London

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Regent's Park and Primrose Hill

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kythe
kythe
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Regents Park

  • August 4, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by alexcrow from London, United Kingdom

Not much to be said other than that this is the best place to get away from the tourist trap of Camden's market centre. You can walk the canal from Camdem Lock and fall in love with the canalside houses with their weeping willows; you can dine at a floating Chinese restaurant; you can watch cricket at Lord's; see wolves, big cats, scary insects, and most importantly, penguins at the zoo. But the best part is the park itself. It's landscaped in a way that seems to make everything slightly unreal and distant.

Looking over towards St John's wood you can see a mix of modern and Victorian architecture, including one of London's biggest mosques. On the other side, you have the stunning regency villas, some of which are part of the Queen's estate, and, as you gaze in awe at their elegance, behind them is the iconic, if functional, BT tower, marking the edge of the West End. On many a sozzled night it has served as a navigational aid!

From journal London from a Resident

Editor Pick

Regent's Park

  • May 8, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by marseilles from Metro Manila, Philippines
Regent's Park

I love that London has so much park area. I've admired the little parks in Sydney; I've strolled around Central Park in New York; and my mom used to take me to Kowloon Park in Hong Kong every Sunday when I was a child; but in no other mega-city have I seen as much park space as in London. I have a feeling that if there's one reason why the English don't want to get rid of their monarchy, it's because these beautiful green spaces that dot England's cities are constant reminders that they have much for which to thank their monarchy.

And if my guidebook is to be believed, of all of London's parks, Regent's Park tops the list. Though I haven't visited all of London's parks, I don't doubt that claim, because Regent's Park is exquisitely beautiful. In fact, when I was there, three local guys were walking down one of the promenades decorated with flower beds and fountains, and I overhead one say to another, "Whenever women walk down here they should be wearing long gowns." The other replied, "And all the chaps should be in white linen suits." If the park could still have that effect on locals who probably walk through several times a month, imagine the effect that the park had on me.

I watched the people sitting in the grass, sunning themselves, having picnics, reading books ... and I thought, "If I lived here, I would be happy just doing that every week." This was London, the world's second most expensive city and with Europe's most highly paid citizens, yet residents here knew that the best things in life remain free.

I wonder whether part of the reason why Londoners remain so calm, kind, and polite, despite being in one of the world's most exciting and most vibrant cities, is because they have these green quiet spaces to rest, stroll, and recollect themselves.

Since this was my first day in London, my spoiled Manilenyo feet were still adjusting to the amount of walking expected of Londoners. I had walked all the way from the Oxford Circus station to the middle part of Regent's Park, and after walking around and about the park, I had trouble finding the nearest Underground station, and ended up walking three stations farther than I needed to. At any rate, my aching feet and I finally found our way. I hadn't enough time nor stamina to explore the rest of the park (I skipped the zoo and the houses), and off I went to meet up with my husband for dinner.

The park is open from 5am until dusk all year round. To get there, take the Tube to any of the following stations: Regent's Park, Great Portland Street, or Baker Street.

From journal A Week in England

Regent's Park

  • April 18, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by patty718 from Torrance, California
I ended up walking through Regent's Park a few times because it was right across the street from the hotel I was staying at. It was so relaxing and open, something I don't get to see too much back home. Obviously, there were tons of people playing football (soccer), a lot of Londoners were running, bike riding, or just having a picnic. It's probably not the most famous park in London, but I liked it a lot better this way because there were less people than somewhere like Hyde Park.

From journal A Week in London

Primrose Hill Park

  • January 20, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by cheryl morris from london, camden, United Kingdom
This is a gorgeous, vast green hill with a lovely park for children and London's best view of the city's most important landmarks. Great for walking, hiking, or taking the dog out, but a bit steep for jogging. To get there, take the tube to Chalk Farm. When you get out, cross the road and go up the colourfully painted bridge. You'll be in the village at this point. Walk past the quaint flower shops, cafes, bookshops and expensive clothing boutiques until you see the green of the park at the end of Regent Park's Road.

The Hill is famous for fireworks on Guy Fawke's Day (November 6) and champagne picnics during the summer.

From journal Micro-London: Primrose Hill

Regent's Park

  • March 23, 2005
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Milja from Waterloo, Ontario
Our flat was right next to Regent's Park, and what a great place to be! The highlight of this park is walking right along the fence to the London Zoo. You can see a large percentage of the animals - it is like getting the zoo for free! A great place to let the kids run in the grass - many smaller parks don't let kids walk on the grass at all, and they need to be let loose!

From journal Three Weeks in London

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