Greenwich - the best place in London (Greenwich)

Member Name: tomprosser

Product:	Greenwich
Date:	13/07/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: sights, greenwich park

Disadvantages: none

Greenwich is a beautiful area of London that is often over looked by tourists and Londoners. The area of Greenwich is steeped in history but it is also beautiful 'village' that feels like your out of London and in the country somewhere.
Some of the interesting attractions include the Royal Observatory, with a new Planetarium that is now regularly full of school trips but is definitely worth a visit. There is also the Greenwich Meantime where clocks are set from with a red ball of a spire that moves at exactly 1pm, it is not the most dramatic sight so don't worry if you miss it. You shouldn't, however, miss the beautiful view from the top of Greenwich park of Canary Wharf and East London. Greenwich park is a hive of activity all year round, when its sunny it is pack full of families, dog walkers and students, with impromptu football and touch rugby games. The park is also the start of the famous London Marathon.

Greenwich University is spread over a number of sites but the main campus is right in the middle of Greenwich in the historic former Naval College, which is also makes up part of the National Maritime Museum. The majority of Greenwich's history is based around sailing and maritime activities, even if you are not an avid sailor there are lots of interesting places to visit. I would have recommended visiting the Cutty Sark, a tea cutter ship that is on display right on the river front. This is an icon of Greenwich and it was sadly removed for essential repairs and maintenance, during this process there was a huge fire that caused serious damage but the restorers have vowed to bring the ship back to its former glory along with a new viewing platform that allows you to see under the ship.

Greenwich has lots of tight alleys and markets with lots of independent companies selling all types of arts, craft and food. You can easily spend hours exploring all these shops and find some great gifts.
Greenwich isn't terribly hard to get to but it would benefit from a more direct transport link. You can get the DLR from Bank and that takes you right in to the centre of Greenwich. There is an overland train station which is about 10min walk from the shops/attractions. The best way to get to Greenwich is by boat, there are regular services between Greenwich and central london like Embankment and the South Bank. It is a very relaxing and beautiful journey that shows you some of the best sights in London.

Summary: beautiful historic area with amazing village feel