Colorful London gems with a vibrant creator
London

Colorful London gems with a vibrant creator

Joey YU

Joey Yu

British artist and illustrator Joey Yu is a born-and-bred Londoner whose brightly coloured works are often an ode to her hometown.

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Greenwich Market

Market
5B Greenwich Market, London SE10 9HZ, United Kingdom
Greenwich Market

"Greenwich Park. It feels very historic; you have the [Royal] Observatory, the GMT line running, the marker of time. And you can see all the universities, the old buildings and all across London. I like to go and walk up to the top, stand there, and imagine I'm a traveler from hundreds of years ago. Then visit Greenwich Market — they also have a little vintage market. Getting a bite to eat after a long walk along the river, and finding a little trinket or gem."

Joey YU

Choosing Keeping

Stationery store
21 Tower St, London WC2H 9NS, United Kingdom
Choosing Keeping

"Choosing Keeping it's a stationery shop. They sell really specific items such as gorgeous paper, like marbled paper, pencils, pens, and tiny little things from Japan. They also have paints and watercolors, very precious things if you're interested in the arts or painting. It's just a delight. Go there to get a very special present for a friend or someone. It feels like you're giving them something they can't find elsewhere."

Joey YU

Covent Garden

District
London, UK
Covent Garden

"Covent Garden in an area called Seven Dials — there's this main dial and all the roads going off of it in this sort of clock formation, and all the shops are around there. You've got lots of vintage, little food shops and nice clothing places. It's quite a cool place to walk around and have a little mooch."

Joey YU

The Original Maids of Honour

Tea house
288 Kew Rd, Richmond TW9 3DU, United Kingdom
The Original Maids of Honour

"The Original Maids of Honour Tea House, this very old building. It looks amazing from the outside, with a hand-painted sign on the front. And inside, they have the most amazing pastries and little tarts, so beautifully crafted. They were made by a king to inspire a queen and profess his love. It's a royal, delicious, special treat — all of the things I do in London have a little sumptuous treat."

Joey YU

Richmond Park

Park
Richmond, United Kingdom
Richmond Park

"Richmond Park is a really old park in London, on the outskirts. I lived nearby when I was younger, so I'd go quite often, and it's a very ancient feeling. You feel like you're in a Tudor Kings garden, and you can see tons of deer — they're just walking around and lazing under the trees. You can get lost in the park, walk around for a few hours and feel like you're treading new ground. It feels very exploratory."

Joey YU

Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar

Chinese noodle restaurant
33 Cranbourn St, London WC2H 7AD, United Kingdom
Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar

"It's so unassuming and it's in the middle of this touristy street slap-bang in the middle of Soho. They make their noodles there in the shop. Just find a tiny little corner to sit down in, get your bowl and add loads of chili sauce into it. Then, you're satisfied and you can go about your day."

Joey YU

The Dog and Bell

Pub
116 Prince St, London SE8 3JD, United Kingdom
The Dog and Bell

"It's near the river so you can go get a drink and then chill by the river. It's really traditional and old-style — like, a little bit small and cramped."

Joey YU

Crystal Palace Park

Park
Thicket Rd, London SE19 2GA, United Kingdom
Crystal Palace Park

"I've fallen in love with this park. It's just so vast and beautiful and sprawling. And the views are great, especially when you go to the Crystal Palace Triangle — you can see all the way into central London."

Joey YU

Barbican Cinema

Cinema
Level 2 Barbican Centre, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom
Barbican Cinema

"When I was younger, I would catch a lot of films here on weekdays just by myself. You can go and make a full day of it if you go a few hours before the film and then just chill out for a bit and have a coffee by the water."

Joey YU

Brewer Street

Street
Brewer St, London, UK
Brewer Street

"With all of the nice, established shops I feel like it's such a treat to walk around here."

Joey YU

Novelty Automation

Museum
1A Princeton St, London WC1R 4AY, United Kingdom
Novelty Automation

"It's this insane, tiny gallery space filled with these old seaside-style, coin-operated machines."

Joey YU

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