The Power Of Nostalgia Travel: Why I Keep Coming Back To These 11 Places In London

Landing on the tarmac at London's Stanstead Airport brings back waves of emotion. The runways about an hour north of the city have supported years of personal travel. But it was a Ryanair flight that saw me land at Stanstead in June for a long weekend, and the same basic itinerary that brought me to London first when I moved to the city in 2018. Unlike New York, London is a city that certainly gets its sleep. Pubs shutter around midnight, if not earlier, and many of the public transport options stop running around this time, too. Although, if you do find yourself out and about at a Simmons Bar or elsewhere, the night buses run continuously while loaded up with bleary-eyed patrons to just about anywhere your Tube train would have accessed.

Surprisingly, I haven't been back to England since moving away a few years ago, and this journey was a portal down memory lane for a few reasons. Years earlier, I visited Ireland for the first time to meet my now-wife's family and catch a Beyoncé show. This latest trip to London was centered on a journey up to the city's north to take in another of the "Crazy In Love" singer's booming performances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In a way, our Thursday night viewing of the "Cowboy Carter" setlist was a full circle moment. The long weekend spent in the English capital offered a chance to see a performer that I had last witnessed in my current country of residence, and delivered a powerful opportunity to bask in the nostalgia of my favorite spots in a place I loved calling home.

For almost three years I lived a stone's throw away from the Island Gardens DLR station. The DLR was colloquially known as the "Free-LR" and that joke continued to bubble up to the surface while wandering around London and dipping in for a pint or two with cherished friends. I didn't see them on this visit, but I was told that ticket checkers are rampant on the line now, so the days of cowboy ridership are perhaps relegated to the past. The DLR is the only public transportation line in the system that doesn't feature gates that actively separate you from the platform without tapping in, hence the nickname and the presence of TFL staff to catch miscreants.

Instead of catching the train to head south of the river from this final stop on the Thames' north bank, there's a historic foot tunnel that runs beneath its waves (a great free option to wander through in London). Entering the World War II-era Greenwich Foot Tunnel from Island Gardens Park requires a five to ten minute journey across to the other side, where you'll reappear alongside the Cutty Sark (a clipper ship-turned-museum installation). One of our favorite places to spend time while living in Isle of Dogs was Greenwich Park, just a short walk south of the tunnel's egress. We watched our first dog (a goofy little Romanian rescue) grow from a puppy romping around the sprawling grounds, and when the city shuttered during the pandemic lockdowns, our weekends (and many weekdays, too) were packed full of trips out to explore the landscape surrounding the Greenwich Observatory that gives the world's collection of clocks its baseline in GMT.

A fantastic pub that features a plethora of different seating options, we first stumbled upon The Crown and Shuttle after attending a National Insurance Number appointment for my wife. The building is sandwiched amongst a number of other great drinking spots, so it's perhaps easy to miss. But this one is brimming with character. We've been back a good few times, and on this visit actually found it by accident coming from the other direction. Shoreditch High Street is a stop along the Overground line, and taking the Stanstead Express down into town from the airport brought us to Liverpool Street Station. It turns out, these two stations are far closer than you might expect, and the pub sits roughly in the middle of the two on the A10 as it cuts a vertical path through east-central London.

The pub features plenty of great options on tap, including some cask ales that London is somewhat famous for delivering to eager drinkers. There are also a number of interesting selections available in bottles, such as a variety of French and other European specialties that I first encountered while living in Shanghai before making the move to London. That discovery on our first visit to the pub helped cement it as a uniquely nostalgia-building watering hole for me. However, a pub is only as good as the environment it creates. The Crown and Shuttle offers couches and other seating inside the main sections (as well as standing space), and a two-floor beer garden and conservatory area outside behind the central bar. It's a happening place with lots to love.

Borough Market is a place that many people on an adventure through London will have heard about. This is the site of the social media-famous strawberry stand. I didn't get any strawberries on this visit, but have had them before. They're delicious, but perhaps a little overhyped with a winding line of eager eaters always waiting for their cup making it feel even more special.

The market is found on the south bank of the Thames and drifting off to the west behind Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge. It is bustling at all times of the day, and winds its way through food stalls and shopping options. You'll find Italian grocers, cheese and fishmongers, and spice merchants strewn about the network of lanes. There's a lot of variety, and the exciting environment is fairly easy to get to from just about anywhere in the city.

The London Bridge train station brings trains in from both the east and west, while the Jubilee and Northern Tube lines cross through the underground station there. On the north side of the river, you can get off at Monument Station, which connects the DLR, District, and Circle lines, as well (or Bank a bit farther up but accessible from the Central line). No matter how you arrive, don't forget to stay to the right on the escalators when traversing the London Underground if you plan to stand instead of walk for the ride up.

Just south of the iconic Borough Market is The George Inn. There are lots of pubs in London called "George" but this one's special. A short stroll down from London Bridge, this pub has been standing in some form since the 15^th century and is the last remaining galleried coaching inn (although no weary travelers on horseback are likely to pop in for a tipple and a room today). The pub is actually more of a courtyard with a variety of different bars scattered around its perimeter. You can grab a drink from any of them and sit inside or outside.

the establishment operates as a single complex even though it sports signs for six or more unique pub monikers. The location is even more interesting given the history of the city's sprawl. Until 1750, The George Inn sat just removed from what was the only crossing point over the Thames in London. This meant that travelers heading across the marshy waterway would pass by the inn on their travels as a default.

The first time I sat down for a pint at The George Inn was with a group of friends. Someone noted that it was a pub that once poured drinks for William Shakespeare. In our friend group, the spot has become known as the Shakespeare pub as a result, and I actually didn't know its real name when visiting this time. It also turns out that Shakespeare never drank there, but Charles Dickens did. Bringing things into modern focus, Beyoncé has also visited the establishment (although we didn't catch her there with a summery London pink gin or a pint of bitter on this trip).

The northern half of the Isle of Dogs, Canary Wharf is something of an old stomping ground. Westferry Road, the thoroughfare that runs around the isle's ringed landscape and up through Canary Wharf is almost exactly a 5K journey, so it made for an ideal running route through the bottom half of the bustling commercial segment of the landscape, too. There's so much to do and see in Canary Wharf, but you might not immediately think that given its primary function as an office space.

There's a sprawling underground mall complex, and lots of green areas to stretch out and relax. In the summer, the management group puts up huge TV screens in Canada Square Park, and there's frequently a pop up bar in the green to round out the experience. I spent many afternoons watching Wimbledon matches there in the past. With the unveiling of the Elizabeth Line (that naturally features a Canary Wharf stop), the Crossrail Place area to the north of the main segment has seen an explosion of activity. A market hall has opened in this part of the community and the lengthy chunk of Canary Wharf that sits above the train station is filled with great restaurants.

Theater is a big deal in London. I know a few people who visit annually just to pack their trip full of shows. You'll find matinee performances and evening run throughs of a long list of options. Performers on stage in London are spectacular, and the spectacle is even more amazing given the performance halls they occupy. London's theater culture is vibrant and awe-inspiring to be sure.

One show in particular should be high on any visitor's radar. "Six" is a reimagining of the history of Henry VIII's wives. Henry doesn't make an appearance in the performance, since it's not actually about him, and the entire backing band is rounded out with women as well. The environment created right from the outset offers a fresh take on the wives that famously surrounded him (and frequently ended up dead prematurely). A pair of University of Cambridge students formulated the story idea, and it premiered in 2017.

There's also barnstorming performances of "Hamilton" (Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Aaron Burr was the most dynamic and emotional performer I've ever seen), "Wicked," and "The Lion King" to consider, among many fabulous others. If you're particularly invested in theater culture you might want to exit the theater and head straight into the closest pub. Performers have been known to stop in for drinks after their shows, so sitting down in one close to the experience you just marveled at might give you an opportunity to share an even more personal follow-up.

The London Eye is a major tourist attraction right across the river from Big Ben and the Westminster government buildings. If you're in London for just a single day, hopping on the London Eye for a skyward viewing tour of the city can be a great option. The views from the top are spectacular, and can set you off on a thrilling adventure. For those with a bit more time, exploring the area around the Eye is equally inviting. In particular, the Queen's Walk is the strip that follows the course of the river along its southern bank. Heading north-to-east from the London Eye brings you under the Golden Jubilee Bridges and right into the heart of a particularly fascinating slice of London's culture.

There are shops and all kinds of food and drink options along this path, but under the bridge you'll find a sprawling used book marketplace. The vendors sell all kinds of titles. Vintage books from a century or more previous feature heavily, as do children's books and even classic printings of novels like the "Harry Potter" series. London is a haven for book lovers, and pre-loved examples are a great way to get into the spirit of the culture. They're cheap, giving them a major benefit, and the aesthetics of these printings are often second to none. You'll also find maps and many other unique treasures tucked away in the cases, giving all kinds of collectors something to get excited about.

A visit to London isn't complete without a jaunt out of the city itself. London is chock full of excitement and things to marvel at, but getting away for a day or afternoon is incredibly rewarding. Two of my favorites are Southend-on-Sea and Brighton. Both are a around an hour away by train, and this is actually the fastest way to meander out to either seaside community. My first weekend in England was completed with a trip down to Brighton, and I still use a coffee mug that we won while playing fair games on Brighton's Palace Pier. The town is bright and vibrant — and hosts one heck of a Pride parade every year, too. Naturally, you'll get a killer fish and chips along the rocky shoreline.

Southend is similar. The London commuter town is complete with its own fairground, Adventure Island. It houses a number of rollercoasters and rides that are ideal for kids and adults alike. The sea breeze makes it a wonderful place to spend an afternoon without having to commit to a long journey from the city, and the food, pub scene, and beach are all well worth the trip. Emotion plays a big role in my attachment to this town as well. During a tense (and manufactured) bidding war for a flat — the one in Isle of Dogs — my wife and I went out to Southend-on-Sea for the day to try to relax and take our minds off the situation. While there, we got the phone call telling us that the place was ours. The setting will likely remain with me long into the future.

When first moving to London, I left the teaching career I had been fostering behind and enrolled in a postgraduate program at Goldsmiths College (part of the University of London system). The school is situated in New Cross, south of the river, and the community there is buzzing with raucous energy. It was a fantastic place to form new friendships and connect with new ideas. But before I ever set foot on campus as a student, I went to The Royal Albert to meet my wife's friends and take in a bit of live music. The genre is jazz, and the energy of the place was truly electric.

Whether you're a fan of jazz music or not, it's hard to find fault in the creative ooze of seasoned performers in the art and the places where they ply their craft. The Royal Albert is a great pub, not just for its energetic live music. Other visits followed, but this first one has remained a fond memory, perhaps in large part because it took place before lockdowns, the full weight of Brexit policy took hold, and other major changes upended the flow of life for myself and countless others.

Limehouse is a historic neighborhood in East London. It's a part of the Docklands area and was home to Chinese immigrants and traders in the late 1800s. The area became London's first Chinatown, although nothing remains of this history aside from a few street names. The first flat we called home was in a century-old building in Limehouse. Walking around Limehouse Basin, exploring the green spaces of Ropemakers Field, and grabbing a drink at The Grapes are all activities that bring back many fond memories. 

The Grapes is a particularly noteworthy pub. It's owned by Sir Ian McKellen and the prop staff he carried while playing Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" movies stands behind the bar (Gandalf the Grey's knotty, wooden iteration). During the lockdown months, The Grapes opened its doors to offer takeaway pints that could be consumed in the park areas that surround its neighborhood vibe. For many reasons, this pub and the Limehouse Basin community is a place I'll consistently come back to when visiting London long into the future.

A natural conclusion to this journey down memory lane is the O2 Academy Brixton. It's not the kind of place Beyoncé would play, but not for a lack of flair and energy. The interior is decorated like something resembling a Roman or Greek temple and extends up high into the darkened air. It's the perfect place for a high energy performance across genres, fueled by nostalgic longing for the past (acts like Will Smith and Franz Ferdinand are coming to the venue in the coming months).

The most impactful shows I've been to were Jimmy Eat World — which I saw for the first time in London — and Coheed and Cambria, a band I've seen countless times. Both are groups I grew up alongside, and seeing them live brought back a flood of emotional energy. The venue is such a great springboard for those feelings (in part because it resembles St. Petersburg's State Theater that I frequented in my younger days) that I'm seriously considering returning in October to see Coheed again instead of getting a Dublin show ticket. It's perhaps worth noting that Brixton is one of the three places Rick Steves says he's been pickpocketed, though.

The O2 Academy Brixton brings thoughts about visiting London all the way back around. It connects my youth to my future and ties in perfectly with the purpose of this particular visit to the city. Almost irrespective of the artist taking to the stage, getting a ticket to see someone perform live there is a fantastic experience.