Before traveling to one of the fashion capitals of the world (London, Paris, New York, and Milan), I always do a ton of research to avoid the FOMO feeling- I mean coming back home and find out I missed some cool things to do and places to shoot in.
So last week I visited one of the most photogenic places in Europe- London. London is truly an Instagrammer’s dream destination, and it can be overwhelming too, especially if you are traveling for a short period as I was. I thought carefully about how I would manage my time most effectively, in order to have a stress-free touring experience and be able to explore the real city as locals do.
If it’s your first time there, make sure not to avoid the must-sees of the city attractions because they truly are incredible. Find a way to incorporate the basics and the things on our list. But if you’re already a pro and you’ve been to London several times you can relax and follow our list more carefully.
We narrowed everything down and created a list for those of you who appreciate minimalism as much as we do. London is pretty big, so we divided our list into areas. Make sure you have google maps before going on the trip; it will make strolling around that much easier.
Let’s start with Notting Hill, besides being our favorite movies of all time, it’s one of the best neighborhoods to shoot in (go to Ladbroke Gardens- charming street and not so busy). We recommend exploring the area on Saturday when Portobello market is open, and a lot of vintage goodies are out; you can really find there good stuff (bags, belts, silk scarfs, and much more).
South Kensington– next to the V&M museum there are beautiful streets, and you can catch two birds with one stone and surround yourself with amazing art (the British Museum is another good one to check out). Also, Chelsea is an amazing neighborhood. You can find some really nice streets next to the Saatchi gallery and if you are into newsstands, you can find cool ones on Sloane square. Another insider tip, in this area there are a lot of flower stands. Pick up some flowers there to elevate your photos.
The famous Oxford Circus– this area is full of attractions and things to do. For a good pic I would choose Regent-street, I know it doesn’t feel like it has potential because it’s very crowded but trust me, something good can come out of it.
If after your busy shopping day at Oxford you feel like relaxing and going to Regent Park, on the way there you can catch two places- Daunt books, who doesn’t like a good bookstore? And the second place is the Monocle Café London, a minimalistic coffee shop with black and white marquise which creates a really cool vibe.
Another cool area is Shoreditch– east London. it is a cool area to hang on Sunday when the markets are on, and you can find some good vintage items there (brick lane). For more French style I would recommend the Columbia road flower market, it’s so pretty walking around and seeing the endless amounts of flowers everywhere.
Some other good coffee shops you can take a little break at and enjoy some tasty cakes: Farm Girl, Biscuiteers Boutique and Icing Cafe, Aubaine at Selfridges, Peggy Porschen, Dominique Ansel Bakery, Saint Aymes, Sketch, Brown & Rosie, Granger and Co., Feya and Elan café.
I hope this will help you save time and explore London. Your charger is essential, you are about to take a lot of photos and one last thing- don’t forget to tag us (#thestreetvibe)!
If you have more secret spots, don’t hesitate to DM us and we would love to share it!
Edits by: Ariela Levi
