London Bloggers Divulge Local Secrets

Locals like to guard their hometown’s hidden gems from the masses with fiery industry, especially in a colossal tourist destination like London. But lucky for travelers, the Guardian recently convinced ten of the city’s most in-the-know bloggers to reveal one each of their best secrets, from a cafe with a gangster’s past to a haven for “jive enthusiasts.”

These sights have officially been bookmarked for our next jaunt across the pond:

• A series of mosaics that chronicle Alfred Hitchcock’s life, both personal and cinematic, installed at Leytonstone tube station, via London Underground tube blog
• Homemade gelato (need we say more?!?) at Hackney City Farm, via London is Free
• Rivoli Ballroom, one of London’s two remaining ballrooms—complete with red velvet-padded walls, chandeliers, and Chinese lanterns—and site of a hush-hush White Stripes concert last summer, via Gridskipper

Read more over at the Guardian, and tell us in the comments section which lesser-known London sights you think merit a visit.

Photo: The Birds Mosaic at Leytonstone London Underground, by Annie Mole

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