Isle of Dogs (yes, it exists) photoblog

Isle of Dogs is a neck of land downriver from the square mile of central London. Part of the Docklands redevelopment, it strikes me architecturally as the equivalent of Baltimore, Maryland: the aggressively new in a city of the comfortably aged. I chose to ride the Docklands Light Railway to Canary Wharf and walk the length of the peninsula, zizagging to get the flavor.

Stepping off the train at Canary Wharf gives you views like these:







Docklands has a reputation for not having a lot going on ...

...but at least there's a skating rink.



Oh, wait! Here's a pub:



I was concerned that with all the channels cutting through the Docklands that it might be a bit pedestrian unfriendly, but not to worry:



Now, some places had a distinct air of council housing about them:

(Seriously: How much could a "beware of dog" sign cost? 10 pounds?)

And this can't be a good sign:


But then ...






OK, that's better.


In wandering, I stumbled across a Big Box superstore, a rarity in these parts ...

Does the lettering in the "Always" look familiar? It should.

(On the other hand, the Super Wal-Marts in Tulsa don't have the scent of curry or carry Pernod.)



Next door to the Big Box: Mudchute Park:

Those fluffy things in the background are sheep.

Owing to its wharf background, many of the developments have retained old fixtures, such as ...




Finally, wandering down to the south end of the peninsula, one reaches Island Gardens Park, where one can descend into the earth to catch a foot tunnel across the river to Greenwich.

Creating art:


Oops. Let me reset ...

Much better.



Emerging on the other side, your first view is of the Cutty Sark:





Docklands/Isle of Dogs has a reputation as an area that, because of real estate speculation that turned out to be less than profitable, one can get a pretty good value on housing compared to the rest of London. I'm interested, but cautious. It was quieter than the Central London I've seen so far, but also slower, with fewer businesses and amenities. To attend the theatre, for example, would be a bigger expedition if one lived there rather than neighborhoods to the north. I'm not ruling it out, but I definitely don't want to concentrate any housing search just there.