South London - London for Tourists - page 105

The Diverse Boroughs of South London
Head further South and a multicultural patchwork of influence marks your journey. Each
borough bursts with vibrancy and originality, although that often hides behind a facade of
rundown streets and mucky buildings. This melting pot of juxtaposed influences rarely sees
tourists, although you'll discover hundreds of different native languages.
Travel Essentials
The London Underground doesn't venture everywhere in the south, another reason why this
is one of the cheapest places to live in the city. The Victoria and Northern Underground lines
are the two main arteries, the former offering a speedy journey from the south to way out in
Brixton. Elsewhere, use the TFL journey planner for the best way to get around. Some parts
of South London struggle to throw of their old reputation, garnered from the times of well-
publicized street riots and murders. Parts of Brixton and Lambeth used to be no-go areas.
That's very much changed, although it's not necessarily a place for walking around alone at
2am.
Essential Experiences
It's difficult to classify anywhere this far south as an essential experience. It's off the tourist
radar and all within the uncovered category.
Uncovered Experiences
£FREE - Deptford has the creative multiculturalism of Shoreditch and the artistic flair of
Soho. But it has none of the trendy crowd and a fiercely protected South London identity.
Dockyards are converted to shops and cafes, markets are for the local population, and it only
takes a few minutes on the High Street to get a sense of both history and cutting edge cool.
£FREE - Spend an evening in elegant Clapham , the green neighborhood filled with Lon-
don's next generation of business people. It's part preppy and part studenty, a blend that al-
ways results in good partying and loads of gastro pubs. Young people will love it.
£FREE - While making a fortune from tea trading, Frederick John Horniman tried to bring
the rest of the world to Forest Hill. His collection of natural history specimens include a 130