London, like New York City, is a 24-hour city. Transport runs all hours of the night and there are places open all hours of the day and night. Be sure to choose a Time Out magazine for shows, comedy, music, reading, film, and theater. And make plans to eat earlier; The best restaurants in London usually close before midnight.
bars and pubs
If you’re looking for a normal old pub, take a walk down the street. London is packed with local pubs and bars, and you’ll find one on every corner. But if you want atmosphere and class, you may have to look a little further.
Try Claridge’s Bar for history and society. Once the hotel of foreign royalty, Claridge’s is now the hot spot for cocktails, champagne and caviar. The atmosphere is chic and elegant, and you’ll be rubbing shoulders with some of London’s elite.
One of the most beautiful hotel lobby bars is the Lobby Bar at One Aldwych Hotel, in the heart of the West End. Original contemporary sculptures and elegant surroundings make this hotel bar one of the destinations for a great night out.
The Oxo Tower Bar is famous for its impressive view from the eighth floor and its selective admission policy; dress accordingly if you want to be accepted here.
There are dozens of bars, pubs and nightclubs to take advantage of in London; Just keep your eyes open!
shows
If you don’t like the pub scene but want entertainment, London is a good place to find it. It’s the center of some of Europe’s newest rock music, as well as a great place to go for comedy and theater. Although many of the live theater shows are not open after midnight, the comedy clubs are; you can see some of the best in central London.
Start with some music. If you take a London pub crawl, you’ll find dozens of new and established acts every night. Start with Tin Pan Alley and the 12 Bar Club; in the heart of London’s music district, you’ll find multiple bands most nights of the week; the club houses two bars and serves food.
The 100 Club on Oxford Street is musically important and musically active; It has been making music since 1942, and has hosted such important bands in their early days as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks; You can still find cutting-edge music here, from rock to swing to blues.
Borderline, a small venue is used by a surprising number of well-known bands, from REM to everyone’s favorite fake Spinal Tap. They also find some of the best new music acts in Europe, and were voted Timeout Venue and Promoter of the Year in 2001.
For big comedy acts, try Bound and Gagged, a two-hundred-seat club featuring the best comedy acts in London; or you can try the Comedy Store, the smoky atmosphere of Downstairs at The King’s Head, or Minstrels. Up the Creek hosts well-known acts as well as new comedians.
haunted london
If you’d rather scream than laugh, London is one of the most haunted cities in Europe. Just walking down the street can be scary in some districts. Try taking a walk near the Tower of London, trying to see the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn riding in her carriage; or Westminster Abbey, where a ghostly Benedictine monk is often seen hovering some distance above the ground.
At Hampton Court Palace, Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, died giving birth to Edward VI. Every October 12, the anniversary of her death, she is supposed to be seen dressed in white, floating up the stairs to the Silver Stick Gallery; Catherine Howard, one of his successors in the procession of wives, has been seen running screaming through this Gallery, and it was so intense in the 19th century that the Gallery was forced to close for several years.
At the Theater Royal on Drury Lane, many actors have seen a tall man in a gray cloak.
You should at least take a walk in central London at night; every city looks different at night, and with neon lights and street lamps, London is no exception. It’s a shame there are no more gaslights, but you can still enjoy a deliciously spooky atmosphere in the darker, more glamorous streets around Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. However, stay on the main roads; Like any other big city, London has its predators.
Copyright 2006 S Wander