The Knowhere Guide

Best and Worst in Hammersmith, Greater London*

Hammersmith, Greater London Triumphs and Tragedies

Favourite Building

• What is going on with the old building in Shepherds Bush - i think it was the venue for the Olympics many moons ago - it is a huge eyesaw. Right across the road from the recently re-furbished shopping centre.
• the empress state building is under redevelopement it is on lillie road i would like to know what it is going to be.andy
• The Ark (yes, that '70s monstrosity that gets a great big slagging off elsewhere). It's actually rather fabulous, especially if you have the chance to look inside.
• North End Road Dixons
• The lyric theatre
• St Peters Square in Hammersmith - a real surprise.
• King Henry's Reach on the river. Beautiful (and expensive) apartments!

Demolish It Now Building

• Hammersmith is a shabby place all-round.
• The Town Hall
• Not exactly a building, but every single road should be turfed over and planted with shaded walkways. That would stop Hammersmith from feeling like an enormous roundabout.
• The Ark.
• The town hall and ALL the towr blocks The Conservatives published a glossy booklet in the mid 1980s called "Action for Cities"Ever since various other plans have been proposed but nuthin beats gelegnite!
• Well, happilly they are refurbishing the nasty concrete shopping centre at Shepherd's Bush Green, hopefully they will also remove that naff flyover shaped like an intercity train. While they are at it how about doing something about the rusting Sheep and Bushes on the roundabout subways!
• Kings Mall is ugly as sin.
• The huge star-destroyer-shaped Seagram building next to the flyover. Those horrible 1970s brown smoked windows. Eugh!
• The whole of the North End Road and all of Sands End.

The Best Things

• I hope this is the right place! We have bought the old Fire Station next the the Palais. We are converting it to provide affordable flats on the upper floors. But downstairs we will be making a new Bar/Restaurant. As this is a Listed Building we are on the look out for an operator who will respect the building but also appeal to local people. Suggestions for cool operators would be very welcome. It cant be a noisy venue though because of the residents above! Please send any sugestions to Jason.Grant@eu.joneslanglasalle.com. Many thanks guys.
• Easy access by public transport to almost anywhere else in London. Plenty of shops and eateries.
• School Disco at the Palais.Totally Surreal. Literally 1000s 20 and 30 somethings in school outfits flooding the area early Saturday Evenings.
• Fulham Brass Band. Currently experiencing period of growth and have quite a busy diary for the forthcoming months. In 2001 have already played at Duke's Meadow Bandstand, Golders Hill Park (NW11) and the Oxford v. Cambridge Boat Race. Have raised over £15k for cancer charities in the last 8 years.
• Chelsea football club yes it is in fulham
• Free flow traffic thru the centre A modern tube station with an elevator that works. Great for changng heavy loads liie bikes and buggies on the Piccadily or District lines. Letts Go and Co accommodation agency-friendly and dont mind people too much who are being"hurt by the ression,"
• The River.
• The Thames on a quite summer evening. Close to the WestEnd, Kings Road, High St Ken to the east, but you can also get out of the city in a few minutes to the west, with Richmond Park only a few minutes away.
• Those easy going days of summer lazing on Parsons Green under the shady trees.... just watching the world go by.
• The ski-ing season - all the sloanes clear out of Fulham at this point
• If you're in your twenties single and up for a good time, it's probably one of the best places to go out in London
• Best thing about Hammersmith is (especially if you are male and just becoming sexually aware) Hammersmith tube station - er, girls: Godolphin and Latymer, St.Pauls and even Sacred Heart (debatable I know); also Brook Green watching the drunks, especially the bloke with the bra who plays tennis against the back of St.Pauls swimming pool.
• The Ark
• Ravenscourt Park on a sunny day in Autumn.
• Great for eating out, and pubs. The Thames is nice there as well, and Hammersmith Bridge.. Take your pick!

The Worst Things

• A council that supports barmy ideas and charges residents colossal council tax for them but doesn't deal with the grubby streets or lengthy puddles when it rains eso. King Street. Diabolical drivers! Selfish, boorish people throughout plus loads of down-in-the-mouth people. Much xenophobia, many yobs and all manner of racists.
• Charity researchers swarming along both sides of King Street from at lunchtimes: getting your name on a database on weekday lunchtimes.
• The place is full of yobs and street crime. Astronomic Council Tax.
• north end road looks a shambles it use to be a good market gone down hill badly
• The roads, hands down. Oh, and the PR girlies who stand around talking on their mobiles during lunch breaks.
• 50s,60s & 70s Fulham Retro Shop("Zoom") has closed.Near "Charing Cross Hospital"(which is actually in the centre of Hammersmith). Seems there is no market for 1950s chrome soda syphons etc...Sad. Opposite is what must be the wierdest bric a brac store in London.Its run by an elderly gentleman who just gurgles and murmurs.Never in the mood for buying or selling for that matter.Indeed holding a conversation with gestures is tricky enough. Outsife a wholly stereotypical pile of er...used bric a brac.
• The annoying people who moan about anything and everything but never do anything about it.
• Traffic
• Hammersmith Gyratory road system is a complete abortion. Expect long delays. Fulham Palace Road is even worse. Long tailback even late on a Sunday evening thanks to bad lane markings and about two hundred sets of pedestrian crossings! If you're travelling on a Saturday and Fulham are playing at home forget it! Bit of a road rage blackspot as a consequence...
• The Wimbledon tube on a night when Chelsea are playing at home.
• Transport - Fulham's not very accessible to people unless you live in South London. You have to change at Earls Court on the tube
• Worst thing about Hammersmith is Sacred Heart School.
• The noise from the Hammersmith flyover.

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Credits

Last updated: 2008-05-15