Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide

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Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 22

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  Sloane Square. Exit the tube and go straight down Sloane Sq. Non-members have to eat in order to drink. Check website for special Su afternoon lunch and show. Cover M £10, Tu-W £8, Th £10, F-Sa £12, Su £10. Entrees £9-18. Bottled beers from £3.45. Open M 7:30pm-midnight, Tu-Th 7pm-midnight, F-Sa 8pm-1:30am, Su 7-11pm.

  Pop and Rock

  THE TROUBADOUR CAFE

  263-267 Old Brompton Rd.

  KENSINGTON

  020 7370 1434 www.troubadour.co.uk

  Many famous acts have graced the Troubadour’s small stage since its founding in 1954. Its hanging string lights and stage lights illuminated Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Joni Mitchell, and pictures of some of these artists are plastered into the tops of the tables. To this day, The Troubadour is a community of aspiring and acclaimed artists bound by great music, good drinks and the intoxicating atmosphere of artistic promise. Come here to see some of the city’s most exciting acts before they break.

  Gloucester Rd. Turn right onto Gloucester Rd., then turn right onto Old Brompton Rd. Most nights feature several bands. Every other M poetry night. Cover is cash only. Open M-W 8pm-midnight, Th-Sa 8pm-2am, Su 8pm-midnight. Happy hour Tu-Su 8-9pm.

  KOKO

  1a Camden High St.

  NORTH LONDON

  087 0432 5527 www.koko.uk.com

  Koko’s lodgings are not typical of a rock n’ roll venue. Originally a theater, then a cinema, then one of the first BBC radio broadcasting locations, and then the famous Camden Palace Nightclub, Koko holds all its 110 years of history within its beautiful red walls and its gilded, curved wrought-iron fences guarding the balconies from which music-lovers can look down to the stage.

  Mornington Crescent. Right onto Hampstead Rd. It’s to your right. Cash only for in-person purchases. Tickets sold through various outlets online. Indie night (indie music and dancing) F 9:30pm-4am. Credit card at £10 min. Concert tickets £10-30. Beer £3.50-4. Mixed drinks £4. For indie night, the first 100 people get in free. Cover for non-students and students after midnight £7, students before midnight £5. Box office open noon-5pm on gig days.

  BORDERLINE

  Orange Yd. 16 Manette St.

  SOHO

  084 4847 2465 www.venues.meanfiddler.com/borderline

  A simple venue that, despite its lack of the outlandish Art Deco, theatrical trappings of other similar London concert halls, oozes the spirit of rock and roll from every beer-soaked wall and ear-blowing speaker. Often, big name artists will play the Borderline when starting solo careers. Townes Van Zandt played his last show at the Borderline; Eddie Vedder, Jeff Buckley, and Rilo Kiley have played there; and Spinal Tap played the Borderline right after the movie came out. The amps go to eleven, the music’s piping hot, and the location is prime.

  Tottenham Court Rd. Right on Charing Cross. Club nights W-Sa 11pm-3am. Tickets £6-20. Pints £3.40. Doors open for shows daily 7pm. Tickets available at the Jazz Cafe box office M-Sa 10:30am-5:30pm.

  02 ACADEMY BRIXTON

  211 Stockwell Rd.

  SOUTH LONDON

  020 7771 3000

  Home to Europe’s largest fixed stage, the 02 Academy Brixton’s set list is rife with the big names of our generation. Past acts include MGMT, Echo and the Bunnymen, Plan B, Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, and the Gaslight Anthem. They also occasionally have club nights (which aren’t on a fixed schedule, so check the website).

  Brixton. Right onto Brixton Rd., then left onto Stockwell Rd. The area can be a bit rough, so you may want to take a cab. Bars are cash only. Call in advance for wheelchair accessibility. Ticket prices vary, most £20-35. Pints £4. Venue box office opens 2hr. before doors on gig nights.

  02 EMPIRE

  Shepherd’s Bush Green

  WEST LONDON

  020 8354 3300 www.02shepherdsbushempire.co.uk

  A popular space hosting large rock acts, the 02 Empire is one of the big names on the London music scene. With a classic feel greatly augmented by the bold stonework and old-fashioned hand-placed letters on the awning out front, the Empire hearkens to the heyday of rock and roll.

  Shepherd’s Bush. Right onto Uxbridge Rd. then left at the end of Shepherd’s Bush Green. Call 084 4477 2000 for tickets. Box office open 4-6pm and 6:30-9:30pm on show days.

  Theater

  Ah, “theatre” in London. While in London, many people choose to see a show because the city is renowned for its cheap theater. Tickets for big musicals on the West End go for as cheap as £25 the day of, which is pittance compared to the $100 tickets sold on Broadway, the American equivalent. On the West End, the main theater district, you’ll find the bigger musicals that are produced in only one theater. For instance, Phantom of the Opera is entering its 25th year at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Other theaters in the area and throughout London put on more cutting-edge or intellectual plays. Many pubs have live performance spaces in the back where theater groups rehearse and perform for an audience that, thanks to a few pints, always finds the second act more confusing than the first. Always check discount prices against the theater itself. Only buy discounted tickets from booths with a circle and check mark symbol that says STAR on it. This stands for the Society of Tickets Agents and Retailers, and it vouches for the legitimacy of a discount booth.

  ROYAL COURT THEATRE

  Sloane Sq.

  KNIGHTSBRIDGE

  020 7565 5000 www.royalcourttheatre.com

  Famous for pushing the theater envelope, the Royal Court is the antidote to all the orchestral swoons and faux-opera sweeping through the West End. The Royal Court’s 1956 production of John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger (not to be confused with the Oasis song of a similar title) was largely credited with launching Modern British drama. Royal is known as a writers’ theater, purveying high-minded works of great drama for audiences that will appreciate them.

  Sloane Square. Tickets M £10, Tu-Sa £12.18-£25. Student discounts available on day of performance, preview and Sa matinees. Open M-F 10am-6pm or until the doors open, Sa 10am-curtain up on performance days.

  THE NATIONAL THEATRE

  Belvedere Rd.

  THE SOUTH BANK

  020 7452 3400 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

  Opened in 1976 by appointment of the monarchy, the National Theatre shows great new and classic British drama on its three stages, of which the Olivier is largest. It also revives lost classics from around the world. Special Travelex shows mean half the seats are available for only £10.

  Waterloo. Right onto York Rd. then left onto Waterloo Rd. Tickets £10-44. Box office open M-Sa 9:30am-8pm, Su noon-6pm.

  THE OLD VIC

  The Cut

  SOUTH LONDON

  084 4871 7628 www.oldvictheatre.com

  This famous theater was built in 1818 and has hosted the likes of Laurence Olivier. Though dealing in a huge range of styles, the Old Vic is predominantly a traditional theater showing the classics. Fans of Kevin Spacey will want to visit now, since he is the theater’s current artistic director.

  Southwark. Right onto The Cut. Tickets £10-47. Open M-Sa 10am-7pm on non-show days, 10am-6pm on show days.

  THE YOUNG VIC

  66 The Cut

  SOUTH LONDON

  020 7922 2922 www.youngvic.org

  Formerly the studio space for the Old Vic, the Young Vic puts on a variety of shows, most of which are edgier, more exciting, and newer than the more traditional Old Vic down the road. They frequently do reinterpretations of classic works as well as newer stuff. The three spaces in the theater allow for great versatility, with one main house and two studio spaces.

  Southwark. Right onto the Cut. Tickets £10-22. Open M-Sa 10am-6pm.

  SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE

  21 New Globe Walk

  SOUTH LONDON

  020 7401 9919 www.shakespeares-globe.org

  Though the original Globe theater burnt down in 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII, this accurate reconstruction was opened in 1997. Much like the original Globe, it has an open roof and standing area for th
e “groundlings.” Steeped in historical and artistic tradition, the theater stages Shakespeare as well as two new plays a year.

  Southwark. Left onto Blackfriars Rd., right onto Southwark St., left onto Great Guildford, right onto Park St., left onto Emerson St. Standing £5, seats £35. Box office open M-Sa 10am-8pm, Su 10am-7pm. Telephone line open M-Sa 10am-6pm, Su 10am-5pm.

  Festivals

  BBC PROMS

  Kensington Gore

  KNIGHTSBRIDGE

  0845 401 5045 www.bbc.co.uk/proms

  BBC Proms is a world famous classical music festival put on by the BBC in the Royal Albert Hall. What in the world is a “Prom,” you ask? “Prom” stands for “Promenade Concert”—a performance at which some of the audience stands on a promenade in the arena. During the proms, there is at least one daily performance in London’s Royal Albert Hall, in addition 70-odd events and discussions. Note that performances are broadcast for free.

  Knightsbridge. Turn left onto Knightsbridge, continue onto Kensington Rd. Check website for specific wheelchair-accessibility information. From £10. July-Sept.

  GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

  Pilton, England

  SOMERSET

  01458 834 596 www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

  One of the most famous rock festivals in the world, the Glastonbury Festival explodes onto the scene every June. Possibly as close as you will ever get to going to Woodstock, it’s essentially a bunch of festivals jam-packed into one, distributed through the Dance Village, Green Field, Circus and Theatre fields and the Park.

  Festival office: 28 Northload St., Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9JJ. National Express has routes to Glastonbury. Bristol and Glastonbury town shuttles provide transportation to the festival. Disabled patrons must register in order to use the festival’s accessible facilities; to get a registration form, request a disabled access packet, which includes information on the site’s accessible facilities. Standard ticket £185 + £5 booking fee per ticket + £5 P and P per booking. June. Performance dates and times vary.

  SHOPPING

  London is known as one of the shopping capitals of the world. With its famous department stores keeping the old flame of shopping as spectacle alive over in Knightsbridge, London has kept some of its old shopping class and the prices that come with it. Vintage stores and hip, independent record stores fill Soho, and the East End has lots of fun boutiques. Notting Hill is famous for Portobello Market, but even in off-market days, the road has a host of cute boutique shopping options. Chelsea is for those with a bit more money and a serious commitment to shopping. For you literary junkies, John Sandoe Books is our favorite bookstore in the city. Shopping is a significant part of tourism in London, so if you aren’t broke and have some extra room in your backpack, window shop the day away.

  Westminster

  Westminster is filled with chains. The area is worth seeing for the sights, but die-hard shoppers might be best served by looking elsewhere.

  HOTEL CHOCOLAT

  133 Victoria St.

  CHOCOLATE

  020 7821 0473 www.hotelchocolat.co.uk

  One of a chain, Hotel Chocolat is one of the more exciting chains in Westminster. The inside is sleek, like a more efficient version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Seventy percent of the chocolate here is made in Britain, and it’s packaged into ridiculous items like framed chocolate portraits and chocolate dipping sets, all for sale. For anyone who’s ever felt that a chocolate “slab” is preferable to a chocolate bar, you have found your store.

  Victoria. Take right onto Grosvenor Pl and follow it onto Victoria St. Open M-F 8:30am-7pm, Sa 9:30am-6pm, Su 11am-5pm.

  Bayswater

  Bayswater is full of quirky little shops, though it’s not a major shopping center like Notting Hill.

  BAYSWATER MARKET

  Bayswater Rd.

  MARKET

  Every Sunday, local artists of all media and skill levels decorate the Hyde Park Fence with their wares, making it look like an art gallery with commitment issues. It’s open all afternoon, so join the crowds as they move from touristy London pictures to more original works from rising stars in the London art scene. Art is for sale at all prices, so come with an open mind and be ready to dig a sizeable hole in your wallet.

  Lancaster Gate. Open Su late morning through the afternoon.

  Chelsea

  Shopping in Chelsea runs the gamut, with stores from the neighborhoods punk-rock salad days to a stifling amount of kitchen and home shops. Still, if you want to trick out your hostel room, we’ve seen some lovely linoleum.

  JOHN SANDOE BOOKS

  10 Blacklands Terr.

  BOOKSTORE

  020 7589 9473 www.johnsandoe.com

  While taking the stairs to the fiction section on the second floor, one remembers the joy of independent bookstores. There’s barely space for peoples’ feet as half of each stair is taken up by a pile of carefully selected books. On the crammed second floor, a cracked leather chair presides over shelves so packed with masterworks and little-known gems that they are layered with moving shelves. There are books everywhere in this store, and the knowledgeable staff is personable and ready to hand with excellent suggestions. Book lovers beware: it would be easy to spend the day in this shop.

  Sloane Sq. Exit the Tube and go straight down Sloane Sq. The street slanting gently left is King’s Rd. Go straight onto it and turn right at Blacklands Terr. Open M-Sa 9:30am-5:30pm, Su noon-6pm.

  Knightsbridge and Belgravia

  Mostly posh shops and chains, Knightsbridge isn’t the most friendly place for shopping, price-wise. However, the spectacle of its famous department stores make browsing enjoyable.

  HARRODS

  87-135 Brompton Rd.

  DEPARTMENT STORE

  020 7730 1234 www.harrods.com

  An ode to the shopping experience, Harrods is probably the most famous department store on the planet. Packed with faux-hieroglyphs, a room named “Room of Luxury” or its sequel, “Room of Luxury II,” Harrods is just as much a sight to see as it is a place to shop. Especially entertaining are the prices and the people who pay them. Be sure to check out the toy section—it’s hard not to rediscover your inner child. Also worth seeing is the candy section of the food court, which is where they sell chocolate shoes (£84 for a pair). On the bottom floor, they sell “Personalised Classics” which enable you to insert names in place of the ones already in a given book. Who needs “Romeo and Juliet” when you could have “Fred and Agnes?” “Fred, Fred, wherefore art thou Fred?” The answer: In shopping heaven.

  Knightsbride. Take the Harrods Exit. Open M-Sa 10am-8pm, Su 11:30am-6pm.

  HARVEY NICHOLS

  109-125 Knightsbridge

  DEPARTMENT STORE

  020 7235 5000 www.harveynichols.com

  Whoever was looking for the Fountain of Youth clearly never checked out the ground floor of Harvey Nichols. The entire level is packed with women arming themselves for the battle against age. In fact, four floors of the great department store are taken up by fashion, cosmetics, beauty, and accessories. After that, there’s menswear and food and hospitality. Most high-end designers are sold here. Foreigners can shop tax-free if they go to the fourth-floor customer services and fill out a form. The store is upscale, densely populated with women, and a little less of a scene than nearby Harrods.

  Knightsbridge. Open M-Sa 10am-9pm, Su 11:30am-6pm (browsing only 11:30am-noon).

  Notting Hill

  Like we said, Portobello Rd. is truly where it’s at. Otherwise, shopping options in Notting Hill consist mainly of antique stores, souvenir sellers and high-end clothing shops.

  MUSIC AND VIDEO EXCHANGE

  42 Notting Hill Gate

  MUSIC

  www.mveshops.co.uk

  Though part of a chain, this Music and Video Exchange will entertain any audiophile endlessly. The staff engage in Hornby-esque conversations oozing with musical knowledge, while customers browse through the vinyls, CDs, and cassettes in the ba
rgain area. Upstairs in the rarities section, you can find anything from a £12 original vinyl of the Rolling Stones’ Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! to the original German sleeve for the Beatles’ final record, Let it Be. Customers can trade in their own stuff in exchange for cash or—in a move betraying MVE’s cold-hearted understanding of a music lover’s brain—twice the cash amount in store vouchers.

  Notting Hill Gate. Walk out the south entrance and go down Notting Hill Gate. Daily 10am-8pm.

  concessions

  The British word “concession” is the equivalent of the American “discount.” It usually applies to fees for students, seniors, the unemployed with proof of unemployment and, sometimes, the disabled.

 

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