A winding side street that links hectic Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, Hanway Street, with its odd mix of old-style Spanish flamenco bars and second-hand vinyl stores, is a bit of an anomaly. I’ll be surprised if they all withstand the Tottenham Court Road redevelopment but I hope they do.

Although off the beaten track from the large national galleries, 198 is no less an important part of London’s artistic heritage. Developed during the social unrest in the Brixton area in the 1980s, 198 has grown from a community arts space into an exciting contemporary visual arts body that is often the first place to see the next rising star of the London art scene.

Fantastic selection of magazines ! 

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.

Leila McAlister's grocery shop and café off Arnold Circus, Shoreditch. You can find the best of everything, from jars of horseradish to eggs and croissants.