London is one great city that has actually gotten better over the years.
In deference to the millennium year 2000, the city dusted itself off and
spruced itself up in ways that have benefited residents and visitors alike.
The best museums of London, such as the Great Court in the British Museum, have been
revamped with stunning results, and new museums, such as Tate Modern,
have opened. Sleek, new bridges now span the Thames, and riverside areas have seen a
flurry of development. Trafalgar Square has been joined to the National
Gallery, making pedestrian access a breeze rather than a chore. All in all,
London has shaken off its old mantle of hidebound traditionalism, has
embraced multiculturalism, and is now high tech and cutting edge.
But the old fabric of London still remains and invites exploration.
Despite all the improvements in public transit, London remains a city
where walking is a joy that reveals no end of simple urban pleasures; Let me tell you about the best.
London is blessed with marvelous parks. You may have heard of
them: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park, Green
Park, and Regent’s Park. These carefully
groomed havens, where you can stroll beneath stately trees,
lounge on the grass, watch ducks in a pond, or admire the color of
the springtime daffodils, were former royals-only hunting grounds.
Now they’re part of every Londoner’s life and life’s blood, the green
lungs of an otherwise congested city.
What could be more fun than just wandering around London’s
streets? Try it. Pick a neighborhood — the City, Soho, Chelsea —
then just stroll at will, taking note of the wealth of architectural
styles, the curious reminders of days gone by, and the array of local
sights, such as the blue, “famous-person-lived-here” plaques on
house fronts. On some streets, you can almost hear the horses’
hooves clopping on the cobblestones as they did up until about
1915.
The South Bank and Southwark areas on the “other” side of the
river have been opened for pedestrians and show off an ancient
area of London that’s been completely revitalized. You can enjoy a
waterside walk with city views from Westminster Bridge to Tower
Bridge.
The variety of architectural styles adds to the beauty of the city. Because the Great Fire of 1666 burned down most of medieval London, the building and house styles that you see tend to range from the sober neoclassical of the early 18th century, to the more elegantly light-hearted Regency style of the early 19th century, to the heavier and less graceful Victorian period of the mid- to late 19th century. The human scale of London streets, with their long terraces of attached brick, stone, and stucco homes built around leafy squares, gives the city a charm and character that intrigues and delights the eye. London grew from a series of villages, and you can still find that village like character in many London neighborhoods.
See also: The Best of London’s Performing Arts
