The AA is Britain's oldest school of architecture, but anyone can take advangte of the great work going on there. You can catch really interesting public lectures and free exhibitions throughout the year. There are also occasional installations and event launches, a bijoux cafe and brilliant bookshop. A great place to hang out with the builders of the future.

An intimate live music venue in Dalston with lots of underground and experimental music you won't find anywhere else in London.

This may not be much of a secret but deserves a mention. I find it hard to go anywhere near this place without having to go there. Freshly baked Beigels hot salt beef and it never closes, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

There are very few better places to be on a summer's day than the massive beer garden at People’s Park Tavern on Victoria Park

I’ve always been very fond of the ICA and its maverick spirit, less so in the latter part of this decade. These days the place is magnetic. To feel this incredible and unique place for arts and expression, breathing, breathing invigoratively, is rewarding to a London dweller or/and visitor. Its incredible transformation, revived from near death by Stefan Kalmár, is felt as soon as you enter the space, it feels open and alive, with vibrant and human energy in staff and visitors; risky, independent, engaging, resounding, and topical to our times programming, which is focused on breaking barriers in imagination an intellect rather than visitor record numbers. It is a breath of fresh air and an example what London art institutions are capable of if they open themselves to welcoming in an outsider and their passionate vision. And they have the best membership in town!