Your Favorite Street: Exploration #21

I got really excited when I read the instructions for exploration #21 from the book, How To Be An Explorer Of The World: Portable Art Life Museum by Keri Smith. I knew immediately what to write about.

Exploration #21

YOUR FAVORITE STREET

Go to your favorite street. (If you can't go there physically, then you can visit it in your mind.) Map it out on a piece of paper. Then describe (or otherwise document) everything in detail: The shops, houses, street signs, trees, etc.

I am fond of many streets I've walked along on my travels. I have favorites in Taos, Portland, Eureka Springs, Boulder, and even Kansas City, to name a few. It was last year, while in London, that I fell in love with an unassuming little street where our apartment was located. Sure, we would trek all over London during our visit, seeing the sites and visiting exciting streets like Portobello Market st, but it is Hogarth Rd SW in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea that has a special place in my heart. Every night, Mark and I found ourselves strolling slowly, hand in hand, rehashing all that we had done and seen that day as we walked from the Tube to our apartment on Hogarth. 

I've done my best to map out our little section of the street as best as I could by memory. I'll have to take my map along next time we visit to see how accurate I was. (click map image to enlarge).

Leanne's map of Hogarth Rd.

The below image is a view of our apartment from the street. We stood out there one night after a bit too much pub crawling and sang love ballads to the passers by. 

Kensington Townhouse London

Let's take a look inside, shall we?

Where the magic happens

Desk, tea station, TV, and AC

The image below is the view of the Tube tracks and the building behind ours.

From that little window I watched a woman dye her hair, people smoking at the windows or doing any number of mundane activities. Excellent spot for people watching.

Watching the Tube from our window.

Next are a few shots I took on different evenings/days while we were walking back to the apartment. (the photos of the dry cleaners and Pinoy's are nabbed off the internet).

 Hogarth Rd. during a full moon

The shops and restaurants on the street are very eclectic. Thai, Indian, and French food. Laundry mats, a tanning salon and different types of grocery markets, etc. One place that always made me smile was Fusion Fashion Accessories. There you could buy umbrellas, sunglasses, flip flops (hot pink seemed to be the color to have) and an assortment of cheap jewelry. It had it's charm though.

Fusion Fashion Accessories

During our stay a button came undone from my peacoat. We took it to Noble House Dry Cleaners just across the street to have it put back on. (yes, we can sew! It was vacation though). 

Noble House Dry Cleaners

Our favorite market on Hogarth Rd. is called Pinoy Supermarket. I'm sure we preferred them because they were on our side of the street. We did stop in on several occasions to buy food, magazines, and snacks to take back to the apartment. 

Pinoy Supermarket

The photo below was taken on the only day we had rain during our visit.

Hogarth Rd. at night

I don't have anymore photos of Hogarth Rd. to include in this post. I didn't think to take that many at the time, but now I wish I had. I know I'll get the chance again someday soon though. Looking at this post, I see that Hogarth probably doesn't look like the most amazing street, does it? It's funny the places the heart holds dear. Hogarth Rd. SW will always be the place I remember fondly as "our place" in London. When I think about the shops, restaurants, townhouses, and street signs there it will always be accompanied by a smile. 

~ Love & Light ~