While burritos, banh mi and burgers have received more than their fair slice of foodie hype over the past couple of years, the humble pizza has inched its way toward improvement, with a handful of places opening up to offer a better quality and right tasty product. Enter Pepe: a by-the-slice pizzeria along the same lines of Malletti, Pixxa, Adagio and so on.
Now open for roughly a month, Chelsea Riverside Brasserie within the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour hotel – London’s only five star all-suite property – offers impeccable service, lovely views of luxury boats bobbing about in the marina below and gorgeously presented dishes.
Chinatown. Throw a spring roll and you hit a restaurant. Londonist spun the lunchtime wheel of chance recently and opted for a dine at the long-established Royal Dragon. We’re glad we did too, as a quick scan of the menu led to a speedily served gourmand feast as good as any within earshot and better than many Chinatown options.
As a footloose and fancy free writer/photographer, I have the enviable pleasure of working alone from my home or wherever there’s a comfy seat and free WiFi much of the time. Still I’m often on the go (obviously, I need to seek out interesting things to write about and photograph). Further, on occasion I find myself in situations where I’m scooting into a client’s office to slog away at whatever assignment they may have for me. Sometimes such hot desk requirements come at a moment’s notice and I’ve got to hop to it quick if I want to get the gig.
Such instances can be a bit of challenge – figuring out stuff like the dynamics specific to any particular workplace, where the office stationery is kept, what’s an appropriate amount of time to take as a lunch break (if any at all) etc. But it can be fun too. A game I’ve started playing since freelancing in London is to try and guess how many times I’ll be asked if I’d like a cuppa tea during a day. My non British readers, you’d be surprised how much tea is consumed in this city!
Goofy games aside, being able to slip in and out of different work environments requires flexibility and a laid back demeanor. I’m pretty sure I’ve got the laid back bit down pat, but I’m still honing how adaptive I am. There’s a lot I can learn to keep ahead of the ever growing number of London freelancers. Anyway, as long as I can pay the bills and retain my sense of humour I reckon everything’s gonna be alright. Now where am I supposed to be tomorrow?
… with tomorrow’s opening of the new flagship Paul A Young Fine Chocolates in the heart of Soho, we can only imagine Paul’s profile will continue to grow, and the raves will keep mounting up.
Street photography is about engaging with your environment and having fun. It can be a great way to make friends, network and share your love of photography with like minded individuals.
Ha! Know the feeling? I certainly do. As a bonafided sneaker freak myself, I can definitely relate to this office dude’s sentiments. It seems extraordinarily silly to me how sneakers (trainers to my UK friends) are still looked down upon in so many social and work situations. I reckon my sneakers are just as stylish as any of my “dress shoes” – they’re certainly more in tune to my personality and much more conducive to any active London lifestyle. As I’m sure anyone who has to navigate the not necessarily mean but nonetheless maddening streets of London would attest, this town requires a good pair of rubber soles. If there’s a bit of idiosyncratic panache laced up with ’em, well then so much the better.
Generally, it’s never really been that important whether I make a fashion statement or not with what I wear, but I always have been keen to ensure I’ve got something snazzy on my feet. I’m loving my vintage Nike high tops at the moment, and my Mickey Mouse Vans are still among my all time favourite shoes.
Yeah, it’s a sneaker thing, and the folks at Footlocker see people like me as part of what they’ve dubbed a Sneaker Movement. With itsasneakerthing.eu the high street shoe shop has created a “go-to portal” for all things sneaker-related. From retro musings to guerilla video clips from fans and street artists, there’s plenty to keep you updated and entertained with access to the latest in sneaker news, videos and imagery. Adam Smith (the disgruntled office worker having the sneaker epiphany in the vid above) is in on the fun as are a number of artists, amateur videographers and athletes. And, of course, there’s a Facebook page too.
It’s amazing how something as practical as a pair of athletic shoes can also be a way for everyday people to express themselves. I love the access to different colours and different styles available today. From spying what shoes people happen to have when I’m sitting on public transport or out meandering around to checking out what’s what online such as with Footlocker’s latest campaign, footwear eye candy abounds. Sponsored Post
Owning two of East London’s most popular Vietnamese restaurants (Cay Tre on Old Street and Viet Grill on Kingsland Road) along with the newly opened Kêu Banh Mi Deli (also on Old Street, across the street from Cay Tre actually – read our review here) is apparently not enough for entrepreneur Hieu Bui who’s recently launched a Soho version of Cay Tre.
A stroll along the High Line offers a vantage point loftily removed, but not isolated from, the urban grit and daily grind of downtown Manhattan. Commanding views of the Hudson and much of New York’s skyline (not to mention Jersey City’s and Hoboken’s) and the bird’s eye perspective over many downtown streets make this unique public outdoor space an ideal setting for an afternoon session of photography.
In the future, burritos will be free to Londoners as Mexican fast food joints try to eat out a profit from the margins made selling beverages and sides.
