Visiting my Former Home in London

London is one of my favorite cities, having lived there for a bit just over a decade ago.  I arrived in London on September 4, 2001 (yup, just a week before 9/11), and experienced a fleeting moment of panic on the plane when the magnitude of my decision to travel abroad finally set in.  My anxiety began to subside when I entered our lovely flat, centrally located in London’s Soho Square, home to the famous Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, the original Soho House, and our old local, The Three Greyhounds. Who knew it would be a decade before I finally returned?!

Visiting my old neighborhood…

Tottenham Court Road, my former Tube stop.

Soho Square, my former home.

Ronnie Scott’s jazz club.

Michelle and I at our old local, The Three Greyhounds.  Michelle and I lived in London together in 2001.  She recently moved back and it was great to visit our old haunts with a familiar face.

Exploring new neighborhoods…

On this trip, I stayed in Michelle’s flat on the border of Chelsea and South Kensington.  It was a neighborhood I’d never really explored when I lived there – residential, upscale and home to many quaint restaurants and shops.  Directly across from the flat was Lennox Gardens, pictured below.

Brunch at PJ’s in Chelsea.  Incredible Bloody Marys and bacon encrusted French toast.

Shopping at Portobello Market.  I still can’t believe I never visited Portobello Market when I lived in London.

Frozen yogurt at Bee Me on Portobello Road.

Thai dinner at Patara in Knightsbridge.  Yum!

Picturesque pastel-colored houses in Chelsea.

The best cure for a hangover?  Greasy food at Byron Burger in Chelsea.  That burger was amazing.

Would you believe this was my first time riding one of the iconic red buses?!

No weekend in London would be complete without a trip to Harrod’s.

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