London calling

The Real Chicago explores the finer points of an abbreviated but fun-filled trip to London

Travel location: London, England

Travelers: Jeff Reynolds, Holly Reynolds, Dan Ochwat, Jessica Sedgwick

Where we stayed: Ready to pull the trigger on the Paddington Hilton, roughly 30 paces from the Paddington Station “Underground” stop, a fellow traveler unearthed this gem — The Pavilion Fashion Rock ‘N’ Roll Hotel. And what a jewel it was. This didn’t come down to consumer reports. We were sold only after one member of our traveling party chimed in with: “This isn't a place our parents would stay.”

The hotel is self-advertised as a desired pad for trendy fashion and music mavens (US Weekly generation, be not fooled — we saw nothing of the sort, even with Lindsay Lohan in town hosting the World Music Awards). Each room is uniquely named and designed; Enter the Dragon, Honky Tonk Afro (you can only imagine) and Indian Summer are a few of the 30-something themes offered. It is a ... unique overnight experience. Convenience and budget might lead you elsewhere, but it is true, this is a night’s sleep you’ll remember. Walking distance to Hyde Park, Paddington Station, Regent’s Park, Marylebone and Bayswater. In spring, summer or fall, walking to Notting Hill wouldn’t be out of the question.

— Holly Reynolds

 

The people, the culture: Contrary to popular belief, the streets of London aren’t filled with ugly folks in need of dental work. It’s the opposite. Probably some of the best-looking people in the world fill the streets, dressed elegantly and fashion forward. It should be no shock: London is widely considered the international hub of the financial world, across the globe, bigger than New York. So, you can expect a dapper, ethnically mixed crowd. You can also expect beautiful women on the cover of every newspaper — London invented the tabloid, so they really know how to objectify women.

Now, outside of downtown London, and into some of the neighborhoods, steer clear of the drunken masses parading the streets at 11 p.m. Yes, the pubs close at 11, so where the crowds are generally lined up at burrito joints at 3 a.m. in Chicago, London is stumbling home early. The pub culture is noteworthy. When work shuts down at 5 p.m., you do see a steady stream of folks headed right for a pint. The pubs themselves, also culturally different. They’re more focused on conversation and beer. They’re not loaded with distracting big screen TVs and loud music.

A concert-going experience proved interesting. At an Art Brut show, the Brit kids went berserk, practically trampling us to our deaths to this British rock star’s taunts. At a Junior Boys concert, the Brit crowds talked right through most of the tempered show. Needless to say, they could use some concert etiquette.

Finally, outside of the accents and their use of the word “fag” (it means cigarette), it’s a major city, so culturally probably not all that shockingly different from home.

— Dan Ochwat

 

Activities of note: London is not easy to “do” in four days, because you can’t possibly see everything. I held my head down in shame when I told co-workers I didn’t make it to the British Museum. “What about the Tower of London?” they asked. “Um, I don’t know. Maybe.” Though missing a few things, we did manage to strike a fair balance of visiting important historical monuments with visiting important historical pubs (Time Out London is an excellent guide book for X and Y generations). Here are our highlights:

The neighborhoods: Please don’t spend your entire trip in Westminster by Big Ben and that giant ferris wheel. The adorable Marleybone High Street is the main street through Marylebone and is lined with pubs, shops and chocolate stores (because what more does a woman really want?) If you’re feeling rowdy, pay a visit to neighboring Soho and Covent Gardens. At night, 20- and 30-somethings scramble through the small streets from one pub/club to the next.

Westminster Abbey: It’s not just where dead kings and queens live. Make sure to find the Poet’s Corner. The remains of Chaucer, Robert Browning, Charles Dickens and Henry James lie here.

The London Theater experience: A must. Half-priced tickets can be purchased the day of the peformance at Leichester Square.

Cabinet war rooms and Winston Churchill Museum: I had to be dragged to this. But it’s actually cool. You get to tour the bunkers Churchill and his crew hid in during World War II and listen to BBC radio recordings of his speeches.

Portabello Market in Knotting Hill: We saw no Hugh Grant (not even a Colin Firth, though we did see Sean Lennon racing through the airport), but walking down Portabello Road on a Saturday afternoon through mounds of fresh bread and booth after booth of jewelry and designer clothes is a must.

South Bank: Yes, you should make your way down here. The Tate Modern Art Museum and Shakespeare Globe Theater are two highlights along the picturesque Thames.

— Jessica Sedgwick

 

The costs: Airfare costs dipped in November, and the weather was what you might expect in October in Chicago. Save a dime and hit the UK around Turkey Day. We spent less than $2,500 for four plane tickets. As in any city, the closer you are to the action, the more you’ll pay. But London’s involved commuter train system will take you anywhere. Just be aware not every neighborhood street is lined with gold.

What we’d do differently: Sure, we came home with jetlag, empty wallets and no regrets, yada yada yada. Tourism guidebooks are brilliant for what they are, but many neglect to lead you from the well-worn yet predictable path of tourist footprints marching almost directly from Heathrow Airport to Westminster Abbey to St. Paul’s Cathedral to Buckingham Palace to Portobello Road Market.

Time and budget constraints made prioritizing a five-day trip a must. We did manage to shadow our original itinerary fairly closely. Isn’t vacationing all about spontaneity? Yes, missing out on any chapter of our short trip would’ve been regrettable. Not going by the book and choosing a one-day side trip to Glastonbury, Dartmoor or other vast, remote locales synonymous with the postcard beauty of Great Britain’s countryside would’ve been priceless — and pricey. Car rental and bus tour packages are offered at a rather steep rate.

Unfortunately, we also missed out on dipping tea bags. Most hotels and restaurants offer a traditional afternoon sitting, where you might share a cup of tea along with some sort of sidecar meal built to beat back the insatiable hunger for the less traditional chips and sweet chili sauce.

— Jeff Reynolds

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