crest of the wave and only looking forward. Propelled by the energy, vitality and aspirations of a population made up of some 40 different ethnic groups, it's a tapestry of different cultures, unparalleled in complexity and color. Home to between seven and 12 million inhabitants (depending on where you stop counting), London seduces some 30 million of us who tramp through it each year. While it receives all-comers with (usually) open arms, beneath the cosmopolitan veneer its own distinct personality remains intact. Amid the onslaught of globalization, London struts proudly across the world stage. Wandering through its rain-sodden streets is a unique experience. We take giddy delight in its icons: the open-backed red buses, black cabs, police bobbies and their hats, pinstriped workers and London Underground signs. We record sounds that ring in our ears long after our gig here is done: accents from around the world, the diesel engines of black cabs, the disembodied voice of the newspaper vendor, toffs on their mobile phones - and the occasional "Oi! Out of my way you Muppet!" Luckily, whether you're looking for pubs once frequented by Charles Dickens, the soldiers with the big bearskin hats or the new Stella McCartney fashion store, you won't have to venture far from the core of the behemoth. And those sights that do require legwork are genuinely worth the effort - the Victorian Valhalla of Highgate Cemetery, the home of cricket at Lord's or the splendid Hampton Court Palace that so attracted King Henry VIII. Look hard enough and you'll find hidden gems like the eccentric Sloane's Museum, the gripping Cabinet War Rooms or the cutting-edge Design Museum - these could be highlights of your trip. The centre is pocked with elegant squares and green expanses, and there are vast parks just a hop, skip and Tube ride away. Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and Hampstead Heath provide vast panoramic views of the city although none compares to the London Eye. After dark, when Londoners aren't huddled around tables bantering in Victorian boozers, the city fizzes with creative energy, expressed through a bristling music scene, an incomparable club culture and mainstream arts the match of anywhere on the planet. The opportunities for being entertained in London these days are limited only by your spending and staying power. London is not a place you can ever "do"; it's evolving too quickly even for its occupants to fully grasp, never mind the time-challenged tourist. It will enthral you, seduce you and, on any given day of the week, probably lead you to a hangover. Experiencing London is not about ticking off sights - it's about the conviviality and banter of a traditional pub, watching football on the box and spending hours over the Sunday newspapers. It's about a gig in Camden, a club in Brixton and a night at the opera. It's about a visit to the garden where Keats wrote his most famous poem, a glimpse of celebrity and finding respite in an elegant square. It's about the aromas from a stroll through Chinatown, a boat ride on the Thames and being told off for swinging around the pole of a double-decker bus. It's about being stunned by the history, awed by the architecture and amazed by the multiculturalism. It's about the unexpected delight of sunny days and small talk about miserable ones. It's about the choices you make at closing time. But most of all it's about leaving this book in your room now and then, and letting yourself be carried by the ebb, flow and rhythm of a city in perpetual motion. Just make sure you mind the gap.