Cities are always growing, always changing. While we work to preserve the history of graded structures, we also need new developments to meet the city’s needs for transport, business, housing, and more. Lots of proposals never come off the drawing board, but those that do begin construction promise to change the city’s fate. There are […]
London’s Most-Welcoming Pubs for Furry Patrons
Dog’s are man’s best friend, they say, and many people love taking their dog with them to the bar or pub. In London, sometimes the dog is already there, usually a pet of the owners and sometimes belonging to a patron. They come in all shapes and sizes in all types of pubs, and usually, […]
The London Fiver – Five London Film Studios Where Hollywood Magic Happens
Since the days of silent films, London has had a number of studios producing movies that entertain audiences all over the world. Today, several major studios can be found within the city itself and in the outer reaches of Greater London. The studios present in the city today are responsible for some of cinema’s biggest […]
The London Fiver – Five Interesting Pieces of Public Art in London
As John Cleese famously said in the “Michaelangelo and the Pope” sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, “I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like.” Art can take many forms, some of which we may not quite understand. Regardless of whether we “get it” or not, public art has been shown […]
The 00Fiver – Five James Bond Experiences in London
You don’t need “00” clearance to know that James Bond calls London home. From Whitehall to Les Ambassadeurs, London is as important a setting in a James Bond film as Monaco, Jamaica, and Macau. It should come as no surprise, then, that the city is full of Bond and spy related experiences. Fans of the […]
The London Fiver – Five Uniquely London Immersive Experiences To Try On Your Next Visit
It’s one thing to simply walk through an old building, see a play, or have dinner in a great restaurant, but it’s another event entirely when you find yourself immersed in the experience. Today, many patrons want to feel like a part of something rather than just being a spectator, and the city of London […]
London Alert: Announcing the London Annual 2018 – Now 128 Pages – We Need Your Help to Print!
Last year we published our first London Annual and it was a huge success. We sold over 700. It was a mixture of London travel information and cultural articles on London’s history. The overall feedback was fantastic and people really loved their special London magazine. So, we’re back this year with pre-orders for the London […]
London Calling: A Brief History of London in the 1980s – Riots, Privitisation and Docklands Regeneration
The 1980s were an iconic time for the United Kingdom, and London was at the centre of it all. Short of a world war, there was probably no other period in which the social and political atmosphere changed so drastically. From the conservativism of Margaret Thatcher to the rebellion of the Sex Pistols, 1980s London […]
The London Fiver – Five of the Best Riverside Pubs To Have a Pint
London’s pubs are one of the most charming aspects of the city. They get even better when you can find one next to the Thames River. Many of the city’s pubs are right on the river and offer a magnificent view of the flowing waters and the ships that traverse the Thames. It can […]
Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about the Shard – The Tallest Building in the UK
Threading the skies over London like a great glass needle, the Shard is one of the city’s newest and most striking skyscrapers. Completed in 2013, it has 95 floors and stands at 1,106 feet, making it also the tallest structure in the city and the whole of the United Kingdom. In the short time that […]
Summer in London: Ten Things to Do in London This Summer
The end of Spring means the heat gets turned up for a couple of months, but it also presents the perfect time to get out into the city and really enjoy what London has to offer. From the beginning of Summer on June 21 until its end on September 22, the city has many varied […]
The London Fiver – Five of the Best Hotel Bars
You can sometimes tell how good a hotel is by its bar. The ambiance, alcohol selection, food, and service shows you whether the hotel really wants to keep you around and make you comfortable. Some hotel bars are so great that they’re worth visiting even if you’re not staying in the hotel. With the magnificent […]
The London Fiver – Five of the Best Theatre Venues
While theatre is available in London throughout the year, the start of warmer weather means the theatre season really kicks off. Everything from classic Shakespeare to newer favourites such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and their casts are ready to entertain. Being one of the world’s drama centres, there are many great theatres […]
Ten Interesting Facts about Islington
Forming along the path of the Great North Road, the Borough of Islington began as a village named “Giseldone” from the Saxons, otherwise known as “Gisla’s Hill”. The village quickly became more important as a source for the city’s water, and this also made it a good place for growing vegetables that supplied London with […]
The London Fiver – Five Classic Animated Series That Take Place in London
As one of the major cities of the world, London has had plenty of media in which it features as the setting. Plays, films, radio, and television have all taken turns making London as much of a character in their tales as any protagonist. Much like these media, cartoons have also used London as a […]
The London Fiver – Five of London’s Oldest Hotels
It used to be that travelers’ only accommodations were the pubs and inns located all over the city. As the coaching inns grew in their grandeur and desire to cater to wealthy clients, they transformed into the first hotels, and then into luxury hotels during the later Victorian period. Many of the earliest hotels were […]
London Alert: Today is Publication Day for the 2nd Edition of Anglotopia’s Dictionary of British English
We’re slightly behind schedule but I’m happy to report that the 2nd Edition of Anglotopia’s Dictionary of British English is now officially published and available from most major book retailers in Print and eBook. The new edition of the book features over 2,000 words of British English defined along with several sub-dictionaries and guides to […]
London’s Tourist Traps – Crowds, High Prices, Hype and False Heritage
London is one of the most popular cities for travelers to visit on the planet. It has a special allure that will never go away. Because there are hordes of tourists visiting every year, there are plenty of tourist attractions that have been created simply to extract money from unsuspecting tourists and not provide an […]
The London Fiver – Five of the Best Vintage Clothing Shops To Visit On Your Next Trip
Many of us out there are dedicated followers of fashion, and there’s something about retro styles that really appeals to us. Whether you want to make something old new again or find an outfit for a fancy-dress party, London has plenty of vintage clothing shops all over the boroughs. Some harken back to the city’s […]
Top 10 Gardens in London for a Respite On Your Next Trip
Sometimes in the middle of the city, you need to get away and find some peace and quiet. That can seem difficult in an urban environment, but London is peppered with gardens where respite can be had. Not all of them are huge sprawling greenspaces, some are like small islands in the concrete jungle. When […]
Riding in Black Taxis: A Personal History of a London Icon – London Long Read
In most major cities, taxis don’t really get much love or affection – that’s why the phone app Uber is so popular now. But then most cities aren’t like London—a city that loves its iconic black taxis and appreciates the work it takes to learn The Knowledge (the name for the training all London Cabbies […]
Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!
