London Skybar

[pakboy]

dnt know if its posted or not, but heres a 80 gigapixel picture of London, quite amazing.

http://www.360cities.net/london-photo-en.html

[n_pon88]

just about to post that.. gizmodo???

[SE9]

London’s better than Paris, admit French
Evening Standard
18 November 2010

The French have conceded London is a superior city to Paris, an astonishing new tourism survey reveals today.

Officials responsible for selling Gallic attractions to the world say visitors would be better off crossing the Channel to the British capital.

Parisians have regularly boasted that nowhere beats their restaurants, pavement cafés and tourist attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower.

But now London is accepted as the more impressive city in every aspect, from its cuisine and taxis to its landmarks such as Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square.

It was given first place in a report on Europe's six major capitals, called Twenty Four Hours In A Tourist Capital, by the Paris-Ile de France regional tourism committee. London scored 82 per cent for its welcome to visitors from abroad.

Paris, the world's most popular tourist destination in terms of visitor numbers, tied second place on 79 per cent with Amsterdam.

Madrid and Rome were both on 76 per cent, while Berlin was last with 74 per cent. Undercover French investigators could barely fault what they found in London, although there was a minor complaint about the lack of foreign languages spoken.

The survey, which graded 116 criteria ranging from airport signposts to the quality of museums, found that very few people in London could respond to any other European language beyond English — least of all French.

Public transport in Paris is considered particularly poor, with tickets difficult to buy and the Metro old and dirty. Hotels, which have shot up in price since the euro was introduced, scored 74 per cent compared with 89 per cent for those in London.

Committee head Jean-Pierre Blat said: “The survey reflects reality. Paris knows how to welcome visitors but there are definite improvements to make.”

He also suggested the French were often the most critical of their own capital, which may explain the result.

[GSAA]

I'm considering going to London to study business next autumn for three years. The University of East London has the perfect study programme for me and therefore I have some questions.

Is this university generally considered decent? If I'm not mistaken east London is a quite poor area, the university is located near Beckton in Newham borough. Is that area generally considered dangerous?

The university offers small student rooms at the Docklands (don't know how much they cost), the area seems quite modern and close to Canary Wharf. But is it dangerous there?

East London is generally very multicultural and I don't have a problem with that, but I've heard stories that the area is very rough and young gangs sometimes attack especially white people. Is this generally true? Of course I want to be as safe as possible especialy as I'll probably be living there for three years.

I'm Norwegian, are Norwegians generally welcome in London?

Of course I can probably get answers other places but I'd like to see what normal people from London think about the area as well.

Thanks.

[pakboy]

i nearly went to east london uni and know many people who go there, its not bad however ranks very low in uk universitys

[Octoman]

I think most people if being totally honest would admit East and South London are shit holes. I lived in both for a time and they have pockets of interest but unless you have real connections to the area I cant see the attraction to be honest. East London shouldnt be confused with the East End itself (the eastward extension of the city centre) which is a vibrant and interesting place. But it is also expensive.

On the whole I would always advise somebody to head West if they can. West London is what London is all about really. Most of East London is not disctinctive and could be the run down suburban sprawl of any big British city.

[pricemazda]

^ Errr EXCUSE ME

I live in South London.

Wes London is just as big a dump as other parts of london. Willesden? Harlesden? Wembley? Brentford? Southall? Heathrow? Pull the other one, it's only nice if you live in Fulham and the likes (outside of the centre)

[Octoman]

I lived in South London too for a number of years. I was on the border between Clapham North and Stockwell. I liked it there but I would freely admit it was a shit hole. Not as bad as Stockwell proper which is a major shit hole and Brixton which is a super mega shit hole. Lets not even start on Kennington or Elephant and castle!

I would rather live in Richmond than Sutton for instance.

[connorwilliams]

Originally Posted by Octoman

I think most people if being totally honest would admit East and South London are shit holes. I lived in both for a time and they have pockets of interest but unless you have real connections to the area I cant see the attraction to be honest. East London shouldnt be confused with the East End itself (the eastward extension of the city centre) which is a vibrant and interesting place. But it is also expensive.

On the whole I would always advise somebody to head West if they can. West London is what London is all about really. Most of East London is not disctinctive and could be the run down suburban sprawl of any big British city.

Which areas do you mean when you say 'South London'? Do you include areas like Wimbledon, Richmond, Putney, Kew, Twickenham, Sutton and Cheam, Chelsea, Wandsworth, Kingston, Barnes, Ham etc... since they're quite good areas, aren't they?

Isn't anything, kind of, South-East of Clapham Junction or Clapham in "East London" - and generally speaking that's the Eastern Half of London?

I'm Norwegian, are Norwegians generally welcome in London?

You're Scandinavian and therefore everyone thinks you're naturally uber hot.

[Octoman]

To me Winbledon, Richmond, Ham, Putney, Kew, Twickenham and Chelsea are West London.

There are some nice bits of South London. Clapham, Cheam, Dulwich for example. But on the whole its a bit grim IMO.

I actually dont dislike either South or East London. They have their own qualities that appeal to me. But I think if you honestly appraise them from the perspective of a foreign visitor they dont have a lot going for them.

[pricemazda]

Originally Posted by Octoman

I lived in South London too for a number of years. I was on the border between Clapham North and Stockwell. I liked it there but I would freely admit it was a shit hole. Not as bad as Stockwell proper which is a major shit hole and Brixton which is a super mega shit hole. Lets not even start on Kennington or Elephant and castle!

I would rather live in Richmond than Sutton for instance.

I LIVE IN KENNINGTON and it's all georgian and victorian terraces you git. I wonder whether you said kennington because you knew I lived there. We have the Imperial War Musem and grounds, lots of hidden squares, rows of georgian and victorian terraces, the lovely Kennington Cross, and Kennington is where all the MPs live. I live 1 minute away from where Ken Clark and David Laws live.

Anyway, don't you live in Ealing?

Just round the corner from me

Kennington Road



Cleaver Square



Walcott Square

[Octoman]

I didnt know you lived in Kennington. But if you like the place thats cool its all personal opinion. Some people like the whole 'violent ghetto' vibe.

I dont live in Ealing. I live in Epsom - which is also a shit hole. It has a nice bit by the race course where a house costs a million billion pounds and then the rest which is a bit bleurgh. Someone was murdered in the allyway near my house not so long ago.

[pricemazda]

^ very good, violent ghetto!!! I suppose those MPs in taxpayer funded houses live in the ghetto!!!

Don't like Georgian squares?

[SE9]

Originally Posted by connorwilliams

Which areas do you mean when you say 'South London'? Do you include areas like Wimbledon, Richmond, Putney, Kew, Twickenham, Sutton and Cheam, Chelsea, Wandsworth, Kingston, Barnes, Ham etc... since they're quite good areas, aren't they?

Isn't anything, kind of, South-East of Clapham Junction or Clapham in "East London" - and generally speaking that's the Eastern Half of London?

East London = eastern half of London, north of the River Thames.



People in the boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham or Southwark never refer to themselves as 'East Londoners'.

[El_Greco]

Originally Posted by Octoman

I think most people if being totally honest would admit East and South London are shit holes.

Er no, unless you mean suburbs, in which case they are without a doubt. Suburbs are always shitholes.

[connorwilliams]

...

[Octoman]

Originally Posted by pricemazda

^ very good, violent ghetto!!! I suppose those MPs in taxpayer funded houses live in the ghetto!!!

Don't like Georgian squares?

Kennington proves my point though really. It does have some lovely parts. But it also has horrid bits. Cleaver Square where they play boules in the summer is great but a couple of streets away you will probably get mugged for your boule set.

Albert Square is nice. I almost bought a flat there some years back. But then I thought "no I dont want to live in goddamn Albert Square" so I didnt.

[pricemazda]

rubbish, you just see a tower block and think it is an open jail.

[Octoman]

Not at all.
Lets not talk about Kennington then because you are taking it personally. The same can be said of most of London outside of the premium areas.

When I lived in Clapham north I was a couple of roads away from a dirty great housing estate. 100% of the trouble would come from that place. Walking through it at night was a non starter. A couple of roads away were attractive victorian terracing where I lived which was full of decent people who had jobs and didnt vandalise the area.

This is my problem with large parts of London (or any big city for that matter). Unless you ar loaded and can buy exclusivity, even if your immediate vicinity is attractive it is constantly polluted by the massed dross that surround you.

[pricemazda]

i'm not taking it personally, sorry if it seemed that way. I thought it was just good craic.

'The massed dross' - you mean the poor?