citylikeyou — Number 9 Bus — London by Constantin Bjerke

London / Transport

The number 9 bus is the last of London’s old Routemasters. It’s a reminder of how far London has come over the years both in technology and design. The route itself is also one of the Heritage routes going past all of London’s key attractions such as Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park Corner and the Royal Albert Hall and the buses are still run by a traditional conductor which is fun and keeps things personal. It is a quintessential London journey.

Address
Number 9 Bus, London, United Kingdom

Publisher

Current city: London

crane.tv

Media Entrepreneur Constantin Bjerke is the Founder and CEO of Crane.tv a story-telling company, which in 2011 was named a “top ten European start-up to watch in 2011” by the Wall Street Journal. Crane.tv is re-inventing cultural publishing as the first online video magazine for contemporary culture, with content also syndicated to a wide array of sites including the Huffington Post, Wallpaper*, and the New York Times reaching an influential, world-wide audience.

More Places in London 471

London / Art

Barbican, a residential estate in central London, is known for its brutalist architecture, almost a social experiment on how to live in an estate. I love walking around this area looking at the geometric shapes, the contrasting public spaces and the use of materials. The term brutalist originates from the fresh word for ‘raw’, and concrete is typically used as one of the main materials.The Barbican centre located in the centre is an arts centre and the largest of its kind in Europe, and was opened in 1982. The centre is used for classic and contemporary concerts, teatre, film screenings and art exhibitions, and houses a library, restaurants, cafes and bars. The areas’ architecture really invites you to go on a photo safari as there are great angles and light everywhere.

London / Street Art

When I first took up photography I knew it was something I wanted to do but was unsure of what I wanted to take photos off. I started out by mainly photographing London's graffiti and street art. Graffiti isn’t tolerated in London as much as in other cities (such as Berlin or Lisbon) but it has a long history in the capital and if you know where to look there's a lot of it around. Some of the best street artists and graffiti writers in the world either live in or travel to London to use it as a canvas. It's not something I photograph so much anymore but I still admire those who do it. The risks involved and their dedication are truly remarkable. I always wish I had the balls and the talent to try it myself.

London / Shop

A station, a stop or two away from London sits a shop that is only open once or twice a year – its specialty are books but it also sells things.

London / Shop

Full of fine books, nice owner and his beautiful mellow dog. If you like digging for books on most subjects you can strike lucky here.

London / Attraction

The Greenwich Observatory with its green laser beam can transfigure any night sky. If you decide to cross the Thames via the foot tunnel, make sure you look out for the green ray. You can be on one side of the meridian in a minute, and cross to the other side on the next, without even realising it.