Getting to know Greenwich

The view from Greenwich Park

As a Northern lass who moved darn sarf aged 18 for university and has remained here pretty much ever since (the odd stint in Spain aside), I'm certainly familiar with the notorious North-South divide and all its accompanying prejudices. However, I had no idea that the same feeling was quite so prevalent in London, with the Thames serving as a watery barrier between the capital's two halves. When I announced I would be moving south of the river, my friends' reactions depended entirely on their own postcode, with many in the Ns and Es giving me slightly pitying looks and hoping I'd return soon to the 'right' side. Although I was aware that many of the city's major monuments, its main shopping streets and a considerable share of its nightlife were located above the Thames, I have to confess that my knowledge of south London was largely limited to sitting on the 176 bus to C's East Dulwich flat listening to 'This is the 176 to Penge' on repeat for half an hour. So, after moving to SE7 at the end of August, the quest to get to know my new neighbourhood was officially on. Could it be that after a lifetime of allegiance to the north (north of England, north Oxford, north-west Madrid) I was about to switch sides?

Although pleasant enough, residential Charlton isn't the most interesting of areas - the retail park is certainly handy, but not exactly brimming with culture and leisure opportunities. Charlton House and the surrounding park are its strong points, but for non-chain shopping, sights and a social scene, Greenwich is the nearest port of call. Interestingly, the reactions of my north of the river friends were all softened somewhat when they learned I would be living near Greenwich, an area that general consensus declared 'lovely'. With hundreds of years of history behind it, modern day Greenwich retains plenty of period buildings, from the grandiose Old Royal Naval College and the National Maritime Museum to the more modest shopfronts lining its streets. Thanks to its beauty and its impressive history, which includes an important royal role back in Tudor times, Greenwich has been awarded World Heritage Site status and attracts thousands of tourists each year.

I was first introduced to the area by local resident L, who was happy to play tour guide to the new arrival. Walking along the riverside pathway, we passed 'Maritime' Greenwich, although the famous Cutty Sark ship is currently undergoing conservation work. The Christopher Wren-designed Old Royal Naval College, the NMM (both to be explored at a later date) and Trinity College of Music together form an imposing complex facing the water and out towards Canary Wharf. The site is also home to the Visit Greenwich centre, which offers tourists interactive displays detailing Greenwich's history and its present-day attractions in addition to the usual maps and leaflets.

Greenwich Market

Coming inland, we wandered through Greenwich's pretty streets to its undercover market, a small but lively space currently fighting drastic refurbishment plans. Situated on the same site since the 1830s, the Wednesday to Sunday market now offers shoppers a little more than the original meat and veg, with food to go from all over the world (from sushi to salt cod, if you want it, you'll probably find it), fresh produce and arts and crafts. The modish cupcake puts in an appearance courtesy of Ruby Tuesday and vegan-friendly Ms Cupcake, with a mini Monmouth Coffee van offering high quality caffeinated refreshment. The market is surrounded by shops and cafes which open daily, all meriting further exploration. Earlier today I returned for another wander and was tempted inside the smart Rhodes Bakery on nearby College Approach. A modern patisserie-cum-bakery that now also boasts a branch in Notting Hill and a Borough Market stall, Rhodes offers a selection of freshly baked breads, quiches, paninis and a host of sweet treats, many of which are priced under a pound - a bargain for well-heeled Greenwich. I opted for a 99p bakewell slice, and despite the price it was a damn sight tastier than Mr Kipling's version. In addition to its cafes, Greenwich also has a thriving restaurant scene, with the chic Spread Eagle and Rivington Greenwich leading the style stakes.

Given the culinary delights on offer, over-indulgence is fairly likely. Waistline watchers need not fear, however: Greenwich Park offers 72 hectares in which to burn off those cupcakes. The oldest Royal Park is not just a vast green space; it's also home to a herd of deer, the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian Line, the line which divides the world into East and West hemispheres.

And from one dividing line to another: if Greenwich is anything to go by, I could easily be converted to the south side. With plenty of parkland and monuments to explore, one-off shops galore and a villagey atmosphere that makes you feel as though you're hours from the capital rather than a mere 10 minutes to London Bridge, I'm definitely looking forward to getting to know Greenwich better.

Broadway and Brick Lane: Same letter, two very different markets

Flower stall, Broadway Market

Well, the Stepney days are over and I'm now resident in South of the river suburbia, aka Charlton. While I don't exactly miss the crazed stares from fellow passengers on the back of the 25 bus (try it for yourself and see. Or maybe not), I did get to love both my temporary flatmates and certain aspects of East London life: the markets.

Violet Cakes, Broadway Market

Near London Fields in Hackney, Broadway Market (on the street of the same name) is a Saturday street market, in action since barrow boys peddled their wares there in the 1890s. Injected with a new lease of life during the noughties, nowadays it's more of a yummy mummy paradise, with well-heeled Hackneyites and their young families browsing gourmet food stalls selling organic meat and veg, cupcakes galore and coffee to go. Made up of eighty stalls, it still feels small-scale and friendly, with plenty of lone traders selling homemade creations in addition to bigger operations such as De Gustibus artisan bread and Flour Power City Bakery, both of which also have Borough Market stalls. Particularly popular was the Merito Coffee stand - so much so that we couldn't face the long queue and opted to take a pavement seat at Gossip, one of the cafes that line the street. Gossip is a pocket-sized purveyor of food and drink, specialising in vegan delights and fancy teas. I can't say the coffee was the best I've ever had (must return to try Merito), but it was served with a custard cream and a smile. Significantly tastier was my almond polenta cupcake with strawberry icing from Violet Cakes - deciding to pass up more conventional choices such as devil's chocolate and marshmallow and take a bite of the wild (or weird) side, I was pleasantly surprised that a wheat and gluten free treat could taste so good. With a yummy nutty crunch, it thankfully tasted nothing like the savoury Italian grain either. Cake is definitely still having a moment, as Broadway Market testifies - sugar fiend shoppers will be in danger of serious cavities if they succumb too heavily to the delights of Violet and her fellow sweet-sellers Coco&Me and more. Trendy eco friendly types will love the market's ban on plastic bags and the amount of organic produce on offer, as well as the abundance of shabby chic cafes to lounge in, sipping cappuccino (or is it flat white that's 'in' nowadays?), reading The Guardian and looking cool.

90p cream cheese delights from Beigel Bake

Speaking of cool, the Sunday frenzy that is Brick Lane overshadows the low-key charm of Broadway market with its elbow-to-elbow trendies searching for vintage bargains, grabbing some cheap chow from the vying food hawkers, or simply having a beer or three. It's not one for the claustrophobic but definitely an experience. Starting at the Bethnal Green end of the long street, I began with a bagel from the famous Beigel Bake, a 24 hour take-away specialising in this type of bread. From just 20p for a plain bagel, they're a definite bargain, but be sure not to dawdle at the counter unless you want to face the wrath of the stern matrons behind it. The next stretch is awash with food stalls, selling everything from African vegan dishes to Argentinian empanadillas. Passing on through the waft of competing cooking smells, the parade of vintage stores begins, with emporiums such as Beyond Retro and Rokit peddling secondhand super-trendy threads of the sort that look enviably stylish on some but would no doubt make me look like Nora Batty on a bad day. Adding to the used goods theme are the 'independent traders' who grab their own pavement space to flog anything from handmade jewellery to old tat (broken Discman, anyone? Jumpers that look like they've had gravy spilled down the front? No?). Avoid the traffic that for some reason attempts to do battle with the tide of pedestrians and step off-street to one of the many indoor markets such as Sunday (Up)Market, a selection of stalls selling one-off clothing, jewellery, accessories, greetings cards, cakes and savouries. If you're keen to ignore the approaching end of the weekend, you might prefer to frequent one of the jam-packed bars pretending it's still Saturday night, such as 1001 or Big Chill (of festival fame). As I'm too old and untrendy for all that malarkey during the day, I'll have a cup of tea, a piece of cake and a new necklace, thank you very much.