London represents a key travel location visited by many enthusiasts each year. It is also one of the most important cities in the world when it comes to the business world. However, most people visiting London for the first time are only aware of a few popular travel sights such as Big Ben, the London Eye, and, of course, Hyde Park.
However, London is a lot more than just the popular landmarks mentioned above. If you take the less beaten path and start emerging yourself in the English culture and the local communities, you will be able to discover a handful of unique places that must be visited while being there. We will cover three such places in this article.
God’s Own Junkyard
When talking about neon signs you might first think about the extravagant Las Vegas or some classic venues from the ’30s. London will never be your first thought. However, the city shows a passion for the classic neon signs that anybody can visit at God’s Own Junkyard gallery. The place provides visitors with a psychedelic experience and the ability to explore the depths of the neon world.
Located in East London in an industrial site, the gallery offers quite a unique and colorful experience. You can see anything from Soho signs to materials used in professional shoots and to classic English pub signs. The gallery also features a coffee place, The Rolling Scones Café in case you want to take a break and internalize everything. God’s Own Junkyard is opened every weekend with a free entrance, making this experience available to everybody.
Hippodrome Casino
London is famous around the world for many things but, gambling is not necessarily one of them. If you want to gamble you can go to the classics like Las Vegas and Macau. However, while you are in London you should still check out the Hippodrome Casino as this place it’s not just about gambling.
Situated in Leicester Square, this casino represents the go-to place for English gambling enthusiasts for more than 100 years. The venue features a 180-seat theatre that’s constantly featuring outstanding jazz, soul, cabaret and burlesque shows. You can also take a break at one of the 6 bars located on the premise of the casino or, to enjoy a good meal at the Heliot Steak House.
If you want to have a fully-immersive “Hippodrome experience” you can always try the casino tables. You can explore three floors full of casino games featuring something for anybody. Many of the games, such as the slots are reminiscent of the classic-looking games found in online casinos like Gametwist online.
Such online casinos can provide an entertaining experience close to the one you can find in the Hippodrome Casino. Whereas in the Hippodrome you have three floors full of gambling, online you have a library featuring hundreds of different games. The casino is a place worth visiting regardless if you want to gamble, enjoy a live jazz performance or to simply eat a great steak.
The Twinings Store
We’re all well aware that there’s a strong connection between Brits and tea, right? Tea is, of course, a well-recognized English symbol. This passion for tea can be understood by exploring the story of Twinings, which can be easily accomplished by visiting the 300-year-old Twinings tea store.
Twinings represents one of the first tea merchants that has been providing UK’s royal households with beverages for centuries. The Twinings Café located on the Strand first opened in 1706. Although many changed since then, people can still explore its story while enjoying a good cup of tea over at the store.
Conclusion
London has many landmarks recognized all around the world. They represent the first go-to locations for tourists. As great as these places might be, there’s still an unexplored English culture that many travelers miss out on. For that reason, everybody should visit the three places mentioned above at least once while being in London.
