London Hood by Hood: Battersea

The epitome of a locals-only neighborhood, villagey Battersea, on the south side of the Thames, never really offered much to outsiders until recently. Now its resolutely middle-class residents are beginning to let their hair down, media and artsy types are injecting verve (the Royal College of Art moves in this summer), and even the royals are venturing across pastel pink Albert Bridge (Prince Harry was recently spotted doing karaoke at Bunga Bunga). And in a few years it’ll be a whole lot more yank-friendly — the U.S. is currently building a new embassy here.

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