Question for the Londoners (UK)

JOEJOEJOE

The Mrs. and I will be in London for a few days in June.

This is our 3rd trip there in 4 years, so we have already hit up Carnaby, Oxford, Camden & Piccadilly for shopping. Last time, we ventured to the Bourough Market.

Can someone suggest a few off-the-beaten-path areas to browse. We always like to look at vinyl (records, not clothing!), collectibles, cool clothing, etc.

chime

Covent Garden - as well as the more tourist area south of the station also head north of the station - Long Acre, Neal Street (Including Neal's Yard Dairy and Neal's Yard Remedies), all the streets coming off Seven Dials (Mercer Street, Monmouth Street, Earlham Street etc)

Spitalfields - there is a market (check online what is on which day) but also quite a few nice independent shops to wander around (nearest tube is Liverpool Street) ... you will find a record store Rough Trade East here ... this area also includes Brick Lane if you want a curry. I would recommend Shampan. There is also a place called Truman Brewery that often has sample sales etc.

(Covent Garden and Spitalfields are the main two places I shop)

Portobello Road and market which includes an antique market.

Also for easy shopping although all chain shops there is a new large shopping centre Westfield in Shepherd's Bush (there is also a market at Shepherd's Bush)

For more upmarket shopping you can try High Street Kensington (Harrods!), Sloane Street etc

Hope that is a start and gives you some ideas to google!

nuffingman

I only live 40 miles from London but don't visit often. This site can be helpful.
http://www.timeout.com/london/

JOEJOEJOE

chime wrote:

Covent Garden - as well as the more tourist area south of the station also head north of the station - Long Acre, Neal Street (Including Neal's Yard Dairy and Neal's Yard Remedies), all the streets coming off Seven Dials (Mercer Street, Monmouth Street, Earlham Street etc)

Spitalfields - there is a market (check online what is on which day) but also quite a few nice independent shops to wander around (nearest tube is Liverpool Street) ... you will find a record store Rough Trade East here ... this area also includes Brick Lane if you want a curry. I would recommend Shampan. There is also a place called Truman Brewery that often has sample sales etc.

(Covent Garden and Spitalfields are the main two places I shop)

Portobello Road and market which includes an antique market.

Also for easy shopping although all chain shops there is a new large shopping centre Westfield in Shepherd's Bush (there is also a market at Shepherd's Bush)

For more upmarket shopping you can try High Street Kensington (Harrods!), Sloane Street etc

Hope that is a start and gives you some ideas to google!

Thanks for the info!

I love seeing the large shops, but they get a bit mental at times...too much commotion (though I could spend a whole day at Selfridges or Harrods). I am more partial to indie shops, so thanks for all of the info!

I have never been to Rough Trade, so that is a priority! Is Fopp still around?...much more appealing then HMV!

Westfield seems to be taking over the world. They have taken control of many shopping centres in Los Angeles, and all of them have become very generic!

Westfield's corporate headquarters occupy a few floors in my firm's building, and I am often tempted to tell them to stop making everything so generic!

chime

JOEJOEJOE wrote:

chime wrote:

Covent Garden - as well as the more tourist area south of the station also head north of the station - Long Acre, Neal Street (Including Neal's Yard Dairy and Neal's Yard Remedies), all the streets coming off Seven Dials (Mercer Street, Monmouth Street, Earlham Street etc)

Spitalfields - there is a market (check online what is on which day) but also quite a few nice independent shops to wander around (nearest tube is Liverpool Street) ... you will find a record store Rough Trade East here ... this area also includes Brick Lane if you want a curry. I would recommend Shampan. There is also a place called Truman Brewery that often has sample sales etc.

(Covent Garden and Spitalfields are the main two places I shop)

Portobello Road and market which includes an antique market.

Also for easy shopping although all chain shops there is a new large shopping centre Westfield in Shepherd's Bush (there is also a market at Shepherd's Bush)

For more upmarket shopping you can try High Street Kensington (Harrods!), Sloane Street etc

Hope that is a start and gives you some ideas to google!

Thanks for the info!

I love seeing the large shops, but they get a bit mental at times...too much commotion (though I could spend a whole day at Selfridges or Harrods). I am more partial to indie shops, so thanks for all of the info!

I have never been to Rough Trade, so that is a priority! Is Fopp still around?...much more appealing then HMV!

Westfield seems to be taking over the world. They have taken control of many shopping centres in Los Angeles, and all of them have become very generic!

Westfield's corporate headquarters occupy a few floors in my firm's building, and I am often tempted to tell them to stop making everything so generic!

There is a FOPP on Earlham Street but it's not huge. - it's one of the streets mentioned off Seven Dials up there ^^^ there used to be another record shop in Neal's Yard too that was also a skate shop ... but think it is now just a skate shop

If you do get here you're nearly back at Oxford Street. There is a record store near here on Berwick Street called Sister Ray.

JOEJOEJOE

chime wrote:

JOEJOEJOE wrote:

chime wrote:

Covent Garden - as well as the more tourist area south of the station also head north of the station - Long Acre, Neal Street (Including Neal's Yard Dairy and Neal's Yard Remedies), all the streets coming off Seven Dials (Mercer Street, Monmouth Street, Earlham Street etc)

Spitalfields - there is a market (check online what is on which day) but also quite a few nice independent shops to wander around (nearest tube is Liverpool Street) ... you will find a record store Rough Trade East here ... this area also includes Brick Lane if you want a curry. I would recommend Shampan. There is also a place called Truman Brewery that often has sample sales etc.

(Covent Garden and Spitalfields are the main two places I shop)

Portobello Road and market which includes an antique market.

Also for easy shopping although all chain shops there is a new large shopping centre Westfield in Shepherd's Bush (there is also a market at Shepherd's Bush)

For more upmarket shopping you can try High Street Kensington (Harrods!), Sloane Street etc

Hope that is a start and gives you some ideas to google!

Thanks for the info!

I love seeing the large shops, but they get a bit mental at times...too much commotion (though I could spend a whole day at Selfridges or Harrods). I am more partial to indie shops, so thanks for all of the info!

I have never been to Rough Trade, so that is a priority! Is Fopp still around?...much more appealing then HMV!

Westfield seems to be taking over the world. They have taken control of many shopping centres in Los Angeles, and all of them have become very generic!

Westfield's corporate headquarters occupy a few floors in my firm's building, and I am often tempted to tell them to stop making everything so generic!

There is a FOPP on Earlham Street but it's not huge. - it's one of the streets mentioned off Seven Dials up there ^^^ there used to be another record shop in Neal's Yard too that was also a skate shop ... but think it is now just a skate shop

If you do get here you're nearly back at Oxford Street. There is a record store near here on Berwick Street called Sister Ray.

Thanks!

We are doing a mental trip....London for 1 night, then off to IOW Festie, then back to London for a night, then to Paris! Where in London are you? (just curious, we won't come stalking!)

chime

JOEJOEJOE wrote:

Thanks!

We are doing a mental trip....London for 1 night, then off to IOW Festie, then back to London for a night, then to Paris! Where in London are you? (just curious, we won't come stalking!)

I commute into the City so live just outside London

Doesn't sound like you would have time to stalk on your timetable anyway

JOEJOEJOE

chime wrote:

JOEJOEJOE wrote:

Thanks!

We are doing a mental trip....London for 1 night, then off to IOW Festie, then back to London for a night, then to Paris! Where in London are you? (just curious, we won't come stalking!)

I commute into the City so live just outside London

Doesn't sound like you would have time to stalk on your timetable anyway

Good point! When I stalk, I like to go very slow....maybe even sip a mocha while I map out the person's daily moves! Oh well, that'll teach me to not plan such a hectic holiday!