Off the Beaten Path: Explore London's Charming Villages

On your next trip to London, why not get off the beaten path and explore the charming villages of this sprawling metropolis? With the lovely little book London Villages: Explore the City's Best Local Neighborhoods ($15.95) as your guide, before you know it you'll be wowed by local markets, restaurants, pubs, shops, and gardens that very few tourists venture out to see. Written by Zena Alkayat, former Shopping & Style Deputy Editor for Time Out London, London Villages features descriptions for 30 villages/neighborhoods, full color photographs by Kim Lightbody, and illustrated maps by Jenny Seddon. From Marylebone Village to Primrose Hill, Chelsea Green to Victoria Park Village and Little Venice; London Villages is an elegant and informative guide to these unique enclaves. I'm hoping to take my next trip to London in 2014 and this book will definitely come along. Until then, I'll enjoy flipping through the pages of London Villages while sipping a good cuppa!