Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 9
North London
North London feels like London for beginners. The streets are wide and less chaotic, build-
ings still burst with original character, and there's a healthy dose of understated attractions to
explore. You'll discover a conglomeration of distinct villages, or boroughs, each organically
developing in isolation from the next. While the area doesn't have the iconicity of Central,
or the vivid coolness of the East, the North has its own personality; gentle, pleasantly his-
toric, and striving to stay off the tourist radar. Other than Camden, this side of the city sees
few tourists and crowds, which is exactly why it should be part of your itinerary. If you're
looking for an idyllic base for a longer stay in London then this is where to come. Under-
ground and transport connections are generally excellent and you'll have little trouble getting
around. If coming from Central, you'll also watch the prices visibly drop, everything from
pub grub to entrance tickets virtually halved.
Like all London geographical divides there's debates about where North London actually
starts. This guide keeps it simple by including everything north of Bloomsbury and Mayfair
in this section. The section is split into two, starting with the compact Camden and Inner
North, and moving on to the wide spread boroughs of North London.
