Down with summer

London culture blooms in fall [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hello—[Sarah Rappaport]( here! I cover arts and culture for Pursuits, and I’m based in London. Since the last time you heard from me here, I also put my nightlife hat on, ranking [the capital’s 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 August—shocking stuff.) But [a record temperature of 40.2C (104F)]( was set at Heathrow last month, and this city isn’t built for extremes of any kind. See: melting runways, buckling railways. And we’re officially in a drought after the driest July since 1935. Aperol Spritz Slushie, anyone? That’s one way to cool off. Source: Double Standard It’s thankfully only hovering at around 90F now, but that’s still too much for a city where most people don’t have air conditioning at home. I live on the second floor of a converted Victorian house, and the heat makes my flat a sauna. The city’s best open-air dining spots for when it’s too hot indoors. Source: Ognisko London’s 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 couldn’t even escape to an air conditioned theatre—some venues stopped performances of the shows due to health and safety concerns. So I say, enough with summer! I’m ready for the mercury to drop enough so I can comfortably rock my well-curated knitwear collection (it’s 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 don’t have to be a journalist or in the film industry to attend—it’s truly for everyone. Tom Hollander in Patriots at the Almeida, one of the best shows in London at the moment—and the venue has air conditioning! Photographer: Marc Brenner I’m excited to see [Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery](. Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc is back, and the film will have a gala screening to close out the festival. Writer/director Rian Johnson said that “a proper whodunit really does belong in London, so it feels a bit like coming home.” The [Frieze London art fair]( is returning in October as well, held in Regents Park. It’s one of the best art fairs in the world, a great place to splash out if you’ve got the cash, or window shop if you’re 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, there’s a host of interesting shows opening including an [all-Asian, sci-fit version of The Cherry Orchard]( set in outerspace at Hackney’s Yard Theatre. [Helen Hunt will also make her debut at the Old Vic](, in a play about a “highly contagious virus” (sounds familiar), and I’ll keep you updated on [what other stage shows are worth your time.]( If I won the lottery—especially since there’s just been a 33% price cut—I’d buy Luckington Court in Wiltshire, where the BBC filmed part of its 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Photographer: Woolley & Wallis But even though I’m not sad about summer drawing to a close, there have been some wonderful moments. I drank Pimm’s in the sunshine during a [Queen's Jubilee street fair](. I had an incredible dinner with friends at new Israeli restaurant [Bubala Soho](—their 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 Stoker’s 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. One upside to the extreme European heat: it’s 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]( Here’s where to eat, drink, and spend a night or two in a country that’s riding high on new innovation and accolades—built 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. [London’s 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 ’n’ 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 I’ve been watching - There’s no sophomore slump with the second season of [Only Murders in the Building](, Hulu’s 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 show’s Emmy-nominated costume designer this week who revealed some [style secrets to apply in your own life](. My fall fashion goals: Selena Gomez’s character Mabel. Photographer: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu - [The Offer on Paramount+]( chronicles the development and production of everyone’s 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 company’s CFO Naveen Chopra was effusive in his praise—and boy, was he right. - And Disney+ is launching its first UK original production, [Wedding Season](, a “rom-com action thriller” 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 Katie’s wedding, her new husband and his family are murdered. The police think Stefan did it. Stefan thinks Katie did it. Drama! I’m getting a sneak preview next week and can’t wait. (If you can’t tell, I love a good mystery.) So, you had some questions … Here’s 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). Where’s 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 d’Argent](, 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 member’s 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; it’s a nature escape still very close to central London. I’ve sunbathed at the ponds, but am too much of a baby to swim somewhere where I can’t see what’s on the bottom. Sorry! OK, this isn’t in London, but I still can’t get this “aerial beach” in Panama out of my head. Source: Bocas Bali Close by though is the Parliament Hill lido—one of the biggest in London. (“Lido” is British English for outdoor swimming pool.) You’ll have to arrive early during the heatwave, but it’s a great way to cool off. There’s also a rooftop pool with views of St. Paul’s 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 it’s still summer, [Soho House’s newly opened Brighton Beach location]( has a very fun banana-shaped pool that’s fantastic for seaside chilling. At Brighton Beach House, the Club Cecconi terrace ain’t bad either. Photographer: Mariell Lind Hansen What’s a perfect day trip from London? If you don’t want the beach and Brighton, Bath is less than a 90-minute train journey from Paddington Station, and it’s gorgeous. It’s filled with history and famous Georgian streets like the Royal Crescent that look tourism brochure perfect in real life. Plus, if you’re a Jane Austen fan like me and can’t afford [that £6 million country estate](, there’s a whole museum dedicated to the author. Extend your stay at the [Bath Priory](, a fantastic hotel with a lovely garden and spa. It’s a real treat—and 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. 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