Things to do with housemates in London

London is a thriving city with so much to offer its residents and tourists alike.  If you are new to the city you will obviously want to take in the main attractions such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the London Eye, however for residents these things become part of local life and the city has so much more to offer. 

One of the advantages of joining a house or flat share is that your house and flatmates are ready made tour guides who can show you around London.

There are so many things to do in London that we have compiled just a brief snippet of things that housemates can enjoy with each other outside of the tourist bubble.

Parks and open spaces 

For a busy city that so many built up areas, London has a vast number of parks and open spaces which are ideal for housemates to relax in throughout the year. 

Whether you choose to have a leisurely stroll, take a picnic or even just people watch the day away, you will never be too far away from one of London’s parks.

The more popular parks include St. James’s Park, Richmond Park and Battersea Park. 

St. James’s Park is one of London’s smaller parks but it’s location in the heart of London, situated between Buckingham Palace, the Mall and Horse Guards Parade makes it extremely popular.

Richmond Park conversely is the largest of London’s parks, covering almost 2500 acres.  Having been designated as a National Nature Reserve site, the landscape of the park has remained relatively untouched for centuries offering vast open spaces for visitors.  It is a popular park to have a kick about, enjoy a picnic or relish a cycle on the designated paths.

Battersea Park is situated on the South Bank and offers visitors many things to do in addition to walking amongst the trees including playgrounds for children, Old English Gardens, impressive fountains, fishing, boating and other “sports” facilities and the Peace Pagoda which those who are old enough may remember from the Milk Advert in the late 80’s or early 90’s.

Some of the parks play host to special events throughout the year.  For example, Hyde Park is the venue for a number of open aired concerts and festivals, such as the annual Wireless Festival as well as the parks being key venues in the 2012 Olympic Games.

London markets 

Markets in London may be more common than you first think.  Across London there are in excess of 80 markets selling a diversity of goods from fresh produce such as meat, fruit and veg to arts and antiques and they can be a great place for housemates to spend a few hours going from stall to stall. 

In addition to the more renowned Portobello, Camden and Covent Garden markets, there are lesser known but equally spectacular markets including Borough, Spitalfields and Jubilee Markets.

Borough Market is one of the largest food markets in the world, selling wholesale produce every weekday morning from 2am with a retail market on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Produce that is on sale includes fruit and vegetables, meat and fish but also has an array of other foods from all over the world.

The Old Spitalfields market is located just outside the city near Liverpool Street and is considered to be a trendy market selling anything and everything from fashion and jewellery items to arts and antiques.  In addition to the market area, there are a number of quaint shops which surround it.

Leaden Hall market is open Monday to Friday and sells rare meats, gourmet ingredients, cheese and wines.  Its ornate roof and cobbled walkways make it more appealing to visit.  You may even recognise it from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone!

London art galleries

London houses some of the most famous pieces of artwork spread across ten major galleries in the city with a great diversity to the pieces that are displayed.  The two Tate Galleries are amongst the most popular, but you may wish to visit other galleries such as Somerset House and the National Portrait Gallery.

Somerset House is a refurbished building which dates back to the 1770’s and is located on London’s southbank.  It is home to a number of art exhibitions throughout the year as well as hosting open air concerts and films, the most notable being Snow Patrol in 2004.  In the winter months, the outdoor area is transformed into an ice rink and is extremely popular.

The National Portrait Gallery is home to a collection of approximately 10,000 portraits of famous British people and is located near to Trafalgar Square.  One of the pieces that it includes is the painting of William Shakespeare which was attributed to John Taylor.

London’s impressive collection of art galleries means that you and your housemates can spend a couple of hours wandering around them (many for free, but rely on donations from the public) taking in some of the most famous pieces of art.

London nightlife

London is notorious for its nightlife with hundreds if not thousands of bars, pubs and clubs.  Not only is there a plethora of drinking spots there is something for everyone with a great diversity in the style and target clientele for each establishment.

To list every one would take an eternity, but we have picked out some of the best that you and your house and flatmates can enjoy.

For bars, there is Cargo Bar and the Langley Bar. 

Cargo Bar in Shoreditch and is a restaurant, bar and club all in one.  Due to its location, it is forced to keep up to date with modern trends and caters for the here and now.

Langley Bar in Covent Garden is a bar that caters for everyone.  It is also a combination of restaurant, bar and club as well as a mixture of an open plan space for standing and dancing and ample seating.

In terms of nightclubs, there is KOKO and Club Aquarium.

KOKO London in Camden is a popular nightclub and music venue.  It was formerly the Camden Palace but following a multimillion pound refurbishment was opened as KOKO in 2004.  Since reopening it has been host to a number of big world renowned artists such as Madonna, Coldplay and Prince.

Club Aquarium is in Shoreditch and at first appears to be like any other nightclub, but the twist is that you and your flatmates should remember to bring your swimming shorts or costume as it has its very own swimming pool.  The club features two dance floors, a chill out room and a VIP lounge.

For a more comprehensive run down on London’s nightlife, and where you and your housemates can go for a night out, a simple Google search will help you.

Greenwich

Greenwich is located in south east London and is most notable for its maritime history and giving its name to Greenwich Mean Time.  In recent years, work has started on a regeneration programme modernising areas of Greenwich.  The most noticeable of which is the transformation of the Millennium Dome into The O2 - a 20,000 seater music and entertainment     arena which has hosted some of the biggest artists including The Kings of Leon, Lionel Richie, Spice Girls and Kylie Minogue.  The venue also features a nightclub, exhibition centre and over 20 bars and restaurants.

Historical places that may be of interest to you and flatmates include the Cutty Sark - a clipper ship from 1869 and the Old Royal Navy College - the centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

A fun and unusual thing for housemates to do whilst in Greenwich is visit the Biscuit Ceramic Café where you can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee whilst painting your very own cups, plates or vases.

Shoreditch

Shoreditch is situated just north of the city of London and is very popular and trendy with numerous bars, restaurants and boutiques.  The surge of creative and internet technology companies brought an influx of young creative’s who have chosen to locate themselves within the area too which also influenced the area.  Shoreditch is definitely a place not to be missed by you and flatmates on nights out.

Covent Garden

Despite its appeal to tourists, Convent Garden and its surrounding areas can be a great place for you and your housemates to spend a morning or afternoon.  The main attraction of the location is its market situated on the outskirts of the piazza and its streets performers, which is the only part of London licensed for street entertainment. 

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