STOKE NEWINGTON

A nightmare to get to via public transport, but once you arrive, Stoke Newington is a haven and genuinely pleasant part of North London.  Verging on the outskirts it has a village vibe and is inhabited by hipsters, media types and Thurston Moore.

HYDE PARK CORNER

Hyde Park is the largest royal park in London.  Important to it is Speakers’ Corner (in the northeast corner near Marble Arch).  Its where extremists and nutcases congregate.  In the summer the park also hosts concerts where once I saw Black Sabbath.

FOREST GATE

Forest Gate is a place in East London best known for Forest Gate Gate when police apparently incorrectly raided a house of suspected terrorists.

When travelling into London via Liverpool Street you’re likely to pass through it.

BAYSWATER

Bayswater sits on the west edge of central London.  With its Disney London architecture now mostly turned into hotels it feels a bridge between affluence and commerce.

EDGWARE ROAD

Edgware Road feels where the west side of Central London ends.

MANOR PARK

As East London stretches towards Essex things arrive at Manor Park.

RICHMOND

Richmond is London at a stretch.  It’s a lovely place just a long ride to get to.

MARBLE ARCH

Marble Arch is pretty much where Oxford Street ends.  The arch itself lives on a traffic island between Park Lane, Edgware Road and Oxford Street.  It was originally designed with the intention of being the state entrance to Buckingham Palace.

LIMEHOUSE

Limehouse is proper east London.  It is situated in Tower Hamlets and is on the bank of the Thames and part of the docklands area.

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE

Elephant And Castle is a grim part of London in Southwark.  And it’s the station at the end of the south portion of the Bakerloo Line.  My first exposure to the place was through the Jim Davidson eighties sitcom Up The Elephant And Round The Castle.  Not good.

ALDGATE

Aldgate is situated in east London.  It rubs up against Whitechapel and the East End.

EAST FINCHLEY

East Finchley is actually in North London, don’t be fooled!  It is home to the fantastic Phoenix Cinema.

CANARY WHARF

Canary Wharf is an immense, modern part of London.  The nice parts look like some futuristic city while on the edges remain old school east London slums.  There is so much money here, most of it foreign.  What can you do?

OLD STREET

Old Street is situated in east London.  There is legend that it used to connect Silchester to Colchester.  These days though it is quite run down looking, not least the roundabout that houses the tube station.  In my circles it is perhaps best known for previously housing the Foundry bar and these days has XOYO just around the corner.

SOUTH HAMPSTEAD

South Hampstead is not Hampstead as you would imagine.  For some reason it is situated between St Johns Wood, Finchley Road and Swiss Cottage with so much rough along with smooth around it.

EMBANKMENT

Embankment sits on the north bank of the Thames (thus the name).

DALSTON JUNCTION

Dalston has somehow become a hip part of town.  I don’t see it myself but it is a handy mid point between Islington and The City.

SOUTH BERMONDSEY

South Bermondsey station is the one closest to Millwall football club and as such is the route recommended to away supporters.  It links via the overground to London Bridge.

MILE END

Mile End is situated in East London.  It’s in Tower Hamlets.  Enough said.

BERMONDSEY

Bermondsey is an old school part of south east London that houses amongst things Millwall Football Club.  What’s not to like?