Dahlia

(dahlia.com)

Whether or not you're a clothing addict like I am, you probably have a thing for uniqueness. Everyone wants to find clothes that make them feel comfortable and special. And nothing hits closer to home for a fashion lover than seeing someone walking down the street wearing the same dress that they have on.

Though modern chain stores have attempted to undertake the boutique theme - aging their walls like Anthropologie, stocking odds and ends like Urban Outfitters - there's nothing quite like finding an actual boutique that specializes in truly adorable clothing.

Now that I've used the word 'adorable,' I assume most men have navigated away from this page - and that is probably for the best. Because Dahlia, the designer I'm going to be talking about today, is not a men's brand.

Dahlia's caters to the Manic Pixie Dream Girl in all of us. Their clothes have a preference for high collars and turn-of-the-century to 1950s inspired styles. There's a bit of modern flair, but always in a classic cut. Who knew you could find a pinafore anywhere other than a vintage store these days? I certainly didn't.

I first discovered Dahlia while I was going through my ASOS phase. For those who don't know of ASOS, well, your life is about to be forever changed. This UK-based self-described "global fashion destination" is an online store which offers a range of clothing from the ASOS brand merchandise (which is often surprisingly good quality) to local designer fashions. Prices on ASOS offer options for the penny-pincher and the high-rolling spender. And for those of us in the middle, there are gorgeous little finds like the designs from Dahlia.

After I discovered Dahlia, I knew I had to have Dahlia in my closet. The dresses were sweet and casual, tip-toeing toward lolita fashion without actually going anywhere near it. My first-ever purchase from Dahlia was my self-proclaimed Minnie Mouse dress, a red button-up chiffon number that had little white hearts printed into the fabric (from far away they might betray the eye, appearing as polka dots). Wearing the dress, which came with a grosgrain ribbon around the waist, felt like going to a costume party without the awkwardness. Looking fun and festive is okay with Dahlia.

(dahlia.com)

Not long after my first Dahlia purchase, I went to the flagship boutique store near Carnaby Street in
London. Surrounded by high fashion brands like French Connection and Jaeger, you might not even think to pop into this little hole-in-the-wall shop. But it's the itty bitty stores that possess the most character, and Dahlia is no exception.

Dahlia was started in 2000, growing into a sisterly enterprise when siblings Tracey and Leigh began selling homemade designs at Portobello Road and Spitalfields Market in London. According to the Dahlia website, their success was "fueled by word of mouth," the kind of phenomenon that can only be attributed to the quality of the products these sisters produced. The Dahlia designs caught the eye of TopShop - which is still one of their stockists - and eventually opened up the single Dahlia boutique that still stands today.

It's a lovely little story to go along with the lovely little designs by this little-known boutique. And for those who, like me, prefer not to walk down the street and see someone wearing that same high-low dress from Urban Outfitters, it just might be the perfect fit.

Dahlia is located 8 Fouberts Place W1F 7PD. Find more information at http://www.dahlia.com/.

Dans Le Noir

The entrance to Dans Le Noir. (thelondonsinner.com)

I first discovered this place when I was watching the film About Time. The movie, for those who are interested, is about a guy, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), who discovers on his 21st birthday that he has the ability to travel through his own timeline. That is, he doesn't have the ability to time travel in any point in history, but he does have the ability to go back to points in his life and alter them.

In the film, Tim goes with a friend of his to a restaurant that is completely engulfed in darkness. The experience, as depicted in the film, involves going through an ordinarily lit foyer, then putting your hand on the shoulder of one of the restaurant's guides, who proceeds to take you into the completely dark dining room.

To avoid producing any light, the restaurant staff requests you put your belongings - including cell phones - in a locker in the restaurant's basement. It's a scary proposition, but one that purposefully pushes guests into a world completely devoid of distraction.

In the dining room itself, you are sat at a communal table, allowing you to get to know others without any hindrance of visual interaction. Some visitors have reported good experiences in the communal environment, others who are not particularly loquacious may not find it as appealing. But the real draw is, unlike in About Time, not necessarily finding your soulmate in the dark.

The intrigue of this place - aside from being a completely unique dining experience - is that it allows you to force yourself into the non-visual senses. In the film, this means Tim is free to meet-cute and connect with his love interest, Mary (Rachel McAdams), only through conversation. The actual experience, though perhaps offering chance encounters with others based solely on voice, is more about the chance encounter with food. An enticing concept in its own right.

Prior to being seated, you must put in your order. This was something I was quite curious about. As a vegetarian, my dietary restrictions prevent me from diving into most restaurant experiences. Since meat dishes are the staple to most menus, it's usually unsafe for us herbivores to waltz blindly (pardon the pun) into a gastro-experience. Fortunately, Dans Le Noir has already considered this and has thus prepared a menu with a variety of options.

The menu is a unique experience in itself. It involves choosing not based on any specific taste, but according to a pre-determined set of dishes. You choose between four different surprise menus which each come in their own color. The White is "Chef Surprise" which claims an exotic and unusual flavor. The Blue is a fish and seafood meal, the Red a meat option and Green for those among us who do not partake in the omnivorous lifestyle.

It's an interesting concept, really, being focused on food, unknowing of what the ingredients or the experience will be. Like a trust exercise, Dans Le Noir requires you to perceive your surroundings in a limited way, and put your faith in others that they won't feed you something terribly unpleasant.

The restaurant guarantees that they work with primarily fresh products, though, so unpleasantness is not something to worry about. Past menus are available on the restaurant's website, giving reluctant visitors a little taste of what they may actually taste should they decide to dive into this experience.

Though guests have mentioned in reviews that it can be difficult to learn to eat in the dark, others have proclaimed their time at Dans Le Noir a learning experience. For those of us who have never had the experience of living in a world without sight, this is an opportunity to discover and empathize with those who do.

Away from the many chain and gimmick restaurants that the world's population has become so used to, Dans Le Noir is an experience that is one truly worth the attempt. Though I haven't been myself, it tops the list of places I plan to dine upon my return to London. If you don't agree, perhaps you should watch About Time yourself.

Dans Le Noir is located at 30/31 Clerkenwell Green EC1R 0DU. There are other locations in Paris, Barcelona and St. Petersburg. Find more information at http://london.danslenoir.com/.

Keats House Museum

Two years ago, I had the great pleasure of going behind the scenes at one of my favorite London landmarks, a place that due to its placement and its nature, is just off the beaten path enough to maintain its simplicity, integrity and beauty.

That place is Keats House Museum.

The front façade of Keats House. (artfund.org)

I took on a temporary volunteer position at the museum while I was studying abroad in London in 2012 and though my time there was limited, the experience of visiting Keats House on a regular basis never meant the loss of the magic that this centuries old building holds.

Keats House is an ode to the Romantic era. In its preserved walls lies the story of John Keats, a young poet in the early 19th century, who fell in love with a fashionable young girl who (along with her mother, brother and sister) was sharing the house (then Wentworth Place, a duplex of sorts) with Keats and his friend and fellow writer Charles Brown.

Keats and Brawne had an emotionally charged and yet delightfully innocent courtship, which is forever commemorated in poetry and letters written by Keats for the object of his affection (unfortunately, letters from Brawne to Keats were buried with the poet when he passed away at 25 years old), and present in the peaceful tranquility of the pristine white-walled exterior of the Keats House Museum.

The museum sits nestled amongst multi-million pound homes in the wealthy and semi-rural neighborhood of Hampstead in Northern London. It's only accessible via the Edgware branch of the Northern Line on the London Underground, and though this doesn't make it difficult to get to in the slightest, it does feel further away than most of the sites the average London tourist might frequent.

Keats at Wentworth Place. (steinerag.com)

Keats House hosts a treasure trove of artifacts, including Fanny Brawne's engagement ring, given to her
by Keats, which had originally belonged to the poet's mother. But aside from being one of the only spots to visit in London that will keep you fully separate from the sounds of high street traffic and the frequent sirens of the city, Keats House is also an incredibly short walk away from one of the most beautiful parts of London: Hampstead Heath.

The Heath has the park benches and paved walkways necessary for 21st century convenience, set against muddy paths and wooded beauty that transports you back to a more romantic time. In the summer and fall, the trees change color and the ponds glisten in golden sunlight. In the spring, the gloomy rain turns the marshes into a kind of glorious swampland, your wellies (rainboots, for Americans) caked in wet soil and your hair wild and mangled from the wind and rain.

And not far from Keats House and the Heath is Hampstead High Street (which on its northwestern end
is Rosslyn Hill and on its southeastern end Haverstock Hill), which provides a taste of an old world English town. The street lies filled to the brim with tiny alley ways (Flask Walk is a great one just near Hampstead Tube) and little shops. Save for the odd McDonald's just by the tube station, it has the aura of a classic high street.

Hampstead High Street. (jrunsblog.blogspot.com)

Pop into the local sweets shop, toy store, book shop or stationery store, take a breather at the local restaurants (some are chains, but they're quaint chains like Paul or Café Rouge) or go shopping at high end stores (the street boasts everything from French designer brand The Kooples to the British classic French Connection and trendy and sophisticated Whistles).

If you feel like truly stepping back in time, visit the Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, a building that has stood on the site since 1692. It peeks out onto the high street from its tiny little cubby hole as a slightly anachronous addition to a decidedly modern street. Other local churches include the 19th century church St. Stephen's (also on Rosslyn Hill, though southeast a piece) or St. John-At-Hampstead which houses a bust of John Keats.

For a quick bite, note the long line extending into the street from a seemingly innocuous little food cart. That's La Crêperie de Hampstead, a little hole in the wall (lacking the actual real estate) where you can get a little taste of France in the middle of London proper. Try a fresh savory snack or a sweet treat, they've got all the variety you could ask for from Spinach and Cheese to the traditional Crêpe Suzette. Be prepared to wait for the pleasure of tasting this delicacy - the line can sometimes stretch quite long.

Hampstead is a great place to visit for all its amenities, but the small town feel and the history of Keats really makes the neighborhood something special. The Keats Community Library stands next door to the Keats House Museum and serves as a setting for some events organized by the Museum, as well as a stand-alone library for community members. In addition, Keats is the namesake for a pharmacy (Keats Pharmacy) on Rosslyn Hill, a reminder of the poet's history (he studied to be an apothecary at King's College London).

Visiting this part of London, you will find yourself immersed in a stillness unlike any other part of the city possesses. Start at the Keats House and you'll know what I mean.

Keats House Museum is located at 10 Keats Grove NW3 2RR. Find more information at http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/.

The Luna Simone Hotel

Walking into the Luna Simone Hotel for the first time is like walking into your own home away from home. Call that trite and simplistic, but nestled into the residential area in between Victoria and Pimlico tube stations, Luna Simone is - in my eyes - the perfect place to stay on a trip to Londontown.

A twin room en-suite. (lunasimonehotel.com)

A bed and breakfast without the pomp and circumstance, spending one night or several nights at this almost apartment-style venue is like visiting a friend in their pristine and inviting London flat. Luna Simone is, at its core, a family business and it's something guests become acquainted with straight away. The two owners, a pair of twin brothers, are so present that you begin to feel you've known them for years. They serve you tea in the morning, wish you a pleasant evening when you're heading out for the night and come prepared with knowledge of the city and excellent senses of humor to match.

The rooms themselves are cozy, clean and modern. Bedrooms come complete with a flat screen television, desk with coffee maker, telephone, and there's free in-room wi-fi (an unusual luxury to come by in European cities). The bathrooms have stand-up showers with glass enclosures, and all the other necessary accouterments. Depending on the size of your party, you can stay in anything from a single en-suite (for Americans who are uninformed as I was on my first visit to Luna Simone, this means with a private toilet) to a quadruple en-suite.

Breakfast dining room. (lunasimonehotel.com)

Every morning, Luna Simone also offers a full breakfast in its downstairs dining room. Meal options
include the signature Egg, Bacon & Beans (or Egg & Beans for vegetarians like myself), Hard-boiled eggs, or Ham and Tomato. In addition, you are served a selection of toast and jam, a variety of starters including muesli, cereal and yogurt, and of course the stalwart tea or coffee (decaf options available!).

Not to oversell, but with the price of a single room ranging from 100 to 140 pounds per night for dual occupancy plus a provided breakfast each morning, this is a steal. London itself is not a cheap city, but that doesn't mean the accommodation you find has to be astronomically priced as well.

What will keep you coming back though, is not just the price or the people involved, but the feeling you'll get in staying at the Luna Simone.

In my prior five stays at the hotel (yes, you read that right), I have not once wished I'd stayed somewhere else. Luna Simone is just a short jaunt away from a relatively enormous Sainsbury's on Wilton Road - where you can stock up on British sweets to hoard in your hotel room or pack away for a quick nosh. It also resides next to the little back alley Denbigh Street, which takes you on a direct path to Victoria Station via Wilton Road, past little shops and restaurants that are great for a quick lunch stop or for evening take-away.

Belgrave Road & Luna Simone. (TripAdvisor)

After wandering down the side streets to Victoria Station, you will find yourself at an incredibly bustling hub where National Rail and London Underground trains converge. With easy access to the Victoria, District and Circle Lines, you're just a couple stops and perhaps a single line switch away from most central London destinations. And even closer by is Pimlico Tube, a smaller station where you can catch the Victoria line whilst beating out the crowds.

Ultimately, staying at Luna Simone is like reuniting with an old friend. Even on a first visit, you will come to recognize Belgrave Road (where the hotel resides) as your own personal backyard, and a beautiful one at that.

The Luna Simone Hotel is located at 47/49 Belgrave Road SW1V 2BB. Find more information at http://www.lunasimonehotel.com/.

An Introduction

This post probably will not survive the next few days. Or weeks. Or months. Because it is just that, an introductory "hello world" sort of writing.

I guess it exists mainly to explain to you why I've decided to start this blog.

I've been struggling lately with something. It's something I've shared with quite a few people because, let's face it, keeping problems to yourself doesn't solve anything. And in this situation, asking for the assistance of others is probably the best conceivable option.

I'm looking to relocate to London.

The difficulty is: being an American with no close European ties to speak of, I'm stuck here until I can find a way into the country where I actually plan to start my life. Until then, I'm in this middle world where I don't really have any concrete plans.

So in the meantime, I figured I'd devote some time to virtually exploring the city that I'm not yet allowed to live in yet. And one day, when I am on my way to London for a semi-permanent residence, I can look back and see all the information I'd gathered, and used that toward making a great experience into an even better one.

Along the way, maybe I can share some things with others that will help them make the best of their London experience too.

And that is the introduction, friends. Thank you for your time.