We arrived at Gatwick late at night local time, but for us, it was just the right time to go to bed. This is why for our first night I booked a cosy bed and breakfast close to the airport. A hot bath before going to sleep and jet lag has never felt better! Next morning 30min express train took us straight to London Victoria station and there we started our London adventures.
This was my 3rd time in this city, but the first time I was falling in love with it. First time I was here for 24 hours on my way to the United States when I moved here 15 years ago (Also in August). The second time was before Leo was born, and it was just a blur of my best friend’s wedding, my own Birthday and on-going personal drama with my that time travel companion. Until now I had neither understanding nor feelings for this city, but I knew it deserved a better chance. This time it was different. The weather, my travel buddy, an apartment and neighborhood we were staying (Barnsbury) – everything was perfect, and I let myself to happily fall head over heels for the picturesque royal town.
Before the trip I made an itinerary – list of places that both Leo and I would enjoy seeing. Local friends suggested many of them, few I found online. There is a wonderful blog www.mumwhatelse.com and this article “London first visit with kids – suggested by a Londoner” with helpful tips about which tube line has an elevator and if there are any playgrounds nearby. Our South Bank pedestrian walk from Tower Bridge and all the way to London Eye was inspired by that article. (Btw, I learned that the bridge I always associated with the famous London Bridge is actually the Tower Bridge, so this is where you want to start!) We did lots of mini stops on the way and even more postcard-like photos. And yes, there is a wonderful playground just behind London Eye so all this walking was justified for Leo instantly. (that, and the rainbow lollipop I got for him there)
When your list of places to see is twice longer than the number of days in the city you are visiting, what you need is a reliable, easy and fun commute. London definitely has it all. In tandem with Google Maps that tells you not only the exact locations of all bus stops but also the timetable, navigating the city has been a breeze, and we only used Uber once (unnecessary so). Both Leo and I preferred the overground, especially the double-decker buses – it just felt like you are on a sightseeing tour all day long! Plus it’s way easier to go around with a stroller since most tube stations don’t have elevators.
Couple things about London transport system that stroke me the most as a New Yorker:
– How reliable the system is! No delays, trains, and buses come often and on time.
– Not so many people, you can always find a seat.
– How clean is the metro! No garbage on rails, no rats 🐀 (I don’t miss that part of “home”))
– You can use any credit card with a chip to pay for your ride (you just need to tap on the machine), and it works the same for both underground and overground.
Sadly, I didn’t find an excuse to ride on a traditional London taxi because we were so conveniently located and because public transportation is very convenient. But it’s smth on my bucket list for the next time here!
Talking about transport system – London Transport Museum was so much fun! A bit overwhelming because of the number of kids and their caregivers, all a bit stressed out for no apparent reason. The morning before lunch as well as lunchtime (because there is a cafe inside) might be the rush hour (to avoid), but I can imagine it being super pleasant with fewer people in the afternoon. It is worth checking out! And if you didn’t brave into taking pictures of your child with a double-decker on the streets of London – here is your chance in a more safe and light-controlled environment, provided the little one feels like posing (mine didn’t 😒)
Another fun museum we visited was London Science Museum. Btw, did you know that all London museums are free? (a donation is appreciated) It was the perfect way to spend the only rainy day we got during the trip. Alas, the museum was too dark to photograph it, but there was a lot to see and explore on all the (dark) floors. Our favorite was the WonderLab (top floor, paid entrance) which was just what’s called – a laboratory full of hands-on DIY wonders from water freezing to clouds forming, with rotating planets and gravity machines, and much more.
A huge part of what made this trip so wonderful was the area we were staying. Picture-perfect, quiet and residential, Barnsbury is so conveniently located towards everything we wanted to see in London. I also loved 2 neighboring hoods: Angel & Islington. Every time I travel and fall in love with the place I play with the idea of living there.. If I ever live in London, I would love to live somewhere around here. Leonardo was also in love with the neighborhood and he preferred it to any potential attractions if there is any traveling involved. (Even his favorite double-decker buses stopped exciting him after a couple days!) One of the days I suggested that we go to the London Zoo but he firmly said that “the playground here” (literally in front of our house) was what he wanted to do. Thankfully, the playground and park around it is truly lovely, like all the parks and playgrounds we saw in London! But I did manage to lure him a tiny bit further (short walk to Islington) when I suggested an ice-cream trip (check out Udderliscious in Islington!)
Other neighborhoods we loved to explore this time were: Shoreditch & Notting Hill.
Shoreditch felt like home: it looks just like Bushwick, industrial and picturesque, rough and pretty at the same time. It rose some mixed feelings: I did enjoy the vacation but I also missed home. And seemed like Leonardo was feeling in unison. We strolled through graffiti decorated streets and did a little window shopping g (lots of cute local boutiques there!) I decided to walk back home to Barnsbury because Leo fell asleep in the stroller, so I picked a route on Google maps – it was showing a path along a river of some sort. It was the most wonderful unexpected surprise – the cozy and picturesque Regent’s Canal which I never heard about!
The other day we took the tube train to Notting Hill, it was on my bucket list to see the neighborhood. If you do Google search on Notting Hill it will first show the information about the movie with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, and then about the actual neighborhood in London. I haven’t seen the movie but the neighborhood is lovely as could be! We walked all around to find the famous Rainbow Row – picturesque streets with pastel-colored houses.
We didn’t make it to Chelsea during this trip, but I remember loving that neighborhood during my second trip to London. It’s great for gallery hopping, and Saatchi gallery there is worth checking out no matter the exhibit.
Replaying moments from the trip in my head, so many good memories and sun-filled days. One thing I also want to remember from this trip was food. Great food, in fact! (Which beats another cliche I had about London – that the food there is not so good and very expensive) We started the trip with a brunch at Otto Lenghi restaurant in Islington, and it was nothing short of perfect, from beautiful airy space, lovely kids-friendly staff and excellent fresh dishes, a must-go for anyone visiting London. I also want to mention Wagamama Japanese chain restaurant – it became our favorite for many reasons, one of them being well-thought kids menu and free “cococinos” (frothed milk with chocolate powder sprinkles) which Leo adored.
Of course, if you are traveling to London with the little one/s you can’t miss Hamley’s toy store – the oldest and the largest toy store in the world (!) Seven floors of wonderland, it could be an overwhelming experience for both kids and parents. With Leonardo it did help to talk about our agenda in the store beforehand: he really wanted to get “an airplane bus” so we went specifically looking for it. Once we found it (because you can find anything at Hamley’s!) Leonardo relaxed and was able to just play with all other toys without meltdowns and desire to bring them all home.
One last but not least word would be about London parks and playgrounds. They are plenty and they are all so wonderful if the weather is in your favor! We really loved Hyde Park with its pond where you can watch and feed wild geese and swans, but also the amazing Princess Diana Memorial playground inspired by Peter Pan’s story. The playground is spacious and has lots of cool areas including a huge pirate ship that you can climb up and down, water splash area, sandbox, wooden playhouses and teepes, swings of all sorts and climbing towers.
Just to summarize our itinerary, this what we saw:
* South Bank from Tower bridge to London Eye, across the bridge to Big Ben
* Hyde Park & Princess Diana memorial playground
* Science Museum
* Transport Museum
* Hamley’s
* Angel & Islington (Regent’s canal walk)
* Shoreditch
Things that were recommended but we couldn’t make it to see this time:
* Natural History Museum
* V&A Museum of Childhood
* Chelsea & Saatchi gallery
* Kingscross station & Harry Potter
* London zoo
* London Aquarium
* Puppet show on a barge (https://www.puppetbarge.com/Controllers/findus.php)
* Unicorn Theatre (Bermondsey area)
Restaurants we loved: Wagamama (Japanese chain) Jamie Oliver (Italian food chain); Ping Pong (contemporary dim sum chain), Otto Lenghi Islington
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