London, England

I have been fortunate enough to hit London for a few business trips over the years.  I’ve also visited my cousin and her family in 2007 and 2009 who live in Chiswick, a garden suburb outside of London.  If I had to move anywhere in the world tomorrow, London would be it.  I think there are 3 cities in the world where I wish I could bottle up the vibrant energy and sell it:  NYC, Tokyo and London.

Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

1. My Cuz's Place - Since I’ve stayed in Chiswick the past couple times I have been, I don’t have a great handle on the London hotels.  Everything here is extremely expensive, so I suggest going cheaper.
2. St. Martin’s Lane – This is not cheap, but is a eccentric, hip place in Covent Gardens. 
3. The Arch - great, high-end design spot.
4. The Beaufort -  This little private find is darling but not snobby.  It a charmer near the big shops like Harrods.
5. I would check out tablethotels.com for one of their cheapest rooms.  This is my favorite hotel web site that is based in London so everything they are recommending will be top notch and not too big.

Top 5 Foodie Finds

1. Pub Grub – Much of the pub food is better than that of restaurants.  This can be anything from a ploughman’s lunch (bread, pickle and hunk of cheese), shepherd’s pie or seafood.
2. Fifteen – Jamie Oliver, the author of The Naked Chef, takes disadvantaged youth and teaches them how to cook in an upscale kitchen.  I’ve also been in Amsterdam and it is wonderful.
3. Strawberries and Clotted Cream – A must-have British treat. 
4. Indian Food – The Brits all go for “a curry” after they have been boozing it up, but the Indian food is good any time of day here.  There are great high-end places, or you can get a fantastic meal at the cheap haunts.
5. Borough Market in South London – A huge open air market right along the river with endless food options from Fish restaurant to street food kiosks.  Walk through, get a variety of treats and just eat along the river. Then go for a stroll along the river to check out the historic sites:  London Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament etc.  On Saturdays til 2.

Top 5 Sunday Afternoons

1. Tate Gallery – I love this modern art museum right on the water.  Many of the floors are free – you only have to pay for special exhibits.
2. London Pub Crawl – Folks drink here all the time, so watch some cricket with the locals at pubs.  You have 5,000 pubs in the city to choose from.   Sit and enjoy a few pints or some Pims, a wonderful summer cocktail mixed with fresh fruit, lemonade, cucumber and mint.
3. Shop and stroll in Notting Hill – This is a darling upscale neighborhood to hit lunch and shop for clothes and home stuff.
4. Watch the Changing of the Guard – The Buckingham Palace theatrical event is a fun way to get a taste of the pomp and circumstance of the royal family.
5. Hampstead Heath Park -  Get some food/picnic and spend a lazy day walking around the park. Go to Parliament Hill the top of park for a nice few of the city and there are a few pubs. There's a pub called the Flask (on Highgate West Hill Road) which has a great patio to sit outside.

Top 5 Tips

1. Bring Your Umbrella – Even a sunny day is unpredictable here.
2. Book local flights online – There are some cheap local airlines like Easy Jet that don’t show up on the standard web sites.  Hit kayak.com to see them all.
3. Don’t tip much– Restaurants are only 10% and it is often added in.  No need to tip at bars or taxis.
4. Tube – This is such an easy way to get around the city.  Taxis are expensive, so this is a perfect alternative.
5. Get outside the city for a day or two to the English countryside – Even a couple hours outside the city are a world away and a great way to soak up English culture.

Top 5 Misses

1. London Eye – The line is long and this takes and this has nice views, but not worth it.
2. Piccadilly Circus – This is overblown with touristy nabs.  Yes, many claim it is the heart and sould of London, but I would skip it. Yuck.
3. The dollar to Euro – Whew, is this town expensive. 
4. House of Parliament and the Tower of London – So much more to experience.  See all this with a stroll on the outside.
5. An English Breakfast – Baked beans, liver and blood sausage at 8 am?  This one alone gives English food its bad name.