The Nightingale is the antithesis of the hundreds of soulless gastropubs that a lot of decent pubs have recently become and remains everything a proper pub should be. Britain's pubs haven't had it easy lately. The smoking ban and the general effects of the recession have hammered the industry hard. The Nightingale continues to be what it has always been, a proper pub at the heart of the local community. Its annual charity walk has raised nearly £500,000 for good causes in over 30 years and it seems determined to do the things a pub should do and do them properly. Once inside you feel like you could be in a country pub instead of in the middle of South London. There's no jukebox and the TV is hardly ever on, but there’s a great atmosphere with a good set of locals and good drink and food. Bliss.

One of the few newsagents in London with the widest selection of specialist international fashion, media, art and design magazines. Just off Portobello Road.

Regeneration or gentrification? Having been living in and around Brixton for almost two decades, I'm not the only one witnessing its gradual transformation. Right now, Brixton offers an intriguing mix of Jamaican and British culture like nowhere else.

Beautiful gallery just off Bermondsey St, I've never been disappointed by what I've seen at White Cube

Specialising in photography & fashion books and magazines, this independent shop can be a goldmine for rare and out of print books. Also if you’re lucky you’ll meet Otis, the lovely pug-cross resident.