The Bottom Line
See the Not for Tourists London 2010 review.
It's not the 'National Film Theatre' as many London friends thought but the Not for Tourists Guide to London - their first international edition outside the US. NFT guides intend to show you more about a city than traditional travel guides so should be good for locals and visitors.Not for Tourists Guide to London is "the urban survival guide, written by Londoners for Londoners."
Pros
- Respected series
- Compact size
Cons
- Very heavy for the size
- Looks like a bible
- Mostly covers central London
Description
- First edition published December 2008
- Size: 5.6 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
(14.2 x 10.4 x 2.3 cm) - Weight: 14.4 ounces
- Includes fold-out map of London Underground tube system and central London buses.
- Useful elastic book marker attached.
Guide Review - Not for Tourists Guide to London
Also the neighborhoods featured are mostly in central London, when most Londoners live in the suburbs. My home area isn't included and I live in zone 3. If I were moving to London and needed to research the areas I'd want to know about areas out to Zone 4, at least.
After the Neighborhoods is 'Parks and Places' which has good maps and information but doesn't consistently include 'How to Get There' - there's either loads of detail or nothing. And as an example of excessive neighborhood listings, Hyde Park is apparently bordered by 9 neighborhoods!
'Sports' is listed as venues alphabetically and not grouped by sport which I found frustrating. But there is good detail with stadium maps and ticket advice.
Inside the back cover is a handy fold-out tube and bus map but it doesn't include London Overground trains which would be handy for a Londoner or someone wanting to find places not covered by the tube map.
I tried carrying this book around London with me but wondered why my bag felt like a lead weight - because this book is so heavy! It may be a compact size but the weight is too much to keep it with you every day.
The advice you get from Not for Tourists Guide to London is honest if somewhat cutting at times, but it can make you smile and introduces you to the London sense of humor (mostly sarcastic).
