Sights in London

1. A Map

   Brick Lane

   • London, England
   • Sights › Street

   Full of noise, colour and life, Brick Lane is a vibrant mix of history and modernity, and a palimpsest of cultures. Today it is the centrepiece of a thriving Bengali community in an area nicknamed Banglatown. The southern part of the lane is one long procession of curry and balti houses intermingled with fabric shops and Indian supermarkets. Sadly the once-high standard of cooking in the curry houses is a distant memory, so you’re probably better off trying subcontinental cuisine in Whitechapel.

   Just past Hanbury St is the converted Old Truman Brewery, a series of buildings on both sides of the lane that was once London’s largest brewery. The Director’s House on the left…

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2. B Map

   London Dungeon

   • London, England
   • Sights › Fright experience

   Older kids tend to love the London Dungeon, as the terrifying queues during school holidays and weekends test­ify. It's all spooky music, ghostly boat rides, macabre hangman's drop-rides, fake blood and actors dressed up as torturers and gory criminals (including Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd). Beware the interactive bits.

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3. C Map

   Leicester Square

   • London, England
   • Sights › Square

   At the time of research, Leicester Square was undergoing an extensive – and much-needed – makeover to turn it into a lively plaza and glamorous premiere venue. The revamp is much overdue; although the square was very fashionable in the 19th century, in the last few decades it had become synonymous with antisocial behaviour, rampant pickpocketing and outrageous cinema ticket prices (a whopping £18!).

   The square will retain its many cinemas and nightclubs, and city planners hope it will attract high-profile film premieres, with all the associated celeb-spotting and publicity.

   Works on the square started in December 2010 and were scheduled to be complete in April 2012,…

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4. D Map

   Brunswick Centre

   • London, England
   • Sights › Mall

   This now-wonderful 1960s complex consists of apartments, restaurants, shops and a cinema. A £24-million project transformed it from a dreary, stern space to a lovely, cream-coloured airy square in 2006, and the centre is now packed with people seven days a week. The original architect, Patrick Hodgkinson, worked on the renovations and claimed that the centre now looks like what he’d orginally planned in the ‘60s (but at the time the design was stunted by the local council). For more information and a complete listing of shops and restaurants, check the website.

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