The Barbican is worth visiting for it's brutalist architecture alone. The concert programming is really diverse; it's home to the BBC Syphony Orchestra, but you'll also find bands like the Dirty Projectors and the National amongst the classical and contemporary composer line up. Plenty of art, dance and theatre too, however, the Conservatory is the real gem that's not to be missed.

My favourite library when I was a student, I still love to wander and look up to its Renaissance sculptures. 

I worked at the Barbican for several years and during that time became very fond of its architecture. One of my favourite spaces within the centre is the conservatory, a giant tropical garden in the middle of a concrete city.

The Premises is cozy café attached to a recording studio in Hackney (frequented by Nina Simone, Al Green and Jarvis Cocker over the years.) Lovely people serve up tasty breakfasts and Turkish food in the evening.

There is a rather beautiful faded glory to these mythical creatures, which flank the steps guarding the ruins of the Italian Terraces in front of the former Crystal Palace, which dramatically burnt down in 1936.