Portobello Road | London Relocation Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Portobello Road’

Americans Moving to London – Finding the U.S. in the UK (Part 1 of 3)

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

(This excerpt previously appeared in my 17 May guest post on Anglotopia.net, a brilliant, comprehensive resource on all things UK that I highly recommend to all Anglophiles!)

As an American-owned and operated agency, we field a lot of enquiries from North Americans looking to make the big transatlantic move to the United Kingdom. A big part of the job is managing expectations, as, for as much as expatriates are seeking change in a new culture, it’s only that natural that they also seek a degree of familiarity with what they already know. We can’t perform architectural miracles that increase the square-footage and closet space of these predominantly Victorian-era buildings to meet modern American proportions; nonetheless, we can advise on which neighborhoods have a solid American demographic by virtue of other appealing factors. Generally, American expats dig London’s West side, so we’ll start this series with the neighborhood where our friendly lil’ office is located:

Notting Hill

No joking, this neighborhood continues to be a draw for Americans because of the Hugh Grant film of same name. There is a comfort to coming to Notting Hill from abroad thanks to a ready familiarity with the charms of Portobello Road as it’s portrayed in the movie. Bedecked in antique shops, fashion boutiques, pubs, cafes, and street stalls overflowing with produce, this colorful strip contains all the quaint appeal that Americans expect from London.

The amenities don’t stop at Portobello, however; indeed, the entire area is dotted with day and night-life amidst quiet residential streets that provide a nice escape from the city-center bustle and is close to green space like Kensington Gardens. The neighborhood’s Westbourne Grove has been nicknamed “Rodeo Drive” by residents for its posh clothing shops, and, overall, residences are well-maintained to an American standard.

To be continued in our next post…

Tags: Americans moving to London, Kensington Gardens, london move, London Relocation Services, move to London, Notting Hill, Portobello Road, west london relocation, Westbourne Grove, where to live in London
Posted in London Property Tips, London Tips & Culture, recreation | 2 Comments »

London Bundle: The Kensington Gardens Gallivant

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

Today is the first of my London Bundles that ventures out into the neighborhoods outside the City, yet still considered fairly “central London” (i.e., Zone 1).

Let’s start our journey at South Kensington Tube station (which services the District, Circle, and Piccadilly lines). As soon as you ascend the Underground station’s steps into the light, you’ll find yourself at quite the center of action. Surrounding the station are endless choices of restaurants and shops, so you can dip into a cafe here if you didn’t grab breakfast at your hotel or flat (you know, the perfect abode where London Relocation Ltd. just successfully placed you). Might I recommend the darling Cafe Creperie just Northwest of the station and along the way to where your area tour will continue (make sure you bring cash, though, for those crepes…last time I was there, they didn’t accept credit or debit).

Continuing North on Exhibition Road, you will soon enough see the Victoria & Albert Museum to your right and the Natural History Museum to your left—take your pick (I am, however, partial to the V&A for its artifacts, artwork, and antique furnishings and textiles on exhibit, as well as the special Grace Kelly exhibition currently on display!) Best part of either museum is that they’re FREE.

All right then, mosey onward further North on Exhibition Road, past Imperial College, and hang a left at Kensington Road. You will see that Kensington Gardens is just across the street. You can enter the park if you stay on Exhibition Road, but by walking along Kensington Road, you can go past the famous Royal Albert Hall (the acoustically brilliant concert that hosts the annual Proms) and see the exotic Albert Memorial (that Queen Victoria commissioned in honor of her dearly departed husband in 1875) just across the way inside the park. Once you reach the Southwest corner of the park, enter onto a walkway that will lead you directly to Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was born and pronounced Queen and where Lady Diana lived the rest of her years (if you recall the footage of the masses of bouquets mourners piled up outside palace gates, this is the place where those vigils took place). The palace recently kicked off its Enchanted Palace exhibit to offer a bit of avant-garde eye candy while the building undergoes extensive renovation. Venturing inside does come at a price, but just touring the grounds for free is worthwhile—the blooms decking out the Sunken Garden and swans preening on the Round Pond being visual delights.

Enjoy a pleasant stroll on the main walkway (The Broad Walk) between the pond and palace as you continue North and exit outside the Northwest corner of the park. The main road you encounter here is just where Bayswater Road becomes Notting Hill Gate, so hang a left and continue into the well-known neighborhood. Just past the Tube station, you can jog over onto Pembridge Road for a couple blocks until you see the entrance to Portobello Road. Wandering the length of this road will take you past the antique, clothing, and produce stalls that give this area its character (and, yes, you’ll see sites from the movie, including the storefront of the travel bookshop in the film as well as the original shop on which it was based):

Notting Hill is an ideal neighborhood in which to close out your day, with no end to the pubs, cafes, and restaurants to grab your late lunch or dinner, or cinemas to enjoy some seated, passive time to yourself (try the Electric on Portobello for an ultra-cozy recliner as a seat or the Coronet on Notting Hill Gate for its history). From here, you can catch the Tube at the Notting Hill Gate station (District, Circle, and Central lines), or, first, pop down onto Kensington Church Street for more dinner options, including the Churchill Arms pub if you’re thirsty. Cheers!

Tags: Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace, London Relocation Services, Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, Victoria and Albert, west london, west london relocation
Posted in Miniseries: London Bundles, food & beverage, history, recreation | 2 Comments »

The Road Much Taken

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Good morning, Alice!

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” as Robert Frost once wrote, and while I need not cut through the woods to get to work, today I did contemplate the choice between two roads. While it isn’t the shortest way, today I couldn’t resist taking the Portobello Road route to the office. Most folks know the famed street as where shoppers come in throngs to rummage through the antiques and clothing at their Saturday afternoon leisure, yet there’s something so enchanting and intimate about strolling down this road in the morning when it’s only just waking up from its beauty sleep. The silence is delicious, my morning-walk soundtrack consisting of not much more than the whistling of a man painting the wrought iron fencing in front of a pastel mews (near where George Orwell used to live) and the odd shop owner beginning to unpack their wares out on the sidewalk. A truck rested patiently at a curb, waiting to bestow its casks of Liquid Happy at one public house.

In the quiet, then, was excited anticipation of what the day would bring. This is a street that is eager on a daily basis to welcome its people and hold them tight in its comforting embrace, bringing them cheer on so many aesthetic levels. Most would opt for this bustle of the later day, but me, I’ll take the morning Portobello Road less traveled by, and that will make all the difference.

(Of course, it may not be convenient to experience Portobello in this way unless you, too, work or live here…why not let London Relocation Ltd. help you out with that?)

Tags: cafes and restaurants, London places of interest, london relocation agent, London Relocation Ltd., London Relocation Services, London things to do, Notting Hill, Portobello Road, west london, west london relocation
Posted in London Tips & Culture, recreation | No Comments »

What the Locals Say About Notting Hill

Monday, February 8th, 2010

http://www.notting-hill.org

Sure, the name Notting Hill garners instant recognition for its famed Portobello Road Market and summer Carnival, and, oh I suppose a bit from that little film that I think did okay at the cinemas…what was it’s name again? The one that starred What’s-His-Name from “Four Weddings…” and That American Actress from “Pretty Woman”? I’m sure it will come to me…Anyways, there is much that one can learn of the Notting Hill neighborhood from the city guides and tourist word-of-mouth, but what better way to REALLY know Notting Hill than by getting the scoop from its own residents?

Given that our office in situated in this locale, I’ve done much perusing of area resources and stumbled upon this lil’ cyber nugget-o-local knowledge, www.notting-hill.org. Maintained by locals for locals, Notting-Hill.org is a potpourri of information on local history, entertainment, and even celebrity spottings at area venues.

We find that a lot of our American and Canadian clients are drawn to the borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and Notting Hill specifically. So, once you move to London, when London Relocation Ltd. helps you get situated into your lovely flat here, we recommend this site as a resource for getting better acquainted with your new environment.

Tags: Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london, london flat, London Relocation Services, Moving to London, Moving to London from US, Notting Hill, Portobello Road, relocation services
Posted in London Tips & Culture | No Comments »

January Guest Post

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

This January-in-review blog post is brought to us all by Sue Hillman of It’s Your London touring company. Providing custom tours of London tailored to your personal interests, It’s Your London will help you make the most of your time in this phenonemonal city. (For more information, see our previous blog on It’s Your London as well visit www.itsyourlondon.co.uk)

If you’d like to see the beautifully festive photos of London that Sue has included with this post, please view them in our Facebook photo album at the following public link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12914&id=100000078146572&l=40bf9298fd

Your London Relocation review of January 2010 in London comes a bit early as I’m off to Africa for a few weeks but didn’t want you to miss out and there seems to be plenty to tell you about even in a shortened month.

For those of you who live in places that have snowy, cold winters you’ll think we’ve been making a huge fuss in London about our snow and freezing temperatures. However, it’s the worst spell of wintry weather since 1963 so it’s been a bit of a shock for us all! Snow laying on the streets and pavements in London is an unusual sight and has made life difficult for many, but on the upside it has been beautiful at times. I’ve posted some photos for you to see Portobello Road empty of its famous market and one of Notting Hill’s beautiful little gardens for which it is well known and one of our local flower stalls.

London is a key city in the art world and at any one time has amazing exhibitions on. In January I got to see 2 contrasting but equally interesting shows on the South Bank of the river Thames which has a wonderful concentration of galleries, theatres, sights and is a great walk at any time of year. A short list of what you can find there includes: the London Eye, National Theatre, Hayward Gallery, British Film Institute, Royal Festival Hall, Tate Modern, Globe Theatre and Tower Bridge – phew! Up to about 10-15 years ago this area was very underdeveloped but local and Millennium funding has transformed it into a must see and must walk destination. It was first cleared as part of the 1951 Festival of Britain which aimed to lift post war spirits, an arts complex was then built in the 60/70s but this century has seen it find its proper place for locals and tourists alike.

The Hayward Gallery was hosting Ed Ruscha: 50 Years of Painting, a fascinating show of power of words and graphics in an American context. The Tate Modern was our second venue, an amazing ex power station which hosts changing exhibitions in the massive space of its turbine hall. Miroslaw Balka’s huge black box was an intriguing and disturbing experience. You walk into the gaping entrance to a 13 metre high steel box and ease your way to the back into the increasingly black interior. Hands were held and other hands put out in front in case of banging into the rear wall as you really can’t see anything. We eventually met the velvet end and turned round to see that from a different angle the box was flooded with light. The thinking behind it references Polish history of the ghettos and concentration camp trains, which is especially sobering as we saw it in the week that the last of Anne Frank’s helpers has died. I have attached a photo of the exterior of the Tate Modern as it’s a wonderful building.

Restaurants and pubs to mention this month are La Sauterelle and Langtry’s. La Sauterelle is in the Royal Exchange, which was founded in 1565 by Sir Thomas Gresham as a centre of commerce for the city. This is the third building on the site and was completed in 1844. It is no longer used for the original form of trading but is now an upmarket shopping area and bar and restaurant. The photos show you the impressive exterior and interior of the building which make a wonderful setting for a meal. The restaurant’s name La Sauterelle is grasshopper in French and comes from the building’s weathervane which incorporates the Gresham family crest. The food is excellent and we took advantage of one of the many January special deals so didn’t have to break the bank (which would have been ironic as the Bank of England is just next door!).

One more restaurant to mention is Langtry’s which was more notable for its history than for its food. Lily Langtry, a well educated vicar’s daughter from the island of Jersey who rose to be a London socialite, Prince’s mistress and actress, lived on the site of the restaurant. It was during her stay here, when the building was the Cadogan Hotel that one night in 1895 in room 118 Oscar Wilde was arrested. History does not tell us whether she was in that night and whether she saw what was happening! Lily, of course, went on to tour America as an actress and eventually become an American citizen trading in horses and producing wine. Oscar sadly went to prison for 2 years of hard labour and died penniless but also abroad, in France. London is full of amazing history at every turn and even a restaurant visit can leave one full of new information as well as a meal!