Ranking the Sights in London
Published Saturday June 27th, 2009
1. Tower of London: Creepy and beautiful all at once. The brilliant guides, the Beefeaters, might well be the best entertainers in town; houses the crown jewels.
2. Westminster Abbey: Profoundly moving site of coronations and funerals. On weekdays, catch the youth choirs at late-afternoon services.
3. Portobello Market: Best lunch in London? Gets our vote. On Saturdays, this Notting Hill market is a crazy, cool cultural mobfest. Try the Ghanaian stew ($9).
4. St. Paul's Cathedral: Charles and Di married here. If you're fit, climb the narrow stairway to the Whispering Gallery, where secrets spin 'round the walls.
5. London theatres: The Italians make art. The French make love. The British make theatre... in opulent venues surrounding wonderful Leicester Square.
6. Buckingham Palace: Changing of the guard, 11:30 a.m. most days, draws insane crowds, like some sort of British Disneyland. Go anyway.
7. The Tate Modern: In a city of engaging museums, this art venue is a standout. Lively riverside setting. Like most other London museums, it's free.
8. London Eye: Not technically a Ferris wheel, because the cabs are on the outside of the giant hoop. Whatever. Pricey, at $25, but unforgettable views.
9. Covent Garden Market: This hyper-touristy old market is worth a stop for its shops, cafés and street entertainers. Royal Opera House is steps away.
10. Hyde Park: Henry VIII's former hunting grounds are the ideal spot for a Sunday stroll; a living period piece. Be sure to check out the rental rowboats.
11. British Museum: The Rosetta Stone resides here, as do miles of Middle Eastern antiquities. But after the mummies, it's all a bit of a slog.
12. Thames tour: More relaxing than the land-based tours; city's chill seeps up through the hull. On chilly days, grab an inside seat. Photo ops galore.
13. Harrods: Maybe the timing is just bad, but unless you're a sheik, this shopping cathedral seems not of the moment: $50 for a dozen oysters?
14. Oxford Street/Piccadilly Circus: Lively, youth-oriented shopping district with world-class buzz. One of the city's main traffic snarls, so be prepared to walk.
15. Royal Albert Hall: Perhaps a winner during a concert. But as a tour stop, not so much. The Albert Memorial across the street helps elevate the experience.
16. Jack the Ripper tour: Despite a game and active guide - he even sang - this walking tour is a dud. Maybe it's because some of the 19th-century sites are gone.
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