London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [73]
The Serpentine. You can rent paddleboats and rowboats here for use on the Serpentine. | 020/7262–1330 | £9 per person per hr | Apr.–Oct. daily 10–dusk.
From humble origins in 2001, the Friday Night Skate has grown into something of a London institution. Skaters of intermediate ability and upward meet at 8 pm at the Duke of Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner, for this enthusiastic two-hour mass skating session, complete with music and whistles. A sociable event, it can also be a great and unusual way to see the sights, as the route often trundles past major landmarks. If you’re a bit unsure on your wheels, arrive at 6:30 pm for the free lesson on how to stop. The Sunday Rollerstroll, a more laidback version of the same thing, runs on Sunday afternoons—meet at 2 pm on the east side of the Serpentine Road. You need to bring your own skates and protective gear—try local skate shop Slick Willies (12 Gloucester Rd. | SW7 4RB | 0207/225–0004 | www.slickwillies.co.uk) for rental—and the organizers also like you to bring bottled water and money for a cab fare in case you have to drop out. | Free | www.thefns.com | Hyde Park Corner.
Serpentine Lido. It’s technically a beach on a lake, but on a hot day in Hyde Park this is surreally reminiscent of the seaside. There are changing facilities, and the swimming section is chlorinated. There is also a paddling pool, sandpit, and kids’ entertainer in the afternoons. | 020/7706–3422 | www.royalparks.org.uk | £4 | May, weekends 10–6; June–Sept., daily 10–6 | Knightsbridge. | Mayfair | 020/7298–2100 | www.royalparks.gov.uk | Daily 5 am–midnight | Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, Lancaster Gate, Marble Arch.
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising.
This extraordinary little museum does exactly what it says on the box. Its massive collection of toys, fashion, food wrappers, advertising, and the assorted detritus of everyday life is from all corners of the globe. It’s a fascinating and eccentric chronicle of how consumer culture has developed since the Victorian age. | 2 Colville Mews, Lonsdale Rd., Notting Hill | W11 2AR | 020/7908–0880 | www.museumofbrands.com | £5.80 | Tues.–Sat. 10–6, Sun. 11–5; last entry 45 min before closing. Closed during Notting Hill Carnival | Notting Hill.
Portobello Road.
Tempted by tassels, looking for a 19th-century snuff spoon or dashingly Deco frock (just don’t believe the dealer when he says the Vionnet label just fell off), or hunting for a gracefully Georgian silhouette of the Earl of Chesterfield? Head to Portobello Road, world famous for its Saturday antiques market (arrive at about 9 am to find the real treasures-in-the-trash; after ten, the crowds pack in wall to wall. Actually, the Portobello Market is three markets: Antiques, “fruit and veg,” and a flea market. The street begins at Notting Hill Gate, though the antique stalls start a couple of blocks north, around Chepstow Villas. Lining the sloping street are also dozens of antiques shops and indoor markets, open most days—in fact, serious collectors will want to do Portobello on a weekday, when they can explore the 90-some antique and art stores in relative peace. Where the road levels off, around Elgin Crescent, youth culture and a vibrant neighborhood life kicks in, with all manner of interesting small stores and restaurants interspersed with the fruit and vegetable market. This continues to the Westway overpass (“flyover” in British), where London’s best flea market (high-class, vintage, antique, and second-hand clothing; jewelry; and junk) happens Fridays and Saturdays, then on up to Goldbourne Road. There’s a strong West Indian flavor to Notting Hill, with a Trinidad-style Carnival centered along Portobello Road on the August bank-holiday weekend. | Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove.
Queens Ice and Bowl.
This is London’s most central year-round