Key community arts centre, near to Shoreditch High St station. The cinema is handy and the music programming is solid, but they also host a variety of other interesting nights, most notably Jawdance, London’s (arguably) best spoken word night

A go to spot for me that is close to home! Place image not by me

Designed by Wells Coates, the Isokon Building opened in 1934 and was the first apartment block to be built using reinforced concrete. The Isokon Gallery is open at weekends telling the story of the Isokon building, the pioneering modern apartment block as an experiment in new ways of urban living.

The gallery was extended into a neighbouring Victorian House space about a year and a half ago, with a real skill in judging the meeting point between the contemporary and the conserved. The architects — 6a — were also responsible for Raven Row near Spitalfields (another favourite place). I'm lucky enough to work part of the week next door, at Camberwell College of Arts. This is about great food and good books. The café — a real haven at breakfast time before work — is run by the nicest team of people, with intertwined relationships to Camberwell. This book, designed by James Langdon, represents the kind of find possible in the bookshop and also the quality of conversation content had, over the best coffee.

I love living in cities with a river and the Thames is so wide! It is one of my favorite things about London.