South Bank

South Bank was crazy busy that Saturday afternoon, but we wanted to check out the area. There was a political protest that blocked most of the bridge, so the traffic in the area was crazy. We made our way through the busy streets of the South Bank like fish going upstream. My nephew and little cousin wanted to go on the London Eye, but reservations were expensive and needed to be made in advance. We ended up attending a hip hop acrobatic show at the E4 Underbelly festival, which I'll get to later. There were many touristy destinations in the area, reminding me of the pier 39 waterfront area of San Francisco. We tried to get on a water taxi and wasted an hour of our lives, but that's just the way things go when it's crazy busy and the streets are packed - they take to the water. We strolled around, caught a show, ate gelato, watched the skateboarding and local live music before having dinner on the South Bank at a small restaurant. So much to check out and explore.

Every time we visit The South Bank there is something new to see. This time of year there is, until 5th January, the Twelve Days of Christmas Snowmen. Scattered around between Tower Bridge and London Bridge. Well worth a visit. https://walkingwiththesnowman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM_London_Bridge_Map.pdf

Wonderful downtown type vibe, long strip walkway right on the water with restaurants/bars/the London Eye/ arcades and other activities. Great for the whole family or a date night. Also pet friendly to walk your fur babies here.

Definitely worthwhile to take a day or a half a day to walk along the south bank from tower bridge to Westminster bridge. Marvel at some of London's most iconic landmarks, enjoy some of the restaurants, watch street performers, walk through Borough Market, see the crumbled ruin of Winchester Palace, visit the Southwark Cathedral. At South Bank, watch street performers, skaters, eat, shop.

While we were planning our trip to London there was one place that was constantly recommended and that place was no other than South Bank. We were not entirely sure what to expect nor what we were looking for. We stumbled upon South Bank while roaming the grand streets of London. It was mid afternoon on a weekday and yet everywhere we looked the city was bustling with activity. South Bank was no exception to this! South Bank appears to be the go to spot for street performers and buskers alike. We saw a few musicians and an incredibly talented contortionist. His banter was lacking but his act was actually rather impressive! We tipped him for the show and continued meandering about South Bank. There are beautiful views of bridges and London Eye. There are many shops and restaurants to occupy your evening. It truly seemed to be a wonderful spot for date night! Our only grievance was the sheer amount of officers on sight carrying heavy weaponry. It made us feel rather uncomfortable.

For me, there is no better place in London than the Southbank. The Southbank is teeming with some of London's coolest little restaurants, bars, theatres and cinemas (Bfi and Imax!). The Southbank is really easily accessible from Waterloo station and if you use this as your starting point you can walk along the length of the Southbank hitting all the necessary aforementioned places as well as a few top cultural high lights such as The Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and the wonderful Borough Market. As previously mentioned, the Bfi Cafe and Bfi Imax are along the Southbank. The Bfi Cafe is my favourite place to drink in London. The food is superb and although the drinks are a little expensive, it's worth sitting in there on an evening enjoying the buzz of the Southbank's workers and visitors. Walk further along and you'll hit the London Studios and a plethora of eateries, cafes and restaurants. The choice is tremendous from Greek to Japanese - it's all here! The view is always a plus too and as you walk along the Southbank you'll hit the Oxo Tower, you'll catch Big Ben and the houses of parliament and St. Paul's too. I always take strangers to London to the Southbank as it always seems like a great way to bed them into London life without taking them into the busiest parts of London. I highly recommend this area of London to natives or tourists. There's something for everyone on a night out or during the day, I never get tired of visiting London's Southbank...

It would have been interesting to experience the South Bank before all of the monolithic arts institutions were plopped down in all their brutalist glory. Rarely has concrete been so freely deployed as along this stretch. It has a warmth, sure, but little intrinsic value, and one could be forgiven for preferring to view the city from its shores to viewing it from the other. This now-popular promenade is actually quite lovely, if you can forget about the street performers who, like parasites, pop up at the least opportune times and ruin what could have been a good thing (Dylan and Marley covers do not necessarily always augment an experience). Just try ending a date to an insensitively mouthed rendition of Brown-Eyed Girl. For this reason I tend to be over there only when I've got a reason: a film at the BFI, a play at the Royal National Theatre, etc.

Walking along the Southbank is one of my absolute favourite things to do, and something I will always try and do with anyone who visits me here. The wide pavement means that it never feels too crowded, and there is nearly always a free bench to sit on if you fancy a break to take in the view. I'm not a such a fan of the London Eye end of the bank, which is inevitably always crowded with tourists, and prefer to start my walk from Embankment onwards. You'll pass by the Royal Festival Hall, the BfI, the NT, a skate park, Oxo Tower, the book fair, Gabriel's Wharf, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, Borough Market, and finally Shad Thames - all in about half an hour! And to top it off, if you look out to the other side of the river, you'll catch the House of Parliament, Somerset House and St.Pauls - amazing! Aside from the obvious sights, I like the bustle of Southbank on an evening, when work's finished and people take an evening stroll. In fact it is the perfect place for strolling, with many suitable cafe/bar stops too. It is also wonderful to walk along in the middle of the night, preferably with someone you love. It'll be amazingly quiet and the two of you will feel like it's simply you and London - lovely.

Who doesn't love South Bank on a balmy summer evening? I felt like I was on holiday as I wandered down South Bank towards Tate Modern. There is so much going on, so many people and so much to see that it was a pleasure to take it all in in my own time. There is something quite special about South Bank whether it's the memories made from the entertainers or the stalls that you find on South Bank at different times of the year. You will never be disappointed by what South Bank has to offer.

South Bank, I love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. I think. Maybe we can just be really good platonic friends? It was a beautiful day for walking, and on the other side of the river a marathon was happening. We started at the London Eye and were going to take the Waterloo line over to the other end, but being Sunday, it was closed. This turned out great since we ended up walking all along South Bank and seeing tons of cool places! Others have already listed the sights -- South Bank Skate Park, the National Theatre, the Tate, Millenium Bridge, a super neat solar panel array, the Globe, London Bridge, and so on. Photo ops and people-watching galore! I wanted to stop and look at books, but my sister reminded me, as I had instructed her to, "Books are heavy and hard to pack!" Definitely a place to visit again!

Ah yes London, I miss you! South Bank for those who are Londoners, is home to the London Eye (aka big ferris wheel), the Tate Modern, and another art venue which throws some fun parties. It is cute for some summer evening walks, and all, but perhaps a little touristy for the locals. There are also some outdoor cafes along there, as I recall. Also directly in front of the Tate is a footbridge which goes to the other side of the river, which is also quite nice.

I made the south bank walk a ritual that I repeated upon almost every visit to London. On this walk you'll pass everything from used books for sale, to interesting street performers, to the Tate Modern and eventually the Millennium Bridge. Well worth checking out this cross section of London.

I like taking photographs here, especially of the skate park. I spent most of my time in this area admiring the view and browsing in the museums. My favourite part is the book fair because its a relief from the spectacle on the promenade. What a variety of architecture.

On a warm spring or summer day there is nothing quite like South Bank to explore and enjoy. There's a lot to be seen - great views of the city, from the London Eye to Big Ben. There are a number of great restaurants, street performers and of course the South Bank Centre with all sorts of performances on. It's well worth a look.

South Bank is one of those places that gives me I'm-so-incredibly-lucky-to-live-in-this-city goosebumps. Best thing is, walking's free, and it's such a better experience than going on one of those expensive open air buses. Not only will you get to see some famous sites - Westminster, Big Ben, the Eye, the Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre and St Paul's to name a few - you can experience some of the lesser-known delights. Grab a pie at Pieminster, watch some street performers, browse the book stalls under Waterloo bridge, watch skaters at the skate park, and in summer see what different sand sculptures are being built along the river bank. Sit and read on one of the plentiful park benches or people watch. Great place to enjoy those rare London sunny days.

Anywhere on South Bank gets my vote. It's a bit quieter towards Barking than it is between London Bridge and Waterloo which can be quite refreshing. There's still enough going to to keep entertained, should you need it.