Let me know if you want advice on where to start flat-hunting!

Quoting from Seska in Bitches. I brought it in here 'cause it's a wee bit easier, and I'm assuming Seska reads this thread...

And I say - I will take all and every bit of advice you can give. We've been looking at Gumtree for places, but there's so many boroughs, and I don't know which ones are good! We've got friends in Putney and Camden, and some in East London, but I guess I won't know what places are like until I get over there. To sum up - eep!

I will take all and every bit of advice you can give. We've been looking at Gumtree for places, but there's so many boroughs, and I don't know which ones are good! We've got friends in Putney and Camden, and some in East London, but I guess I won't know what places are like until I get over there. To sum up - eep!

OK - I am a lifelong Londoner and have lived in a number of boroughs, so I can offer a bit of help, although of course it's skewed towards my own preferences...

I grew up in the outer suburbs, mainly Enfield - [link] . Dull dull dull. Unless you're moving right out into commuter land, i.e. out to Kent or Hertfordshire, which have some lovely areas, then I suggest not bothering with the real suburbs. There's more than enough city to be getting along with.

Areas that are expensive, but accordingly very nice, include much of North West London: Hampstead [link] , Islington [link] (which has some slightly scary parts very close to some beautiful parts - my g/f moved out of there when homophobic attacks started happening on the Holloway side - but the Islington proper side is gorgeous) etc. Some of these places are quite dull, e.g. I'd never actually live in Hampstead, as it's full of private school kids and utterly enormous houses that freak me out. Camden [link] , where we live now, is much more varied and interesting. Again, there are good parts and bad, all side-by-side, but it's a fun borough with some interesting stuff going on (you must visit Camden market once for the experience, and the live music scene in Camden Town and Kentish Town is just fantastic). I've also lived in the Finchley Road/Kilburn area [link] just down the road, which isn't bad.

Then there's North East London. Some parts of the NE are worth avoiding - Tottenham, Dalston come to mind - not particularly safe (although I know people who disagree, and say these are some of the more interesting parts of London). Around Hackney you've got some fun areas, including Stoke Newington [link] and Clapton [link] , which have some parts that are worth checking out.

However, north of the river is usually a lot more expensive than south of it, and I personally prefer South London to North - I was dragged up here because my g/f likes it, more than anything. I lived in Battersea [link] for years and loved it - on your doorstep you've got a huge park, the delightful Clapham and Balham with their bars and restaurants, and you're right on the river with Chelsea just over the bridge. It's awesome. There's a lot of other interesting places down South, too, from the lovely Putney (continued...)

( continues...) [link] and Barnes, where you can find places right on the river, out to Richmond [link] and Wimbledon (deep into SW London, but worth the commute if you like the area - I loved living in Richmond, which again is right by the river and has pubs on the waterfront).

In short, there's a lot of options! It totally depends what kind of area you like. Visit lots of estate agents in the areas you're thinking about, explore the places thoroughly, and you'll find somewhere.

I should probably add (as prompted by The Girl) that there are other interesting areas that I have not mentioned here because I don't really know them - she mentions Finsbury Park, Manor House, Crouch End all as places worth looking at around Hackney that I've neglected to point out.

Thank you so much! That is ridiculously helpful. I've been looking at Richmond, as I have family out Kingston way, and it would be nice to be vaguely near them. Plus, close to Kew, which I love. The only reason I wouldn't is the commute time, but then, once you're on the Tube, nothing's that far, really.

Much like you and the GF, himself fancies north of the river and I fancy south. It'll be me looking at places and deciding though, so MWAHAHAHHAHAHAH...

The only reason I wouldn't is the commute time, but then, once you're on the Tube, nothing's that far, really.

If you're considering the south-west, but your other half likes the north, then I definitely recommend looking at Battersea, Clapham, and all those only-just-over-the-river areas. It's a good compromise between the two. You can get to Richmond really easily on the overground train from Clapham, but it's closer to the rest of the city than the more suburban part of SW London. It's not on the tube, like much that's south of the river, but don't let that put you off - the overground train links to useful tube lines very fast. Battersea Park station, for example, will get you to Victoria tube station in five to ten minutes, and the Victoria line goes up to NE London in less than half an hour. Worth considering!

I definitely recommend looking at Battersea, Clapham, and all those only-just-over-the-river areas.

This is pretty funny 'cause we've just spent the last fifteen minutes looking at places in Battersea. Thanks again for all the advice! I will probably be mining you again for info in the near future.

How's the flu treating you?

Yay! I'm a big fan of Battersea. Enjoy the flat hunting...

How's the flu treating you?

Tamiflu is a wonder-drug. I'm not better yet, but I can move, and my fever's gone down, and I'm spending significantly less time in the bathroom. I may yet survive. Heh.

Urgent: calling Fay!!

My SO is being sent to Malaysia for work this coming weekend and it turns out he has a 13-hour stopover in Bangkok, basically for the whole of Monday. We need some advice - what can he do, where can he go? He's travelling with a colleague, and they'll probably both be jetlagged and ragged, but it would be a shame not to do anything, wouldn't it?

Thanks in advance!

Ooh! I shall be in Cambodia then, insh'allah, but, hmm. If they can manage it, I would absolutely recommend trying to get to Siam Niramit, as it is visually stunning and gives a rather fabulous overview of Thai history, culture & beliefs in a very accessible and enormously entertaining way. (Plus, the price of the ticket includes an acceptable all-you-can-eat buffet.) But that will depend on what time they're there - it's an evening thing, obviously.

An alternative location for the evening would be Suan Lum Night Bazaar, in Lumpini, just round the corner from where I live, which includes a nice foodcourt and cocktail bar and is wall-to-wall shopping fabulousness. Possibly not their cup of tea, though? But I love the living hell out of it.

Night time is fabulous for taking cocktails at the Vertigo Moon Bar, which is a spectacular open-air bar/restaurant on the roof of the vast Banyan Tree Hotel. One can sit sipping mojitos and looking out across the glittering cityscape in style - always fun.

Needless to say, they can watch women sticking cigarettes, razors, bottles, pingpong balls and God knows what up their ladygardens in Patpong, which is also v. close to where I live. Patpong is also good for buying pirate DVDs & suchlike, but they absolutely will be approached by touts trying to lure them into various bars and clubs and suchlike for sleaze.

Daytime touristy sites very well worth seeing - The Grand Palace and Wat Po springs to mind as the most obvious Not-To-Be-Missed location. (Also rife with scam artists, of course, who will try to convince them that the palace is closed for prayers, or for a special festival, and that what they really want to do is get into their tuk-tuk and go visit a load of jewellery shops that have very special discounts just for them. These people should be glowered at and stomped past, for they lie like lying dogs that lie. But once you're inside, everything's rosy, and the official tour guides are lovely.)

The Blue Elephant is a terrific place for truly elegant, delicious and utterly luxurious luncheon, and all you have to do is get on the Sky Train and get off at Surasak Station. Probably the easiest place one could possibly find.

Actually, this is a pretty good suggestion for a one-day Bangkokfest.