moonrising's Qype reviews
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70 Finsbury Pavement, Moorgate, London EC2A 1AT
moonrising
wrote on 1 May 2008
A large branch of Marks and Sparks, with food hall downstairs (usual amazing range of salads) and 3 floors of clothes above. My favourite thing about this store is the huge lingerie section. They do massive ranges of bras for any purpose: sports, under t-shirt, nursing, maximiser or minimiser, or just looking nice. I always find what I need: not the cheapest, but good value for something that can last for years.
They are also useful for public loos, though they do let the side down a bit… halfway down the stairs and so tiny that the seat gets covered in water from the sink. And in spite of their being a disabled symbol along the sing pointing to the loos there’s no sign of a disabled loo: I think that sign is actually pointing to the disabled refuge area on the stairs…
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74 Finsbury Pavement, London EC2A 1AT
moonrising
wrote on 1 May 2008
Great sushi shop. It might not have the fun factor of Yo Sushi (no conveyor belts…), but it’s a lot cheaper, and has a better range I think. Here you’ll find lots of 2 for £1.50 deals, and whole plates of food for a fiver. The one’s I’ve tried have been very tasty too. They also do hot food, though I’ve not tried that myself! Staff are friendly and smiley.
A great place to pick up a tasty takeaway!
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14 - 20 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4TW
moonrising
wrote on 1 May 2008
Computer superstore with a big range of software, hardware, peripherals, stationary etc. They are not always the cheapest: for example I buy ink for my ancient printer a lot cheaper on the web. But there are bargains to be had in software about to be upgraded or ex-display hardware.
This store also runs a repair shop which has helped me before now. I’ve also found staff here to be good at giving advice, for example instructions on how to install new parts myself. One time I may have been sold the wrong part, but when it failed they refunded me no problem, even though I was slightly over the guarantee by that time.
So, not always the cheapest, but dependable.
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London EC2Y 8DA
moonrising
wrote on 15 November 2007
Most people have heard of the Barbican Centre, but you might not realise it’s part of a larger housing development with 2,018 flats, built over a large area of land where most of the old building were destroyed in the blitz. The Barbican as a whole is a remarkable example of modern architecture. From the outside it’s not always easy to get in. You can easily walk past without seeing an entrance. You can even walk underneath: Beech Street passes through a great underpass underneath Barbican. The secret is that you get around within the Barbican via ‘high walks’, pedestrian walkways a storey up. That means to get in you have to go up! Find a stairwell or escalators and make your way in.
Inside is a landscape of open courts, towers and criss-crossing high walks. In some of the gaps are surviving older buildings, such as a church or parts of London’s ancient city walls. In others are gardens. It’s these gardens which are the really surprising feature of Barbican, giving a great feeling of space for such a densely populated development.
You’d do worse than to start off at the Barbican Centre or Library, which overlook Barbican’s most stunning vista. A huge rectangular courtyard, surrounded by piled, balconied apartments, dripping with plants, overlooked by walkways. Up the middle runs a great slash of a lake. At one end a great cataract, appearing seemingly from nowhere, plunges into the lake. It’s dramatic, and unexpected in the middle of London. On the lake itself there are fountains and strange almost-islands on piers where you can sit surrounded by water.
Take a wander and find more of Barbican’s hidden secrets, though you should be prepared to be foiled by locked doors: some areas are for residents only. It’s best to visit on a bright sunny day: though at night it’s still dramatic with its soaring towers, in the evening the gardens at the Barbican are dark, and the fountains and cataract are turned off.
M Smith @muskadash – believe it or not, there’s a breed of people who adore Brutalist architecture, not just in an academic or architectural sense, but because they actually find it very pleasing to the eye and relaxing to be in.
These people believe that good architecture isn’t about pretty facades or rustic brickwork, but about more important things like shape, space, light, layout, function, community and shared space. (I’m one of them – can you guess?)
Anyway – love it or hate it, there’s one thing you can’t argue with: the market. Apartments here are some of the most sought-after and expensive you can find in London…
14 September 2011
Deena Caunt I like Brutalist , it always seems unpretentious and – more " Real " than other places .
18 September 2011
bluesofty I saw this several times on my inward journey!! Know the area very well indeed….get all my undies at M and S, per una bras are great!! I took mine off half way home last night! Ssssh!
12 September 2008