So I may be a HUGE fan of Nirvana (and Kurt Cobain) but I am not talking about the band… I’m talking about 5 of My Favorite Spots in and around London
Nirvana is not only one of my favorite artists, but is defined as a state of perfect happiness. In this post I will be writing about a few places in London, England where I have felt the happiest in my entire life. These places are forever treasured in my memory, places of beauty, peace, culture, and interesting individuals.
Camden Town: While living in London I had an Internship working for a day center in Camden Town, the center was a place where individuals who suffered from mental or emotional trauma could come during the day and sort of “hang out.” It was intense and sometimes stressful but I loved working there, I loved the members I worked with, and above all I LOVED my coworkers. I became so close with my fellow staff that when I returned to London two months ago I met with them for drinks. 🙂 Camden is a town that is unlike any other area I have ever visited in my lifetime. There are many outdoor markets selling interesting and hip clothing for relatively cheap prices. There are outdoor food markets, serving cuisine ranging from Pizza or Chinese to Indian, even Zebra! The scenery is beautiful, canals and bridges over the canals you cross to go from market to market. However, within the past year there had been a fire in Camden so they had to renovate the market. Camden is just on the other side of Regent’s Park, near to London Zoo. Every day I walked through Regent’s Park to get to my Internship and it also became a place very near to my heart. The people of Camden are very different individuals, dyed hair, pierced and donning interesting clothing. Their style is one to much of my liking. Lastly, Camden is filled with cool night clubs and STORES! One of the most well known and “interesting” stores is Cyber Dog. It’s a bit difficult to explain what Cyber Dog is like unless you have been there but it is somewhat of a futuristic/alien/rave type store, which sells clothing, sex toys, and I cannot really understand what else. Basically – if you ever take a trip to London you need to take the time out to visit Camden, I assure you that you will not regret it.
London Zoo: Alright, I’ll admit it, I am not embarrassed to say that I still love zoos. I love animals and nature (not, like, camping or anything though) but the London Zoo is by far the best and coolest zoo I have ever been to in my life. The zoo Is expensive, but SO worth it! When I visited London Zoo most of the animals had just had babies so I was provided with the opportunity to view tigers mothers with their newborns trailing behind, and monkey mama’s holding their babies to their breast. It was adorable. As I have mentioned in my past post, London Zoo also has the exact spot where Harry Potter first accidentally demonstrated his magical powers by eliminating the glass casing between Dudley and the Snake. London Zoo does not have elephants which was to much of my dismay because since the age of five I have been obsessed with elephants and tormented my father by making him watch Dumbo 20+ times a day. BUT it does have an outdoor exhibit where you can walk around while FREE monkeys leap above you or run across the ground in front of you – seriously. I would be sitting on a log and a baby monkey would run up and sit right next to me! If it wasn’t for the safety rules I could have picked this little guy up and carried him around like a newborn!
Selfridges: Okay – this may just be a place of Nirvana for only me because I suffer from an extreme shopping addiction BUT every time I ditch my classes from Westminster Uni I would wander into Selfridges and shop until I was so manic I needed to return to my dorm room. See, as I have explained it to my friends in London, when I walk into a store my body develops somewhat of a high – like I had just shot gunned 5 redbulls – I cannot think or see straight, I am so energized I cannot focus, all I can do is run around the store grabbing articles of clothing until I cannot carry any more. Selfridges has everything you could imagine. A food court, with actual edible cuisine, a supermarket, designer clothing, inexpensive clothing, handbags, luggage, makeup, all sorts of children’s toys, even kitchen silverware and tea cups. Leaving Selfridges with the macaroons or new Longchamp bag, or all of the clothing I purchased every day in a bright yellow Selfridges bag made each day feel as if there was no wrong in the world. It calmed my anxieties, and made me think that missing class to go shopping everyday was okay – that is until my perfect GPA Summa Cum Laude dropped to just Cum Laude. I still love you anyways Selfridges.
St. Paul’s Cathedral and ironically, The Roof Terrace: If you would have asked me a few days before I had walked the 500-something steps to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral I would have told you that this place would NEVER be on this list. My roommate, Sarah, and our flat-mate Jenna, and myself decided to walk to St. Paul’s Cathedral one day – after touring the cathedral itself and seeing all the amazing architecture and the people who had been buried there Sarah and Jenna decided that they wanted to go to the top of the Cathedral and see the view. Abso-fucking-lutely not – was my response. I have this thing with heights, they terrify me. After much arguing and wining they had finally convinced me, to this day I still have no idea how but they did it. They take you up three flights of uneven, cramped stairs before you reach the very top and even I have to admit it is SO worth it. The view is the best view that I received of London, better than the London Eye, better than the Shard. This cathedral is absolutely breathtaking. When it comes to Westminster or St. Paul’s I am a St. Paul’s fan.
Now, more recently my boyfriend and I had decided to visit “The Roof Terrace” a bar of some sorts that is above the nearby shopping center, which provides a great view of London and St. Paul’s without having to pay any sort of entrance fee. A dress code is not enforced but if you want to go to the fancier side of the bar you need to dress “smart” – but if you do not dress up you can still visit the other side of the bar and enjoy a pint, relaxing on couches, and looking out on the most beautiful city in the world.
The Southbank: London Aquarium/London Eye: Okay, so I know this area may be a huge tourist attraction but there is just something about this area that really makes you realize that you are IN London. The London Eye, the Aquarium nearby, the Thames, the view of Big Ben. Now I have ridden the London Eye (on my birthday, my boyfriend is so romantic, naturally I had to ruin it) and had a panic attack while at the top – told you I hate heights. Even though I do not enjoy riding the London Eye I do love the way it looks. In this area there is an arcade nearby the London Dungeon – my boyfriend, Elliot and I had frequented a few times because I don’t care how old I am, it’s fun. Being from England I think that he secretly hated my obsession with this area (The Southbank, Eye/Acquarium/etc.) but I can’t help my obsession. I think every time I visit London I need to visit this area because it really and truly makes me feel happier than I believe is even humanly possible. Ride the London Eye, play some arcade games, walk on a glass panel over a dozen sharks in the Aquarium, or just hangout and gaze in complete awe of London’s beauty. This area, in my eyes, can do no wrong.
Some Honorable Mentions:
Marylebone High Street, I mean, I did live right by the area and walking around it fills me with such nostalgia it’s difficult not to love it.
and Piccadilly Circus: I went out and partied WAY too much while in London (NOT SORRY) but what else are you supposed to do while studying abroad? I have some of my best memories stumbling home in high heels after a night out that ended or began AND ended in Piccadilly.
I’m sure many people have found other places in London or anywhere else in the world where they felt like everything in the world was right and nothing could go wrong! Feel free to comment these places below – or don’t if you want to keep it your own little secret 😉
Runaway Blond 