New This Month
It's the start of summer (read "almost warm enough to wear a t-shirt"), and London goes activity mad till September! It's also the time that the city is inundated with tourists. You will not find any pleasant strolls through Piccadilly Circus this month. Instead, you will become one of the thousands of human pinballs trying to push your way through to the ½ price ticket both.
My main suggestion for this month is to avoid central London, and all other major tourist attractions in London You're here to enjoy yourself, not give yourself a stress heart attack! Although this may seem to contradict the very reason for coming to London, I can assure you that there are many lesser-known things to see and do that will not be unbearably crowded.
However, one crowded event worth going to in June is Wimbledon, which takes place 22 June – 5 July.
To See & Do
I would suggest a stroll around the City of London (the financial district) which is marked by lion statues. Although the city does hold such tourist fascination as the Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral, the rest of the city is filled with interesting buildings and sights that tourist don't seem to visit en mass.
Although I know I'm contradicting myself, St Paul's is not to be missed, it's absolutely beautiful. Other highlights include Fleet Street, which houses tons of pubs; Monument, a monument to the great fire of 1666 that can be climbed for great views of the city; many old churches are holding free summer lunchtime music sessions; the Museum of London, which is often overlooked by visitors; the Lloyds building, which is definitely the ugliest and most hated building in the city; and countless little alleyways that are fun to explore as they generally have something of interest hidden in them.
Great Eats
The Great Canadian Bagel Company. Although it's not really a restaurant, it is in my opinion the best food available in the City of London. Most restaurants in the city cater to workers, and therefore are really expensive and many close early. The GCBC does close early, but it's not expensive and it has great food and is open Sundays.
Canadian note: you do not have to have the pre-packaged sandwiches. Ask at the counter for them to make you one fresh, and request lots of different stuff other than the pre-set selections. Though you'll have thoroughly confused them, you'll feel much comfort when you sink your teeth into a piece of home!! (And never get sweetcorn or prawn, or you can rip up your passport!)
Nightlife
There basically isn't anything in the City, as it becomes a ghost town in the evenings. However, it is a short cab ride to the theatres around Covent Garden.
Shopping
The city has many great markets, including:
Ledenhall – good sandwich spots for lunch. Great atmosphere, lots of men's clothing, and all the dead unplucked birds you could want.
Petticoat Lane – the best market in the City. Mostly women's clothes & shoes, anything a woman (or crossdresser) could want to wear is in this market.
Spittlefields – mostly restaurants now, though the market does have some interesting shops such as the costume store.
