London is a city of extremes, where heroes, hackers, tech-preneurs, and tastemakers all live together. British Prime Minister Theresa May called London “an extraordinary city of extraordinary people.” In London, symbols of history, culture, and modernity all over the world are crowded together for room. Like Jimi Hendrix and George Frideric Handel, who lived next door to each other at 25 Brook Street, W1, which is now a museum, but 300 years apart.

When to Visit
Outside ice rinks, winter food markets and classical music can all be found in the autumn. The city is a good place to visit any time of the year because the weather is mild. But if some of the places on your dream list are very British, you might want to wait until later in the spring. During the Easter holidays, people wait in lines that go on for miles to see the world’s biggest cut diamond, which is set in the Crown Jewels. From July to early September, it’s warm enough to go to outdoor movies, carnivals, music, festivals, park picnics, and sports games. Take a cover with you. 
Happy Birthday, Abuzz As part of the 100th anniversary celebrations for the suffragettes, the Museum of London opens up its archives for a year of events and displays from April to August. Don’t miss the Notting Hill Carnival in August. For more than 50 years, it has been partying through the streets of West London with Caribbean food, fashion, and music. In the meantime, London’s social schedule has events at Shakespeare’s Globe every April to honor the world’s most famous playwright’s birthday.

So many people like What to Eat’s Korean bao buns that they’ve hit a peak. Olive oil and tomato cooked egg dish Shakshuka from the Middle East has become popular since Ottolenghi’s work. Also, British people love bland food, like scones and fish and chips. Fish caught in a way that doesn’t harm the environment is now served with truffle mayonnaise and minty mashed peas. Look for a real “chippy” for a more real taste. In a standard hotel or tea shop, you can have High Tea with scones (with jam and cream), finger sandwiches, and cream cakes. 
Something to Bring Back
No more black car key rings. Instead, remember day trips to theatre land, royal parks, and castles with a black-and-white print of landmarks from a small gift shop like We Built This City, Carnaby. You can get the alternative travel magazine Cereal and its cool London Guide with personal writings about the city in Shoreditch’s indie MagCultures. You can also take home a copy of Time Out, the free guide to what’s on, to remind you of a time and a place.