The view from the Royal Observatory made it worth climbing the hill. The Prime Meridian is a brass…read moreband in the pavement showing the divider between the eastern and western hemispheres. To see the line up close requires paying an admission fee of about 20 pounds to get into the observatory. We didn't pay the 20 pounds and didn't get our photos taken with one foot in each hemisphere. But the view from just outside the observatory was amazing.

This is where the world gets the correct time from, everywhere sets their time from this post!…read moreThe prime meridian is a line of longitude defined a 0 . You can literally be standing in two different hemispheres, East and west. Definitely a tourist stop, great for photos. It was so much fun,

What a bloody amazing spot! Any fan of graffiti, hip hop, or art in general must make a stop here…read moreto soak in the absolutely stunning pieces of work. Despite not having a single artistic bone in my body, I've been a lifelong graffiti fan ever since the heyday in the 90s when subways and freeway signs back home in the States were all bombed out. I just happened to stumble upon this magical place as I was exploring the area near where I am staying in Southwark. I originally noticed it through a gated fence, and assumed it was some abandoned, desolate spot that artists have taken over. Little did I know that upon further inspection, Leake Street Arches (Tunnel) is simply massive, and extends as far as the eye can see with some of the most stunning artwork you will ever come across, and it is all perfectly legal! It totally reminds me of one of my favorite spot back in the day, the eternal, legendary 5 Pointz in Long Island City, New York (check my profile photo)! That place will forever have a special place in my heart, and thankfully, I have found its heir apparent! This 100% legal wall was made famous by a nameless world famous artist you may have heard of, and has an agreed upon paint over policy. Every time you visit, you may see something new, and at any given time, you will likely find groups of artists working on their next big piece. Of course being publicly sanctioned, they don't tolerate any tomfoolery, so there is a mutual level of respect amongst the artists. You may also witness rap battles, poetry slams, and dance offs, as if you were in the middle of filming for You Got Served or Beat Street! Built into the tunnel itself is a plethora of bars and restaurants, so you can enjoy the art and entertainment while imbibing on your favorite lager and downing some munchies. Best of all, the environment is mostly family friendly. Graffiti may have a negative reputation amongst some uninformed individuals, but a quick visit down here with little Sally and Billy in tow can change your whole perspective of it. Travel guides will rarely if ever mention Leake Street Arches as a must see attraction, but in my book, it would be a big mistake if you miss out. It is unequivocably the highlight of my stay in London.

A great place to escape the sun. New views everyday. A place to get coffee and maybe souvenirs but…read moreit was a nice reprice for our teenagers as we waited for a ur ride out of the city. If you need a cute photo for your London experience this is it

Here Banksy rather humorously juxtaposes the cliché artist, with moustache, beret and palette,…read moreworking on a decidedly less high brow art work depicting a scribble of a huge male member. The artist is also wearing a ball and chain, with a dollar sign on the ball. I'm not sure what conclusion I'd want to draw, but I guess the piece certainly summarises the debates about Banksy himself. Art or just daubs? Pretensions of grandeur? Destroyed by money, or elevated beyond his natural position by the hype? A couple of changes have been made. The council (apparently) have partially obscured the male member, though it's still pretty clear what it's meant to represent. As for the person who's added their opinion that Banksy is a **, I don't think they've given much thought to what they are doing. Their banal addition rather demonstrates they are the one with pretensions of grandeur if they think they can comment! This is on the side of a restaurant on the junction of Shafton Road and Victoria Park Road.

I've found this piece of art yesterday night (Feb 21st 2012) by accident as I was surfing Hackney…read moreby car in search of graffiti. When I saw it I almost had no doubt it was made by Banksy, and as it took me a good hour to find this first and only painting in Hackney, I interpreted it not only as the sign of the end of free art this would be no news! but also as the end of street art. All in all this classic looking artist is not trying to paint a beauty on a canvas, but a rebel sign on a public wall, while his leg is locked with this ball with the money sign. So when I associate all this with the fact that all Hackney walls are now purified from graffiti, I'm just left with the impression that art was finally killed, both indoor and in the streets. Ciao, Nicola Principato

AMERICA F**C YEAH!…read more Would you believe me if I said that my highlight of moving here to London thus far involves dressing like a Texas dream come true, motorboating a bobble head Abraham Lincoln (who's honest now, Abe?), shotgunning Budweisers and screaming out the entire pledge of allegiance in the middle of Hoxton Square? I didn't think so. ...neither did the hundreds of Brits that witnessed all 40 of us in our Faux-American splendor running around Shoreditch being, well, as American as possible. It was basically 1776 all over again, just with a lot more booze and f**c yeah-isms.

Epic! No other word for it. I wasn't entirely sure I was going to have a good time at this, because…read morewhen anyone ever tells me that something will be 'the best fun you'll ever have', my Irish cynicism raises its head and goes 'heh we'll see'. But GoGame really is that good and I swear I am not still bitter that we came last (okay fine, FINE, I am still bitter). Laura and I decided to go as America, red, white and blue to the core and underwear, in my case. When we got there, Chris and Mei, the GoGamers extraordinaire were dressed in the cutest orange jumpsuits. They really rock this thing, with a hilarious game script, buckets of enthusiasm and fantastic game actors. We ran around, got ridiculously obnoxious, yelled 'America loves you' at so many people and filmed the Moon landing. Yes, conspiracy theorists, it was filmed, by us and a three legged dog called Cosmo. The challenges make sure that you have to be really inventive and the time limits mean you can't just piss around, but have to do it now, now! We totally bonded as a team over figuring out questions and what would make the best video concepts. Then we invaded Canada, also known as Leon's girlfriend Sarah. Afterwards we got to see all the teams' videos and pictures, some with magic! My team was the awesomest by far, with epic players Lizzie G. Chris R. Vicky L. and the lovely Zara. Sing it now, we are family! P.s. That's a 100 biatch!

London has some famous bridges, and while you might guess that London Bridge is the one to visit,…read moreTower Bridge is the actual crown jewel of the Thames (bridgewise, anyway). It's a beautiful bridge, built near the Tower of London in the late 19th Century, with storybook towers trimmed in storybook blue. A pair of bascules in the middle opens up to let tall boats pass through, a wonderful sight. The bridge is easily admired from afar, but you can also go inside and explore the towers and traverse the upper walkway between them. We took our kids on a hot day last month when we wanted a short excursion, and despite the sweltering July heat, we all had a great time. Tickets were reasonably priced and readily available for same-day booking. The entrance was close to Tower Hill station, and there was no wait or any kind of hassle to get in. It was very hot in the towers, but there were enormous fans that kept things tolerable and also entertained my fan-obsessed three-year-old. The place was set up like a little museum, with a lot of interesting information on display. The main attraction was that elevated walkway, high above the cars and other pedestrians, connecting the tops of the two towers. There was a glass floor in the middle of the walkway, and we got lucky and caught the bascules in action, opening for a big boat. My boys kneeled on the floor and more or less planted their faces on the glass. They were absolutely thrilled. We crossed the bridge again the usual way and took a look around the engine rooms and the gift shop, the latter of which is open to the public. The engine rooms were cool, and my kids loved the gift shop, where my six-year-old got a Christmas ornament and a magnet and my three-year-old got a giant Tower Bridge lollipop. everything about our outing was entertaining for the kids

Opulent. Grandiose. Magnificent. Picturesque. Historic. A must visit to this iconic structure when…read morein London. Not to be confused with the very basic and plain London Bridge the Tower Bridge is the real deal. We stayed at a hotel, The Dixon, which was next to the entrance street to the bridge and had the joy of walking over it many times during our stay. Plus, running across it during the London Marathon was a highlight. It's just brilliant with screaming crowds on each side cheering us on. The views are terrific across the Thames River, the architecture and colors are wonderful, plus you can take a self guided tour up through it's columns where on each level there are artifacts, tidbits of information on the bridge, photos, and more to learn about its history. Its like a museum within the bridge itself. Also, on top you can walk across a glass bottom offering views below, very cool. I've seen this bridge in TV shows and movies, and it lives up to its hype in person. At the base of the bridge are places to eat and shop also offering amazing views. Such a great bridge and area for picture taking. Stunning and a must see when in London.

In a square off Brick Lane, around Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery is an old Triumph GT6 that's…read morebeen given the Banksy treatment - painted pink with a ghost driver at the wheel. Now covered in persplex, it's looking a bit tatty but worthwhile having a look over if you're in the area for the markets etc. Edit: Recently passed by this to notice unfortunately that the ghost driver seems to have vanished & a wooden board is in his place at the drivers window...shame it's come down to that :(

As purchaser said, it is covered in plastic and looking pretty tatty, nearly hidden behind a red…read moredouble decker "rootmaster" veggie bus. There is another red car on the ground nearby, that was on a recent qype does London newsletter http://www.qype.co.uk/newsletters/649 . Not much to write home about.

There was once a lonely bench, where I go when I'm sad…read moreand my fists I clench. I look at its bright colors and illustrations and forget about my past frustrations. The drawings seem to tell Shakespeare's story, but I'm not a poet, forgive me, I'm sorry.

Probably one of the cutest benches in London (or...the world?!)…read more This amazing little bench is to be found along the promenade by the water on Bankside, just outside Shakespeare's Globe. Sit there, have your tourist photo taken there or just have a look at this nice little detail as you walk along the water. To walk here is one of my favorite things to do in London - and this neat little bench makes me like it even more.

Here ye, here ye. Let this be the second review of Southwark Public lighting art…read more Do you remember lite-brites, those toys from the 80's? They were a black board with hole and you'd put little light bulbs in the holes in the shapes of unicorns or robots or starts or whatever the little Rorschach of your brain's thoughts transmitted. No? Well then you need to brush up on your childhood nostalgia. Yes? Then you know what I'm talking about... ...and, you know how amazing this display of lighting is. This bit of light art is light a giant lite-brite. HUGE. You can't move the lights and they don't make a design, but they're probably what Murakami or Gonzales-Torres might make if they were 5 and playing with a lite-brite. Every time I walk through this underpass I am filled with bubbles of unending joy, as though the good witch Glinda was floating through the air. Best you go at night to appreciate the full effect.

I came across this thing by chance. I had just left Tate Modern and was looking for something to…read moreeat other than a sandwich. Walking aimlessly I found myself under this bridge. I'm sure it looks nicer at night, however I was there during the day so the lights weren't as vibrant as they look in the other picture on this listing.