Now that I’ve been living in London for nearly a month I’d like to show you what I’ve been getting up to when I’m not working from home in my PJs.
All my attention has been going into exploring the area where I live, Greenwich, or the Royal Borough of Greenwich if I use its posh name – but modest, little Greenwich will do.
It’s located across the river Thames in South East London away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city. It’s no more than 25-minutes away from central and with easy access too (only a 10-minute train ride away from London Bridge) but it couldn’t be more different.
Greenwich: Having the best of both worlds
Cobbled streets, greenery, squirrels, deer, exotic birds, extra space, Greenwich is clearly nothing like the rest of London.
Living here is like having the best of both worlds on your doorstep. You get the museums of a big city, and the vast green spaces of the countryside.
Heading up the hill to the Royal Observatory to admire the panoramic views of London shows off this wonderful juxtaposition. It really is the most beautiful view of London and worth a trip to Greenwich if for nothing else.
Greenwich has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status, making it one of the most culturally important places in London.
Home to the former Royal residence, the architecture of many of the buildings are simply stunning, noted for being the first example of Palladian architecture in Britain.
This style was influenced by the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio whose style became popular in the mid-17th Century.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
More significantly, Greenwich is most famous for the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) which is basically where all measured and standardised time starts.
Why does it start in Greenwich? Simply because it was the working-place of some very clever guys who solved navigational problems which enabled explorers and people at sea to travel more accurately, and more importantly, with less accidents!
If you pay to go in the Royal Observatory (some areas, are however, free), it is possible to take a photo of you standing astride the Meridian Line with a foot inside each hemisphere, but if you go on the weekend it’s likely such a photo will take up to an hour of queuing. This is not how I would suggest you spend an hour of your time. Greenwich has so much to offer, so I’ll dig into the highlights.
Greenwich highlights
Greenwich Market is filled with all kind of treats, especially in the form of edible treats. Arrive on a weekend when the stalls are in full swing and its time to get stuck in.
If you enjoy rummaging through quaint vintage shops and second-hand stalls, Greenwich is one of the best places for it. While not on the scale of Notting Hill, you’ll find some gems, including aptly named The Junk Shop which is home to an incredible array of vintage, retro and collectable items. Be sure to visit the cafe at the back too!
Greenwich Park is my favourite park in London, and that’s saying a lot because London is home to an array of beautiful parks.
For a comprehensive guide, see more → Greenwich Park: A Guide to Everything You Should See
You’ll be sure to come across an abundance of insanely curious and confidence squirrels too!
rowsing through the quirky fans in the aptly titled Fan Museum, a one of its kind in the world. Unlike other areas of London, this place definitely likes to sleep at night so make sure you come during the day when it’s most alive.
A place to escape the crowds
Perhaps what I’ve described to you isn’t London at all, and well I don’t really think it is because I’m not sure how well I’d do keeping up with the high-speed pace of London on a daily basis. Take the Underground as an example – where it’s often humid, stuffy, expensive and disturbingly overcrowded, exactly how I imagine hell to be. Every time I’m on it the only space I ever seem to find is under one man’s chin and another man’s armpit. Give me the Overground any day of the week I say!
Greenwich is probably best described as the perfect combination of country life and city dwelling. Quite simply, it’s the best of both.
The Thames Path
One of my favourite things about living in Greenwich is being within close proximity to the Thames River. It’s a relaxing place to come any time of the day. I especially love that sweet spot between 6 – 8 pm, or Golden Hour, when the sky is soft and the river appears at its calmest.
If you love walking, the Thames Path also offers an excellent way to explore nearby neighbours located all along the river. My favourite walking route in London begins in Greenwich and goes all the way to Tower Bridge.
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Additional information
How to get there: The quickest route is to catch the train from London Bridge, taking only 8 minutes to arrive into Greenwich.
You can also get the DLR from Bank or Canary Wharf into Cutty Sark and it’s super quick and easy too.
Alternatively you can catch a boat from South Bank (directly outside the London Eye), this takes approximately 35 minutes and is a really nice journey if the sun is shining.
14 responses
That Junk Shop – I’ve meant to go in for YEARS but I still haven’t gotten around to it! It looks like a wonderland. Glad you’re enjoying the city. Give the Thames Path a good seeing to, it’s a nice 16ish miles from Charlton to Westminster and on a nice day you’ll love almost every step of it. Apart from perhaps the northern end of Deptford, where it gets a bit grotty. I got barked at by a drunk, for example.
The Junk Shop has a very appropriate name!! It’s got some great books inside, and if you take the creaky stairs to the bottom floor you’ll discover some very cheeky videos circa 1985. I don’t have a habit of pointing out such erm, unsavoury things but some of the titles gave me a cheap chuckle worth sharing! The best bit about the Junk Shop is the little café, and the outdoor seating area which was a nice surprise.
I’ll definitely try the walk, and I hope I bump into the barking man too. Thanks for the recommendation Chris!
On what side of meridian 0 do you live? East or west?
Hi Tuscan! I live slightly west, pourquoi? Are you a budding seafarer? hehe
This was fantastic, Shing! All of this years knowing of and hearing about GMT this was the very post I’ve ever read on Greenwich! I love how your photos took me on a journey. But, yikes…watch out for those squirrels! They can get a bit…well, squirrely sometimes! Your photos are amazing and I would give that rhubarb and ginger treat a try! 🙂
I so wish you were around last summer to meet and show us around Greenwich. We took a boat ride down the Thames to see the Prime Meridian line and missed the closing time. There was a little portion for tourists to pose outside the gates though. But, we did have fun walking around to see the shops and loved Greenwich Park. I need to go back and explore the market. Glad you’re enjoying your new neighborhood. I’ll take overground any day too 🙂
Call me weird but I actually like the tube. I only go to London about five times a year and the smell of the underground is always a highlight. I like trying to spot rats on the track while I’m waiting on the platform!
I do love the rats, and the efficiency of the tube, but not enough to put up with stampede of people! Richard, you are alone on this one!
I love Greenwhich, it definitely has more of a village feel than the rest of London, I especially love the market although I love nearly all London markets 😉
Haha me too! I can’t resist going to the Ethiopian stall in Greenwich market, they make these things called Sambosas which drive me crazy!
Greenwich is the town I’m from, and after 10 months away, seeing these pictures has really made me miss it. Is the candy shop near the DLR still there? Have you made a visit to Greenwich Market on the weekends? The food is amazing!
Hi Lily! Greenwich is a great place to live, isn’t it? I’ve not noticed a candy shop but I’ll make sure I scout around for it. Oh tell me about it, Greenwich Market has some incredible food, I can never resist walking past without buying something!
Hi,
a friend of mine is going to the university in greenwich and we’re trying to helpher find budget accommodation (300-385 /month ) and a good neighborhood. she’s the first kid to go to college overseas in her fam and they’re worried because she is a girl and safety is important. can you help us with neighborhoods and tube lines?
Hi – I enjoyed your post about Greenwich. Even as a Londoner born and bred there are so many parts of our capital we never get to know properly and therefore always enjoy bringing visitors somewhere like this.
My niece (late 20s) from Brazil is transferring to London soon to work in the docklands financial sector, colleagues have tipped her off that Greenwich would be a great place for her to rent and I’m doing a little bit of research ahead of that. Is there any part of the area that she should be particularly looking at (or, especially avoiding) bearing in mind coming home on late winter’s nights ?