| Notting Hill lies within the borough of Kensington
and Chelsea, a district west of central London.
Notting Hill has a reputation as a fashionable
area, populated by Victorian houses with attractive
terraces, chic shops and fancy restaurants (by
fancy I don’t mean its equivalence to quality).
The Notting Hill residents are known to be young,
rich and affluent, often living on trust funds
left by their family (who else can afford the rent).
On the other hand, Notting Hill does enclose
another thriving culture that is the ‘alternative’
kind,
as illustrated by numerous used record stores and
fashion boutiques around Notting Hill Gate.
The Notting Hill Festival, usually set on the
last weekend of August, has always been one of
the many
exciting events during the summer in England.
It is a carnival with more than enough booze and
food
of Caribbean heritage, both of each I have personally
consumed, in large quantity. Anyone who dares
to go will sure to find themselves embedded within
the heaps of colourful floats, sexy dancers and
musical
atmosphere. The Carnival was originally established
in the 1960s as a positive response to tensions
between the recently arrived immigrant community
and the
majority community, culminating in the Notting
Hill race riots.
Notting Hill is also home to the infamous Portobello
Road market, which attracts ample of tourists
each year. This market opens on Saturdays and
is attracting
more and more tourists, leading to a decline
in quality of goods in recent years.
Notting Hill came to fame after the release
of massive hit ‘Notting Hill’ (1999) starring
Julia
Roberts
and Hugh Grant; one of the reasons why the
movie was hugely successful was because of
the settings,
and frankly, what is more amusing than having
Hugh Grant saying ‘bollocks’ right in the
middle of
Portobello market?
Portobello Market at Notting Hill Gate is
great to visit on Sundays, full of English
charms.
You can
explore the cafes by having a cuppa while
watching everyone busying themselves. It’s
also a great
place to buy little old-agey gadgets and
books if you like
those sorts of things.
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| How to get there: |
The closest tube station is Notting
Hill Gate, which is only 1 min walk. The tube
station is at a junction across Central line
(red line) and Circle & District line (yellow
and green respectively), west of tube map.
Alternatively, you can take bus 94 which goes
from Piccadilly Circus, a 24 hour service bus. |
| Travelling fees: |
Travelling in London is quite expensive.
A one day travel card may burn a £5.50 hole
in your pocket. Each single bus journey cost
£1.50 nowadays; it’s hard living in London.
If you’re staying in London for a while then
maybe it’s wise to get an ‘Octopus’ like the
ones you get in Hong Kong. Octopus cost £3
deposit, and you just put as much money in
it as possible, then just return to retrieve
the full amount plus deposit when you leave,
simple as that, you can get it straight away
at any tube station. Single bus fare is £1
with Octopus. It also won’t charge you more
than £5.50 if you go over for the day. |
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