One could easily spend an entire afternoon at Covent Gardens, with its manifold shopping opportunities, numerous cafes, a wine bar featuring live entertainment, lingering street musicians, the marvelous London Transport and Theatre Museums and of course the newly renovated Royal Opera House. As far as shopping is concerned, timing keys your pleasure here. During the week much of the garden and, in particular, the Jubilee Market towards the Strand, sells somewhat cheap merchandise geared heavily toward tourists. Mondays are an exception, as antiques replace T-shirts; and on the weekends shopping improves vastly, with crafts, fine leather, paintings, sculpture and other such merchandise occupying store shelves.
Expect the best street entertainers in England and hardly a car in sight. Chinese classical musicians set up on King Street. Mimes and unicycle riders swarm the Piazza. Down in the sunken court, classical and popular musicians from London's exceptional music schools play and sing everything from Bach to the Beatles. Enjoy a large selection of food, wine, beer or coffee at an open-air table where you can watch such talent for hours. Plan to spend at least a half a day here without a visit to the transport and theater museums.
While the area's been in and out of fashion more often than bell bottoms, there's no question that it's been one of the best and most affordable visitor's venues in London since the renovation of 1980 -- and that's not including the wonderful and historic St. Paul's Church and the other surrounding attractions.
Savvy
visitors are finding out what native New Yorkers already know: You don’t
have to spend a fortune to enjoy New York. The city is bursting with
hundreds of no-cost and low-cost pleasures that include concerts, plays,
museum exhibitions and tours throughout all five boroughs......more
Swissotel Chicago Hotel compares well with the 209 hotels in the city. An
excellent location. Delight in unrecorded piano Monday - Friday. In Chicago,
Overlooking Lake Michigan Swissotel Chicago can be found at 323 E. Wacker
Dr. Quaint and comfortable guestrooms .... more
