London culture blooms in fall
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Helloâ[Sarah Rappaport]( here! I cover arts and culture for Pursuits, and Iâm based in London. Since the last time you heard from me here, I also put my nightlife hat on, ranking [the capitalâs best bars]( and the top places to [cool down with frozen drinks]( in a collaboration with our food editor and new Londoner [Kate Krader](. Tough work, but someone has to do it. I have a confession to make: I am sick of summer. London is currently in the middle of its second heatwave. (I know, heat in Augustâshocking stuff.) But [a record temperature of 40.2C (104F)]( was set at Heathrow last month, and this city isnât built for extremes of any kind. See: melting runways, buckling railways. And weâre officially in a drought after the driest July since 1935.
Aperol Spritz Slushie, anyone? Thatâs one way to cool off. Source: Double Standard Itâs thankfully only hovering at around 90F now, but thatâs still too much for a city where most people donât have air conditioning at home. I live on the second floor of a converted Victorian house, and the heat makes my flat a sauna.Â
The cityâs best open-air dining spots for when itâs too hot indoors. Source: Ognisko Londonâs famous green spaces like Greenwich Park have been turned drab brown and yellows, all dried out from the heat and lack rain. It got so hot that you couldnât even escape to an air conditioned theatreâsome venues stopped performances of the shows due to health and safety concerns. So I say, enough with summer! Iâm ready for the mercury to drop enough so I can comfortably rock my well-curated knitwear collection (itâs so often sweater weather here) and go for a walk in Primrose Hill where the landscape is brown because of falling leaves and not dead grass. Plus, London blooms with culture in the autumn. The [BFI London Film Festival]( is held each October, and unlike Cannes, you donât have to be a journalist or in the film industry to attendâitâs truly for everyone.
Tom Hollander in Patriots at the Almeida, one of the best shows in London at the momentâand the venue has air conditioning! Photographer: Marc Brenner Iâm excited to see [Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery](. Daniel Craigâs detective Benoit Blanc is back, and the film will have a gala screening to close out the festival. Writer/director Rian Johnson said that âa proper whodunit really does belong in London, so it feels a bit like coming home.â The [Frieze London art fair]( is returning in October as well, held in Regents Park. Itâs one of the best art fairs in the world, a great place to splash out if youâve got the cash, or window shop if youâre like me and not in the market. Our Pursuits arts writer, [James Tarmy](, will be on the scene, so stay tuned. And on the theatre front, thereâs a host of interesting shows opening including an [all-Asian, sci-fit version of The Cherry Orchard]( set in outerspace at Hackneyâs Yard Theatre. [Helen Hunt will also make her debut at the Old Vic](, in a play about a âhighly contagious virusâ (sounds familiar), and Iâll keep you updated on [what other stage shows are worth your time.](
If I won the lotteryâespecially since thereâs just been a 33% price cutâIâd buy Luckington Court in Wiltshire, where the BBC filmed part of its 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Photographer: Woolley & Wallis But even though Iâm not sad about summer drawing to a close, there have been some wonderful moments. I drank Pimmâs in the sunshine during a [Queen's Jubilee street fair](. I had an incredible dinner with friends at new Israeli restaurant [Bubala Soho](âtheir halloumi with chamomile and fennel honey is such a treat. And I went on a roadtrip to Yorkshire, where I cooled down by the North Sea and visited the ruins of Whitby Abbey, a monastery established in 657 AD and made even more famous by Bram Stokerâs Dracula. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, in a town incorporated in 1895, so all of the history here never fails to impress me.Â
One upside to the extreme European heat: itâs uncovering lost villages, ancient ruins, and shipwrecks. Photographer: Gonalo Fonseca/Bloomberg In other UK news: travel, culture, fast cars [Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Visit Wales]( Hereâs where to eat, drink, and spend a night or two in a country thatâs riding high on new innovation and accoladesâbuilt on centuries-old traditions. [Where to Eat and Drink at the Edinburgh Festival]( Make time for whisky tastings between performances. [The Best Collection of Vintage Ferraris Ever Seen in the UK](
A rare 1962 250 GTO and three-seater prototype never shown in the country will be among 1,000 cars on display over the weekend. [Londonâs West End Welcomes Its First Newly Built Theatre in 50 Years]( A new theatre called @Sohoplace, owned by Nica Burns and operated through Nimax Theatres, will officially open in the autumn. [Inside the New Hotel Where Rock ânâ Roll Legends Made History]( The Rolling Stones recorded their debut LP on Denmark Street. And now you can sleep (and party!) there, thanks to Chateau Denmark.
What else Iâve been watching - Thereâs no sophomore slump with the second season of [Only Murders in the Building](, Huluâs most-watched comedy. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez have stellar chemistry as neighbors-turned-podcasters attempting to solve true crime in their fancy Upper West Side apartment building. I spoke to the showâs Emmy-nominated costume designer this week who revealed some [style secrets to apply in your own life](.
My fall fashion goals: Selena Gomezâs character Mabel. Photographer: Craig Blankenhorn/HuluÂ
- [The Offer on Paramount+]( chronicles the development and production of everyoneâs favorite gangster film The Godfather. Matthew Goode, Juno Temple, and Miles Teller are especially fantastic. I covered the [Paramount+ UK launch](, and at the launch party, the companyâs CFO Naveen Chopra was effusive in his praiseâand boy, was he right.
- And Disney+ is launching its first UK original production, [Wedding Season](, a ârom-com action thrillerâ on Sept. 8. The show tells the story of Katie and Stefan who fall for each other at a wedding and begin an affair, despite Katie being engaged to someone else. Later at Katieâs wedding, her new husband and his family are murdered. The police think Stefan did it. Stefan thinks Katie did it. Drama! Iâm getting a sneak preview next week and canât wait. (If you canât tell, I love a good mystery.) So, you had some questions ⦠Hereâs some answers! Whatever the topic, keep them coming for next week via our [Bloomberg Pursuits Instagram]( and [e-mail](mailto:daydreams@bloomberg.net?I%20have%20a%20question). Whereâs the best rooftop bar in London? Ahh, nothing like paying that extra premium for a view with your cocktail. Two of my favorite spots for an after-work rooftop drink within walking distance of Bloomberg London HQ are [the Aviary]( in Finsbury Square and [Coq dâArgent](, both with gorgeous views of the City of London. If you head over to East London, [Netil360](has more of a relaxed vibe but still has lovely vistas of the skyline at sunset. It draws a younger crowd and has cheaper beverages than anything in the City. In central London, the rooftop terrace at[Picturehouse Central](is pretty great. It is memberâs only, though, but once past the doors the views over Piccadilly make it an ideal post-movie stop. Where can I go to a pool or find a place to swim? I know tons of people who are diehard fans of the [Hampstead Heath ponds](. They love wild swimming in the freshwater; itâs a nature escape still very close to central London. Iâve sunbathed at the ponds, but am too much of a baby to swim somewhere where I canât see whatâs on the bottom. Sorry!Â
OK, this isnât in London, but I still canât get this âaerial beachâ in Panama out of my head. Source: Bocas Bali Close by though is the Parliament Hill lidoâone of the biggest in London. (âLidoâ is British English for outdoor swimming pool.) Youâll have to arrive early during the heatwave, but itâs a great way to cool off. Thereâs also a rooftop pool with views of St. Paulâs cathedral at [the Ned](, which is [one of the best hotels in the City](. You do have to be a member or a hotel guest or very sneaky to use it. And if you find yourself in Brighton, which you should while itâs still summer, [Soho Houseâs newly opened Brighton Beach location]( has a very fun banana-shaped pool thatâs fantastic for seaside chilling.Â
At Brighton Beach House, the Club Cecconi terrace ainât bad either. Photographer: Mariell Lind Hansen Whatâs a perfect day trip from London? If you donât want the beach and Brighton, Bath is less than a 90-minute train journey from Paddington Station, and itâs gorgeous. Itâs filled with history and famous Georgian streets like the Royal Crescent that look tourism brochure perfect in real life. Plus, if youâre a Jane Austen fan like me and canât afford [that £6 million country estate](, thereâs a whole museum dedicated to the author. Extend your stay at the [Bath Priory](, a fantastic hotel with a lovely garden and spa. Itâs a real treatâand a great way to get away without having to brave any August chaos at airports. Have more questions? Connect with Sarah on [Twitter]( or [Instagram](. And follow Bloomberg Pursuits via the buttons below. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Pursuits newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox.
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