London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [79]
Meanwhile, there’s never any shortage of tourists recreating “the photo” outside. TIP Be very careful if you’re going to attempt this. Abbey Road is a dangerous intersection. One of the best—and safer—ways Beatle lovers can enjoy the history of the group is to take one of the smashing walking tours offered by the Original London Walks (020/7624–3978 | www.walks.com), including The Beatles In-My-Life Walk (11:20 am outside Marylebone Underground on Saturday and Tuesday) and The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (Wednesday at 2 pm, Thursday at 11 am, and Sunday at 11 am at Underground Exit 3, Tottenham Court Road), which cover nostalgic landmark Beatles spots in the city.
Abbey Road is in the elegant neighborhood of St. John’s Wood, a 10-minute ride on the Tube from central London. Take the Jubilee Line to the St. John’s Wood Tube stop, head southwest three blocks down Grove End Road, and be prepared for a heart-stopping vista right out of Memory Lane.
WORTH NOTING
Camden Market.
What started as a small group of clothing stalls in the 1970s has since grown into one of London’s biggest (and most crowded) tourist attractions. Centered on the Grand Union Canal, this isn’t actually a single market, but a vast honeycomb of them that sell just about everything, but mostly crafts, clothing (vintage, ethnic, and young designer), and antiques. Here, especially on weekends, the crowds are dense, young, and relentless. Camden Lock Market specializes in crafts; Camden Stables Market is popular with Goth kids and aspiring rock stars; and the Electric Ballroom (184 Camden High St. | NW1 8QP | 020/7485–9006) is a nightclub that doubles as a retro/designer fashion and music market on weekends. Just around the corner, the Hawley Arms Pub (2 Castlehaven Rd. | NW1 8QU | 020/7428–5979) gained fame as a hangout for celebrities such as Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss, and has now been completely renovated after a devastating fire in 2008. It’s a good spot for an inexpensive pub lunch.TIP Print out the (appropriately psychedelic) map of Camden Market from the Web site before coming; it’s super helpful for first-time visitors. | Camden High St., Camden Town | NW1 8AH | www.camdenmarkets.org | Daily 10–6 | Camden Town, Chalk Farm.
QUICK BITES: You will not go hungry in Camden Town, with its countless cafés, bars, and pubs, plus appealing restaurants at all price points on Parkway. Within the market at Camden Lock there are various stalls selling the usual hot dogs and burgers, but you can also find good value at the stalls selling ethnic food if you don’t mind standing as you eat outdoors, or perching on a canalside bench.
Fenton House.
This is Hampstead’s oldest surviving house. Now a National Trust property, it has fine collections of porcelain and Georgian furniture, along with a superb walled garden, complete with an apple orchard that dates back to the 17th century. Baroque music enthusiasts can join a tour of the important collection of keyboard instruments, and there’s a summer series of concerts on these very same instruments on Thursday evenings. Check the Web site for details. | Hampstead Grove, Hampstead | NW3 6SP | 020/7435–3471 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk | £5.40, garden only £1 | Late Mar.–Oct., Wed.–Fri. 2–5; weekends 11–5 (hrs vary; call to confirm). Last admission 30 min before closing | Hampstead.
Freud Museum.
The father of psychoanalysis lived here for a year, between his escape from Nazi persecution in his native Vienna in 1938 and his death in 1939. Many of his possessions