Tired of writing. Too much drawing to do. Only doing surveys for a while. See you sometime!
Tired of writing. Too much drawing to do. Only doing surveys for a while. See you sometime!
Member since:19.08.2001
Reviews:47
Members who trust:24
I have to add my two penn'orth on this one! As a young teenager, I hung around with a gang of kids who were all into Mod styles (I often wondered why they mocked my quiff!) and so Carnaby Street was THE place to be seen. Apparently.
Personally, I couldn't make the leap of imagination from the hype from yesteryear, when Carnaby Street was 'swinging', to the mid-80s, when it just sucked. And I don't think it's improved since, either.
Sometimes I wonder if the hype WAS only hype - perhaps the place was never really that hip.
There's the usual London tourist junk: wacky t-shirts, mugs, badges, big hats. But expect to pay a premium on things that you'll find in tatty shops all over the capital.
There's not even really a scene, as far as I can tell; you don't see as many teenagers 'hanging around', just shoppers walking up and down. Nobody looks like they're having a great time, and I can't blame them.
I have on occasion used the toilets at the top end (near Liberty), which were in reasonable condition - and public loos are a rare commodity these days. But rumour has it that these have now been closed so don't blame me if you go searching for them to find them all locked up!!!
Oh, for those of you that can't find it, the easiest thing is to come out of Oxford Circus tube and walk down Argyll Street. Carnaby Street is then just to the left of Liberty (a usefully recognisable landmark with its Tudor facade).
I'm struggling to find something to recommend the place. You'd be much better off walking 5/10 minutes round the corner to Soho - there's all the touristy stuff on Oxford Street itself, and in Soho you can visit the slightly more groovy shops (cheap record shop - Selectadisc) and the mostly fruit&veg market.
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Been there...noticed some interesting shops, but you are right when you say no-one hangs around. More like getting out as fast as they can!
lins6 11.10.2001 22:15
Another very interesting and well written op Faith.(I know I'm your mum and all that but I really do think so).You really made me think about the hype,because when I visited london with my grandma in the 60's we did have Carnaby street on our agenda and I can't say i remember anything very much.Later on i recall stuff about the NME offices being there and there have always been fab and groovy places nearby.lins6 xxx
HappyBunny 29.08.2001 19:22
I have to agree. I lived in London for 6 years and went to Carnaby St on a few occasions. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to it's 60's reputation anymore. Better off in Soho - much more interesting.
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Advantages: Shops for everything, trendy to the extreme and generally fab! Dig that swinging vibe etc... Disadvantages: A few tacky souvenir stores, and some of the shops are expensive (you gotta pay to look good, baby)
ClangerWrangler 11.08.2001 (13.08.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Carnaby Street, London
Advantages: Shops for everything, trendy to the extreme and generally fab! Dig that swinging vibe etc... Disadvantages: A few tacky souvenir stores, and some of the shops are expensive (you gotta pay to look good, baby)
ClangerWrangler 11.08.2001 (13.08.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Carnaby Street, London
Aug 29th, 2001
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