What tourists to London should actually see

Tourists seeking to understand life in London often come up short. It’s not their fault. It is often said that London is a metropolis made up of city villages, each with its own unique personality and characteristics. Most tourists never make it past the invisible walls of central London. Why would they? No one flies to London with thoughts of visiting Tooting or Deptford, though they should – Tooting has, without a doubt, the best curry restaurants in the city.

Many tourists return home without any idea of what it means to live in London. They’ve seen Buckingham Palace; they’ve mistaken Hamleys for Harrods and left with a twitchy eye and a three-day migraine; they’ve paid £23 for an infant-sized portion of fish and chips in Borough Market; they’ve watched a man finger his belly button on the Central line (admittedly, this is an authentic London experience); they’ve visited the Harry Potter shop and spent a small fortune on a life-sized stuffed Dobby; they’ve stood in a red phone booth and pretended not to smell the urine; they’ve had their phone snatched outside the American candy shop on Oxford Street by a balaclava-wearing bike thief (another authentic experience).