Travel around the world and you’ll never find anywhere quite like the UK capital. At Clarendon Serviced Apartments we’ve called London home for over 26 years and we freely admit that we’re biased when we describe it as the greatest city in the world. But the fact that our serviced apartments are frequently filled with business travellers from around the globe suggests we’re not the only ones. So why do people keep coming back to the Big Smoke?
1. Attractions
Some of the world’s best attractions are right here in London. From the Tower with its long and bloody history to Big Ben and St Paul’s Cathedral there’s a rich heritage that stretches back hundreds, even thousands of years. The Tower was built in 1066 by William the Conqueror and even now visitors scramble to walk the corridors where Tudor monarchs dispatched their enemies. While many of London’s attractions are steeped in history just as many are new and fresh and offer a different perspective on the capital – take the London Eye which is just over a decade old and offers breath-taking views of the city.
2. The food
OK, so some of our neighbours in Europe might not agree when we say London has some of the best grub in the world. But they’d be missing out. London has some of the finest Michelin starred restaurants in the world like the Ledbury and Arbutus. We do luxury as well at places like The Dorchester. You can stay in the capital and eat around the world trying oriental, Middle Eastern, French or American. You can never go wrong, however, with some good old fish and chips. Do you know they’ve even started serving them in Paris? You can’t get better however than a Soho fish and chip shop!
Try this for the best places to eat fish and chips in London: http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/23/st-georges-day-top-10-places-to-eat-fish-and-chips-in-london-3663643/
3. Our green and pleasant land
Even though you’re in the heart of one of the busiest capitals in the world you’ll always find a bit of green space in London. The most famous park in London is probably Hyde Park. Covering 350 acres it’s a great place for a summer picnic and hosts a range of summer festivals. Hyde Park’s beautiful lake offers a stunning vista at any time of year. Richmond Park is one of the capital’s most charming and it’s known for its red deer herd. At the highest point of Richmond Park you can see St Paul’s. The oldest park in the capital is St James’, which is surrounded by the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and St James’ Palace. There are eight parks in London to explore, each with its own character.
4. Shopping
London has some of the best shopping districts you’ll find outside the souks of Marrakech and you’ll find everything from high end on Regent’s Street to bric a brac in a market. If you want something really fancy head to Knightsbridge, the official home of Harrods which opened in 1834. It’s known not just for its fashion or gift shop and high tea menu but also its unusual design. Each room in Harrods is designed individually and resembles a glittering museum rather than a department store! There are more traditional malls around the city, like Westfield and White City where you can grab some lunch and make a day of it.
5. Expand your mind
London is home to some of the world’s finest universities. They are responsible for ground-breaking research at institutions like the London School of Economics, University College London and Kings College. As well as places of learning there are museums and galleries galore. The National History Museum is free to enter and dips in and out of different periods of the world’s history. The British Museum specialises in human history and culture and contains over eight million works. You can learn about the different places to visit in London via a sightseeing tour. Find out more here: www.theoriginaltour.com
The one thing we at Clarendon would always say about London is that it never stays the same. No matter how many times you visit you’ll always discover something different and new. Next time you’re staying at one of our serviced apartments across the capital bring Visit London’s list of ten reasons to visit London and be ready to explore.