London's top ten attractions of life

There is no shortage of tourist staples: Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Marble Arch, Big Ben, the iconic red double-decker bus. If you've got just 24 hours, here are 10 unmissable places to observe Londoners in their natural habitat. 1. Tate Modern rnYet this gallery devoted to modern art effortlessly pulls in the locals as well as the tourists, and ranks among London's most-visited attractions. 2. Marylebone Stroll rnWhat's the nattiest neighborhood in London? Not leafy Notting Hill, which lost its claim to cool after Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, frolicked through it in the eponymous 1999 rom-com. And not fashionable Hoxton or Shoreditch, even with their spiky-haired, skinny-jeans-clad tribes of cool kids. They're all worth a look, but the real cool resides in Marylebone, an area so confident of its charms that it doesn't need to broadcast them. 　rn3. The London Eye rnYes, it's a giant ferris wheel, and, yes, it's for tourists — but it's a worth a spin. Once you've boarded your glass-sided capsule — each capsule holds 25 people — it will be a half-hour before you get back down. Creeping along at 0.6 miles (0.9 km) per hour, it's an excruciatingly slow flight, as a trip on the London Eye is called, but from the top of the 443-foot (135-m) wheel you'll be rewarded with gloriously unimpeded views over London. 4. Inns of Court rnThe Inns were first established in the 14th century and housed in large, walled compounds; today, judges and barristers still work, study and sometimes live in these enchanted precincts. 　　rn5. J. Sheekey J. SheekeyrnIf you like your dinner with a side order of celebrity, head to J. Sheekey, a fish restaurant with leather banquettes, paneled walls and an impressive art collection, in London's theaterland. 　　rn6. Kensington Gardens rnQueen Caroline lived in Kensington Palace, on the western edge of the park, which has been home to assorted members of the extended royal family and household, and half of the palaces are open to the public. 　　rn7. Berry Bros. &Rudd Berry Bros. rnThe poet Lord Byron was just one of many patrons of Berry Bros. &Rudd. Staff happily expound on the virtues of the cheaper wines and spirits they sell, alongside the rarest vintages. 8. The Royal Court Theatre rnMore recently, the theater has debuted Tom Stoppard's international hit, Rock 'n' Roll, and Christopher Shinn's lls now or later, set on the night of a U.S. presidential election as the family of the Democratic frontrunner awaits results. 9. Smithfield Pub Crawl SmithfieldrnLondon is far from being a 24-hour city. Alcohol licensing laws were relaxed in 2003, but finding a late-night drink still requires ingenuity. There is one part of city, however, that doesn't sleep: Smithfield. 10. Barfly and Roundhouse Barfly and RoundhousernIf you get claustrophobic at the Hollywood Bowl, then neither of the live music venuesrnis for you. The Barfly is tiny, but that doesn't stop punkers from piling through the doors and turning the whole room into a mosh pit. Aross the road, the Roundhouse shows it knows the meaning of eclectic, with a program that includes big-name musicians, and even circus acts.