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Author Topic: What is London like in January? Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-18-2007 02:43 AM                        Interesting: I was in Boston for a few days just before Easter and didn't spot any roundabouts. Agreed that motorists tended to be more tolerant of pedestrians making mistakes, though. Could this be because the combination of Boston/Cambridge having a relatively good public transport system (I'd say it was the most extensive and most reliable of any US city I've visited, though I haven't been to New York or Washington DC) and the Big Dig putting major roads underground has encouraged more people to walk around the downtown area? The traffic signal conventions are still a major culture shock for me, though: in Britain, motorists must never go through a red light under any circumstances whatsoever, even if no-one is anywhere near the pedestrian crossing and there is no opposing traffic. Even if it's 5 in the morning on a deserted road, you've still got to stop. That's one of the few road traffic laws that drivers here actually tend to obey!  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-18-2007 06:48 AM                     The fact that Washington DC's mass transit is not 24-hours a day disqualifies it from being a truely useful system for the masses. It is primarily geared towards the 9-5 person working in DC...to which they charge a preminum for using it in peak times. For mass transit to really be effective...you can't worry about if you will catch the last train to get home. You should be able to come and go as you need. This peak fare thing also discourages people from using it when they should. If a private business is trying to encourage business, they lower rates, not raise them. The cheaper they make mass transit and if they had 24-hour service, the more people would use it. NYCs subway seems to get you anywhere at any time...in that respect, it is far better than DCs.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-18-2007 07:42 AM                        The MBTA is also not 24/7. Service is generally reliable, but the upkeep of the stations and trains/buses leaves much to be desired. They recently replaced tokens with fare cards (and increased fares shortly thereafter). The new fare card machines have what is probably the worst user interface that one might imagine. This was not an upgrade. There are some interesting historical points of interest on the MBTA, particularly the PCC cars that are still in use (well, they're out of service right now, but should be returning this summer) on the Mattpan extension of the Red Line. As much as the Washington Post likes to complain about the Metro in DC, I've always been impressed with the system. It runs on time, is clean and well maintained, and the stations are (generally) conveniently located. I agree that their fares are high and don't make sense (different charges by time of day and by distance traveled), but at least their fare card system seems to work well. NYC and London have significantly better public transportation systems than either Boston or DC (though I heard that they recently discontinued use of the standard London bus).  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 04-18-2007 08:13 AM                     quote: Scott Norwood NYC and London have significantly better public transportation systems than either Boston or DC (though I heard that they recently discontinued use of the standard London bus). That would be the Routemaster; they were built from 1954 to 1967, I think. web page with picture. They hadn't really been the standard for many years, as there were only a small number of them that were still operating on a few routes. There are actually a very small number still operating on two short routes for tourists. To be honest, it was time to phase out the last of them, a process which had been going on for a long time, I remember using one of the first replacements for them, the Daimler 'Fleetline' to get to school, in about 1971. The Fleetlines were all gone within a few years, but the Routemasters just carried on. That's the problem; the Routemaster was a very good 1950's bus, but the many different models which we have seen since have generally been mediocre to downright terrible 1970s to 2000s ones. What we really need is a very good modern bus.  |  IP: Logged Joel N. Weber II Expert Film Handler Posts: 115 From: Somerville, MA, USA Registered: Dec 2005 posted 04-19-2007 09:03 PM                     I'm not entirely convinced the new MBTA fare collection system is all that bad. I don't have to take anything out of my pocket as I'm going through the fare gates to board a train. (Unfortunately, the readers on the buses are mounted too high for that trick to work on the buses.) The fare restructuring has its ups and downs. Last year, I was paying $44/month for a subway pass; this year, I'm paying $59/mo for a ``link pass'' that covers the buses and the subways, and includes some of the farther subway stations that weren't covered by my old pass. On December 29 2006, I happened to be in Quincy, and someone was giving me a ride back to one of the nearest T stations, and we picked a station based on which one my pass was going to work at; under the new system that took effect a few days later, that wouldn't be a consideration. The other effect of the new fare structure is that, since I've already paid for it, I'm much more likely to catch a bus if I see one going in the same direction I'm walking. Digging three quarters, a nickle, and a dime out of my pocket generally seemed more annoying than walking another ten minutes. It seems to me that this sort of thing ought to increase ridership which ought to be able to justify more frequent service which ought to be able to further increase ridership. Another interesting thing to note is that for the pople who used to buy combo passes, the cost went down under the new system. People who commute by train + bus already have a longer commute than those who are lucky enough to be able to just take the train; why should those with the painful commute be further penalized by being required to pay extra? The Big Dig is relatively recent, and I doubt it's had much effect on pedestrian habits. But then again, I spend a lot more time in Cambridge/Somerville than Boston proper, and I'm not sure Cambridge/Somerville were directly affected by the big dig. If you start at the Alewife T station and drive down Alewife Brook Parkway in the general direction towards Harvard Square, you'll encounter at least two rotaries. But that's the only example of a rotaries that comes to mind that I can clearly place. I'm not sure it's pedestrian mistakes per se that drivers tolerate. I'm pretty sure there are some unwritten rules that everyone subconciously respects. One of the things I learned shortly after moving to Boston was how to use body language to tell drivers that I wasn't going to jaywalk in front of them (since often it seems far more efficient to just let the fast-moving vehicle keep going).  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-20-2007 03:10 AM                     quote: Caleb Johnstone-Cowan The Riverside Studios in Hammersmith is the best cinema in London, about £6 for double bills, can take alcohol in, and the programming is far more varied and interesting than anywhere else, although it was better a few years ago. I projected there for several months back in 1993. Great programming. Would imagine DVD has removed a lot of its audience though as it was mostly rep stuff we ran. Also worked at the Electric in Portobello Road, Notting Hill. I hear it's been tarted up since with lounge chairs and even a bar inside the theatre. The guys running it in 1993 were useless morons. It must have changed hands as they would never have had the brains to make it actually work.  |  IP: Logged Bernard Tonks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 619 From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England Registered: Apr 2001 posted 04-20-2007 11:52 AM                     John, I remember seeing your picture in a newspaper at the Electric operating a pair of Victoria 5's. Since then the cinema changed hands many times, and closed. I hear it is very succesful now, and does a lot of previews and premieres along with the first run releases. Seems strange that they removed the Vic 5's for a single Kinoton 35mm projector and Westrex Tower. It must be hard going for the projection staff without a 2nd machine with all the extra screenings. Back in 1970 I helped remove the old clapped out BTH projectors and install Simplex with RCA sound which I bought from Fox for £400, previously used in Sir Winston Churchill's private cinema at his Chartwell home. I also tried very hard to get the wall removed into the rewind room to improve the size of the projection room without success. http://www.electriccinema.co.uk/  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-21-2007 01:56 AM                        Getting back to my topic reagrding information I need regarding my trip to London next January, Is is true a room will cost about $350.00 a night at most hotels in the city? My hosts will be picking up the charges for three night of lodging but I am thinking about staying two extra nights and if rooms go for over three hundred dollars per day, it will cost me about $700.00 just for a room to sleep that extra time I will be in London. If this is true, London is truly a rip off city. Rooms here in Hawaii averages about $150.00 and even less at some Waikiki Hotel. Most four to five stars hotel here do charge over $350.00 but to have to pay a little over $300.00 for a standard hotel room is absurd. If a hotel room cost over $300.00, how much does a good meal cost in a average restaurant and how much are first run movies in good theatres? If I do have the time for a movie during my stay, How far away is the Riverside Theatre in Hammersmith from the hotel I will be staying? -Claude  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-21-2007 08:55 AM                        I don't know about the specific hotel in Hammersmith you mentioned, but a reasonable hotel room in Central (downtown - you won't see that word used in Britain) London can be had for £80-90 ($160-180) a night. For that sort of price you'll get a room with a perfectly reasonable bed, TV, en suite shower and loo, within 20-30 minutes' walk of all the main central business district and tourist locations. For the $350 (£170-80) a night mark, I'd expect lots of extras. I've never stayed in rooms at that sort of price so I wouldn't know exactly what to expect, but things I might expect would include a location right in the heart of the city (e.g. just off Charing Cross Road rather than in Bloomsbury), air conditioning, car parking, inclusive meals etc. If you want to extend your stay on a budget, looking 5-10 miles out into the suburbs might save you a bit of money. My mother lives in Wimbledon (9 miles south-west of Trafalgar Square), and while she was in the process of moving house 6 years ago I stayed in a hotel there for one night for £52 ($105 ish). Prices will have gone up a bit since then but I'd guess that you could find a perfectly decent room for not too much more than $100 if you're prepared to look around online. If you stick to the south or south-west of the city, you'll be with in easy reach of Heathrow, and it's only 40-50 minutes on the tube to the city centre. All that having been said, I'm afraid to say that 'ripoff Britain' is a reality, and with the £1=$2 barrier just having been busted, the cost of living here must now be a major disincentive for people who earn their salary in dollars to visit the UK on vacation. It is possible to keep the cost of eating, traveling and seeing interesting stuff in London reasonably sane, but it needs planning and thinking about in advance - which, of course, is exactly what you don't want to have to be worrying about when you're on a break.  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 04-21-2007 07:54 PM                     quote: John Wilson Would imagine DVD has removed a lot of its audience though as it was mostly rep stuff we ran. Think its still rep but has moved more into second-run as opposed to 'classics'. I've seen it rammed for Kurosawa, but dead for other stuff. The Electric seems like a nice cinema, but I'm always wary of places like it. They always appear to be holier than thou as do the patrons. Also for the about same price I can get my Unlimited Card which is as many films as I want in a month, or I can go to the Empire which is another league in terms of presentation. From the Novotel the Riverside Studios is 5-10mins walk. I'd give you precise directions but have no idea which road the entrance to the hotel is on. In London a first run film will range from $12 in the suburbs to $36 for the best seats at Odeon Leicester Square. With restaurants you can pay a few pounds, or thousands. I've had very good meals with drink for $50 a head. I reckon you should be able to get an decent but basic hotel for $150 a night. Or less, for example: Travelodge Covent Garden It's a very good location.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 06-29-2007 01:49 AM                        When I asked my hosts if anyone will be coming for me when I arrive in London in January, the answer was 'No'. They told me it will be easy if I used the subway or a cab. I must admit I am not too happy with the idea if toting a suitcase, garment bag and my laptop computer case on a subway or a cab in a foreign city I know nothing about and using a monetary system I am not accustomed. I am afraid if I cannot get them to agree that I should be met and receive a send off when it is time to leave, I am thinking about canceling the trip and stay home. By the way, how much will the cab fare be to the Novotel at Hammersmith from the airport? -Claude  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 06-29-2007 05:20 AM                        I would say about £230-250.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 06-29-2007 05:53 AM                     Claude, I don't know what the cab fare would be, because I never use them. It's not a great distance, Multimap says it's 18.33km (11.39 miles) by road. I would have thought that would probably be something like twenty pounds or so by cab. It's not a difficult juurney by Underground; the airport has two stations, terminals 1,2 and 3 are grouped around one, and terminal 4 has its own. At the other end the Hotel is close to Hammersmith station, and the trains run directly between them, so you wouldn't have to change. Obviously, being loaded down with luggage does make any walking a disadvantage though. I can't help, because I live a long way from that area, and don't have a car, but I wonder if there's a member who lives anywhere near that could give you a lift. It would be a shame to miss the trip just because they can't send a car to meet you. Because of the luggage, I think I would probably opt for the cab option if I was doing it. If there was no luggage involved, then I would take the Underground. Forget the train, Heathrow Express is a very expensive fast train to London Paddington, and Heathrow Connect is a cheaper, stopping service, but neither will get you to Hammersmith. Once you've got to the hotel, and don't have the luggage, then London's an easy city to get around by public transport, and there's plenty of information readily available.  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-29-2007 11:01 AM                     London is one of the easiest cities in the world to get around in. Just do your research. Piccadilly Line 30-minutes 16.40 Pounds for the 3-day pass or: $32.84 US http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ For packing tips: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/packlight.htm  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-29-2007 03:14 PM                        It is without luggage. I agree with Stephen on getting from Heathrow to the hotel, though. Even I - a reasonably fit 34 year-old - would have second thoughts about hauling a fortnight's stay's worth of luggage down the Piccadilly Line, especially during or close to a rush hour. London might be relatively well served by public transport, but it's effin' expensive, IMHO. During a mad fortnight in April, I made three work trips in succession. The cost of local rail transport in the three cities I visited was as follows: Boston Logan Airport to New England Medical Center on the 'T' = $2.00 (about £1). Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station = 3 euros 60 (around £2). No. 2 tram from Centraal to Emmastraat = 1 euro 60 (around £1). London City Airport to Russell Square = £4 Four times as expensive as Boston, and about a third more expensive than Amsterdam for a typical airport-to-hotel journey. As I only had one suitcase and hand carry-on per trip (the longest, to Boston, was four days) I did use public transport. If I'd had a fortnight's worth of stuff (two suitcases, basically) I suspect I would have just eaten the cost and gone for a cab.  |  IP: Logged

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