I saw many recommendations for Sky Garden when doing research for my trip to London, and I can say…read morethat it's well deserved. You really can't beat a free observation deck. Though Sky Garden is free, you still need to book a timed reservation in advance...as in, right when they release the dates 3 weeks in advance. They will run out pretty quickly even if you wait a few days, especially if you're going during busy season. I saw that the reservation is good for one hour, but honestly, they didn't check when I went so they might not be strict on that depending on the crowd level. I went in about 20 minutes early because I wasn't doing anything. You'll check in and go through security. Then you'll get in an elevator to the top. My reservation was at 10:00am, so I got through the initial line and security quickly, but I imagine it would be a long wait later in the day. The view out is great, and there's a balcony so you can take pictures outside. I think the interior architecture was the highlight though along with the greenery. There's so much natural light that gets in the room. It would have been amazing to go during sunset, but that didn't fit in with my plans. Luckily, the view in the morning was good, and the sunny weather was on my side. They have a cafe and a restaurant there. Though overpriced, I still got a flat white to sip on while I took in the views. Overall, I spent about an hour at a slow pace. You definitely don't need that much time, so if you have the chance to visit, it's definitely worth it. Only issue was the line to go back down took longer than expected since people don't maximize elevator space.

Sky Garden ended up being such a fun experience while we were in London…read more We started at the restaurant on the 27th floor and ordered a bottle of champagne for my friend's birthday. They gave us a really nice birthday discount which was unexpected and appreciated. The service the whole time was fantastic and the views were honestly incredible. After that we went down to the 26th floor and stayed there for a while because the vibe was just really good. Live music, more amazing views, people hanging out and enjoying themselves... it felt very "London night out" in the best way. Touristy? Sure. Worth it? Absolutely. Definitely something I'd recommend making time for if you're visiting London.

Beautiful architecture, recognizable from many magazines, movies & shows, the Gerkin is unique &…read morebeautiful. I didn't have a chance to visit the restaurant inside but will hopefully during my next visit to London.

A beautiful and stunning building that adds to London's unique skyline and reputation as both a…read moremodern city and one with history that dates back hundreds of years. It's so much prettier than the plain steel and glass buildings dotted nearby. It's so *not* a Monet - it looks great from afar and from close up. I was in the City yesterday to meet my customers and it so happens that their office is right next door to the Swiss Re building, aka the Gherkin. We managed to pop out for lunch and sat under the building enjoying the fantastic view.

We bought tickets a few days in advance and was able to get an 11am entry time. There was no line…read morewhen we got there, but had to snake through before entering. There was a guided tour starting right when we entered, but we did the audio tour on our own. I had also prepaid for a kids's book that we picked up at the gift shop. I wouldn't get it again if I had a redo. We also picked up our audio guides, which were included in the price of admission. This was great as it had a kids program and the guided map let us pick and choose what path we wanted to take. We chose to hit the highlights, which takes 90 minutes and we ended up being there for 2 hours. The line for the crown jewels wan't too bad and was the highlight of the visit. They also had live shows in the common area that the kids loved.

Beefeaters Tour. That's all…read more The crown jewels are beautiful to see, but my favorite part of the Tower of London was the free Beefeaters Tour. I recommend heading to the Tower of London right when they open because it gets busy, even on weekdays. I was not prepared for the amount of crowds I would encounter. At 9AM, we went straight to the Crown Jewels. No photos are allowed inside. After 10:30AM, there is already a line to enter. We went straight to the first Beefeaters Tour at 10AM. The tour is normally for a group of 50 people, but there was no one taking a headcount when we arrived and our group went over 50 people. The tour was informative and hilarious. I would recommend the Tower of London for the Beefeaters Tour alone.

Beautiful place, great for lunchread more

There's a monument or statue at almost every turn in London, but the Monument of the Great Fire is…read morespecial. The Monument memorializes the Great Fire of 1666 which burned for three days and left over 100,000 people homeless. The Fire started in a bakery close to the monument. The Monument was designed by Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren. Construction of the great Doric column was completed in 1677. Internal stairs lead to an observation deck. Atop the structure is a bronze flame depicting fire. The Monument at one time as used as a weather laboratory taking wind and other measurements. The structure has also been mentioned in Dickens' novels and James Bond movies. Today, the tall monument is dwarfed by neighboring modern buildings. Visitors can climb the 311 stair spiral staircase for a mere £6. I did not climb as the day was overcast and I want to come back on a clear day.

On our first day exploring around London. We happened to stop at this spot. My dad and I decided to…read morehike up the 311 steps (narrow spiral staircase) in this monument. At the top you'll get a 360 degree view of London but it's obstructed by a wire fence. When you come down to exit they will give you a certificate. A neat souvenir!

We attended Sunday's Choral Mattins at St. Paul's Cathedral. What an amazing Cathedral to visit,…read morebut I think most attendees were tourists (like me). We arrived early and were allowed to sit with the choir up front. What a great honor to sit with a great vantage point of the service. The choir is composed of children and adults, men and women and the voices are extraordinary. The service was beautiful and I couldn't help but think about the people who had attended over the past 300 years. The Cathedral was designed by the great Christopher Wren and is gorgeous inside with massive arched ceilings and ornate marble archways and statues. The choir seats are a dark aged wood with beautiful carving. Photography was not allowed inside so my only photos are of the outside. Tours during no the week are available and going up into the dome is supposed to be an extraordinary experience where whispers can be heard far away. After the service, the bells rang outside in an amazing display.

After booking reservations online weeks in advance, the hard part was waiting to see Christopher…read moreWren's masterpiece on the inside. Because the building does not open until 10am, the front doors are closed and guests are expected to queue up. Surprisingly, there are no signs to tell you where to queue up, so people are waiting in front of the doors until they open. Upon entering, my bag is inspected and you can pick up an audio tour device which has not only information about the cathedral, but has reflection and prayer passages where you can take a seat (there are plenty) and just be. At intervals, the pastor will ask everyone in the building to be silent as he prays for our world. After the prayer and blessing, the pastor makes himself available to anyone. Taking time to pray to God for us and our world was special. While the audio tour was good, talking to the red-sashed volunteers was special in that they had information that was not in the audio tour. For example, the wood carvers would leave a signature on the carving that would be unique like a hidden rocket ship with stars behind some carved vines. If you're a Harry Potter fan like me, you can ask a red-sashed volunteer to show you the Dean's Staircase, a stairway leading to Professor Trelawny's divination class that was used in the film. Unfortunately, you can't walk up the staircase, but you can take some amazing photos. Walking to the Stone Gallery and Golden Gallery requires climbing up 31 flights of stairs, so train well before you arrive. Not only does the Stone Gallery give you a closer look at the paintings on the Dome, but the wall offers a neat little trick, but it takes two people. If you speak into the wall, another person standing on the opposite side (180°) will be able to hear you. On a non-foggy day (good luck with that), you can walk around outside and be able to have stunning views of the city. There's so much to say, but I would rather you experience it for yourself.

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

Love it or hate it, the '86 Building makes an architectural statement. All the essential services…read more(escalators, vents, toilets!) are on the external stainless steel pods, giving an open 'market' feel to the interior, as was the intention. From the inside, the once ground-breaking space has been eclipsed by some more recent buildings. The ground floor does still have an imposing ceiling, but the other floors are tiring and resemble many other open plan office spaces. An intriguing edifice; worked there for many years and am glad I did, but it is ultimately now a fading office space with a quirky exterior and 300+ year tradition.

London has changed a lot over the decades and centuries. But one of its quickest transformations…read morehappened in 1666 when a small fire started at a bakery in Pudding Lane near London Bridge. Four days later, it destroyed most of medieval London, including the old St Paul's Cathedral. The destruction was incredible. Over 80% of the City of London burned, St Paul's Cathedral and innumerable businesses and houses were all gone. There were a few silver linings, however. First of all, the rather serious plague outbreak of 1665 was halted. The Great Fire of London began on the night of 1 September 1666, in a bakery on Pudding Lane. Thomas Faryner, one of the king's bakers, awoke to thick black smoke in the middle of the night. He and his family were able to escape by climbing out of an attic roof and jumping to the neighbors' house; their little maidservant was too frightened to follow and became the fire's first victim. Today it is hard to imagine what London would look like without the Great Fire. In one fell swoop, the medieval city vanished. Streets became wider, and buildings less tightly packed (to help prevent another conflagration). A permanent reminder of the fire was erected soon after the fire was put out called The Monument. It stands today at the site of the first church to be destroyed by the fire and now at the junction of Fish Hill Street and Monument Street. Designed by Christopher Wren, its height of 61 meters marks the exact distance from the start of the fire.

Tourist sight foe those around St Pau'ls cathedral. Was a cool stop on the way to take some photos…read moreand catch your breath

This building, as well as containing the Mayor of London, is open to the public, and there are many…read moredifferent reasons to take the time to visit. The building is wonderful, and - if you happen to visit at a time when "London's Living Room" (a space on the top floor used for events) is accessible, then the views are second to none. There is a café on the ground floor, with a good range of decent food, at reasonable prices. I would recommend stopping in as part of a trip to the area - London Dungeons, the Tower, HMS Belfast are all very close - rather then as an end in itself. Every member of the public has to go through a metal detector to get into the building. There is never a long wait.

Iconic building of London. You can see it along the walk from tower bridge…read more Interesting shaped building