Lucy Sarret

I moved to this city in the deep, dark depths of the pandemic. My first flat was, obviously, awful. The landlord was dodgy (shock). It was full of mould. The shower was next to the kitchen and had no door. Still, though, I look back on those days fondly. One rare sunny afternoon we climbed out of my flatmate’s window to sit on the roof, drinking homemade Bloody Marys and blasting the Bad Boy Chiller Crew from a box speaker into the sticky, polluted air of Kingsland Road. We got quite a few glares from passers-by, but also a fair amount of smiles.  Whether you’re moving here for study, work, family, or another reason, your first months in London will be challenging, but you’ll probably look back on them with such fogged-up rose-tinted glasses it will hardly matter anyway. Use this time to meet as many new people as you can and to make mistakes. Be broke, go to M&M world (don’t actually), get lost on the tube. That said, there are some things I wish I’d known before coming here. Hindsight is a blessing, as they say. But we’re not gatekeepers, so we asked Time Out staff to share their top tricks and tips for anyone moving to the capital. Some of these folks have been born and bred here. Others are adopted Londoners, like you might well be one day. Listen up, take note, and good luck. 

If you’re as nosy as we are, you probably spend weeks looking forward to September’s annual Open House festival, which gives curious Londoners the chance to pull out their best Loyd Grossman impression and go through the keyholes (and doors) of some of the capital’s biggest, most renowned and most secretive addresses for free. As always, a whole load of top-grade real estate across nearly every London borough is open for snooping during the festival, which continues this week. Here is everything you need to know about Open House London, 2024.  What is Open House London? A huge festival dedicated to making the capital’s architectural spaces accessible to all. It allows entry to private homes, government buildings and historic sites that are normally closed to the public and just waiting to be explored. Some of the buildings offer free tours, others are simply open to walk-in visitors. It’s the largest event of its kind in the world and features walks, talks and tours as well as the chance to nose around intriguing London places you’d never usually get to enter. When is Open House London? The 2024 edition started on Saturday, and runs until this coming Saturday September 22. Where is Open House London?  Hundreds of buildings across all of London’s boroughs, plus the City of London, will be taking part. It’s a vast sprawl, so you’ll need to dedicate some time to planning what you’d like to see. If you want to visit multiple locations, check the Open House website in advance fo

‘I’m still traumatised,’ says 37-year-old artist Kate*, who recently embarked on the house hunt from hell with two friends. ‘It’s crazy out there. Some places went before anyone had even seen them. We only found somewhere because we offered them the first three months rent on top of a deposit, which wiped out our savings.’ ‘I got a job in London so I had to find a place there immediately,’ says 22-year-old graduate Sam. ‘Places in house shares went really quickly, so eventually I just agreed to one I hadn't seen. The room turned out to be the size of a cupboard and full of mould, so it was suffocating to be in there.’ These stories will sound only too familiar if you’ve been hunting for a house share in the capital recently. Last year, the UK rental market neared boiling point as tenants returned to cities after the pandemic. Now, the cost of living crisis has pushed costs higher still, as the housing supply dwindles. The average London rent for a room in a house share has hit a record high of £935, a 22 percent increase on last year. Now, 72 percent of UK house-sharers are considering moving to a new area to escape high rents. And 97 percent of renters are (understandably) anxious about finding a new place in the middle of a rental crisis. But why are flatshares particularly impossible right now? Is it part of London’s general slide into unaffordability, or is there something new going on? There’s no place like HMO For Kate, it feels like London is particularly down on house

South London is about to get a fresh burst of green goodness as part of an exciting £70,000 project set to transform the landscape around a beloved local estate.  As part of a project dubbed ‘Greening Evelyn’, the National Trust is creating a series of new gardens by turning fenced-off patches of grass near the Sayes Court estate in Deptford into vibrant public gardens. It’ll be funded by £40,000 of City Hall grants and an extra £30,000 from Lewisham Council community-led programmes (the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy, if you want to get technical). This initiative strikes a balance between enjoying the great outdoors and taking the pressure off local parks in Evelyn ward, the northernmost part of Lewisham borough.  But hold onto your picnic blankets and baskets, because this isn’t just about sprucing up the scenery. Plans for the area also include brand-new play zones for kids, inviting allotments for aspiring green thumbs and flower beds bursting with colours to brighten up the community’s day. These green havens are stepping stones towards creating Lewisham’s very first ‘garden ward’. What’s also great about this project is the involvement of local residents, who identified the underused green spaces in a consultation last year.  Inspired by its roots, the National Trust is also upholding the legacy of nineteenth-century social reformer Octavia Hill. As one of the National Trust’s founding figures, Hill once saved the beloved Lewisham park known as Hilly Field

Pret subscribers, we’ve got some very, very exciting news. The coffee chain is massively boosting its Club Pret subscription service, giving you more and bigger discounts than ever before.  Starting September 5, all you proud Club Pret members will have your discounts doubled. The chain is increasing its discount on food, drink and snacks from 10 percent to 20 percent. In other words, your coffee runs and snack attacks are about to get a whole lot easier on the wallet. The jacked-up Club Pret discount follows Pret’s decision back in April to up the price of its subscription prices from £25 to £30 per month. And now that extra fiver may be much more worth it.  For the uninitiated, Club Pret is a staple for countless Londoners. For £30 a month, you get five free drinks daily, as well as a significant discount off all the coffee giant’s other goods. When Pret’s sub service first landed back in September 2020, it cost a mere £20 per month.  In April, Pret revamped and renamed its service from Pret Coffee Subscription to Club Pret – and that seems to have ignited a surge in popularity for the service. In the first three months of the scheme, it apparently had 17.8 million redemptions. That’s a lot of coffee.  ICYMI: five London bakeries have been named the best in the UK.  Time Out’s brilliant new podcast, ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’, is out now. Listen to the fourth episode with Paul Chowdhry here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of th

London’s property market is throwing us a curveball by offering some good news for potential homebuyers. That’s right: good news! According to the most recent analysis from the Halifax House Price Index, our city’s housing market might (finally) be showing signs of positive change. The index indicated that properties in some London boroughs are becoming slightly more affordable, which is apparently the result of rising wages and a slowed-down market. The ratio of house prices to incomes is looking better than last year, when housing affordability in the capital saw its worst-ever levels.  The cheapest borough in the capital is Barking and Dagenham, which saw an average house price to income ratio of 5.4. The most expensive borough, meanwhile, is Westminster / City of London (surprise, surprise), where house prices are a whopping 16 times the average income.  When it comes to the borough with the most significant change, that would be Richmond. The average house price in the south-west borough is now 10.9 times average earnings, compared to a jaw-dropping 12.3 times just a year ago.  While prices have gone down in many places, London boroughs are still well above average national figures. The UK average for a home is now 6.7 times average earnings, down from its peak of 7.3 last summer.  Want to find out how house prices are changing in your borough? You can read Halifax House Price Index for 2023 in full here.  ICYMI: London’s first rooftop basketball court has opened in Gre

London-based Batman fans, get ready for a proper extravaganza this September. To mark the fifteenth anniversary of The Dark Knight and Warner Bros’ one hundredth birthday, a very exciting exhibition is coming to town.  ‘Batman Unmasked’ is a three-day free exhibition that’s set to take attendees on a journey through the Batman franchise’s legendary history. We’re talking immersive Batcaves, iconic memorabilia and deep dives into Batman releases from 1989 to 2022. In other words, the whole Bat-shebang! You’ll get up close and personal with Batcycles from The Dark Knight (2008) and The Batman (2022), alongside never-seen-before props and costumes worn by the likes of Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson. There’ll also be over 100 comics on display, including the latest Batman Day special editions.  The event will run from September 15 to 17 and tickets go on sale this Friday (August 25). The tickets are technically free, though each one has a £3.50 admin charge.  Find more details on entry and book tickets here.  ICYMI: here's everything you can do in London this August.  Time Out’s brilliant new podcast, ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’, is out now. Listen to the fourth episode with Paul Chowdhry here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. 

One of the newest additions to London’s skyline is a certifiable slam-dunk. The city’s first-ever rooftop basketball court has opened in Greenwich. In other words, if you’ve always dreamed of shooting hoops and marvelling at some sweet, sweet views at the same time, now you’ve got a dream destination. Just a few minutes’ walk from North Greenwich station, you’ll find the open-air basketball court atop Greenwich’s Design District.  The court’s standout feature is, naturally, its magnificent views. Looking out over southeast London, ballers can enjoy unobstructed vistas of the likes of the O2 Arena and Canary Wharf. But those views aren’t the only attraction up here. The court won’t just have basketball: it’ll also host loads of sports and wellness activities, including yoga. Plus, it’s apparently available for outdoor events and photoshoots.  If you’re after a basketball game (or a bit of yoga, or a photoshoot) with a view, this one’s hard to beat. Here are a couple more snaps of the place.  Photograph: Design District Photograph: M Clayton Photograph: Design District The Design District’s basketball court is open from 6pm to 8pm on weekdays and from 8am to 9am on weekends and Bank Holidays. It’s bookable in hourly slots – find out more on the official website here.  ICYMI: London is getting Europe’s highest free viewing gallery. Time Out’s brilliant new podcast, ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’, is out now. Listen to the fourth episode with Paul Chowdhry here. Stay in the loop

Everyone’s got a favourite bakery, but have you ever wondered which bakeries are officially, categorically the best? Well, if you’re looking for more inspo beyond our very own list of London’s best bakeries, now we have just the thing.  The Times has gathered the opinions of bakers and chefs from all over the UK to come up with a list of the best 49 bakeries in the country. And, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, several are in London. The capital has a delightfully thriving baking scene, from the countless family shops to the viral £25 XXL croissant at Philippe Conticini. Five London estabs made the list. So, grab your nearest pastry and let’s dive into the sugary details. e5 Bakehouse In the heart of Hackney, e5 Bakehouse is an organic bakery that sources most of its grains and produce from its own 70-acre farm in Suffolk. All that means that each bite is filled with quality and care, from its pastries to its breakfasts. e5 Bakehouse also offers workshops for aspiring bakers looking to up their pastry game. Pophams If flaky pastries and irresistible scrolls are your weakness, Pophams in Islington and London Fields is a must-visit. Their marmite and leek scroll is a real showstopper, and their London Fields location even serves freshly made pasta from Wednesday to Sunday.  Arôme Bakery This Covent Garden baking spot transports you to the heart of traditional French patisserie. Croissants, pain au chocolat and their signature honey butter toast make you feel like you're on

London’s full of some of the biggest and best things in the world, from massive skyscrapers to continent-leading rooftop bars. But now the city has another record-breaking project that is set to elevate Londoners’ city experiences. Europe’s highest free public viewing gallery is set to open next month in the City of London.  Called Horizon 22, the gallery is set to open at 22 Bishopsgate and will be an astonishing 254 metres above ground. Expect to view London like never before, with panoramic views stretching all the way from the Cheesegrater, Walkie Talkie and Gherkhin to St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Shard.  Set to open to the public on September 27, Horizon 22 will be open seven days a week. And best of all: it’ll be completely free. While visitors are encouraged to secure a timed slot by booking ahead, all these views will cost absolutely nada.  Plus, the views are only part of the attraction. The two lifts at 22 Bishopsgate are similarly thrilling, taking visitors up to the fifty-eighth floor in just 41 seconds. Those lifts apparently reach speeds of up to eight meters per second. Impressive, eh?  Here are a few teasers of the views from Horizon 22.  Photograph: Brendan Bell Photograph: 22 Bishopsgate Photograph: 22 Bishopsgate Horizon 22 will be open at 10am and close at 6pm on weekdays, 5pm on Saturdays and 4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Pre-booking will open on September 20 – find out more and book on the official website here.   Time Out’s bril

In a bid to supercharge the local economy, Havering Council in north-east London is exploring the possibility of a new tram network. The ambitious plans aim to connect the northern and southern ends of the borough, opening up fresh avenues for commuters and businesses.  Currently, public transport options in Havering mainly facilitate journeys from east to west, either into central London or out towards Essex. The proposed tram route would potentially run from Harold Wood through Romford and Upminster, culminating at a proposed railway station in Rainham called Beam Park. This new network could also link up with the Docklands Light Railway and the anticipated Essex-Kent KenEx tram connection. This development comes on the heels of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans to enhance public transport in outer London, including the creation of an orbital network of suburban bus routes referred to as the Superloop. You can find out more about the Superloop here.  Notably, no Superloop buses are slated to serve Havering, which prompted Conservative London Assembly Member Emma Best to raise concerns earlier this summer. She said that the transport needs of Havering residents had been misunderstood and emphasised the necessity of accessible public transportation options in outer London. A spokesperson for Mayor Khan responded by stressing his dedication to enhancing public transport in outer London and his commitment to collaborating with Havering and other boroughs to bolster their transpor

It’s no stretch to say that Nigerian Afrobeats and Afropop artist Asake is one of the world’s most exciting and innovative pop artists. His 2022 debut album Mr. Money With The Vibe set records and garnered tonnes of critical acclaim, whilst this year’s follow-up Work of Art further cemented his rep for upbeat, melodic, playful pop tunes.  Last December, tragedy struck at an Asake show in London,  as a crowd crush led to the deaths of two gig attendees and the long-term closure of Brixton Academy. Following that show, Asake tweeted: ‘My London family see you this Summer’ – and that show is at the O2 Arena this Sunday, August 20. Here is everything you need to know about the show. RECOMMENDED:Everything you need to know about The Weeknd at WembleyStormzy at All Points East: timings, setlist, lineup and moreField Day at All Points East: timings, tickets and everything you need to know What time will Asake come on stage? Doors open at 6pm and Asake will come on promptly at 8:30pm.  What’s the potential setlist? While Setlist.fm doesn’t have records of previous Asake setlists, we can expect to hear several of his biggest hits. Tracks like ‘Bandana’, ‘Amapiano’, ‘Sungba’, ‘Joha’ and ‘2:30’ should all get an outing.  Who is supporting Asake at the O2 Arena in London? Limited information is available as to who will be joining Asake on stage. No official support has been confirmed.  What are the set times? Asake will come on at 8:30pm.  Are there any tickets left? Asake’s show is sol

When it comes to quintessential British experiences, few things match the pleasure of tucking into a plate of fresh fish and chips on the seafront. Crisp batter, thick-cut chips, all while soaking in the sea breeze... life simply doesn’t get much better. Naturally, when it comes to naming the best UK foodie destinations by the sea, the competition is fierce. A recent study by Which conducted thousands of interviews with visitors across more than 100 seaside towns in order to gauge the best places in the country for beachside nosh.  Out of all those towns, only two were bestowed with a coveted five-star rating. Yep, just two! They were St Andrews in Fife and Aldeburgh in Suffolk. Once a shipbuilding hub. these days Aldeburgh enchants with its exceptional food culture and pastel-hued nineteenth-century holiday villas on the promenade. Fishermen’s huts dot the pebbled beach (where the daily catch is sold), setting the stage for an authentic seaside feast. St Andrews, meanwhile, apparently offers café-hopping and a cornucopia of innovative food options, from haggis burritos to Fife strawberry gelato. Cozy pubs like The Criterion add further flair, serving up a variety of cask ales, malt whiskies, and local gins. But that’s not all. Which’s study also revealed a slew of other seaside spots as foodie paradises, each with its own qualities. Dartmouth in Devon, Tynemouth in Tyneside and Southwold in Suffolk all got nods as coastal culinary havens.  Keen to find out more? You can read

In a twist worthy of any classic London tale, No 1 Poultry has gone from the depths of architectural disdain to being a glorious structure worthy of preservation.  Once christened the fifth ugliest building in the city by our own faithful readers, No 1 Poultry is a postmodern enigma that now stands as one of the UK’s youngest protected buildings. It’s a real ugly-duckling-to-swan-type story, one that shows how attitudes change over time – especially when it comes to stuff that is controversial and eye-catching. If you’ve ever strolled around the Bank Underground station, you’ve likely encountered No 1 Poultry (the audacious wedge-shaped building is hard to miss). While opinions on its aesthetics may differ, there’s no denying that it makes an impression. Designed by James Stirling, No. 1 Poultry defies conformity with its pink-and-yellow limestone stripes, standing as an ode to postmodern architecture. This provocative choice of design element and its audacious placement make it a true marmite building – but love it or hate it, you can’t ignore it. The story behind No 1 Poultry's transformation is a rollercoaster of architectural taste and preservation battles. Original architect Mies van der Rohe in the 1970s was disapproved by Prince Charles, while his successor James Stirling died before construction could start. It was then left to Michael Wilford to see his late fellow architect’s work through, with the result being an artistic compromise that, by the time of its complet

For nearly two decades, UK Black Pride has been this country’s mightiest celebration of LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern-descent. Now the biggest event of its kind in the world, this year UKBP returns with events across the UK that put put unity, love, and acceptance centre stage. UK Black Pride 2023 takes place this weekend: here is everything you need to know.   What is UK Black Pride? Established back in 2005, UKBP is Europe’s (and perhaps the world’s) grandest fiesta for LGBTQI+ individuals hailing from African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Caribbean backgrounds. Hosted annually, it’s the chance to celebrate Black heritage with a mix of electric musical performances and thought-provoking talks, as well as sample some tasty food and drink.  When is UK Black Pride 2023? UKBP 2023 takes place this weekend, on Saturday August 19.  Where is UK Black Pride in London? This year’s London event is at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, from 12pm to 8pm.  What is UK Black Pride 2023’s Theme? Drumroll please, for this year’s theme is... ‘legacy’. The roots of the theme run deep – it’s a nod to the past 18 years of triumph, growth and unity. This legacy isn’t just about remembering; it’s about embracing the power to ignite change, empower the next generation and stand strong in the face of adversity. What are the London events for UK Black Pride 2023? The stage is set, the lights are dimmed and the anticipation is building. Whi