My Favorite Parts of London

By Joe Cox

For my final minor blog post, I would like to talk about my favorite parts of London that I was able to see during my time here. Luckily, I have had the chance to see many of the different boroughs throughout the city. However, due to my location and own personal interests, three boroughs really stood out during my time here. These places are Hackney, Camden, and Lambeth.

Hackney

Living in central London made it easy to see the popular sights and places in the city. One of those places that I visited frequently was the district of Shoreditch in Hackney. Shoreditch is one of the more hip areas of the city right now. As you wander the streets, the street art from artists like Banksy and Robbo give the neighborhood its character and is a major part of the culture of the area. I also think that Shoreditch was the most fun area to go out at night. With its ever-growing hipster population, many bars and pubs have shown around Shoreditch. My favorite bar that I went to during my time here was Ten Bells, which is famous for being associated with two of Jack the Ripper’s victims.

Shor

Camden

While here, we lived around the Bloomsbury area in Camden. I am definitely going to miss living around here. When I first arrived, I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know what to expect, but those nerves went away quickly as I grew accustomed to the area. I never really considered living in such a big city, because I was so used to the areas of Texas that I have lived in where you need a car to get around, but I grew very fond of the walking and public transportation here in London.

Lambeth

Lambeth is the last area that really impressed me. Thankfully, I was able to spend a couple days wandering the streets of Brixton and the areas around it, because it was so different from the rest of London that I had seen. On my first bus ride over, I thought that I was just going to a typical suburb, but that was far from the truth. The culture in Brixton is unlike anything I had ever seen. Since most of, most of the locals are immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa, Brixton has some of the most interesting food and music that I was able to experience during my adventures here.

I’m excited to get back to Texas and see my friends and family back home, but I will miss everything that I’ve grown accustomed to here in London. London has provided me with some of the best experiences of my life and given me the chance to meet some amazing people. I’m extremely thankful for this opportunity and hope to see you soon, London.